The beauty of winter is how low prices are for Grand Canyon National Park airplane tours. Better yet is the fact that seats bought now lock in these affordable rates for 2014 trips.

Here's how it works.

Right this moment it's "slow" season at the National Park. This means there are fewer people coming to the National Park compared to summer, which is "high" season.

Tour companies recognize this trend and respond to it in several ways. First is to reduce the number of flights. The downside to this is fewer seats, which may be problematic during holiday weekends.

However this issue is easily offset by the steep decline in prices. Often, the price drop is approximately 20 %, sometimes more depending upon the tour (usually flights that land at the canyon).

And here's where it gets even more intriguing.

For those planning for a 2014 flight, I urge you to consider booking now in order to get the winter discount simply because rates will increase as we go over to the new year and will go on to rise from March 2014 forward.

I get plenty of questions from visitors concerning this opportunity, the most common of which goes like this: "What happens if my plans change and I need to cancel or reschedule my Grand Canyon flight?"

Nothing. As long as you book with great companies that offer a superb cancellation policy. What defines "terrific?" A policy that refunds all your money in the event you cancel your vacation within 24 hours of departure. Further, outstanding companies will also alter your dates (and recognize your original rate) for free as well.

A follow up question I get is: "What happens if the company cancels because of weather?" In cases like this, there are several options. The very first is to reschedule your flight for later that day or later during your stay. Or, if you can only fly on that day and can't do it any other time, you get a full refund.

Why am I focusing so much of this article on cancellation policies. Because they're very important to travelers who buy trips now for 2014. Such policies enable you to plan. In addition, they safeguard your travel purchase. Most importantly, they let you exploit receiving the best rate possible.

Grand Canyon plane flights are offered from Las Vegas and South Rim/Tusayan, AZ. Vegas flights visit the West Rim and the South Rim. The West Rim is a 30-minute flight and the South Rim can be done in 1 hour. Tusayan flights only go over the South Rim and can only be taken from Grand Canyon Airport.

Vegas trips to the West Rim feature a variety of side trips, which I strongly encourage you to look into. The most well-liked is the optional Skywalk tour. This particular flight lands on top of the rim and lets you decide if you'd like to do the Skywalk or not. If you do, you can purchase your ticket on the spot. Otherwise, you have up to 3 hours to explore the area.

Summary

Now is time to purchase a 2014 Grand Canyon plane ride. At this time, prices are low because it's winter and fewer people check out the National Park. However, these affordable prices will start to creep upward as we move into the New Year. For those savvy travelers taking advantage of the opportunity, only fly with companies that include a solid cancellation policy. This way if your plans change your travel purchase is safe.