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If you’ve been weathering the long winter, as I have, you’re probably ready for a warm escape and some fun in the sun. Today, Bing Travel issued its 2010 spring break forecast, and thankfully, we’ve found some deals for spring travel. However, there are fewer deals for airfare than there are on hotel rates.

According to our data, spring break airfare (between Feb. 28 and March 31) is up 9% from 2009, and is creeping back up to 2008 levels. Airfare for spring break averages $349, but premium domestic hotel rates are averaging $173 per night, a 15% decrease from 2009 that offsets higher airfares and reduces your total trip cost. Why are hotel prices down this year? Decreases in demand and occupancy levels have led hotels to slash rates to fill their empty rooms. We expect that this trend will continue for spring travel and potentially beyond, which is great news for budget-conscious travelers.

As in previous years, you can also save money by avoiding the most popular travel dates. For example, by traveling in early March, as opposed to the week of March 22, travelers will save an average of $65 on airfare. In addition, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are great days to travel this year. A seven-night Tuesday to Tuesday or Wednesday to Wednesday flight will save you $86 on average; that’s about 22% less than flying on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

We’ve highlighted a few warm destinations where travelers will get more for their money this year, including Las Vegas, Maui, Orlando and Puerto Vallarta. Check out the full press release to learn why we chose these destinations, read highlights of each location and find details on airfare and hotels in the area.

As always, we recommend using Bing Travel’s Price Predictor to help determine the best time to buy airfare. If you know specifically when you need to travel, you can also set up a Fare Alert to monitor predictions for your trip. Both of these tools can help you make more informed travel decisions for all of your flights.

Wherever you’re off to, we hope you have happy and safe travels. Be sure to send me a tweet with your spring break travel updates and questions!