Deals Await the Flexible Flier
A Trick to Low Fares
For Frugal Travelers:
Up-in-the-Air Plans
By ANDREA COOMBES
June 24, 2008; Page D2
It isn't getting any easier to be a traveler.
Average airfare costs increased more than 14% in the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and prices rose more steeply for certain destinations. There is likely more pain ahead for budget-minded leisure travelers once airlines reduce their capacity this year.
To add insult to injury, there is the long litany of fees, with some airlines hitting you for any checked bags, and one charging for a bottle of water. (There is some variation among airlines: Southwest Airlines Co. doesn't charge for checked bags.)
Still, there are some deals for travelers -- if you are willing to look hard, stay very flexible and act fast.
"One of the great ironies is that high fuel costs and a slow economy kill demand, and so what happens [is] companies have to get aggressive with their pricing to keep people going, whether it's a hotel or airline," said Henry Harteveldt, vice president of travel research with Forrester Research.
Where you live matters, with the lowest fares available to travelers near major hub airports, where competition from low-cost carriers continues to prevent legacy airlines from jacking up prices, said Tom Parsons, chief executive of BestFares.com in Arlington, Texas.
Here are 10 tips for getting the best deals:
1. Act fast. Many airlines are reducing their fleets this year, starting in September, Mr. Harteveldt said, so travelers will compete for fewer seats. "If you see a good price, it's where you want to go, a price you can afford, then don't wait around. Chances are there aren't going to be many seats at that low price," he said.
2. Rethink your destination. If you have got to get away but prices are hindering you, think about changing your destination. Airfares to New York are up about 23% this summer from last summer, versus a 7% rise on airfares to Seattle, according to Travelocity, based on booking data. Airfares to Rome are up 19%, while airfares to Cancun are up 2%. Airfares to the Bahamas are up 14%, while those to the U.S. Virgin Islands are down almost 3%, according to Travelocity.
3. Plan. Some industry watchers see prices rising higher; others aren't so sure. Still, planning is often a better strategy than waiting. "Half of us know where we want to be for Thanksgiving ... yet most of us wait. If you know right now, book now," said Rudy Maxa, host of the travel show "Rudy Maxa's World" on PBS.
4. Time your search. Start looking for deals midweek. Airlines often file their weekly Web specials on Tuesdays, said Amy Ziff, editor at large with Travelocity. "As those come online, that availability will be seen Tuesday or Wednesday."
5. Time your stay. If heading to a vacation-centric market, go midweek, when fewer leisure travelers go. If your destination is frequented by business travelers, there isn't a hard-and-fast rule, so check different days for the best pricing, Ms. Ziff said.
6. Search hard. Check the airlines' own Web sites, and other sites like Kayak.com, Mobissimo.com, Priceline.com, Hotwire.com, CheapOair.com, and Farecast.Live.com. Southwest generally doesn't appear on these sites, so check Southwest.com. Mr. Maxa said that he likes CheapFlights.com because it is easy to see price variation by date. He said he likes Priceline for hotel and car deals, though he noted Enterprise Rent-a-Car has been offering a 50% discount on weekend rentals.
7. Stay flexible on travel dates. A good way to find the cheapest fares, Mr. Parsons said: Plug in a date, and then compare that price with the fare for travel two weeks after that, and again to two weeks beyond that. Also, he said, avoid Sunday travel and, if possible, go in September or October instead of July and August.
8. Consider cruises. While cruise lines also feel the pinch of rising fuel costs, some are offering deals. European cruises can offset the brutal effects of the dollar-to-euro exchange rate. "With Norwegian Cruise Lines I'm seeing a huge effort in specials and promotions," said Lauren Volcheff, who is marketing director for LastMinuteTravel.com, in Orlando, Fla.
9. Try travel agents, online and off, for deals. They purchase volume deals in advance and may have locked in lower rates on hotels and airfare, Mr. Harteveldt said.
10. Sign up for airline (and other travel-company) newsletters. Airlines eager to fill up seats may send out email alerts about last-minute deals. On June 18, Virgin America issued a note to customers saying those booking by June 25 could fly from New York to Las Vegas for $159 each way (service starts Sept. 4); from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles or San Francisco for $149 each way; and from Seattle to Las Vegas or San Diego for $99 each way.
Write to Andrea Coombes at
andrea.coombes@dowjones.com
*News source: Wall Street Journal*
