by Doug Desjardins
Anyone planning to travel by air over the holidays had better make their reservations soon because airfares aren’t getting any cheaper.
After a slow year in 2009, airlines have seen business increase in 2010 and have raised prices accordingly. With airlines continuing to reduce flights, there are fewer seats available and they’ll get more expensive as flights fill up, especially with Thanksgiving less than one month away.
“More people are traveling and business is up so, naturally, airfares are going up,” said Jennifer Gaines, a contributing editor for Travelocity. She said Thanksgiving travelers will be pay an average of $356 for a round-trip flight, up about 15% over 2009 when the average was about $300. People traveling on Christmas can expect to pay about $384 on average for a round-trip flight, about 10% higher than last year.
Experts say that if you already know when you plan to travel, book your flight as soon as possible. Lilibeth Ruiz, director of travel for Prestige Travel American Express, said airfares will continue to rise from this point on. “There are some good fares available and some fairly good prices but book it now,” said Ruiz.
Years ago, airlines would reduce airfares for holiday flights with too many empty seats and travelers could find great last-minute deals. But those days are gone. With airlines consolidating and cutting out non-profitable routes, most flights are full these days, as evidenced by the 86.3-percent occupancy rate on domestic flights in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation statistics. The bureau estimates that 41 million people will travel during the holiday season this year.
“Travel demand for the peak travel days is increasing, driving prices higher as availability diminishes,” said Jack Richards, president and CEO of Los Angeles travel agency Pleasant Holidays.
Travel experts say consumers should take the same approach to purchasing airline tickets as they do any other item and shop around on the Web for a good deal. Airlines are constantly monitoring the number of empty seats on each of their flights, even those months away, and adjusting rates accordingly. That’s why it’s important to check online travel sources on a regular basis to get an idea of rates and be able to spot a bargain when you see one.
Booking flights through non-hub airports is another way to find good fares. “If you’re having trouble finding a decent fare, pull out all the stops and look into alternative airports at both your departure and arrival cities,” said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.
Being flexible on the days you fly is another way to find good fares. Banas said Tuesday and Wednesday are the slowest travel days of the week and usually have the cheapest fares. And traveling on Thanksgiving or Christmas is another way to find a cheap fare, since those flights don’t usually fill up.
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