Nov 03

Holiday Air Fare Sale, Right Now!

Holidays, Tips, TravelBarb

by Robin Fiedler

More than 6 airlines launched drastic sales for cheap flights last week to fill seats for non-peak travel dates during the holiday air travel season. Most of the sales were for only a 72 hour window and ended on Oct. 30, according to FareCompare.com. But there’s still hope for a cheap holiday flight. plane-ticket

Really cheap flights can still be found if you are planning to travel around the periphery of the holiday dates. The new marketing strategy is that the cheap tickets are being advertised at one-way prices, but most must be purchased as a round-trip in the end. It’s a psychological doorbuster, and it works.

Prices range from $29 jetBlue each way to $234 Airtran each way for coach, depending on travel dates and holiday destinations. Virgin America offers a few discount first-class tickets with prices from $204 to $850 each way. Most of the travel dates run from November 2009 through February 2010. The catch is that you cannot travel during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years.

Airlines offering the off-peak travel Cheap Airfare Sales:

  • Virgin America Holiday Travel Sale ends Nov. 4,
  • Airtran Sale Fares ends Nov. 10.
  • United Holiday Fare sale ends Nov. 12. (no prices, just claim of Holiday Sale)
  • jetBlue Travel Deals ongoing – first checked bag is free

Peak travel dates

Just for fun, I did a flight search for holiday deals to visit my sister (who lives 1,100 miles away) on the peak travel days during Thanksgiving. The cheapest flight leaving Wednesday, Nov. 25 and returning Sunday, Nov. 29 was priced at $454–that’s $227 each way. Then, I tried Christmas, leaving Tuesday, Dec. 22 and returning Sunday, Dec. 27 and the cheapest flight was $460; that’s $230 each way. Not cheap, but not outrageously expensive either.

I didn’t add on the fees for checked baggage, which run from $15-$30 per bag, or the $10 surcharge each way that some airlines are charging. All in all, I could probably expect to pay $500 to visit family on Thanksgiving or Christmas, flying on peak days. FareCompare.com has a complete Airline Fee Chart – Southwest came up the best with no baggage check fees for 2 checked bags.  The Bureau of Transportation Statistics lists Southwest as the Top Airline in the US for number of passengers from Jan to July 2009. The Top Airport, in the BTS survey, was Atlanta.

Travel adventures are some of the best stories, and traveling for the holidays increases the odds for adventure. Travel home for the holidays! With online promotions and online discount tickets, you’ll find the best deals. Holiday travel deals don’t have to be a scene from Steve Martin’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Footnotes

“Airfare Sale Round-up.” FareCompare.com 28 Oct. 2009. http://deals.farecompare.com/2009/10/28/airfare-sale-round-up/

“US Domestic Airline Fee Chart.” FareCompare.com. 29 May 2008. http://rickseaney.com/domestic-airline-fee-chart-2/

United States. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “July 2009 Airline Traffic Data: System Traffic Down 3.4% from July 2008.” Research and Innovative Technology Administration: US Department of Transportation. 16 Oct. 2009. http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts048_09/html/bts048_09.html

COUPON TIME

It’s never too early to book those airline tickets for holiday trips.  Find the best deals on holiday travel right here–from airline tickets to hotel stays and more.

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