RSS FeedLooking for a holiday airfare deal? Procrastination might not pay off
Post-Labor day sales are popping up among many major carriers, and at least one fare watcher thinks early might be the best time to buy. Before the fall, procrastination seemed to pay off: People were buying tickets later, and airlines were jumping to get fare sales in for last-minute deals. But as the economy improves and airlines can better predict passenger numbers, cheap near-term fares are going to be harder to come by, Travelzoo Senior Editor Gabe Saglie said.
What the airlines won’t tell you
The fall is typically the weakest season of the year for air travel, and airlines are worried. After launching handfuls of fare sales this summer, major carriers are trying to get ahead of the curve — launching sales earlier and stretching them out longer.
“I think that definitely we saw this year an earlier than usual push for fall and winter travel,” Saglie said. “Before we were even talking about winter, airlines were talking about late December travel deals.” A number of airlines, including United, Virgin America, American and JetBlue have recently launched sales for travel from New York for as little as $49 each way, with departures as far out as Dec. 17.
Even in the winter season, when folks start traveling to grandma’s for Thanksgiving or coming home for Christmas, airlines are still betting that many people will opt to stay home. And they’re working hard to persuade you to fly.
Show me the money
Fares across the country are still lower than they have been in years, despite some scattered hikes. Overall, they’re down by about 20 percent over last year. Some prices on more popular routes were raised slightly in late summer only to be cut again. A trip from New York to Los Angeles, for example, rose slightly across major airlines recently but is now back down as low as $218 — a price many experts said wasn’t sustainable only months ago.
Some airlines...