Airfare sales cutting deeper than usual: report

Airlines in the US are cutting fares deeper than usual this fall. Also, the discounts this year are more widely available than last fall, reported AP.

Published: 24 Aug 2009

Airlines in the US are cutting fares deeper than usual this fall. Also, the discounts this year are more widely available than last fall, reported AP.

“The prices we’re seeing now are just absolutely superb” compared with this time last year, FareCompare.com CEO Rick Seaney reportedly said . “They’re still a little above the fares airlines were offering over the winter and spring when demand was in a free-fall,” he added.

The Los Angeles Times mentioned that airlines have already started to roll out discount fares for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s travel. This is great news for bargain-hunting travelers, but it signals growing desperation among US airlines, which have seen revenues drop 21 percent in July versus the same month last year, according to the Air Transport Association of America.

Tactics

Other than Southwest Airlines, United and American have also come up with special offers.

Southwest Airlines has come up with a fare sale to fill seats during the slow fall and winter seasons, but it blacked out many days around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Southwest said some seats on a few routes would sell for as little as $59 each way.

The fares apply to fights from September 9 through January 7 but aren’t available on Fridays and Sundays. Blacked-out dates include November 24 through December 1 and December 18 through January 4.

Tom Parsons, CEO of discount travel website Bestfares.com, called the latest offer a “Bah Humbug” sale that won’t help families with school-aged children travel during the holidays.

A Southwest spokeswoman, however, insisted that bargain fares can be found during those blackout periods, depending on availability. But since the airline cannot promise those deals across the board, she said Southwest decided to list only the specific dates when the bargain fares are more certain.

“We are trying to be as honest and straightforward as possible with our customers,” reportedly said airline spokeswoman Brandy King.

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