Airline Ticket Buying Secrets
Buying an airline ticket has never been a simple task – the rules of the game are always changing. But if you know how the game is played, you’ll have a better chance of saving money.
Here are some “secrets” that will clue you in on how to find the best fares.
1. Low cost carriers don’t always have the lowest fares.
Low cost carriers JetBlue, Southwest and AirTran have rapidly expanded the past few years, bringing lower fares to many markets and burnishing their reputations as discount airlines. But low cost airlines don’t always offer the lowest fares. That’s because traditional airlines, which have spent the past few years in bankruptcy court slashing their own expenses, are aggressively matching or undercutting their low-cost rivals.
And though airlines like JetBlue, Southwest and AirTran generally have lower operating costs than traditional airlines, they’re feeling the squeeze of rising fuel prices too. That means you shouldn’t count out traditional airlines when looking for the best deals.
For example, a late August, roundtrip non-stop flight from New York to Orlando was $547 on JetBlue but just $504 on Delta Air Lines. Keep in mind that low-cost carriers have more consistent pricing, cap their highest fares, don’t have as many restrictions and typically offer a larger number of seats available at lower prices than traditional airlines.
So, it may be worth paying a bit more to fly them, especially if you’re flying somewhere at the last minute or may have to change your itinerary.
2. The most popular travel Web sites don’t have the same information — or the best deals.
It’s a mistake to assume that you’ll find the exact same fares on Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia, the biggest online travel agent sites, says Hobica. The sites negotiate deals with specific carriers and often have exclusive deals. So it pays to check all three and then check out individual carrier sites — and not just to avoid the $5 to $10 booking fees that third-party sites charge.
Hobica says airlines increasingly are selling their best fares on their own Web sites, so sites like Travelocity and Orbitz (which don’t have JetBlue and Southwest fares anyway) shouldn’t be the only place you look.
The bottom line for fliers: Airfares are a constantly moving target, changing as much as three times a day. Sales come and go quickly. So, if you want to find the best deals, you’ll have to shop around. But knowing how the rules work will make you a savvier shopper.
source:money.cnn.com
Tags: airline tickets, discount airlines