A lot of people nowadays are trying to cut down on costs. Unlike the decadent 80s and the booming 90s, these days, the focus is more on value for money, necessities rather than luxuries. Whether times are harder now, or people are more financially savvy, we tend to cut down on what we consider as unnecessary expenditures, especially if you have a family to support. Travel, unfortunately, is one of the victims of these times, as more and more people are choosing to travel close to home to keep costs at a minimum. Even airlines are feeling the pinch, and a number of them have filed bankruptcies.
There is some good news. Airlines have cut down on their fares to entice travelers, and a number of smaller airlines have proven themselves as a good alternative for cheaper fares. There’s also a lot of ways for travelers to get lower fares, all it takes is know-how and patience. Here’s some tips on how to find cheaper fares for air travel:
• Fly with low-cost, smaller airlines – budget, or smaller airlines like JetBlue, Southwest or AirTran generally cost less than major airlines. For example, a trip from JFK airport in New York going to SFO airport in San Francisco will cost about $140 with JetBlue, compared to $300 with a major US carrier.
• Travel during the off-season – generally, traveling during “peak season”, or the summer months and during holidays, is when the fares are highest. It may be hard to schedule, especially if you have school-aged children, but flying during the low season will give you a better discount on fares.
• Watch out for discounted fares – There are some special tickets which are 40-60% lower than the going rate, the problem is trying to catch them. Usually, this can be found only in the internet, they’re called “web fares”. Or, there are other types of discounted fares, such as bereavement fares, companion fares, etc. which you can inquire with the airline. Be careful though, most of these tickets are very restrictive.
To be continued…