If you’ve been reading our blog, you’ve probably noticed our highly focused reporting on summer flight and vacation deals. That’s because this summer was one of the cheapest and best summers for vacationers in years, with a number of flights discounted as much as 60% from previous rates. But now, it’s time for fall and as some articles are reporting, the ways in which to find discounted and cheap airfare will take a slightly different savvy than the way it was done this summer. Take a look!
This summer, it was all about last minute travel deals.
Airlines were so strapped for cash that they would post fares as low as $39 each way in order to entice last minute travelers to book a flight. The same was true for hotels. Occupancy was so low that at the last minute, you wouldn’t face over capacity fares but instead, even cheaper versions of your typical hotel stay. The fall however, will likely be different, so you might need to change up your deal-hunting strategy.
Last quarter, almost all airlines announced that they would be cutting back flights in order to save money, which means less available seats and higher fares. Also, a number of airlines (United, Virgin America, American, and Jet Blue) have already set in place a number of fall deals (flights as cheap as $49) that are available for flights running through December 17. This means in order to get the deal you have to book now, instead of relying on cheap last minute deals. This is especially true around the holidays, when trips are preplanned and flights are booked early in the fall. With the number of flights cut back and the types of deals available now, playing chicken with the airlines just might not pay off like it did this summer. Then again, only time will tell.
For more information on how to take advantage of last minute deals, check out the travel information on FrugalMonkey. Find out about becoming an air courier if you fly often and want to book some seriously low rates. Keep an eye on our blog as we will continue to bring you the best travel deals available post-Labor Day and into the holidays!
