Fewer Cheap Flights Due to Fewer Seats
Although the “season to be merry” is almost upon us, hunting for cheap flights will be much more challenging this year for those who will be travelling by air this holiday. One of the reasons for this is the fewer airline seats.
Compared to last year, the number of seats is about 3.4 percent lower. Majority of airlines has decided to cut the number of flights as a way to ensure that all flights will be fully-booked, allowing them to maximize profit. For instance, the number of available seats to 50 of the busiest cities in the nation for the day before Thanksgiving is 80,000 less than last year.
Considering that the demand has been growing steadily since summer, it is not surprising that airfare will skyrocket as the busy travel days near.
Experts are saying that travelers might be able to enjoy cheap flights, if and only if they book their tickets as soon as possible. Procrastinating or waiting until the last minute will certainly mean more money being spent on airline tickets alone.
Such news is certainly not welcome for those who really need to travel during the holidays especially if they consider the cheap airplane tickets enjoyed last fall due to the sluggish economy.
For certain, the situation is different this year. Already, several airlines have decided to charge passengers with a $10 surcharge fee, supposedly to cover fuel costs. This is on top of the fees imposed on checked baggage. If you factor in the expensive airfare, you will really have a hard time staying within your budget.
If you are skeptical about news of soaring airfare, you simply have to check airlines’ websites as well as their aggregates.
For example, you will find that United Airlines tickets to Chicago from Washington DC for Thanksgiving costs $563 as compared to $285 last month. Meanwhile, Continental tickets to San Francisco from Newark for the same day will cost you $869 from $504.
Travelers who want to keep travel expenses low are advised by travel agents to be very careful when shopping and comparing. Some bargains may not really be bargains after all if you include the surcharges and other miscellaneous fees that the airline will impose.
For this reason, it is vital that you understand the limitations of these cheap flights offers.
