Posted on: Saturday, November 20, 2004

Research, flexibility key to finding best airfare deals

By Gary Stoller
USA Today

Finding the best airfare is often an arduous task. And it can be even more difficult if you've waited until now to find a holiday-season bargain.

But there are strategies you can use to grab a less-expensive ticket before it's too late.

Start researching immediately, says airfare expert Tom Parsons, because the cheapest seats have already disappeared on many routes.

On some routes, airlines are hoarding seats, making few or no low-price tickets available, he says.

"They don't want a white Christmas," quips Parsons, who runs Bestfares.com, a Web site offering airfare bargains to subscribers. "They're dreaming of a very, very green Christmas."

Airline officials deny they're hoarding any seats and say plenty of good deals are still available. "It may be too late to find a low fare on certain routes, but it may not be too late on other routes," says American Airlines spokesman Billy Sanez.

Here are some tips for finding a ticket that won't break your holiday budget.

Use the Internet

Fares listed on the Internet by individual airlines and ticket sellers such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia and Priceline often are cheaper than those quoted by airline telephone reservations agents.

"It's never less expensive on the phone," says Tad Hutcheson, a spokesman for AirTran, which gets 65 percent of its bookings on the Internet.

Compare prices on as many airline and ticket seller Web sites as possible. Consider using Kayak or other Internet "aggregators," which compare fares listed at many Web sites.

Theo Brandt-Sarif, co-author of "Guerrilla Travel Tactics," recommends using Internet ticket sellers but warns that it can be inconvenient if a change in itinerary is needed. He says changes must often be made on the phone, and he recently had to wait 90 minutes to reach an agent at an Internet ticket seller.

Consider travel agent

If you're not a savvy Internet user or don't have time to weed out the best fare, try a travel agent. They're trained in strategies for getting low fares. Many agents buy tickets on Web sites, as well as through airline reservations systems, the American Society of Travel Agents says.

Be persistent

Unlike several years ago, when passengers booking 21 or 30 days in advance were assured of low fares, airfares now change constantly.

While it still often helps to book in advance, airline officials say, it's possible to get a better price at a later date.

Keep checking and make note of prices because a low-price fare might not be available today but may be available tomorrow.

"If you work hard enough, you'll find a good fare," Brandt-Sarif says.

Be flexible

Try another departure time or date if the fare you're quoted isn't attractive.

Early-morning and late-evening flights can be a bargain. For flights departing in the morning on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2, Delta Air Lines' Web site quoted $526.40 for the cheapest Dallas-Miami roundtrip ticket. By departing in the evening on those days, a passenger could save $103.

Flying one day later, on Christmas Day instead of on Christmas Eve for example, can result in a huge savings. On American Airlines' Web site one day last week, the cheapest Boston-Seattle ticket cost $377.70 for a Christmas Eve departure and a Dec. 29 return.

But for a Christmas Day departure with the same return date, American offered a $285.70 fare, using its partner Alaska Airlines on the flight from Boston. For a family of four, that option would save $368.

Change airports

Also on American's Web site one day last week, the lowest roundtrip fare for a Dec. 24 Boston-Portland, Ore., flight and a Dec. 29 return was $444.90.

Using the same days but flying out of Seattle rather than Portland, less than a three-hour drive away, the fare dropped to $377.70. For a family of four, that's a savings of nearly $270.

Consider stops

Nothing's better than a nonstop flight, but making a stop or two can sometimes pay off. On Northwest Airlines' Web site last week, the cheapest round-trip nonstop fare between Detroit and Portland for Dec. 21 and Dec. 26 was $684.69. But the airline's two-stop flight out of Detroit and one-stop return flight cost $446.50, saving a family of four more than $950.

Use flier miles

Airlines prohibit fliers from cashing in their frequent-flier points for free tickets on certain holiday-season days. But some freebies are available on various routes.

A free roundtrip ticket was available this week, for example, for a Continental Airlines frequent flier wishing to travel from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Dec. 15 and return on Jan. 5. On some holiday-season days, you can get a free ticket if you agree to cash in more miles than the minimum amount normally required. For 50,000 miles, double the normal amount, Continental will provide a free roundtrip ticket for a Dec. 27 Houston-Newark flight and a Jan. 4 return.

Track specials

If you're a gambler and want to chance waiting for an airline's last-minute Internet specials, you can find some incredibly low prices. But you're gambling that your desired destination will be included, and that's far from a sure bet.

Airfare experts warn that the specials may be few and far between during the busy holiday travel season.

Continental Airlines' Web site, for example, currently states that "due to increased travel over the holiday season, there are no specials available this week."

Some specials may be available for only a few days after they're announced. ATA's current Net Fares, which expire Monday, include a $165.20 roundtrip ticket for a Dec. 20 Chicago-Charlotte, N.C., flight and a Dec. 27 return. That's $67 cheaper than United's lowest price on those dates.

If all the strategies above don't land a ticket within your budget, Parsons recommends that you temporarily postpone your trip, relax and enjoy the holidays.

Major airfare sales will begin after Jan. 1, he says, and continue for at least the first three months of the new year, an off-peak, traditionally slow travel season for the airlines.