Cited: USA Today
If you are planning to fly over the Thanksgiving holiday, you will find that airfare has gone up 10% since last year. Also, the days you travel just might make a significant difference in your wallet as well.
The average domestic airfare over the November holiday is $384 round trip, up 10 percent compared with last year, according to Travelocity, the online travel agency, which reviewed ticket prices. Travelers could end up paying as much as $170 more for the average priced ticket if they fly out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and return on Sunday, vs. shifting their itinerary by a couple of days.
During the recession, “People may have put Thanksgiving travels on the back burner, and it’s possible this year they’re ready to take those Thanksgiving trips again,” says Genevieve Shaw Brown, Travelocity’s senior editor. “There’s going to be a lot of competition for those lowest-priced seats, so it’s important that people (book) as far ahead as possible and be as flexible as possible to get a decent fare.”
Holiday surcharges will also affect cost. Some carriers are tacking on an extra $30 for flying on peak travel days such as the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving. “Think about the surcharge basically as a fare increase,” Brown says. “You’re going to pay more to travel on a more desirable day.”
Airlines slashed fares and flights in 2009 to weather a steep travel dip spurred by the economic downturn and the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. But this year, fares have been on the rise, as more passengers return to the air. And airlines are increasing the number of domestic seats by just 2 percent in November compared with a year ago, to make sure availability doesn’t outstrip demand.
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“Typically when airlines see heavy demand” and mostly full planes, they add flights, says Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com. “They’ve been very reluctant to do that, because they really don’t know what’s going to happen in the next six months in the general economy and in travel.” So don’t count on last-minute sales. Travel experts predict there will be few, if any.
Be flexible with your dates. Consider flying out on Thanksgiving Day and coming back the following Tuesday, for example, when the average domestic fare is $293, according to Travelocity.
And if you’re flying to or from communities with several airports, “Look for which one is going to yield the lowest price,” Brown says.
Seaney also noted that the connecting flights can be 25%-45% cheaper than taking a direct flight going to the same destination. However, it could be difficult to get another flight if you miss your connecting flight.
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My Take: I do not need to worry about the cost of a flight. All my family is right here in Phoenix with me. However, there are hundreds or thousands of people who have family scattered across the country and may want to visit them for Thanksgiving or even Christmas. Of course, Halloween is just around the corner so you could probably send 2010 sexy Halloween costumes as an early Christmas present. Or even better, why not send Avatar costumes, of course the costumes fit human size and not the 10-12’ size of the real creatures.
With Thanksgiving not far behind Halloween, you might want to consider sending maybe brass bells as a Thanksgiving gift that they can ring in the holiday season. You might also consider sending a brass compass so they can find their way home in the cold winter.
And if you finally decide to stay home this holiday season, you can always enjoy a good movie download. And if you happen to be one of those people that are in the old movies, you can always download old movies online as well.
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