Airfare Sales for Fall Continue to Dribble Out

August 9, 2007 | Posted in: Airfares, Airlines

Airfare sales continued to be released in dribbles this past week for travel up to mid November and even into December.

Delta started the wave of sales a few weeks ago, a sale on one airline sparks matching by the other airlines who want to protect their turf (none of the airlines wants to cost more than their competitor).

Many times an airline will show its displeasure with another airline by posting super cheap fares in a competitors top city. It might seem a bit childish, but it can lead to some great prices on tickets. I show you a classic example of this in my blog post, How Airlines Tweak Each Other.

Unfortunately these airfare sales do not occur between every city, so even if you’re waiting around for the perfect airfare, be sure to purchase your tickets at least 14-days (preferably 21 days) in advance of departure.

The following are some of the official airfare sales that have taken place (our airfare email alert technology also catches the unofficial ones that often get lost in the shuffle):

• Air Tran (Ends Today!)
• CNN Money (More AirTran)
• United
• Miami Herald (American)
• American Airlines
• American Airlines International
• Delta
• Northwest Airlines
• Southwest
• Midwest Airlines
• Air France
• bmi
• Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air

26 Responses to “Airfare Sales for Fall Continue to Dribble Out”

1. Rick Seaney says:

   August 9, 2007 at 11:35 am

   Hi Gail,
   Thanks for the kind comments, I have been a techy so long, I forgot how much I enjoyed writing…
   Newark has the same issues as most expensive airports.
   You’ll notice there are not any low cost airlines servicing Liberty.
   http://www.farecompare.com/flights/Newark_Liberty_International-EWR/airport.html
   Jet Blue is the only one that might resemble that but has very few cities it services directly.
   http://www.farecompare.com/flights/JetBlue_Airways_Corporation-B6/Newark-EWR/airlinenonstop.html
   Bottom line is that competition fosters lower prices and the only competition out of Newark is actually the other airlines out of the two nearby airports La Guardia and JFK. Continental must stay in range of their prices to stay competitive.
   From time to time I do see great deals to Europe out of Newark (non-stop to Cologne (CGN) for example), but domestically you are right, on whole its a bit expensive
2. Rick Seaney says:

   August 9, 2007 at 11:59 am

   Hi Rick,
   (Easy name to remember )
   I presume you are going to be leaving in the next 2 weeks. The legacy airlines like US Airways start charging business rates for travel purchase within 14 days of departure.
   Southwest airlines normally has lower business rates and thus the big price difference.
   I would suspect if you checked outside of 14 days their prices would be similar.
   Low cost airlines are normally lower for last minute travel. Unfortunately you see the perfect example.
   My wife is getting back from Vegas tonight (girls trip with our Austrian family),
   She says its only about 120F in the shade so take some sun screen
3. Gail Mooney Kelly says:

   August 9, 2007 at 10:52 am

   Hi Rick,

   Love reading your blog. I am EWR based and I’m wondering why Continental remains the high priced airline – where’s the deals there? curious for any insights.

   Thanks
   Gail
4. Rick says:

   August 9, 2007 at 11:44 am

   What the hell is up with US Air. $912 rountrip for 2 tickets direct flight verses SouthWest $508 for two direct between Phila. and Las Vegas in mid october. No wonder Southwest is soaking up the compitition.
   Rick
5. Eva Walters says:

   August 9, 2007 at 2:43 pm

   Hi Rick – I noticed that you were trying to help someone that came over from Europe. Well that’s interesting since my cousin just came in from Amsterdam and had a layover in Philly and they canceled her flight. Then they only gave her $10.00 to eat and could not even get her a hotel since everything was booked. The also had the balls to tell her she would have to fly stand-by the next day and to be in line at 2:00 a.m. for that information. What the hell! Not only did they not compensate her which I don’t get they put her on stand-by when she was a full fare ticket holder. Can you give me any suggestions as to how to get her some compensation. Appreciate all the help. Eva
6. Howard says:

   August 9, 2007 at 2:52 pm

   Hi Rick,

   I would like to travel to Rome in June with 5 people. When do you think the fares will start to go on sale for June ‘08.

   BTW, I got a great deal on FareCompare for travel to Rome in March – $666 rt…. I almost couldn’t believe that it was a valid purchase until I got billed from United….

   What a wonderful service….

   Howard
7. Rick Seaney says:

   August 9, 2007 at 4:59 pm

   Hi Eva,
   If the ticket she bought originated in Amsterdam, this would be covered under the EU Passenger Bill of Rights (see my recent post).
   The airline certainly is required to put your cousin in a hotel, along with several other things.
   Since the connection was in Philadelphia, I’ll assume this was US Airways.
   I have been trying to make a claim for my cousin and am still having all sorts of issues. I will not be giving up though
   I’ll let you know as I update this story, so that you won’t have to do the hours of leg work
   Cheers,
   Rick
8. Rick Seaney says:

   August 9, 2007 at 5:18 pm

   Greetings Howard,
   $650 out the door for Rome in March is fantastic, glad we were able to help.
   Rome is normally one of the more expensive spots to get to.
   June 2008 Rome — You can only purchase 11 months out, so you are barely in the purchasing window, but it is great you are shopping early.
   For international you should be shopping year round.
   The cheapest right now is Aer Lingus at $977 out the door for June 8-15 (from NYC). That is not a smoking deal but depending on your departure city you can expect to pay in the $800-1400 range to Rome at that time period.
   Everyone should remember that there is $250 built in to Europe trips for fuel surcharges and taxes before the airfare kicks in, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
   I would make sure you have an international alert on the city pair and keep an eye on it and see if you can get in that $800 low range. You have plenty of time right now to see if a deal sneaks in.
   I did have some good feedback from a few on EuroFly, so you might check them out as well (from NYC)
9. Keenan says:

   August 9, 2007 at 3:39 pm

   Hey Mr. Seaney,

   I am having trouble finding any deals for my multi-city ORF-FRA, CPH-ORF in october. There was a very good buisness-class-cheaper-than-economy deal on Alitalia a couple weeks ago, but otherwise i havent seen anything substantial. Then further examination shows that the majority of the seats on the flight are empty. Will these prices end up going down so they actually fill the planes? Or will they just be trying to cut their losses and charge as much as possible for those who must pay regardless?

   What do i have to do to get you to offer more international advice hahaha.

   Your site is great, most comprehensive ive run into, but it would be perfect if it included at the very least major European cities.

   Thanks,
   Keenan
10. Rick Seaney says:

    August 9, 2007 at 5:56 pm

    Hi Keenan,
    You can call me Rick
    You should be able to get both Delta and Continental ORF-FRA CPH-ORF for $708 out the door (I checked Oct. 9-16 and 23-30).
    This isn’t a great price but it is pretty good from Norfolk (which isn’t on the gateway beaten path). You can get $100 less if you slide into departing the last few days in October or early November.
11. Rick Seaney says:

    August 9, 2007 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Jesse,
    The going price from LAX-AKL roundtrip is about $1450 out the door non-stop for October. Similar prices in Sept, Nov.
    AirPacific (airpacific.com) has connecting flights in Fiji for the mid $1100’s from LAX.
    Depending on the age of your parents it might be worth the $300 extra for the non-stop.
    These prices are not unusual for this trip. There are sales periodically but U.S. New Zealand are pretty pricey.
    Update: Jesse, I just noticed Quantas filed a new airfare which should be loaded in the morning from SFO-AKL ($100 less), you should check SFO as well in the morning
    Wish I could be more help,
    Rick
12. Jesse Miller says:

    August 9, 2007 at 7:33 pm

    Hi Rick

    I am trying to find a flight for my parents to come visit my wife and I this October in NZ. However, the fares seem to be out of line ($500-$600 more!) than flights in September or November! Do you think that there is any chance that October prices will come down to be more in line with the average for that time of year?

    Thanks for your help!

    Jesse
13. Mapita says:

    August 10, 2007 at 8:24 am

    This website is terrific. I have two trips coming up. One to Mexico in January and one in March to Argentina. Do you suggest that I purchase tickets now. Wait a month. Trying to get a sense of what you recommend. Thanks much.
14. Michael says:

    August 10, 2007 at 9:45 am

    Hi Rick,
    I’ll be flying to Europe in May ‘08 and tracking prices. Will be flying out of CLT into EDI and likely from Munich or Frankfurt back to CLT. Prices now are in the 730-750 range for May.
    I know when I was tracking last year i saw some fares get to around 600-650 but those prices were in Feb. Do you think I should hold off for that value or book if fare gets close to 700? I hate to wait that close to leaving and have the fare shoot up.
    thanks!
15. Rick Seaney says:

    August 10, 2007 at 12:08 pm

    Hi Mapita,
    Without the exact departure and destination (remember competition and demand are the main drivers of price) it is hard for me to make the best recommendation.
    That said, I always have an opinion, your best bet is to purchase in the next 2-3 months. My reasoning is pretty simple. Historically the traffic to ticket purchasing sites has its peak at the end of June and starts sliding all the way until the end of the year and then roars into high gear again in January.
    As the demand goes down so does the itchiness of the airlines to discount. The cheapest price trifecta is:
    1) Purchase when shopping demand is down
    2) Flexible on your dates
    3) Airfare Email Alerts to cover you if the airlines do a Crazy Ivan
16. Rick Seaney says:

    August 10, 2007 at 12:16 pm

    Greetings Michael,
    CLT-EDI MUC/FRA-CLT for May 08 is tricky. It is right at the edge of the season change.
    With $250 built in for taxes and fuel surcharges on all Europe roundtrips. If you can lock in in the low $700’s I would do it now (especially on a multi-city open jaw).
    I agree there might be a sale in the low $600’s at some point but it will be fleeting and you’ll have to catch it just right.
    Buy Now and worry about all the cool things you are going to do in Europe.
    Cheers,
    Rick
17. Rick Seaney » On-Time Departures (10-August): Loud Talkers, Long Delays, and Stupid Rules says:

    August 10, 2007 at 11:48 am

    [...] Virgin America made it’s maiden voyage, New York passed a Passenger Bill of Rights, and more fall fare sales hit the market. There was also some great coverage by some great bloggers of other stories that [...]
18. Rick Seaney says:

    August 10, 2007 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Leslie,
    The prices from ROC-SJU start rising dramatically on Dec. 19 and subside around Dec. 30.
    Right now you are looking at the low $600s for this trip per person out the door on United.
    The cheapest day to travel for 7 nights is 25-Dec on US Airways $486 out the door.
    Other days around that are in the mid to high $500’s.
    Prices drop to the mid $300’s the week of the 1-Jan.
    You are caught up in peak travel and the airlines are no dummies (a premium to the Caribbean during Christmas is usually around $200-300 per person).
    I doubt its likely to get much lower on those peak days.
    Ugh,
    Rick
19. Leslie says:

    August 10, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    Hello Rick,

    My family and I will be traveling to San Juan, PR from Rochester, NY during 12/26 – 1/2 our days are flexible. What kind of fare price should we be looking at? Thank you for the information.
20. Keenan says:

    August 10, 2007 at 9:32 pm

    Hey-ya Rick,

    Thanks for the advice, I understand $708 is a decent price but should i wait or should i purchase it now? Ill certainly be buying more than 21 days in advance, but im unable to strech the trip to the end of october, so im still confused as to if i should wait around for another $420 rountrip in buisness class to show up, or just bite the bullet

    Sorry to keep taking up your time thanks!
21. Donna Ladouceur says:

    August 12, 2007 at 4:50 pm

    Hello Rick:

    My husband and I are going to Costa Rica Dec 20 2007 to Jan 02 2008 – it’s a once in a lifetime anniversary trip that we’ve been saving up for. We are flying from Toronto and would love to fly business or first class as a special treat to ourselves. Do you have any advice as to when we should book or how to get upgraded to these seats?

    I am finding a low fare of $1500 – $1800 U.S. return for business class and I’ve been looking for weeks. Thanks so much for any help you could give us.
22. Rick Seaney says:

    August 12, 2007 at 7:33 pm

    lol Keenan,
    Persistent I must say
    I personally would wait in cases like this especially when I have time to keep a pretty close eye on things.
    When I know I am going to be super busy and don’t want to worry about it, I’ll buy knowing I got a good price and be done with it.
    It all depends on your level of tolerance for risk
    Cheers,
    Rick
23. Rick Seaney says:

    August 12, 2007 at 8:04 pm

    Hi Donna,

    Costa Rica has gotten really popular in the last couple of years.

    Unfortunately cold weather location to warm weather location at peak travel time (Christmas/New Years) is a recipe for high prices.

    The airlines love those 2 weeks at the end of the year …

    There are flights to both SJO (San Jose) and LIR (Liberia) (more expensive at the moment).

    As you noted the business/first class prices are in the mid $1500 range (coach in the $800 range).

    I wouldn’t look for prices to drop for this trip and might get worse.

    If you have any frequent flyer miles and if there is are any seats left (wouldn’t be surprised if this has been sold out for months on FF miles) this would be a perfect time to use them (you can also buy them on most airlines now adays if you need a few more to top off to get that business class ticket).
24. Donna Ladouceur says:

    August 13, 2007 at 5:52 am

    Thanks for the heads up Rick. I think we will have to just book it as is!
25. Mapita says:

    August 14, 2007 at 5:50 pm

    Rick: Thanks for the comments. We are leaving for a multi city trip to Mexico on Jan. 19 returning on Feb. 2nd. Flying from Manchester, NH to Leon then from Leon to San Jose de Cabo.

    Second trip is from Manchester to Buenos Aires. Departing either the 5th of March or the 12th and returning in five weeks. Still laying out plans. Any more thoughts on when to buy. Thanks much.
26. Bonnie Anderson says:

    August 18, 2007 at 6:31 pm

    Rick,

    I am searching for two tickets #1(Business Class – My husband is tall and cannot ride for prolonged periods without stretching his knee — and as we know EXIT ROWS ARE HARD TO GET) #2 (Coach)

    Business Class/Coach ATL – AMS leaving November 16-17, 2007 and returning November 22 or 23, 2007.

    Any ideas the right time to look for the Business Class especially…..Coach seem pretty low already…

    Thanks,
    Bonnie