No, it’s not too late to find a good deal for flights during the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend - but you’re cutting it close.
Some ideas:
- Low cost carriers: Focus on AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest and others as you are not yet inside their 7-day advance purchase window
- Budget: Check the cheapest prices in the U.S. (and beyond) by using FareCompare’s Where-to-Go cheap flight finder for May with a $300 air travel limit (or set the limits to any amount you’re willing to pay)
- Surcharge: many airlines will include $30 airfare surcharges (folded into the price of your ticket) for travel May 27 and May 28
- Cheapest day to fly: probably Saturday May 29
Please take a look at How to Get a Last Minute Memorial Weekend Airfare Deal for more advice and tips.
As I’m sure you know, Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday – May 9. You know what you have to do.
True, Mom will love you no matter what, but a gift would be nice – and I’m here to help.
There are a lot of websites offering tips on finding novel or inexpensive gifts, and you can get gift ideas on Twitter as well, but some gifts are better than others.
That said, you can always find a lot of gifts available on airline websites (many of which can earn you, the gift-giver, some frequent flier miles) and I’ve listed some of my favorities below - take a look:
Best and Worst Mother’s Day Gifts: The Airline List
1. Delta
Keep reading – the best (and worst) is yet to come…
Best and Worst Gifts for Mother’s Day: The Airline List
Attention, summer travelers: You’ve seen this before – airlines advertising sales with “some blackout dates” – meaning days when the sale prices don’t apply.
To add insult to injury this summer, some of these “non-sale” days also include special “peak travel day” surcharges – that make these flights that much pricier.
Be alert for blackout dates and surcharges especially around holiday periods, year round.
For example, the blackout days for the current AirTran sale that ends May 6 include Memorial Day (May 31). Flying that day will not be especially cheap – nor will flying on the Fourth of July, thanks to the “peak travel day” surcharges some airlines have added.
In fact, this summer, it’s going to be difficult to avoid “peak travel day” surcharges – because there are so many of them.
Let me show you why – and tell you how you can still save on summer vacation travel. So keep reading…
Cheap Summer Airfare: Avoid Blackout, Surcharge Dates
As you can see, there are no new airline fees to warn you about, and no bizarre passenger incidents to report (well, at the moment, anyway) – so, I decided to see what’s up with the late night comics.
And David Letterman has a funny new list: “Top Ten Signs You’re Having a Bad Spring Break”.
The signs include:
#10. Instead of Mexico, you’re spending a week at Texaco
#6. Health care bill didn’t pass in time for you to get arm reattached after shark attack
#4. Your hotel room is home to seven of the world’s 10 deadliest snakes
I think the folks in this next one could have benefited from reading my latest ABC column, The World’s Most Dangerous Countries:
#3. P.A. Announcement on the beach: “Take Cover. Enemy aircraft approaching”
And my favorite?
#1. Still stuck on runway from Spring Break ‘09
See the entire list here.
Jumping the gun a bit, are we?
We haven’t even celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, but Delta Air Lines is already adding new surcharges to at least some of its routes during peak travel times around the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday travel periods.
These surcharges range from $10 to $30 each-way.
By the way, I always tell people that the cheapest flights during holidays are on the holiday itself, and you’ll notice Delta did not put a surcharge on November 25 (Thanksgiving Day) or December 25 (although there is a surcharge for travel on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day).
See more dates-with-surcharges on FareCompare’s “Peak Travel Day Surcharge Chart”.
What do women (men, too) want for Valentine’s Day? Forget roses and chocolate* and give the gift of your time. People are so busy these days, that getting away together is a very big deal – but getting together in just the right spot is key.
Where to go? How about the Caribbean? Our “When-to-Fly” Flight Finder for Caribbean destinations shows you all the deals to the best beaches, instantly. I just saw this deal for a cheap flight from New York to the Bahamas for just $229 roundtrip.
Rather be skiing in the Rockies or savoring a charming bed and breakfast in New England? Then visit out “Where-to-Go” GetAway Map – with prices and Twitter – and have a wonderful time.
Tip: If the prices aren’t right for travel on Valentine’s Day or the immediate surrounding dates, there’s no law that says you can’t wait a couple of weeks. Just slip the itinerary in a nice card and give that on the 14th.
* Actually, don’t forget the flowers and candy altogether – these things tend to be expected. A true romantic, however, will kick it up a notch – with travel.
Here’s hoping 2010
Will be the best year yet
For us all.
Safe Travels Always,
Rick and the Team at FareCompare
Wishing you all the joy of the season.
Have safe and happy travels!
