It’s a Christmas miracle… or maybe a prodigy… either way, thanks to a select number of commercial airlines, you may be able to fly to your favorite holiday destination without going into debt.
A few days ago Southwest Airlines announced a seasonal fare sale in an effort to fill seats in the days following Christmas week. JetBlue then jumped on the sale bandwagon by offering deals on expanded service between Southern California and Las Vegas. Southwest is selling some seats for as low as $59 on one-way for trips between January 4 and March 9, 2011. The sale runs through December 13, 2010.
If you don’t plan to fly west during the post-holiday rush, you can score super savings on itineraries, such as Chicago-Nashville or Boston-Denver, which start at $99 each way.
JetBlue Airways also announced that it plans to add two new daily round-trip flights between Las Vegas and Long Beach, California, beginning February 1, 2011, up from the three it currently flies. To promote the additional flights, JetBlue is selling some seats on the route for a jaw-dropping $19 each way. Tickets must be bought by today for travel between December 15, 2010 and May 16, 2011. Keep in mind the prices don’t include taxes and there’s a $15 fee for tickets bought by phone or at a ticket counter.
Fortunately, there are other ways to save on seasonal airfare besides flying on Jet Blue and Southwest. Taking a connecting flight instead of a direct flight will likely save you money. However, doing so comes with some risks. The more stops you include in your itinerary, the more chances you encounter for weather delays, heavy runway traffic or a litany of other issues.
Another option is to fly out of smaller airports surrounding your departure and arrival city. While it may mean that you will have to drive a bit, it’s often a good way to save on airfare.
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