Posted by admin on March 23rd, 2011
Be flexible. That’s the word from travel agents and experts when it comes to planning for trips, especially where airfare is concerned. The cost of a barrel of oil, which was about $102 Monday morning, has impacted fees and surcharges applied by airlines. In fact, the average cost of a ticket has risen six times since the start of the year and could rise again, said Rick Seaney, CEO and co-founder of FareCompare.com. By comparison, there were only about four such increases in 2010. The fuel surcharges can be $10 to $20 per person each way. What’s interesting, though, is that flights, as well as cruise lines and even bus tours, are booked solid. “It’s certainly a reflection of demand,” Seaney said. “I think after a couple years of people saying they can’t afford it or they’re not willing to buy, they’ve said ‘I’m going to fly.’” Airlines cut back significantly the last time gas prices went through the roof in 2008. Since that time, they’ve not added back the seats they lost, Seaney said. “there are more people chasing fewer seats,” he said. Locally, travel agents report high demand. Charles Gesumaria, manager of AAA Travel Agency in Sunbury, said he has seen heavy bookings. “At this time, I don’t think it’s a hinder to traveling and bookings,” he said. “People are still traveling.” Amy Miller, of Miller Travel Agency in Selinsgrove, agreed. her operation has been busy, with about a dozen calls in the first few hours of Monday alone. “I think people are just tired of waiting and ready to go,” she said. so what’s the secret to getting a flight — or cruise or bus trip, for that matter — at the best price. Miller said the best thing is to be open to any idea. “For example, flights might be full running to Punta Canna, but there are great deals going to Aruba,” she said. Also, try to be flexible when it comes to the actual days of the vacation. Traveling midweek is cheaper than going Friday or Sunday. Seaney said consumers should accept that prices are high and do what they can to seek out deals wherever they might be. “The consumer shouldn’t turn themselves into day traders for oil to decide on a ticket price,” he said. “When oil gets like this and demand is high, it’s really about getting a better bad deal.” For that reason, Gesumaria said he’s been advising customers not to wait to book travel plans. “Book when you can. Ticket when you can,” he said.
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Posted by admin on March 16th, 2011
Continental Airlines will no longer serve pretzels and Biscoff cookies on their domestic routes, several international news sites reported on Saturday. Continental is expecting to save about $2.8 million every year because of the reported change.
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Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011
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DALLAS (AP) – Major U.S. airlines are raising fares again, andthe only question might be the size of the increase. This is the sixth broad fare increase the airlines have triedthis year. they want higher fares to cover rising jet fuel prices.US Airways, for one, says passenger demand so far has been strongenough to cover its fuel costs. in the latest fare hike, American Airlines raised fares onflights within the 48 contiguous states by $10 per round trip,spokesman Tim Smith confirmed on Thursday. Delta Air Lines boostedfares even higher – up $10, $14 or even $20 per round tripdepending on flight length, according to spokesman TreborBanstetter. the Delta increase was originally aimed at businesstravelers who buy last-minute tickets but was expanded to all faresafter American’s price hike. United, Continental and US Airways matched American’s increasebut not the larger Delta hike, said Rick Seaney, CEO ofFareCompare.com. He said none of the low-cost airlines – Southwest,JetBlue and AirTran – had raised prices. All the jockeying has left the fate of this price increase up inthe air. Airlines sometimes raise fares but then back off if keycompetitors don’t raise their prices. last week, fares went up $20per round trip, but the increase was scaled back to $10 after somecarriers balked at the bigger hike. some analysts think if prices go any higher, leisure travelerswill just stay home, although Seaney doesn’t share that view yet.”It is pretty clear that demand hasn’t softened enough to preventairlines from testing new highs for base domestic ticket prices,”he said. US Airways president Scott Kirby said Thursday that traveldemand in February remained “exceptionally strong,” allowing thecompany to generate enough revenue to offset higher fuel prices. Traffic on Kirby’s airline rose 4.1 percent and a key measure ofrevenue per mile rose 10 percent in February, compared with a yearago.
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Posted by admin on March 5th, 2011
2 March 2011 Last updated at 03:59 ET Share this page
Flights from Belfast to Iceland which were due to begin this summer have been postponed for a year.
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Posted by admin on February 27th, 2011
Motorists are not the only ones feeling stressed by spiraling fuel costs.
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Posted by admin on February 25th, 2011
Flights back on the rise
associated Press Feb 25, 2011 02:08AM
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Posted by admin on February 23rd, 2011
Money’s still tight out there for many of us. to make the most of it, Teri Gault, CEO of the GroceryGame.com, has put together tips and tricks for saving money when traveling.Â
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Posted by admin on January 13th, 2011
The airlines are at it again, imposing the first fare increase of the year and the third within a month.
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Posted by admin on November 30th, 2010
Malaysia Airlines has returned to the black after recording a MYR233 million ($74.2 million) net profit for third quarter ended Sept 30 on the back of a 15% lift in revenue to MYR3.39 billion from both passengers and cargo.
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Posted by admin on November 25th, 2010
Clive Stacey, managing director of the British travel agency Discover the World, wrote a letter to Icelandic Minister of Industry KatrÃn JúlÃusdóttir to complain about the airline Iceland Express, urging the ministry to look into the airline’s operations.
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