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Open season on travel bargains: Fall airfares down 17 percent, Vegas is a steal

September 10, 2009

vegasTravel was a bargain this summer. Travel still is a bargain.

The average airfare this summer — June through Labor Day — was $247, compared with $306 for the same period a year ago, according to Bing. That’s a 19 percent decline.

The deals are not about to take off, either.


I asked Bing to take a look at future bookings.

Fall fares through Thanksgiving were down 17 percent ($234 in 2009 vs. $283 in 2008).

So much for an “imminent” rebound in rates predicted by many so-called travel experts.

Here are a few details:

Top five least expensive destinations for fall travel:

1. Milwaukee, WI (MKE): Average airfare is $197 in 2009 as compared to $279 last year
2. Denver, CO (DEN): Average airfare is $212 in 2009 as compared to $269 last year
3. Kansas City, MO (MCI): Average airfare is $213 in 2009 as compared to $242 last year
4. Baltimore, MD (BWI): Average airfare is $214 in 2009 as compared to $254 last year
5. Tampa, FL (TPA): Average airfare is $221 in 2009 as compared with $233 last year

Top five least expensive cities for fall premium hotels are:

1. Las Vegas: $127 in 2009 v $157 in 2008
2. Miami: $139 in 2009 v $175 in 2008
3. Tampa: $141 in 2009 v $187 in 2008
4. Atlanta: $145 in 2009 v $165 in 2008
5. Phoenix: $146 in 2009 v $179 in 2008

What to make of these numbers?

Get out there and travel now. We may never see prices like this again.

(Photo: Roadsidepictures/Flickr Creative Commons)

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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7 comments

  • Carver Farrow

    @Chris

    You’ve stated that you wouldn’t object to unbundling services if price went down. Comments?

  • Christopher Elliott

    @Carver, I’m not sure if you meant to post this here.

    Here it goes anyway. The idea behind unbundling is that airlines, or hotels, or whoever is doing it, is removing parts of the cost of the item: The ability to check a bag or make a reservation.

    If that happens, the fare would have to go down, since you’re unbundling. If it stays the same, then it’s not unbundling. It’s a money grab.

    So yes, if done right, then prices would come down when you unbundled. I would have no objection to that.

    Part two is disclosure. It is dishonest to quote a completely unbundled fare. Why? Because it’s possible to unbundle a fare until it’s at zero. This is totally dishonest.

    By disclosure I mean that the fare must be displayed with what everyone agrees are frequently-used options. For example, I want to make a reservation. I want to pay by credit card. I want to check a bag.

    Now, if you want to “unbundle” and pay cash at the airport, travel with a carry-on and forgo a confirmed seat, that’s fine. Just uncheck the option and watch the fare go down.

    Right now, it’s the other way around. Airlines are waiving these low fares in our faces, and then hitting us with surcharges and fees after we make the reservation.

    That’s not honest.

  • Ellen

    Chris, I suspect that what Carver is suggesting is that the fare reduction may not be entirely real. In other words, he is suggesting that some of the reduction is occurring because of unbundling. He also may be suggesting that posting these “prices,” if unbundled, is playing right into the airlines game.

  • Carver Farrow

    @Ellen

    Exactly, by unbundling the airlines can now quote lowered prices. Chris just mentioned that the prices are lowered than before. I suggest that unbundling is part of the reason. It also gives you an opportunity to avoid certain fees.

    For example, I am flying to LA for 2 days this weekend. The base fare is $39 each way. I would rather pay $39 and stuff my clothes into a carryon, rather than pay -say- $49 and have the option of a checking a bag. I’d rather save the $10 and not check luggage.

    I have trouble believing that there is any significant portion of the flying public that doesn’t know about luggage fees.

    Having said that, I do agree with total disclosure. That could be part of the passengers’s Bill of Rights. For any goods or services which were included within the last 2 years but are now charged for, the airlines would have to prominently disclose said information for two years. That way, the government doesn’t have to get into what is expected to be included in the base fare.

  • Carver Farrow

    By the way, do we consider the European low cost airlines like Ryanair dishonest?

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