airfares
AIRFARES SOARED IN 2012
The website Kayak.com noted recently that Airfares to some of the most popular U.S. and international destinations rose by 25 percent or more last year, and June was the most expensive month to travel. “We found that overall airfare increased 17 percent across the board from 2011 to 2012,” said Maria Katime, a Kayak spokeswoman. London was the top international destination for North American travelers, followed by San Juan, Cancun, Paris and Rome. Regarding the most popular U.S. city to visit, gambling mecca Las Vegas topped New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco. Toronto, of all the popular destinations that Kayak examined, was the only one where airfare decreased. With respect to timing, Kayak found that the cheapest flights were in January, February, September and October for domestic flights, and February and March for international fares. January was the least busy month to travel. (Reuters, 3/22/13)
AIRLINE NEWS
For the 3rd time this year carriers have failed to sustain a hike in domestic airfares. Delta attempted to add $4 to $10 per roundtrip on Feb. 13 but other airlines did not match and Delta dropped the increase by Feb. 15.(USAToday.com, 01/17/13)
Reagan National Airport is experiencing a growth spurt. Passenger arrivals were up by 900,000 in 2012 over 2011 due to the introduction of convenient new carrier routes for domestic flights. BWI posted record gains in passenger traffic for the 3rd straight year with 22.6 arrivals. (WashingtonPost.com, 2/19/13)
A month of investigation has yet to determine what caused batteries to overheat in 2 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The planes are still grounded worldwide. Boeing is proposing that the suspect lithium batteries be housed in heavy-duty titanium or steel containment boxes in hopes of getting clearance from the FAA for the Dreamliners to take to the skies again. (SeattleTimes.com, 2/16/13)
DOMESTIC AIR FARES ROSE 4% IN 2012; CARRY-ON BAG FEES MAY BE NEXT
Although domestic airfares have been climbing steadily since 2009, the uptick in ticket prices was not as steep in 2012 as in prior years. Domestic airfares increased only 4.2% in 2012, reaching an average of $427 per ticket, according to ARC Corp., a Virginia-based company that completes the financial transactions between 16,000 travel agents and 187 airlines. In 2010, domestic airfares rose nearly 13% and climbed 8.5% in 2011, according to federal statistics. The bad news is that fees applied by Spirit Airline and Allegiant Air for carry-on bags may soon be adopted by other major airlines. (Los Angeles Times, 1/20/13)
AIRFARES PREDICTED TO CLIMB
The U.S. government predicts that airfares will remain high for the next 20 years due to increased demand, closely controlled inventories and rising fuel costs. The numbers of passengers flying commercially on U.S. carriers is predicted to grow from 732 million this year to over one billion by 2024. The fastest growing markets will be to South American destinations with travel to Asia coming in a close second. (SFGate.com, March 8)
SHIFTING FEES & FARES
fare hikes
On May 1 Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air will raise the fee for the first checked bag, from $15 to $20, and charge $20 per bag to check the first three bags. Both airlines will now charge passengers a $25 stand by fee for changing to another flight on the same day. (USAToday.com, April 23)
Airfares for the peak summer travel season are on the rise. Expect to pay on average about 22% over last summer’s domestic ticket prices and 29% more for tickets to European destinations. (Bizjournals.com, April 23)
DOMESTIC AIR FARES DOWN
Airfares
Domestic air fares averaged $306 in the third quarter of 2009, down 14% from a year earlier, according to the latest data released by the Department of Transportation. It was the largest year-over-year quarterly decline on record. But the sharp downturn reflects an adjustment from a record high fare of $358 set in the July-September period in 2008. (USAToday.com, Feb. 1)
Special Offers
special_offer
Emirates is enticing passengers to try its morning flights from JFK to selected international destinations with special airfares that must be purchased by Jan. 15. If you are looking to travel to South Africa, the Middle East or India at a discount call Omega now to check availability at 800 756-6342 . . . United and Southwest are engaged in competing 2 for 1 sales promotions originating from the Denver International Airport. Tickets must be purchased by Feb. 14. For details on qualifying fares and destinations call your Omega travel agent.
