Earlier I had mentioned how airlines had cut back flights, airplanes and seats in this steep drop off of business. Even with capacity reductions, the airlines are still flying empty seats. The result is airlines are competing with each other in an ongoing series of fare sales.
In the WASHINGTON POST there is a story about how far the drop off in air travel has reached. The travel booking websites Travelocity and Expedia have eliminated airfare booking fees on any trips purchased through May 31. The belief within the industry is that these "temporary reductions" may become permanent and that Orbitz may be pressured to shed its fee system as well.
Also, there are new offers being made to guarantee a "lowest price" for a given trip. While Orbitz offers their own Price Assurance program which refunds flights if a customer finds the same flight(s) at a lower price, Travelocity has a PriceGuardian promotion (also through May 31) which promises a refund if another Travelocity user books the same trip for less. Priceline is also offering protection if a customer finds a lower fare for the same trip.
It means that making decisions early MAY mean a better price and MAY mean a price even better than THAT.
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