United Airlines launched a “firecracker” fare sale this weekend targeting local travelers looking for a last-minute getaway around the July 4th holiday.
“If you are trying to get out of town for the holidays, United has elected to make it available,” said travel expert Tom Parsons with .
Flights must be booked by Wednesday for travel between June 27 and July 11. No advanced purchase is necessary, but a minimum two nights’ stay is required.
Discounts are only good for nonstop fares to and from United’s hub cities of Denver, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Parsons said roundtrip flights of under 450 miles out of Denver are going for around $228, while those of 1,300 or more miles can be had at a flat $428, not counting airport security fees.
The fares offer a substantial savings over the short-term fares previously available.
A Denver-Boston roundtrip prior to the sale would set a traveler back over $1,100 — more than double the discounted fare now available.
Faced with rising fuel costs, airlines have been trying to pass on fare increases rather than discounts, making sales rarer.
By offering cheaper fares on nonstop flights, United is taking a smaller hit than if it discounted flights with multiple stops, Parsons said.
It also gets to fill the few seats that might have otherwise gone empty. Parsons suspects United would have offered a system-wide sale if it had more availability.
“This was a pretty shrewd move on their part,” Parsons said.
So far, Delta, Frontier and other airlines appear to be matching United’s discounts, Parsons said.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410 or asvaldi@denverpost.com
