Higher airfares have been ushered in with the New Year, but one expert said that although there might be some ticket-cost bumpiness in 2010, bargains will still exist.
United Airlines kicked off the increases of $6 and $10 roundtrip Dec. 30, with American, Delta/Northwest, US Airways, Continental and Alaska jumping on board on New Year’s Eve.
If one network, or major airline, raises fares and the others follow suit, the increase usually sticks, said Rick Seaney, chief executive of .
There was no impact on previously announced airfare sales for travel through early March.
The increase was the fourth successful airfare increase of 2009, Seaney said. There were 15 hikes in 2008 and 17 in 2007.
Frontier Airlines bucked the trend with its Monday announcement of $49 to $199 one-way fares for off-peak travel through May 27 when tickets are purchased by Jan. 13.
“I’m not losing any sleep over these fare hikes,” said Tom Parsons, chief executive of .
Parsons said he thinks what goes up eventually comes down, noting that in 2008, it cost about $198 roundtrip to fly between Denver and the West Coast. With 15 airfare hikes in 2008 of an average of $10 each, Parsons said it should cost $348 for the same roundtrip, but it costs $138 to $158.
Parsons urged travelers to watch for “snooze-you-lose” deals, analyze fares, be flexible on travel dates and consider alternative airports.
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com
