If you’ve been putting off business trips, blown off your family back home, or missed that romantic weekend away because airfares are too high, you should check out the new “dead week” deals offered by Southwest and AirTran.
Dead weeks are the annual low points in travel demand each year, which ironically come in the midst of the peak holiday travel season. And when demand plummets, so do prices. However, the catch is that you’ve got to travel when everyone else is staying at home.
Dead weeks typically fall during the first few weeks of December right after the big Thanksgiving rush, and again right after the Christmas/New Years rush in early January.
In a 72-hour sale that starts today, Southwest and AirTran are now offering some pretty remarkable fares for travel during this period. Keep in mind also that hotel rates and car rental rates plummet (except in NYC during December). There are also tons of last minute deals as desperate suppliers try to dump unsold seats, rooms and cars. Note that many Rocky Mountain destinations are great for skiing in January.
Here are the deals from Southwest and AirTran…I imagine by the time you read this other airlines will have matched them. For 72-hours only, you can purchase one-way tickets for $35, $65, $95 or $125 based on length of travel (Add $25-$35 to each of these round trips to cover taxes/fees. Fares are not valid on SUNDAYS.)
- For travel up to 450 miles, fares are $35 one-way, $70 round trip. (Most destinations in California)
- For travel 451 to 1,000 miles, fares are $65 one-way, $130 round trip. (Boise, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle)
- For travel 1,001 to 1,500 miles, fares are $95 one-way, $190 round trip. (Bozeman, Denver, Albuquerque)
- For travel 1,501 or more miles, fares are $125 one-way, $250 round trip. (Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Chicago, Washington)
These low fares are available for purchase through 11:59 p.m. PST October 20, 2011, for travel beginning Nov. 30 through Dec. 14, 2011 and Jan. 4 through Feb. 15, 2012. See www.southwest.com.
As a part of the effort to spread low fares farther through the integration of two airlines, AirTran Airways will launch a parallel fare sale. See www.airtran.com.
(Chris McGinnis publishes TravelSkills and The TICKET blogs for frequent travelers.)
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