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 AirTran and Southwest.
Dead weeks are the annual low points in travel demand, 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, AirTran and Southwest are now offering some pretty remarkable fares for travel during this period. Keep in mind also that hotel rates plummet during this time (except in NYC during December). There are also tons of last minute deals as desperate suppliers try to dump unsold seats, rooms and cars. Transcons between ATL and West Coast cities for less than $300? Those are very good deals.
Here are some examples of the deals from Atlanta on 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. (Charlotte, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Tampa)
- For travel 451 to 1,000 miles, fares are $65 one-way, $130 round trip. (Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Key West)
- For travel 1,001 to 1,500 miles, fares are $95 one-way, $190 round trip. (Denver, Portland ME)
- For travel 1,501 or more miles, fares are $125 one-way, $250 round trip. (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Jauan, Seattle)
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.airtran.com.