While the airlines may be offering special incentives, like Southwest’s end of October $25 fare sale, travelers are not likely to find that kind of deal closer to Thanksgiving or Christmas. The travel experts at GO Airport Express are advising travelers to buy earlier and shop smarter to save money.
GO Airport Express, which provides ground transportation to and from Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, offers practical ways to save so travelers can be with their families without breaking the bank.
“Saving money is on everyone’s to-do list this year,” said John McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express. “Travelers will need to plan ahead and be willing to fly at off-peak times.”
- Be flexible. Avoid ideal (but pricey) mid-morning to early afternoon flights. Also, holiday season flights are more likely to be overbooked, and if you volunteer to transfer your seat to the next day’s flight, you could get a free flight voucher.
- Be persistent. Sifting through Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline and airline Web sites could reward you with a surprise budget fare. Try booking flights one leg at a time, or using two one-ways.
- Many airlines offer discounted fares exclusively through e-newsletters and e-mails. Sign up through each airline’s Web site to be regularly apprised of the latest deals and discounts. Or, call the airlines directly, as the newest, cheapest fares can take up to four hours to appear on ticket Web sites.
- Monday afternoon through Wednesday are the busiest days for online ticket shoppers. As such, prices are cheapest Sunday evening and Monday morning. Conversely, airlines will almost always increase fares on Thursday evenings.
- Bring your own food and fill an empty water container from a drinking fountain after you pass through security.
- Flying to your destination on the Tuesday instead of Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Christmas could save you a $100 or more.
- Book now. Whatever cheap fares remain are disappearing quickly. Procrastinators will pay more this year.
- Choose a shared-ride service for transportation to and from the airport. It can cost up to $30 or more a day for parking – if you can find it. For example, GO Airport Express fares are up to 40 percent cheaper than a cab to O’Hare or Midway, plus it is an environmentally friendly transportation option.
Founded in 1853 as the Parmelee Transportation Company, GO Airport Express currently transports more than one million passengers annually between O’Hare and Midway airports and downtown Chicago, its surrounding neighborhoods and most suburbs. Its shared-ride, door-to-door services are convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly: with six people on board, a van uses only 30 percent of the fuel that six cars would use and creates 54 percent fewer carbon emissions.
GO Airport Express is also a founding member of GO Group, LLC., a network of global ground transportation providers to better serve the needs of customers worldwide. To book ground transportation online visit www.airportexpress.com.