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Friday, December 28, 2007
Spirit Airlines sale from $2 round-trip
Spirit Airlines is at it again, with a handful of fares from $2 roundtrip.
Some of these are $9 fare club deals, but others are open to anyone.
Hurray Last date to purchase is either Dec 29 or 31 midnight ET
Some of these are $9 fare club deals, but others are open to anyone.
Hurray Last date to purchase is either Dec 29 or 31 midnight ET
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Southwest Airlines Merger ?
Southwest Airlines History of buyouts:
Southwest's investment in bankrupt ATA Airlines Inc. in 2004 offers a good example of being ready, he said. Of course, the airline is well aware of the pitfalls of acquiring another carrier, a strategy it followed in 1993 when it acquired Morris Air and in 1986 when it bought Muse Air
What is the state of the airline industry?
Very tenuous. I think the business cycle this decade has been very difficult for our industry. You know, finally in 2006 and 2007, you were seeing some profit reports by various airlines. Two emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. It looks like those profits may be short-lived. ...
I think the industry is much unprepared for a slowdown in the economy, especially given the high energy prices. The industry is not well-hedged, and the balance sheets are in terrible shape. The cost structures, for the most part, are still very high, even after bankruptcy. So it'll be an interesting 2008.
What shape are southwest in going into a possible slow period and the high fuel prices?
I feel that we're as prepared now as we ever have been. We've got a great fuel hedge this year. It's not quite as good next year, but it's still very good and certainly provides us tremendous protection.
We're 70 percent hedged next year at about $50 a barrel. And this year, it was over 90 percent at $50 a barrel. So we just don't have the same amount of coverage, but it's still very, very good, and it will still save us hundreds of millions of dollars.
The balance sheet is in great shape. You know, our leverage is well below 50 percent. We're under 40 percent total debt – that's including all of our aircraft leases.
We've slowed down our growth to be prepared for a more difficult economic environment next year, so we won't be adding to the risk profile aggressively. We'll be growing next year about, oh, 4 to 5 percent, I think. In terms of the fleet, that will be a net of between five to 10 airplanes. So, we'll be slowing our capital spending as well. ...
Southwest's investment in bankrupt ATA Airlines Inc. in 2004 offers a good example of being ready, he said. Of course, the airline is well aware of the pitfalls of acquiring another carrier, a strategy it followed in 1993 when it acquired Morris Air and in 1986 when it bought Muse Air
What is the state of the airline industry?
Very tenuous. I think the business cycle this decade has been very difficult for our industry. You know, finally in 2006 and 2007, you were seeing some profit reports by various airlines. Two emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. It looks like those profits may be short-lived. ...
I think the industry is much unprepared for a slowdown in the economy, especially given the high energy prices. The industry is not well-hedged, and the balance sheets are in terrible shape. The cost structures, for the most part, are still very high, even after bankruptcy. So it'll be an interesting 2008.
What shape are southwest in going into a possible slow period and the high fuel prices?
I feel that we're as prepared now as we ever have been. We've got a great fuel hedge this year. It's not quite as good next year, but it's still very good and certainly provides us tremendous protection.
We're 70 percent hedged next year at about $50 a barrel. And this year, it was over 90 percent at $50 a barrel. So we just don't have the same amount of coverage, but it's still very, very good, and it will still save us hundreds of millions of dollars.
The balance sheet is in great shape. You know, our leverage is well below 50 percent. We're under 40 percent total debt – that's including all of our aircraft leases.
We've slowed down our growth to be prepared for a more difficult economic environment next year, so we won't be adding to the risk profile aggressively. We'll be growing next year about, oh, 4 to 5 percent, I think. In terms of the fleet, that will be a net of between five to 10 airplanes. So, we'll be slowing our capital spending as well. ...
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Is Southwest Airlines Buying Airtran ?
Southwest Airlines Buying rival Airtran ?
Don't count out Southwest if the long-predicted wave of airline consolidation ever takes off. "At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told The Dallas Morning News in a recent interview. "There's bound to be a scenario that we would say, 'That scenario out of these 10, yep, that one would work for us.' We'd want to be prepared for that opportunity that presents itself."
Kelly's comments came in a Q & A from the interview that the newspaper runs today. Perhaps the most interesting question posed to Kelly by the Morning News was: "What do you say to an analyst or hedge fund manager who says, "Gary, why don't you eliminate your closest competitor by acquiring Air Tran?"
To that, Kelly responded: "We can't let investors guide the company. That's not to say that investors aren't smart and don't have good ideas, because they do. They just have different motives. We've got to stay true to who we are as a company and build for the long term. ... At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody. That's just a reflection of my view that the industry is weak and that there'll be players up for sale, probably in a fire-sale mode, and we'll want to at least be thoughtful about that. We'll still have all the considerations – the fleet, the labor contracts, the seniority issues, the cost implications of it, the cultural aspects of trying to bring two work groups together and on and on and on. We would be concerned about that and always have been."
Don't count out Southwest if the long-predicted wave of airline consolidation ever takes off. "At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told The Dallas Morning News in a recent interview. "There's bound to be a scenario that we would say, 'That scenario out of these 10, yep, that one would work for us.' We'd want to be prepared for that opportunity that presents itself."
Kelly's comments came in a Q & A from the interview that the newspaper runs today. Perhaps the most interesting question posed to Kelly by the Morning News was: "What do you say to an analyst or hedge fund manager who says, "Gary, why don't you eliminate your closest competitor by acquiring Air Tran?"
To that, Kelly responded: "We can't let investors guide the company. That's not to say that investors aren't smart and don't have good ideas, because they do. They just have different motives. We've got to stay true to who we are as a company and build for the long term. ... At some point, I think we'll probably acquire somebody. That's just a reflection of my view that the industry is weak and that there'll be players up for sale, probably in a fire-sale mode, and we'll want to at least be thoughtful about that. We'll still have all the considerations – the fleet, the labor contracts, the seniority issues, the cost implications of it, the cultural aspects of trying to bring two work groups together and on and on and on. We would be concerned about that and always have been."
Friday, December 21, 2007
Air Fare Watch Dog
Current Specials noted on air fare watchdog December 21st 2007
December 20, 2007
20% Off Mexico & the Caribbean
American's (tel. 800/433-7300; http://www.aa.com/) latest exclusive deal nets you 20% off flights from the US to select destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico. And all you have to do is type promo code DFMXCBSPRING when booking your flight on American's website. Easy enough, right? As always, certain restrictions apply. Travel is valid from January 8, 2008 through May 21, 2008 with blackout dates February 15 through 18, March 14 through 23 and April 18 through 21. Tickets must be booked by December 27. Also, there's a one night minimum stay (but who wants to go to the Caribbean for just one measly night?), and the base fare before discount must be at least $125.
Allegiant Sale
Think it's too late in the game to make holiday travel plans? Au contraire mon frere. We've found heaps of $25 one-way fares on Allegiant , for travel on December 24, 25, and 26. As we said, these are one-way, but in some cases we've been able to string together a round-trip for about $50 or so. Either way, it's pretty amazing for peak holiday travel and, aside from walking, you surely won't find anything cheaper.
At $25, we don't imagine these will stick around for very long, so you may want to act fast.
Southwest Sale
Don't forget that with the new year comes (drum roll please...) newly replenished vacation days! And what ever will you do with them this year? You could start by checking out the New Year, New Vacation Days sale from Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792; http://www.southwest.com/), good for travel in January. Sample fares include:
Virgin America to Add Seattle
Virgin America (tel. 877/359-8474; http://www.virginamerica.com/) is adding Seattle to their quickly expanding route map. Effective March 18, 2008, they will begin nonstop service to Seattle from San Francisco. In short order, on April 8, nonstop service commences from Los Angeles to Seattle as well. For a limited time, tickets will be offered at low introductory fares. Fares will start at $77 each way from San Francisco for Main Cabin seating and $177 each way in First Class. On the Los Angeles to Seattle route, fares will start at $99 each way in the Main Cabin and $199 in First Class. Tickets are available for purchase from now through Jan. 17, 2008, subject to availability. Taxes and fees are additional. Advance purchase restrictions apply and tickets are nonrefundable and non-transferable. Connecting service between Seattle and New York (JFK) as well as Washington, D.C. (Dulles) will be available as well, with fares starting at $298 and $278 respectively. Bookings must be made directly on Virgin America's website.
Air Canada Web Savers
Those shopping around for low fares to Canada should be sure to stop by the Web Savers page on Air Canada's (tel. 888/247-2262; http://www.aircanada.com/) website. Earlier this week, we found fares to Toronto for $186 round-trip from New York, DC, Boston, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Other cities (like Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City...) are included too. The thing is, you have to be on your toes, as these WebSavers tend to expire at midnight, after just one day of being posted on the Air Canada site.
Low Cost Airfare
December 20, 2007
20% Off Mexico & the Caribbean
American's (tel. 800/433-7300; http://www.aa.com/) latest exclusive deal nets you 20% off flights from the US to select destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico. And all you have to do is type promo code DFMXCBSPRING when booking your flight on American's website. Easy enough, right? As always, certain restrictions apply. Travel is valid from January 8, 2008 through May 21, 2008 with blackout dates February 15 through 18, March 14 through 23 and April 18 through 21. Tickets must be booked by December 27. Also, there's a one night minimum stay (but who wants to go to the Caribbean for just one measly night?), and the base fare before discount must be at least $125.
Allegiant Sale
Think it's too late in the game to make holiday travel plans? Au contraire mon frere. We've found heaps of $25 one-way fares on Allegiant , for travel on December 24, 25, and 26. As we said, these are one-way, but in some cases we've been able to string together a round-trip for about $50 or so. Either way, it's pretty amazing for peak holiday travel and, aside from walking, you surely won't find anything cheaper.
At $25, we don't imagine these will stick around for very long, so you may want to act fast.
Southwest Sale
Don't forget that with the new year comes (drum roll please...) newly replenished vacation days! And what ever will you do with them this year? You could start by checking out the New Year, New Vacation Days sale from Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792; http://www.southwest.com/), good for travel in January. Sample fares include:
Virgin America to Add Seattle
Virgin America (tel. 877/359-8474; http://www.virginamerica.com/) is adding Seattle to their quickly expanding route map. Effective March 18, 2008, they will begin nonstop service to Seattle from San Francisco. In short order, on April 8, nonstop service commences from Los Angeles to Seattle as well. For a limited time, tickets will be offered at low introductory fares. Fares will start at $77 each way from San Francisco for Main Cabin seating and $177 each way in First Class. On the Los Angeles to Seattle route, fares will start at $99 each way in the Main Cabin and $199 in First Class. Tickets are available for purchase from now through Jan. 17, 2008, subject to availability. Taxes and fees are additional. Advance purchase restrictions apply and tickets are nonrefundable and non-transferable. Connecting service between Seattle and New York (JFK) as well as Washington, D.C. (Dulles) will be available as well, with fares starting at $298 and $278 respectively. Bookings must be made directly on Virgin America's website.
Air Canada Web Savers
Those shopping around for low fares to Canada should be sure to stop by the Web Savers page on Air Canada's (tel. 888/247-2262; http://www.aircanada.com/) website. Earlier this week, we found fares to Toronto for $186 round-trip from New York, DC, Boston, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Other cities (like Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City...) are included too. The thing is, you have to be on your toes, as these WebSavers tend to expire at midnight, after just one day of being posted on the Air Canada site.
Low Cost Airfare
Friday, December 14, 2007
December 14th deals
Midwest Airlines Peak Holiday Sale
Long before you've even stepped foot in the airport, holiday travel can get pretty ugly. Step one: you shop around for a ticket. You wince and cringe at the sight of these whopper fares before resigning to the idea that you're going to be getting ripped off anyway, and just buy the darn thing before another valuable hour ticks by and they hike the price up another hundred bucks. That's how it goes sometimes at least. Other times, you catch a break, as is the case with this holiday sale from Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com). Holiday sales are by no means a rarity, with every airline and their brother offering some strain of one, but typically their valid dates and your actual holiday don't match up as well as you'd hoped. So we were pleased to see actual peak holiday travel dates available from this Midwest sale. Sample round-trip fares include:
This sale is good for travel from December 18 through January 6, 2008, and all purchases must be made by December 17.
JetBlue Sale Ends Soon
Hurry and you could just catch it. JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) is having a four-day sale that ends December 14. They've shaved a few bucks off their normal fares ($20-$30 off short haul routes, a bit more on long haul) for travel January 8 through February 13, 2008.
If you like the time saved by a flexible date search, you'll find most of these fares on Travelocity, Orbitz and Cheapair, but we found lower fares on the JFK to Cancun route on JetBlue itself, and JetBlue has some routes for even less than in this sale, for even longer travel periods. Other airlines quickly matched most routes, but JetBlue flies many of these routes nonstop and the others don't.
Silverjet 5% Off
OK, so it's not a lot but it's better than nuthin'. Silverjet (tel. 877/359-7458; www.flysilverjet.com) is offering a 5% discount off all fares when you book on their site and use promo code 16688X. This offer applies to their all business class flights between New York JFK and London or Dubai and travel must be completed by Dec 31.
South America on Sale
If you're planning a mid-winter jaunt to South America, this is a good time to do your shopping. First up, American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) is having a sale on travel to Buenos Aires, Panama City, and San Jose. With the exception of folks traveling from New York and Miami (which we'll get to next), this sale is going to going to be your best bet. Sample round-trip fares, including taxes, are:
Now, for you folks in New York to Miami, TAM Linhas Areas (tel. 888/235-9826; www.tamairlines.com) has some incredible early spring fares down to Brazil, and not just your usual Rio and Sao Paulo either. You'll also find a few stray fares (round-trip, including taxes as well) to Paraguay, too.
Need a holiday to recover from your holidays? Do your defrazzling in Hawaii. We've seen a whole heap of great round-trip fares to Honolulu this week, starting with US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com):
And of course, US Airways isn't the only game in town. ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com) is having a sale to Hawaii (Hilo, Honolulu, Kona, Lihue and Maui) from practically every city they fly from. And other carriers are matching. Sample round-trip fares include:
And while is sale is predominantly to/from Hawaii, ATA's thrown in some random fares such as Columbus, OH to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth for $79 one-ways (vs Travelocity's lowest listed fare of $89 one-way); Chicago Midway to/from Guadalajara for $102 one-way; and Chicago Midway to/from Cancun for $119 one-way.
Travel is for off-peak only through March 7, 2008, and must be purchased by Dec 18, 2007. Blackouts and other restrictions may apply.
Long before you've even stepped foot in the airport, holiday travel can get pretty ugly. Step one: you shop around for a ticket. You wince and cringe at the sight of these whopper fares before resigning to the idea that you're going to be getting ripped off anyway, and just buy the darn thing before another valuable hour ticks by and they hike the price up another hundred bucks. That's how it goes sometimes at least. Other times, you catch a break, as is the case with this holiday sale from Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com). Holiday sales are by no means a rarity, with every airline and their brother offering some strain of one, but typically their valid dates and your actual holiday don't match up as well as you'd hoped. So we were pleased to see actual peak holiday travel dates available from this Midwest sale. Sample round-trip fares include:
This sale is good for travel from December 18 through January 6, 2008, and all purchases must be made by December 17.
JetBlue Sale Ends Soon
Hurry and you could just catch it. JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com) is having a four-day sale that ends December 14. They've shaved a few bucks off their normal fares ($20-$30 off short haul routes, a bit more on long haul) for travel January 8 through February 13, 2008.
If you like the time saved by a flexible date search, you'll find most of these fares on Travelocity, Orbitz and Cheapair, but we found lower fares on the JFK to Cancun route on JetBlue itself, and JetBlue has some routes for even less than in this sale, for even longer travel periods. Other airlines quickly matched most routes, but JetBlue flies many of these routes nonstop and the others don't.
Silverjet 5% Off
OK, so it's not a lot but it's better than nuthin'. Silverjet (tel. 877/359-7458; www.flysilverjet.com) is offering a 5% discount off all fares when you book on their site and use promo code 16688X. This offer applies to their all business class flights between New York JFK and London or Dubai and travel must be completed by Dec 31.
South America on Sale
If you're planning a mid-winter jaunt to South America, this is a good time to do your shopping. First up, American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) is having a sale on travel to Buenos Aires, Panama City, and San Jose. With the exception of folks traveling from New York and Miami (which we'll get to next), this sale is going to going to be your best bet. Sample round-trip fares, including taxes, are:
Now, for you folks in New York to Miami, TAM Linhas Areas (tel. 888/235-9826; www.tamairlines.com) has some incredible early spring fares down to Brazil, and not just your usual Rio and Sao Paulo either. You'll also find a few stray fares (round-trip, including taxes as well) to Paraguay, too.
Need a holiday to recover from your holidays? Do your defrazzling in Hawaii. We've seen a whole heap of great round-trip fares to Honolulu this week, starting with US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com):
And of course, US Airways isn't the only game in town. ATA (tel. 800/435-9282; www.ata.com) is having a sale to Hawaii (Hilo, Honolulu, Kona, Lihue and Maui) from practically every city they fly from. And other carriers are matching. Sample round-trip fares include:
And while is sale is predominantly to/from Hawaii, ATA's thrown in some random fares such as Columbus, OH to/from Dallas/Ft. Worth for $79 one-ways (vs Travelocity's lowest listed fare of $89 one-way); Chicago Midway to/from Guadalajara for $102 one-way; and Chicago Midway to/from Cancun for $119 one-way.
Travel is for off-peak only through March 7, 2008, and must be purchased by Dec 18, 2007. Blackouts and other restrictions may apply.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Airfare Deals and News for the Week of December 7, 2007
Alaska Winter Holiday Sale
It's a Holiday Sale, sure, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to snag their best fares on, say, Christmas Eve or on other peak days. Indeed, travel is only valid December 1-19, 25-26, 2007 and January 3-5, 2008. But hey, these sale fares from Alaska Airlines www.alaskaair.com are far better than what the other guys are offering for holiday travel on these routes.
China and Southeast Asia
Cathay Pacific's (tel. 800/233-2742; www.cathaypacific.com) "Deal of the Month" includes some excellent deals indeed to Asia for departures starting February 15 through March 15 from its 3 U.S. gateways in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Fares range from $790, including taxes, to Hong Kong -- up to $830 to Bangkok, with Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Manila -- falling somewhere in between, making them especially attractive from New York where the savings in some cases are $300 or more.
There are no minimum stay requirements and the maximum stay allowed is the standard 30 days. This sale runs until the end of the month, but the limited number of seats available will likely sell out much sooner.
Aloha Airlines Midwinter Specials
Aloha Airlines (tel. 800/367-5250; www.alohaairlines.com) is offering lower fares on travel from the west coast to Hawaii this winter. Fares start at $129 one-way, before taxes, but we've gone ahead and multiplied those fares by two since, you know, most folks will have to return home eventually.
15% Off AA Flights to Hawaii
As we've been reporting, more and more airlines are keeping their best deals for their own websites, putting the big online travel agencies like Travelocity and Orbitz at a competitive disadvantage. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) in particular has been very aggressive about promoting sales exclusively via their website.
Their latest deal to hit? 15% Off all flights from the continental US to Hawaii when booked via the AA website using the promo code DFALOHAGO. This offer is valid for travel between December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2008 with blackout dates December 20-23 & 26-30. You must book your reservation by December 7, 2007.
It is also important to note that that base fare must be at least $400 to be eligible for the discount.
It's a Holiday Sale, sure, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to snag their best fares on, say, Christmas Eve or on other peak days. Indeed, travel is only valid December 1-19, 25-26, 2007 and January 3-5, 2008. But hey, these sale fares from Alaska Airlines www.alaskaair.com are far better than what the other guys are offering for holiday travel on these routes.
China and Southeast Asia
Cathay Pacific's (tel. 800/233-2742; www.cathaypacific.com) "Deal of the Month" includes some excellent deals indeed to Asia for departures starting February 15 through March 15 from its 3 U.S. gateways in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Fares range from $790, including taxes, to Hong Kong -- up to $830 to Bangkok, with Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Manila -- falling somewhere in between, making them especially attractive from New York where the savings in some cases are $300 or more.
There are no minimum stay requirements and the maximum stay allowed is the standard 30 days. This sale runs until the end of the month, but the limited number of seats available will likely sell out much sooner.
Aloha Airlines Midwinter Specials
Aloha Airlines (tel. 800/367-5250; www.alohaairlines.com) is offering lower fares on travel from the west coast to Hawaii this winter. Fares start at $129 one-way, before taxes, but we've gone ahead and multiplied those fares by two since, you know, most folks will have to return home eventually.
15% Off AA Flights to Hawaii
As we've been reporting, more and more airlines are keeping their best deals for their own websites, putting the big online travel agencies like Travelocity and Orbitz at a competitive disadvantage. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) in particular has been very aggressive about promoting sales exclusively via their website.
Their latest deal to hit? 15% Off all flights from the continental US to Hawaii when booked via the AA website using the promo code DFALOHAGO. This offer is valid for travel between December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2008 with blackout dates December 20-23 & 26-30. You must book your reservation by December 7, 2007.
It is also important to note that that base fare must be at least $400 to be eligible for the discount.
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