Many airlines are expecting the Grinch for the holidays this year, even going as far as saying that the usual high revenue season might not even be redeemed in January, given that Christmas falls on a Sunday instead of a Friday.
Travelers, especially students are only given holiday break from December 23, which could discourage many from travelling home to visit relatives. Glen Hauenstein, president of Delta Airlines also tells USA Today that November to January should be 'flattish' instead of the usual peak season, caused by a shift in travel patterns, which was in turn caused by holiday placements.
Because of this compression, Scott Kirby, president of United Airlines says "demand patterns are dramatically different with Christmas on a Sunday instead of Christmas on a Friday. So we're trying to manage that."
Some airlines manage a low season by starting to sell their tickets on promo, so that more people would still be interested in flying out. Instead of the usual peak fares during the Christmas season, this holiday alignment resulting in lower airline traffic could mean off-peak fares for the season.
For extra frugal travelers, it could be advisable to be flying out on Christmas morning, where the holiday peak season takes an even lower dip in traffic due to travelers wanting to spend their Christmas holiday with family, and not in transit. This slight change in schedule can result in up to 31 percent in savings.
As an example, Traveller AU conducted an experiment using a flight from Sydney to New York JFK and used Skyscanner as their basis. This one-way flight could cost $1,925 the week before Christmas; however, on Christmas day itself, the price can go down to about $1,327. They tested this on several other destinations such as London and Berlin and found similar results.
The only destination thought to have bucked the trend was Bali, with a flight on Christmas day costing $722, while the week before cost $504 - a useful tip for any travelers intending to make a trip to Indonesia and its surrounding regions.
Lastly, for the return flight, it is advised not to travel just right after New Years, when most people are rushing to return home and get ready for the end of the holidays and return for work. One or two days of vacation leave could spell even more savings, so travelers must make note of their options.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
