Act quick to get a cheap flight on Southwest for a summer vacation. You have to buy your tickets by June 17 and travel by September 2, 2010. The fares are good for travel on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
One way sample fares include:
- Burbank to Oakland, Vegas, San Jose, or Phoenix for $59
- Orlando to Ft. Myers for $53, or to Ft. Lauderdale for $69
- Jackson to Houston for $69
- Long Island or New York to Baltimore for $69
- San Diego to Vegas, Phoenix, or Tuscon for $59
- San Francisco to Vegas, Orange County or Los Angeles for $59
- See all the cheap flights on Southwest
Caveats: 14-day advance purchase required, purchase by June 17, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST, fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.70 per takeoff and landing, airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9, and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5 one-way.
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I just got an email from Travelzoo that reminded me of the amazing air travel deals to be had this summer. Here are five quick tips!
1. Sign up for Travelzoo.com, a site that is ground zero for travel deals. I especially recommend their Top 20 Deals, Last Minute Deals, and Newsflash. You can sign up for particular deals via email and let them know what zip code you live in so they can tailor deals. Travelzoo also has international travel deals if you live in Canada, Japan, Hong Kong SAR, China, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, or Australia.
2. Sign up for the email lists of any airlines you like to fly, like Jetblue, Virgin America, or Southwest. Most airlines shares sales and deals first via email and offer free loyalty programs. I also like Airfarewatchdog.com.
3. Seek out a local Groupon-type site a few weeks before you travel. By signing up for an email deal list in, say, San Antonio, you will hear about super discounts on restaurants, shows, and services in the city you are planning to visit.
4. Consider alternative lodging, like couch surfing or individuals who offer spare rooms to travelers through organizations like iStopOver or RoomaRama. You can also seek out people to exchange places with on Craigstlist.
5. Fly mid-week for the best prices and no crowds! And remember to factor in baggage fees. Southwest does not charge for bags, but Virgin America lets you check up to 10 bags for $25 each as long as they are less than 50 pounds!
How do you plan to save money on your summer vacation?
