Get Cheap Flights by Tracking New Airline Routes
By now, you’ve probably heard hundreds of different tips for saving on airfare, like flying out on Mondays , clearing your browser cookies, or even buying tickets at the airport . While some of them certainly work, others are probably more of an urban myth than any real helpful advice. ( Some experts agree that clearing your browser cookies probably won’t do much, but it still doesn’t hurt to try it.)
Here’s another travel trick that can be of great benefit to you if you’re willing to put in a little time and effort. The Wall Street Journal reported this week of seasoned travelers following airline announcements for new route suggestions. Why? As WSJ reporter Scott McCartney writes, when a new route opens, the airline has to fill hundreds of empty seats – and on the cheap. At the end of the day, this airline must compete with other airlines with these existing routes in order to cash in on your flights.
And when there are more offers, the price of air tickets for all other competitors on that route could also drop. (The WSJ cited the recent example of Southwest Airlines, which recently announced direct flights between San Diego and Maui. “Two weeks into the new flights, the lowest round-trip fare for a four-day trip was just $ 303, or 63%. recession, ”McCartney wrote, up from two weeks prior to the announcement, when round-trip fares averaged $ 818.)
Airlines are announcing new routes almost every month. United , for example, recently announced nonstop flights from Newark Liberty International to Cape Town, South Africa, starting later this month. Meanwhile, American Airlines also recently announced 20 new routes in 2020, including flights from Dallas Fort Worth to Portland, Maine and Philadelphia to Martha’s Vineyard. Remember that airlines usually announce new routes several months in advance; If you want to get on your trip as soon as possible, this tip won’t do you much good.
If you have time to plan your trip, it’s worth setting up a Google Alert for “new routes” from your local airport (or keeping up with the Points Guy , which publishes monthly updates on new routes).
Of course, there are several tricks to this tip. First, if you are in the mood for a flight to a specific destination, this may not be for you. You can’t count on the airline to announce a new route to Miami just because you really want to. If you don’t already have a preferred destination, you can use it as an opportunity to find travel ideas and cheap flights to get there.
In addition, according to the WSJ, while new routes usually mean cheaper flights, this is not always the case. They note that when smaller regional airlines announce new routes, the larger airlines are likely to suffer less from competition and may or may not cut prices significantly. The same is true with routes that already have fierce competition among airlines. Chances are, an airline adding a route to a competitive chain may have less effect.
But there is one good reason why this advice is more relevant than ever: when the Boeing 737 Max gets cleared to fly next year (exact timing is unclear, but both WSJ and Washington Pos t estimate until at least the end of March), many major airlines will announce new routes with an expanded fleet. Don’t worry, this does not mean that you will have to fly the Max as it will most likely affect any aircraft with similar routes.
So set up your Google Alerts now. And while we’re at it, that’s why you might want to rethink using any of these third-party booking sites when looking for flights.