"In the past 24 hours, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Continental Airlines and American Airlines have raised airfares again, adding up to as much as $190 roundtrip in airfare increases in just four short months," says Tom Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com.
"Travelers who must travel on non-competitive routes not served by a low cost airline may end up paying a pretty penny for the privilege of flying," adds Parsons.
Travelers facing such high cost airfares should seek alternative, cheaper routes. In some cases, they may have to depart and arrive from two nearby airports in order to save a bundle. For example, travelers wishing to fly between Newark, New Jersey and Fresno, California will find that the cheapest, 21-day advance purchase airfare for peak summer travel is as high as $880 roundtrip. If they departed out of LaGuardia to San Jose, they would pay only $278 roundtrip. If they fly out of Philadelphia versus Newark, only 75 miles away, to San Jose, they could find airfares as low as $178 roundtrip.
They would fly about the same number of air miles, but a little inconvenience could save a family of four as much as $3,000 roundtrip. "That's a lot of precious, pretty pennies," states Parsons.
Did you know that some of the lowest leisure airfares from select non-competitive cities are as high as $900 or more? For example, the cheapest excursion airfare between Cleveland and Key West is $936 roundtrip traveling 2,166 total air miles. Fly to Miami instead and pay only $208 roundtrip. See chart below for more examples.
Sample airfares are listed below.
| City Pair | Roundtrip Airfare on Dec. 20, '07 | Current Airfare | Airfare Increase | Roundtrip Miles | Cost Per Mile Ratio | Alternate City Pair | Alternate Pair Airfare | Roundtrip Miles | Cost Per Mile Ratio |
| Savannah to Portland | $640 | $750 | $110 | 4,772 | $.16 / mile | Jacksonville to Portland (OR) | $256 | 4,858 | $.5 / mile |
| Newark to Fresno (CA) | $750 | $880 | $130 | 4,892 | $.18 / mile | Philadelphia to San Jose (CA) | $178 | 5,006 | $.3.5 / mile |
| Charleston to San Jose (CA) | $715 | $825 | $110 | 4,746 | $.17 / mile | Charleston to San Francisco | $318 | 4,790 | $.7 / mile |
| Cleveland to Key West | $926 | $846 | $80 | 2,324 | $.36 / mile | Cleveland to Miami | $208 | 2,160 | $.10 / mile |
| Boston to El Paso | $620 | $730 | $110 | 4,134 | $.18 / mile | Providence to El Paso | $210 | 4,078 | $.5 / mile |
| Dallas to Bangor | $297 | $704 | $407 | 3,434 | $.21 / mile | Dallas to Manchester (NH) | $218 | 3,104 | $.7 / mile |
| Cincinnati to Oakland | $625 | $735 | $110 | 4,052 | $.18 / mile | Louisville to Oakland | $394 | 3,958 | $.10 / mile |
| Atlanta to Santa Barbara | $592 | $735 | $143 | 4,044 | $.18 / mile | Atlanta to Los Angeles | $376 | 3,892 | $.10 / mile |
| Seattle to Roanoke (VA) | $509 | $619 | $110 | 4,490 | $.14 / mile | Seattle to Richmond | $198 | 4,724 | $.4 / mile |
| Albuquerque to Myrtle Beach | $715 | $835 | $120 | 3,160 | $.26 / mile | Albuquerque to Wilmington (NC) | $338 | 3,260 | $.10 / mile |
| Houston to South Bend | $520 | $650 | $130 | 1,950 | $.33.3 / mile | Houston to Chicago | $198 | 1,870 | $.10.5 / mile |
| Cleveland to Key West | $550 | $936 | $386 | 2,324 | $.40 / mile | Cleveland to Miami | $208 | 2,160 | $.9.6 / mile |
These are just a few examples of using alternate airports. "There are other strategies for you to consider when trying to get your best airfare deal. If your home or destination city doesn't offer reasonable driving alternatives, consider buying a ticket to the nearest hub city, especially one served by a low-cost carrier. Even adding the cost of that ticket to the much cheaper airfare to your final destination, offered by a low-cost carrier, can save you hundreds of dollars. And for a family of four that can be thousands of dollars," suggests Parsons.
"These airfare hikes have increased domestic coast-to-coast travel to where it's cheaper to fly to Europe! It seems that the major airlines no longer see the domestic air traveler as their 'bread-and-butter' customers... now they see them as the 'icing on the cake' too," adds Parsons.
To see the chronology of the thirteen, yes count 'em - thirteen, attempted airfare and fuel surcharge increases click here.
