Airlines are raising ticket prices by up to $10 round-trip. Just in time for summer. Airlines know people want to fly in the summer. Demand remains high at the moment, and the airlines believe travelers are willing to pay the extra ten bucks.
Initially on June 4 JetBlue raised some prices, followed by a ten-day slug-fest in which various airlines jumped in and out to match, tweak, add or subtract routes. The ball really got rolling last week when Southwest joined in; by week’s end, the carrier’s pricing morphed into a full-blown, system-wide hike which was then matched by American and appears to be sticking.
Hikes are usually quick and decisive affairs in which one airline raises prices system-wide and competing carriers either jump in or not.
Travelers can still save money on airline tickets, if they can wait to fly until Aug. 25 or beyond, because there will be a significant price drop; in some cases, this will translate into savings of up to 20%. The most popular days, Friday or Sunday; are usually happen to be the most expensive days to fly. Instead, traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday can save money.
