Q: I know I’ve waited too long to book airfare for Christmas with far-away family. Can I still save money at this late date without ending up on the last row across from the restroom sitting among screaming babies? – Ted Tardy
A: Dear Mr. Tardy: According to Consumer Reports, you do have some recourse for a more pleasant journey than you might think. Proceed with the following steps.
* Time your booking. Go ahead and take what you can get right now. Then 72 hours before departure, check the SeatGuru.com website for popup availability. This is the time when airlines might start releasing seats reserved for passengers who have been upgraded or who have canceled. You might grab a much better seat without paying extra for it. Look for green seats that denote the best open ones, followed by yellow and red.
* Always try to travel at the cheapest times. The price of flights varies considerably depending on the month, day and time of travel. The website Skyscanner.com lets you compare flight prices across a whole month, meaning you’ll be able to see the cheapest days to fly. (Avoid weekends.) Why not compare travel from Wednesday to Wednesday, for instance, rather than a Friday to Friday? Using Skyscanner’s handy search tool, we can see a graph view of the cheapest days of the week to fly. Go online to sign up for its free Price Alerts emails.
* Fly from a nearby airport. We’re blessed in our area to have so many choices. Chattanooga’s airport or the largest in the world, Atlanta Hartsfield, may be more expensive than, say, Knoxville or Nashville. (Sometimes Atlanta is less costly than our local airport, even with the cost of the Groome Shuttle to take us to the biggie. And speaking of Skyscanner, use its nearby airports search to see how much it costs to fly from various airports.)
* Limit luggage. Unless you’re flying Allegiant, Frontier or Spirit Airlines, try to travel with only a carry-on bag. (These airlines charge regardless.) If this is impossible (maybe your feet need those extra 10 pair of shoes), consider an airlines rewards credit card; they offer lots of perks, including free checked bags.
An alternative is to wear your extra items instead of cramming them into your case; for example, a luggage jacket combined with a good hand-luggage bag will get the absolute maximum amount of luggage on a plane, without having to pay any check-in costs. My husband used and abused his the last time we went on a long trip.
* Consider alternative routes. If you don’t mind a longer journey, booking a flight with at least one layover can save $100 or more. Carefully consider all legs of your proposed flight before booking.
* Weigh your luggage before you leave home. Some of us get to the airport only to find we’re over our baggage limit and end up paying unnecessary charges. My husband and I have saved lots over the years by using a portable luggage weigher, thus removing any unnecessary items/weight if we were over the limit.
* Pack some food. Unless you’re flying several hours when the meal is complimentary, it’s wise and cheaper to take your own snacks. Crackers, a PB&J sandwich – something to satisfy the rumblings of your tummy but not noxious enough to cause upsets to your seatmate.
Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.