Hotwire Announces That Avoiding Most Heavily Trafficked Airports During the Thanksgiving Holiday Can Help Consumers Save Big
Booking travel through alternative airports in major cities, like Chicago, can give consumers a potential savings of up to 20%
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Turkey day is around the corner and that means airports are hitting their high season. Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, has announced that this year consumers can save big money on their Thanksgiving airfare purchases if they book their travel through alternative airports in big cities. Alternative airports can offer a potential savings of up to 20 percent.
Unlike the major airline hubs, whose pricing is set by one or two dominant carriers, smaller alternative airports are serviced by multiple low cost carriers and can generally be more competitive in price. This means during busy times of the year, these airports can offer lower fares to travelers. In addition, low cost carriers tend to be leading the pack when it comes to adding seats back to their fleets and as a result, are driving down fares even lower at many alternative airports.
To illustrate the potential savings associated with alternative airports, Hotwire.com has listed some of the most heavily trafficked U.S. airports during the holiday season, along with suggested alternate airports where consumers can find better deals:
Airport -Avg. Ticket Average Price Alternate Airport Average Savings
-------------------- ------------- ----------------- ---------------
1. O'Hare (Chicago) $380 Midway Airport 20%
2. Dallas-Fort Worth $395 Dallas Love Field 10%
3. LAX (Los Angeles) $441 Burbank Airport 3%
4. Newark $405 LaGuardia Airport 11%
5. San Francisco $416 Oakland Airport 12%
To further help consumers find airfare deals this Thanksgiving, Hotwire® also recommends that consumers search "opaque" travel sites, like Hotwire, to book their flights. For those customers who have some flexibility in exactly when they travel, Hotwire is able to offer customers incredibly discounted air tickets through Hot Rates, sometimes up to 45% off. This type of inventory has steadily increased this year, making the chances of finding a great deal on Hotwire even better.
"During this season, especially over the holidays, I often hear consumers say the same thing - that they are tired of dealing with the price increases and hassles of holiday travel," said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group. "That's why, this year, we are pleased to be able to offer our customers some alternative travel solutions that not only will save them money, but will give them a reason to exhale during this stressful travel time."
About Hotwire
Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Three Years in a Row." Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com/.