When do I book to get the best airfare?

Airfare pricing can be pretty confusing. Price transparency is not a strong-suit for the airline industry. From a consumer perspective, this is frustrating. We know because we fly too and even though we've got a lot of experience in the industry, we’re still puzzled sometimes by price listings. Continuing our effort to give you more insight into the industry, this post will shed a little light on how the airlines make pricing decisions, and more importantly what it means for you as a consumer.

Airlines break out the seats on a plane into what they call buckets. Usually the first bucket is set aside for frequent flyer seats (if the airline has a loyalty program). Airlines have to provide at least a few seats on each plane that people will book using frequent flyer miles or points. These seats bring in no revenue, so they don’t help the airline get any closer to covering the costs for that flight. That’s why they limit the number of these seats per flight.

Pro tip: Most airlines file their pricing schedules 330 days in advance. So if you have miles you've been saving up for a trip to a highly desirable location—say Hawaii—you may have to book that flight 11 months in advance. Call ahead and find out the exact date you can begin booking and make sure you’re on top of it.

It may be surprising, but for all the new technology available, airlines use a fairly old-school method for pricing their flights. They just look back at last year. There’s a little more that goes into the decision (for example, if they know fuel costs 15 percent more than last year, they’ll add that cost in and increase ticket prices, as well as a fuel surcharge sometimes) but the basis for their pricing decisions is the question ‘What did we charge last year?’ and on a secondary level, ‘What is our competition charging now?’

And more importantly, they look back to see when people booked flights. This brings us to the crux of the pricing discussion.

When you book your flight—both time of year and proximity to the departure of that flight—have a bigger impact on the price you pay than nearly anything else.

Part of the reason when matters so much is that 80 percent of airline profit comes from roughly 20 percent of their customers. That’s right. They’re making the vast majority of their money from just a few important customers: business travelers.

Business travelers are less worried about price and more worried about logistical details. If you have to travel to San Francisco for a business meeting on Monday morning, then you have to get there by Sunday night. There’s not a lot of flexibility there. And when your company, or a client, is paying, you’re far less sensitive to cost than when it’s coming out of your own bank account. Business travelers also tend to book later in the game. Sure some business trips are known for weeks or months in advance, but many are not. If your client calls you up and says you need to be in Chicago next week for a key meeting, you’re booking your flight and hopping on the plane.

Now back to our time discussion. There are roughly two ways to get a cheap fare on a flight (aside from being a member of FlyinAway and grabbing a great deal through us): book your flight far in advance of the departure date; or book your flight during a system-wide sale period, which take place traditionally during three times throughout the year.

The first is just after the New Year, traditionally for flights during the spring time. Next is just after Easter in the spring, for flights during the summer. Finally, near the end of the summer there is a last round of sale prices for flights in the fall and winter, sometimes including the busiest holidays—Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Also remember airlines need cash to operate. Obviously, all companies need revenue to keep the lights on and the doors open, but the airline industry is particularly driven by the need for positive cash flow. So airlines will give some on price to get your cash in the door early. If you book a flight in mid January for late April travel they get your money three months before they’re providing you a service. If you can plan far enough out, book early. And preferably book during one of those sale times mentioned above.

So, airlines will give on price far out from the departure date to get cash in the door. From there, as you move closer to the departure date, the price starts to go up as the available seats decline.

Many people who have traveled last-minute for personal reasons are amazed at how expensive it is. Why wouldn't an airline slash prices at the last minute? Isn't selling a seat at half price better than not selling it at all? The answer brings us back to the way they price seats to begin with: they look back to last year. And last year, people did buy those seats at the last minute. Chances are they were business travelers. Remember, business travelers are more prone to book on late notice and are far less concerned about price, because someone else is paying and they don’t have a choice in whether to take their trip.

The business traveler is also why Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly. These are the days of the week least likely to be booked by business travelers and the number of empty seats based upon last year’s data would suggest the airline can offer lower-priced seats closer to the departure date.

So what does this all mean for you?

Remember these tips to save on flights:

• Book as far in advance as possible.
• Book during the traditional, industry-wide sale times (after New Year, after Easter, and end of summer) for travel later in the year.
• Fly on the days least frequented by business travelers—Tuesday and Wednesdays.

Or just become a FlyinAway member, where you pay the price that works for you and fly on dates that you pick. Give it a try today.

Rising airline fees...what's a traveler to do?

Many of us probably know someone who has flown on one of the ‘ultra-low-cost’ airlines infamous for their add-on fees. But the major airlines have been plenty busy establishing their own new fees as well. Many travelers want to know, ‘how bad is it going to get?’ They wouldn’t make us swipe our credit card to use the aft lavatory...would they?

We can’t say for sure it will come to that, but we can reasonably predict fees are the new norm; they’re here to stay. And they will only increase in cost and quantity.

We think the fee explosion is just a symptom of the larger problem in the industry right now. The airline industry model is antiquated. The airlines need fees because they aren’t making money selling flights.

That may seem hard to believe for anyone who has clicked the purchase button for a flight lately, but for the most part, it’s true. Airlines’ costs have risen and competition has done enough to keep them from being able to raise their fares to keep up. As if that weren’t enough to make them look for new revenue, the GDS are taking their cut off of almost every flight booked, and even most flights searched for.

What is a GDS, and why should you care?

GDS stands for Global Distribution System. They originated to provide travel agents with quick access to airline inventory, or available seats on flights. Today, you most likely get your flight pricing information through a GDS via one of the many online search engines like Expedia or Kayak. These sites are just more modern versions of travel agents, but they need the same access to know what flights have available seats and what the prices are. The thing is, the GDS charge airlines a small fee each time they provide this flight information, and often when bookings are made from the information they provide.

Most airlines feel like they have to play ball. After all, travelers can’t book flights with you if they don’t know that you have a competitive fare. There are notable exceptions—Southwest Airlines is famous for requiring you to visit their website to search for and book flights—but they will remain the exception. Travelers most likely won’t visit a dozen or more websites each time they want to catch a flight. And the fees the GDS charge airlines are only increasing.

The fees from the GDS coupled with rising operational costs—like fuel—have left the airlines looking for new ways to generate revenue. And airlines have a hard time increasing the cost of the flight because of the competition in the industry. This is why all of the fees have started to pop up. Some airlines are now using fees as an incentive to consumers to purchase flights directly on the airlines websites. Other airline fees are simply a way to increase revenue beyond the ticket price, no matter where you book.

For now, airlines will continue looking for new ways to bring in money. So what’s a traveler to do?

We can’t save you from every airline fee, but we know we can save you money on the cost of your tickets. And we’re continually searching for ways to add more value to your membership with us—whether that’s eliminating fees or saving you on other travel costs.

But ultimately we are seeking to change the travel industry itself. We exist to make travel cheaper and more enjoyable for you. That’s why FlyinAway puts routes on sale based on what our members want. And we let you bid the price that works for you, saving you money on each ticket. We’ve already saved our members over $20,000 on flights. Changing a multi-billion dollar industry isn’t easy. But it’s time for some change. We hope you can join us on our mission, and we look forward to saving you money and making your travel experience better.

What's with the pictures?

Maybe you've seen our Facebook or Twitter posts with pictures of people wearing FlyinAway shirts at destinations around the country.

We've been asking some of our closest friends to help out with the effort. It's part of the way we see travel as a shared experience. Whatever your reasons are for traveling, it's always more fun when you can share that experience.

But we also hope it inspires as well. Travel is aspirational. One of the reasons we started FlyinAway was to make trips more affordable. When you can save big money on the flight, those dream destinations quickly turn into the reality of great Facebook posts and travel stories. And that's what makes it all worth it for us.

To help spread the word, we're going to hold a little sweepstakes. Head on over to our Facebook page and like or share your comments on this post. We'll randomly pick one person and send along a FlyinAway t-shirt.

Keep stopping by our Facebook page for some travel inspiration. And feel free to post your own travel photos. If FlyinAway got you to your destination, give us a shoutout with a picture. Maybe you'll inspire someone else to take that trip they've been meaning to get around to.

For the Best Airfare Discounts From Denver, Think FlyinAway

Summer vacation season has finally arrived, and while Denver is a virtual Disneyland for the tourist, many of its residents would like to broaden their horizons and savor a perfectly grilled fillet mignon at the Space Needle restaurant in Seattle, experience the thrill of victory at the slot machines at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace, or “shoot” the famous Malibu pier near Los Angeles.

For our members who want to enjoy these, or any one of a thousand other exciting adventures this summer, we have combined the best features of eBay and Groupon to create FlyinAway, where you can arrange for the best airfare discounts from your hometown to any one of our current destinations around the country.

Why spend your Summer doing the same old things at the same old places, when you could be seeing new cities, meeting new people, and creating precious memories that you will treasure forever?

Take control of your life now and we'll put you in control of your travel plans.

As one of our members, you'll choose everything from which routes go on sale, to how much you pay for your flight, to when you'll depart. From start to finish you're in charge, and our discounts, often as much as 65%, are better than you'll find anywhere else. All travel arrangements are made through our local partner, whose 35 years of experience guarantees a safe, carefree journey.

So sign up, pick a destination, and tell us how much you want to pay for your trip. That's all there is to getting the deepest available airfare discounts from Denver or your city of choice, and a passport to the Summer vacation of a lifetime.

Drop by our site frequently to see the great deals our members have currently chosen, and follow our blog for the latest news about how we're striving to serve them better. We look forward to seeing you on one of our passenger lists soon, headed for the Summer vacation of your dreams.

Destination Weddings, FlyinAway Style

Your friends are getting married, awesome. And they're having a destination wedding, also awesome. But now you have to get a plane ticket to get there. Not so awesome. At least it hasn't been, until now.

It get's more confusing all the time. Where do I find the best airfare online? And do I look months ahead of time, or wait until it gets closer? Will the price go up or down?

We started FlyinAway to put you control of your travel plans. We want to make booking your flight cheaper and easier, and more like the fun you'll have on the trip.

With FlyinAway, you search the route you want to fly. Say you live in Chicago and your friends are getting married in Miami (we only cover domestic routes for now). Then you vote for that route to go to auction. It's free to vote. Shoot your friends an email or a text and get them to hop online and vote for the route as well. When there's enough interest, the route goes to auction.

Then you bid the price you want to pay, with savings up to 65 percent off published fares. You have to become a member to bid ($7.99/month or $79.99/year) but you can bid as many times as you like until the time on the auction runs out. If you win the auction you have a couple weeks to book your flight and you can travel anytime during a six month window. It just has to be at least 30 days out from when you book.

And you can buy four tickets at the winning price. So you get your friends to help vote for the route to go to auction and you help them out by getting a sweat deal on the airfare to the wedding. Everything's more fun when you can bring friends.

Give FlyinAway a try for your summer wedding plans. And remember, at FlyinAway, members always get the best deal on airfare....they choose it!

Enjoy a cheaper, better travel experience

Summer is upon us and many people are planning their vacation getaways. The news is full of stories of travel nightmares, but FlyinAway sees a cheaper, better travel experience in your future.

FlyinAway was founded by insiders of the travel industry and ecommerce with a mission of improving the experience of traveling. With more than 50 years of industry experience combined, we know that scheduling flights to get you where you need to be and when you need to be there is important. We also know that price is important to you. These are the values that a FlyinAway membership can provide to you.

One of the benefits that FlyinAway members have is the ability to save on airfare by selecting the route they'd like to see on sale and -- once that route has garnered enough votes -- bid on the price for fare that they're willing to pay. This can result in a savings of up to 65 p ercent on airfare. Operating with the knowledge that cheap fares are seldom offered for the places that travelers want to visit on the dates that they want to visit, FlyinAway puts the control of travel plans back into the hands of the traveler by letting the crowd decide which routes will go on sale and when.

FlyinAway was listed on Mashable's top ten sites for the best travel deals and Tnooz reported that there is a lot of promise to its mission.

Get in on the buzz.

Your summertime vacation awaits! If you want to make your traveling life fuller, easier and more fun, sign up now.

Flyinaway auctions offer better way to search for airfare

The Internet can be a convenience for the traveler or a confusing mass of information. It has enabled the buyer with the ability to make their own plane reservations, book hotel rooms, find ratings. It has also enabled them to compare. You can go to a cheap air fare site and suddenly 12 other web sites pop up with comparison prices. You go from window to window; prices are close to the same. Then, you find out that discount rate to California includes two stops and total travel time of 15 hours. That’s the vacation the family of four wants. Your eyes are bulging and you’re ready to pull your hair out.

Isn’t there a better way to search for airfare?

Flyinaway has launched an enjoyable way to shop and fly – auctions. Before you visualize holding a sign with a number or think of a high bidding war that you won’t be able to afford, Flyinaway starts off by offering fares up to 75% lower than the lowest published fare. It is a membership-based site so only members can bid. If you have a destination that might not be as popular as others, the benefits can be tremendous. And you don’t have to practice avoiding the nasty tic that will up the price, because the auction is all online. With many round trip domestic fares running upwards to $800+ per person, Flyinaway auctions are worth checking out. Sure, you might feel nervous about whether your bid will win, but it will beat the hassle and frustration of comparing an endless number of travel sites.

How does it work?

First, you become a member. Then, you enter the home departure and destination cities, your travel dates and number of travelers. Then, you see the minimum price asked, the current bid and bid accordingly. For example, a round trip flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix on Flyinaway is starting at $227. Low cost web sites for the same trip are ranging from $283-$845 for May travel, while one airline site ranges from $512-$1,325 and another airline $283-$406.

As a member, you will receive a flight on the days you want and need to travel and not be subject to the whims of airlines deciding what days they want to discount seats and how many seats are available at the discount. You will be in control. You will be able to find something within your budget.

Sign up now, put the confusion behind and put the pleasure back in travel.

A better, cheaper travel experience

We exist to make the travel experience better and cheaper for our members. It's no small goal, but it's one that we're passionate about. That's because we may be travel industry insiders, but we're also travelers ourselves. So we know what a drag it can be finding and booking flights.

FlyinAway puts you in control of your travel plans. We flip the industry model on its head, by putting high demand routes up for bid. This way you can get great deals on tickets to places you actually want to fly. And you get to pick the dates you travel—no more sales to destinations no one wants to visit on days when no one can fly.

Our members collaboratively choose where they want to fly, when, and at what price, giving them full control over their travel plans.

We're not beholden to airline sales. In fact, we operate independently from the airlines and the big online travel agencies (OTAs). Instead, we're entirely focused on what our members want. That's why members pick which routes go on sale. And members bid the prices that work best for them. If you're ready to embrace the power, give us a try today.

Remember, at FlyinAway, members always get the best deal on their airfare....they choose it!

What would you do to get cheap airfare?

Cheap airfare -- it's more than saving money. It's a way of life.

Ever heard the story of Pudding Guy? No? If you've seen the movie Punch Drunk Love, the story of  Pudding Guy should ring a bell.

Way back in 1999 a civil engineer named David Phillips discovered a way to earn enough airline miles to insure himself cheap airfare for the rest of his life. How did David accomplish this feat?

While shopping with his wife, David noticed that Healthy Choice products was offering 500 to 1000 frequent flyer miles for every ten purchases of Healthy Choice products. David was looking for a way to get a cheap vacation for his family and started loading up on Healthy Choice products, but when he saw that Healthy Choice pudding was selling for 25 cents per carton David went into overdrive.

David bought every package of Healthy Choice Chocolate pudding for miles around him, spending $3000 on 12,150 cups of pudding! That was enough to earn him more than 1 million miles, elite status and discounts for life, but David had another problem. How to get the UPC labels off the packages to claim his reward?

David ended up donating the pudding to charities in exchange for them providing the manpower of delabeling all those cups of yummy pudding.

End result? Local charities had tons of pudding to give to folks in need and David got his vacation, cheap travel and a sort of fame as Pudding Guy.

Fortunately, not everyone has to go to the extremes David did to get cheap travel. FlyinAway provides discounted airfare via auctions, auctions that start up to 75% off the lowest published airfare and votes that determne which routes go to auction.

Why drive all over the country buying pudding cups when you can join FlyinAway to get great deals on great travel?