Turns out another airline is giving out deals, but the rare deal window is shorter than expected. Or is it really that rare?
According to USA Today, JetBlue has launched a 48-hour flash sale that has dropped fares below $100 round trip on many of the carrier's routes across the nation.
Now’s a good time to plan really far ahead to visit long distance friends and relatives, right?
Wait for it.
The two-day sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday (January 11th) and is good for travel from January 18th through March 8th. Also, traveling dates from February 17th through February 26th are blacked out.
The restriction of days is just a small part of the fine print; sale fares on most routes are not available on Fridays and Sundays. Plus, only nonstop itineraries are included in the sale pricing.
And last but not least, the sale fares fall under JetBlue’s “Blue” fare type, which does not include free checked baggage as part of the purchase price. The fare-sale offer is also subject to capacity controls, meaning the special fares could sell out on individual flights.
But these ‘sales’ popping up in airlines aren’t anything too new.
It’s a common practice among airlines to roll out fare sales to help fill empty seats during low-demand periods. The period from early January into early March is one of the slowest, with demand for flights dropping after the big winter holidays.
[anad]
Flight demands are low until mid March, which is the usual hotspot scheduling for ‘spring break’ vacations.
We knew there was a reason you can’t go past March 8. So much for that spring break to Mexico.
But while fare sales are announced during such window brackets, flash sales like JetBlue’s two-day event have become increasingly common as the industry tries to exploit online sales channels and the consumer’s urge to save and buy under pressure.
JetBlue rolls out several such sales a year, despite what the promotion may show. One of its latest came just in November, when it sold seats for many of the same lower-demand winter dates.
Bargain-hunters seeking deals on JetBlue will find most of the airline’s best deals are to or from its hubs and focus cities, which include New York JFK, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Long Beach, Calif.
The cheapest fares are generally on the shortest routes, but there are exceptions. Definitely check out the flights now and see what you can capitalize on before the sale ‘goes away for good’.
Or until after Easter.