Much-needed help for holiday travelers

Harriet Baskas Travel writer

As summer winds down, the bad news about air travel just keeps piling up.

Airlines are announcing system-wide route cuts while hiking fees for everything from checking bags to serving snacks and water. And while fuel prices are finally dipping, airfares are not — nor are the irritations associated with flying.

It's enough to make you want to stay home. In fact, the major auto clubs, the airline trade groups — even the guys at my corner fruit stand — are predicting more folks than ever will be doing just that this Labor Day weekend. Compared to the last year's three-day holiday weekend, AAA expects just under a one percent decline in trips at least 50 miles from home. The Air Transport of Association of America projects air travel will be down by 5.7 percent. And the fruit stand guys? They’re bringing in extra loads of watermelon, cherries and bananas for the backyard picnic gang.

What’s next?
Looking ahead, will the “sit-tight” summer morph into the “just-stay-home” holiday season?

I don't think so. That all-ages squirt-gun war may have been a novel substitute for the traditional summer's-end beach weekend, but grandma won't put up with that when Thanksgiving and the December holidays roll around.

And neither should you.

So borrow one of your kid's just-sharpened back-to-school pencils. Rip a few sheets of paper out of that brand new Batman three-ring binder. Now that summer is about over, it’s time to figure out how to be a well-mannered traveler who actually gets to go somewhere.

Poke around online
If you have your heart set on traveling during the Thanksgiving or December holidays, it’s time to buckle down and get to work.

Get airfare e-mail alerts: You can unsubscribe from the Web sites later, but this will allow you to recognize and pounce on a good (or at least acceptable) fare when you see it.

Study airport Web sites: News about city-specific fare sales can “break” on airport Web sites, many of which now have their own targeted airfare search widgets. Some airports also compile fare deals for their market and e-mail the list to subscribers. Pittsburgh International Airport, for example, sends its list out to 35,000 people each week. And don’t limit yourself to your home airport Web site; be sure to check for deals at your destination airport's Web site, too.

Join airline mileage programs: You may never fly enough to earn that free ticket, but last-minute sales and special offers often get mailed only to members of an airline’s frequent flier program. Even if you travel once or twice a year, signing up can be fruitful.

Go early: Are you having a tough time finding fair fares? Consider celebrating a holiday before or after the official day and fly on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day, when prices can dip significantly. (Tip: Blackout days for frequent flier tickets often do not apply to actual holidays.)

Airports lending a hand
According to the Air Transport Association (ATA), U.S. airlines lost more than $2.8 billion in the first half of 2008. Even with the dip in fuel prices, the second half of the year doesn’t look much brighter. That’s why many carriers have announced deep route cuts for some cities and dropped service to others entirely.

Lost routes mean less income for airports, which get most of their revenue from airline landing fees and terminal usage. Raising those fees can squeeze carriers out of a market, so instead many airports are digging deep. In addition to canceling or delaying construction projects, some airports are waiving or reducing landing fees and teaming up with other airports and city, state or government agencies to offer airlines everything from marketing assistance to cash incentives to stick around.

Those strategies help airports keep clients, but, more importantly, help travelers by keeping fares down.

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