Cheap Airline Fares Should Continue After Virus Flattens

Image: PHOTO: Searching for deals on airfare. (Photos via iStock / Getty Images Plus / Sinenkiy)
Image: PHOTO: Searching for deals on airfare. (Photos via iStock / Getty Images Plus / Sinenkiy)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 9:33 AM ET, Mon April 13, 2020

Remember those $32 roundtrip fares we told you about last month between Miami and Los Angeles on American Airlines?

Well, a lot of carriers have similar inexpensive deals still in place for the rest of this month and into May. Of course, there has been a 90 percent reduction in travel in the U.S. due to the coronavirus so very few people are flying these days.

But what happens if you try to book an airfare like that for June, July or August for summer vacation - making the assumption that the virus will flatten enough that the country gets back to business?

One expert says you might be pleasantly surprised.

Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com, wrote a column in USA Today that said travelers should expect the cheap fares to continue, at least for a little while.

"I get asked if all the super-deals will go away when COVID-19 does. The answer to that one is no," Seaney wrote. "Or at least fares won't rise much, because airlines will use them as incentives to lure us back into the habit of getting on planes. So for now, we wait, but there are some things you can do now to get ready for a future trip and maybe save even more."

- Use airfare search sites to compare prices.

- Understand that even what might seem like expensive flights will likely be less expensive than normal.

- Make sure your airline will waive change fees.

- Late summer, fall and early winter are traditionally cheap times to fly.

- Do things like renewing your passport and signing up for PreCheck to get through security faster.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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