JetBlue, Alaska offer fall flight deals to pull in consumers during slower season
Some Alaska Airlines trips starting at $39 for one-way flights
Some U.S. passenger carriers are already trying to boost demand during the slower fall season.
JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines offered sales this week on flights, both of which end on Wednesday and Thursday, for travel booked from August through early November, which is commonly known as "shoulder season."
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Airlines generally see a falloff in demand during fall, as families focus on the start of another school year, so it’s not out of the ordinary for airlines to offer discounts on tickets during that time. Still, Clint Henderson, the managing editor of travel website The Points Guy, told FOX Business that he has noticed even more alerts lately.
"My gut says it’s because airlines got a little too aggressive with pricing over the summer and may have scared some consumers away," Henderson told FOX Business.
To pull in travelers, JetBlue is offering to knock off $25 for one-way flights. Meanwhile, Alaska is offering a few different deals, with some one-way flights starting at just $39.
Travelers walk through in Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Salt Lake City. U.S. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer / AP Newsroom)
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The sales may provide some relief for travelers after facing surging ticket prices earlier this summer. In May, prices peaked, exceeding $400 on average for a round trip, nearly 50% higher than a year earlier, according to Hopper.
However, airlines have already had to cancel and delay thousands of flights this summer as the industry struggled to meet the historic level of passenger demand.
Airlines have blamed bad weather and understaffing of federal air traffic controllers for many of their flight delays this summer, but part of the problem is also a shortage of workers.
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However, airlines have been working around the clock to counter these issues, including ramping up hiring and training. Alaska told passengers earlier this summer that it "should be back to flying a reliable and well-staffed operation" by July.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian also told analysts last month that the company has invested in measures to restore its "operational integrity, including earlier boarding procedures and operational buffers."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.