Find Out Who Sells Cheaper Flights at the Airport as Opposed to Online
- Abigail Gaston
- Apr 12, 2018
- 5 min read
The other day I was talking to a friend who had recently worked with a travel agent to book her Las Vegas wedding. She was anticipating that sixteen to eighteen individuals would be attending the wedding of her fiancé and her in Las Vegas. She decided that with her busy personal and work schedule, she would loop in a travel agent to schedule and organize everything so that she did not have to stress over it.
My friend, knowing that I very much enjoy a good vacation shopping deal, told me about a conversation she had with her travel agent while she was trying to schedule a time to meet up her. Her travel agent stated that she could meet with her later that day; however, she had to run to the airport to purchase some airline tickets first. My curious friend found this task to be a bit odd; doesn’t everyone purchase travel online these days?
With that thought in her head, she asked her travel agent, “Why do you have to go to the airport; why not just purchase them online?” The travel agent informed my friend that there are certain airlines that wave online fees if you purchase them directly through the ticket counter at the airport, as opposed to over the phone, through an app or online. She further stated that she was purchasing six airline tickets and doing so at the airport ticket counter would save her enough money that it is worth the 20 minute drive!
The above story sparked my frugal travel interest, which pretty much instigated my investigation into purchasing airline tickets directly through the airline ticket counters at airports. I must state that this was kind of a difficult search. Although I tried many different wordings in the Google search box, it was sort of challenging finding reliable confirmation on the above statement, but seems the info came from a travel agent, one with actual proof in her purchase, I kept looking and below is what I discovered.
Although I cannot confirm for all airlines, through multiple reputable websites, I did discover that Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Airlines do offer airfare discounts if you purchase tickets at the airport ticket counter. Although the above statement was on highly trustworthy websites, I confirmed the report through both Spirit and Allegiant Air’s websites.
How does this work, you ask? Let’s start with Spirit, shall we? It is no secret that Spirit gets away with low cost airfare, because of their “Bare Fare” policy. This essentially means that when you purchase airfare through Spirit Airlines, you are solely purchasing the ride from one airport to another. You are not getting a ‘free’ checked bag, you are not getting any included refreshments or snacks, and you are not even getting a seat right away unless you pay for a specific one ahead of time.
That said, what you may not know unless you have looked at their policies closely, is that Spirit Airlines does charge a “Passenger Usage Fee” when you purchase travel via the internet and phone. According to the Spirit Airlines “Terms and Conditions” policy on their website, this fee is $19.99 and is charged per segment; meaning, each way. For a roundtrip flight, the charge would be $39.98 per seat booked. Additionally, if you schedule your reservations via the phone, Spirit will charge you an extra $10 for using the “Reservation Center” for booking.
Spirit Airlines General Terms and Conditions (Last Updated March 1, 2018)
• Passenger Usage Fee: Passenger Usage Fee of $19.99 per segment per traveling customer applies to most internationalreservations excluding bookings completed at Spirit Airlines’ airport locations as well as certain bookings to Colombia originating outside Colombia. Lower fees may apply to certain discount fares.
Similarly, Allegiant Airlines charges a fee called “Electronic Carrier Usage Charge” for using their website for flight bookings and for calling in to book flights over the phone. Allegiant Airlines fee charges you $13 each way or $26 roundtrip.
Allegiant Air Electronic Carrier Usage Charge: Fares displayed are inclusive of an electronic usage charge of $13 per passenger, per segment, applicable to all airline reservations booked through the Web site or call center.
Now, let’s rewind a bit…remember earlier when I said that the travel agent assisting my friend with her Las Vegas wedding planning was purchasing six airline tickets to Cancun? I am not sure which airline she was purchasing flights through; however, for the sake of using factual information, let’s just say it was Spirit. Purchasing airline tickets at the airport through the Spirit ticket counter would have saved her $239.88 in fees for roundtrip tickets. That is a pretty decent savings! Imagine these tickets are for a family of six and one person is completely footing the bill. If it were me, I definitely would like to keep that $240 in my pocket. This is especially so, considering the additional fees that come along with flying Spirit; luggage being a large one!
Just like with the Spirit Airlines example, if my friends’ travel agent booked her six flights with Allegiant Airlines at the airport, she would have saved $156. Again, this is a pretty great discount on airfare.
I know there are a lot of considerations that go into this route of purchasing airline tickets; additional time, gas money, parking (most airports don’t provide free parking), etcetera. Maybe, despite the savings, you will opt for convenience; I know there are times that convenience has outweighed the benefits of savings even with yours truly. Hey, to each their own, right? All That Gallivanting is just here to provide you with the cheap travel facts and this one right here may be an option for your family and you to save a little extra money on airfare for your next vacation.
With all the above said, keep in mind that I am not stating that last minute flights will be cheaper at the airport. I do not suggest showing up at the airport the day you want to depart for vacation and expect to get a cheap flight; chances are, you will likely actually get an outrageously price! I definitely do not want that for you.
You should try to purchase your flights sooner rather than later; rule of thumb is at least 8 - 12 weeks prior to trip departure. However, starting your search well before that is even better; it allows you more cheap flight opportunities.
Thank you for reading! If you find this article helpful, please feel free to share with your friends or via social media.
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