Airlines' Own Sites Can Offer the Best Deals

posted: 13 November 2007 03:30 pm ET

: On its own Web site, Air New Zealand offers fare deals from Los Angeles and San Francisco to New Zealand and Australia, and from Los Angeles to London, which aren't available anywhere else. Many airlines are now adopting this strategy in a bid to limit the commission fees they pay to online travel agencies. Air New Zealand will be the first airline to take delivery of the 787-9 version of Boeing's new Dreamliner widebody jet. Credit: Boeing Photo

Here's a rundown of airlines flying within or to the United States which are offering their best fare deals only on their own sites.

Air New Zealand

Savings on routes from Los Angeles to London, and from Los Angeles and San Francisco to both Australia and New Zealand range from $50 to $200 or more, depending on season and route.

Alaska Airlines

Sign up for the airline's newsletter and you'll receive alerts about promo codes, which change every few weeks, with savings typically of 20 percent.

Allegiant Airlines

This airline, which mostly flies to/from Las Vegas, Orlando, and St. Petersburg only sells fares on its own site. Sign up for its newsletters.

American Airlines

AA recently launched DealFinder, which offers discounts typically of 20 to 25 percent on various routes. This tool works on most Windows computers but not Macs and requires that you download software.

Cathay Pacific Airways

This Hong Kong airline has frequent "deals of the month" at prices considerably lower than listed elsewhere, mostly from the U.S. to Asia, but also from New York to Vancouver. Savings range from $60 to $200 or more roundtrip.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier's weekend deals are only available on its own site. The airline occasionally sells non-weekend fares at discounts too.

JetBlue Airways

This carrier's fares are not listed on Orbitz, and although they do appear on Travelocity, Sidestep, Kayak, and Cheapair, among others, Airfarewatchdog frequently sees special deals available only on JetBlue's site. Recently, for example, JetBlue offered $30 off each roundtrip booked via a special link on its site for passengers buying fares with an American Express Card.

SAS

We've seen flights from Newark to Europe, but sometimes from other U.S. gateways, for hundreds less on SAS' site. Newark-Stockholm is a route that frequently goes on sale.

Skybus

Famous for its $10 one-way fares, this new entrant sells fares only on its own site.

Singapore Airlines

Not only does Singapore Airlines often have lower fares on its site, but we often find that seat availability is better (for example, you might get a nonstop flight on its site for less than a connecting flight on another site).

Southwest Airlines

Visit DING! On Southwest's site and sign up for an applet that alerts you, often once or twice a day, to short-lived sales which are only available to DING! users. Fares are typically $10-$30 lower than Southwest's other fares. Whether DING! or not, Southwest lists and sells its fares only on its own web site.

Spirit Airlines

This spunky low-cost carrier has almost-weekly sales with fares as low as a penny (plus tax, of course), for specific dates, sometimes far into the future. Typically the lowest fares are only available for four to six travel dates in each direction, but other deals are available over a broader travel period. Join Spirit's $9 Fare Club (trial memberships cost $9, or free if you apply for its branded credit card) and you'll have a wider choice of fares, all of which are bookable only on its site.

USA 3000

This East Coast airline frequently offers coupon codes, generally $10 off each one-way fare. USA 3000's fares are not listed on all OTAs but they do appear on Sidestep.

Virgin America

This new airline recently had a 10-percent-off sale for members of its frequent flyer program, available only on Virgin America's site.

WestJet

Canada's leading low-cost airline occasionally offers promo codes, such as a recent 20-percent-off insider deal, applicable even to already-low sale fares, on flights between Orlando and its Canadian destinations.