Airline prices remain high in poor economy

Students looking to catch a break on airfare prices will be disappointed said Cecile Furtado from Concordia’s Voyages Campus.
In spite of the economic downturn, she said, the price of travelling by air has been maintained since last year.
Katie Heffring, a Concordia student who travels out-of-province to see her family, said she found that even sale prices weren’t quite affordable. “You can find sales at the beginning of December,” she said. “But it’s really difficult to find a good deal. It’s expensive, travelling at Christmas, and I even usually split the cost with my parents.”

Students who book at the last minute, Furtado said, will face even higher prices.
“Students should try to book two to three months in advance of Christmas,” she said. “Basically, on average, prices will increase if you wait until the last minute.”
On top of everything, Furtado hinted that most flights are booked for Christmas. That said, students still trying to make travels plans might have to pay a hefty price for a ticket.
The Voyages Campus employee acknowledged making plans months in advance isn’t exactly conducive to the life of a student, who can sometimes face unexpected expenses and have to work around an unknown exam schedule.
For students who don’t know their exam schedule, Furtado advised booking a flight as soon as possible to Christmas.

Though travel insurance comes at an extra cost, Furtado said it’s a good way to avoid losing the complete cost of a ticket. In the event that the university changes an exam time, she explained, the insurance company will fully cover travel expenses.
For Heffring, she said keeping an eye on prices has helped her save a few dollars. “Usually, I find you can find seats sales if you keep checking the airline website,” she said. “But I usually try to save money for the trip home.”

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