One of the biggest changes for 2013 will be airfare structure as travelers will begin to see a switch to 'bundled fare' pricing structures. Standard airfares will remain, but with new tiered options for an additional fee, travelers will receive perks such as free checked bags and eliminated change fees.
NEW YORK – What’s in store for travel this year? Leading online booking site OneTravel.com is sharing tips and predictions for 2013 including new airfare structures and the best places to score a deal, to make it easier for travelers to navigate the friendly skies and get the most for their money.
One of the biggest changes for 2013 will be airfare structure as travelers will begin to see a switch to ‘bundled fare’ pricing structures. Standard airfares will remain, but with new tiered options for an additional fee, travelers will receive perks such as free checked bags and eliminated change fees. According to Mark Drusch, Chief Supplier Relations Officer for Fareportal, the parent company of OneTravel.com, “The new structure provides much needed flexibility, a feature especially important for business travelers.”
Travelers will continue to see reduced capacity, a trend that began in 2012. “This decrease, coupled with increased demand from leisure travelers, will continue to cause the fare surges we saw during late 2012.” Drusch advises travelers to book early to avoid increasing prices and to fully understand what is included with their fare. The current average booking window for domestic trips is 54 days, versus 78 days for international trips.
Leisure travelers will still be able to find savings if they know where to look. Because they are relatively inexpensive and unexplored, Central and South America are increasingly popular destinations. OneTravel.com notes significant surges in Latin America bookings compared to last year, citing Santiago (500 percent), Rio de Janeiro (156 percent) and San Jose (145 percent) as sought-after destinations.
Across the Atlantic, Drusch believes there will be a continued uptick in travel to Greece, Spain, Italy and Turkey as governments drive tourism initiatives as a means for economic growth. In fact, bookings on OneTravel.com throughout Europe are up this year over 2012 with Barcelona increasing 45 percent, Athens by 27 percent, and Istanbul by 7 percent.
Currently, OneTravel.com’s top five international destinations are Cancun, Manila, San Jose, Lima, and Trinidad and Tobago.
