Ready for a vacation, but money is tight? You might be surprised to learn the deals airlines are offering these days
George Hobica says he saved big time on his last trip thanks to airline discount promo codes.
"It was about $140, roundtrip non-stop from New York to Los Angeles," he said.
Hobica finds out about airline discount codes and posts them on his website airfarewatchdog.com.
Consumer Reports' ShopSmart has more on how to find hidden airline deals.
"One of the best-kept secrets is discount codes or promo codes, which you can use to book your tickets online. You simply enter a string of letters and/or numbers and you can save 10 to 50 per cent on your seats," Consumer Reports' Lisa Lee Freeman said.
Recent promo code offers include up to $175 off a Delta vacation package to Hawaii and 20 per cent off a United States to New Zealand and Australia flight.
And from United Airlines, a free flight if you bought a ticket on certain flights departing from Denver.
"Airlines come up with promo codes to drive people to their websites and bypass sites like Travelocity and Orbitz where they have to pay a commission," Lee Freeman said.
Along with airfarewatchdog.com, farecompare.com is another good source for codes. With both sites, you sign up to get alerts for deals.
"Another way to find promo codes is to do a web search and put in the name of the airline and the words 'promo code,'" Lee Freeman said.
While finding the codes isn't always easy, Hobica says it's worth it.
"It is a lot of work to find a low airfare, but it doesn't take that much time and it often pays big dividends," he said.
Airline promotions come and go quickly, so you have to act fast. Also be aware when you sign up for airline promo-code fares, your inbox could get flooded with deals that don't interest you, so it's a good idea to have a separate e-mail account.
For more tips on finding airline seat deals click here.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.
