Smaller airlines can pack a cheaper fare punch.
By Don

It seems that hunting for cheaper fares has become an obsession for many of today's travelers. While there are many well-known "tricks" to finding inexpensive fares, one opportunity that many travelers may leave off their hunt lies with smaller airlines, such as Sun Country, Air Tran, and Midway. If you are willing to do some research, these smaller, local airlines are often better positioned to offer cheaper deals than the larger carriers. In fact, with Southwest and Jet Blue as cases in point, it seems that many of the big boys of the industry are looking to the more efficient, consumer-driven approaches of the smaller airlines.

Smaller airlines are able to save you money by operating more efficiently than their larger counterparts. They may serve smaller destinations that are overlooked by the major companies or niche markets. They often fly smaller aircrafts into smaller cities, and, if you're a frequent flier, they often operate customer loyalty programs that are innovative and rewarding. Usually, you'll find their fees to be cheaper and their restrictions to be less stringent than those of the major carriers--two good reasons to take the time to search them out.

Searching for cheap fares on smaller airlines can require savvy on your part. Many small airlines offer specialty and seasonal travel to popular destinations at low fares. Look into the airlines--including small, discount carriers--that service your local airport. If you live in the Midwest or Northeast, you may find USA 3000 Airlines, which operates flights to vacation destinations in Florida, Mexico, and popular Central American cities at discounts of up to 60% that of the major carriers' fares. If you're flying from Minnesota, check out Sun Country Airlines, which flies to many domestic, Central American, and Caribbean locations at significant discounts.

Looking outside of the large metropolitan cities like Boston and New York can also help you find smaller airlines and cheaper fares. Oftentimes, these discount carriers cut costs by avoiding the higher costs associated with serving large airports like Denver and O'Hare and flying into and out of nearby airports such as Colorado Springs and Midway. If your home airport isn't host to a smaller airline, investigate nearby cities to determine if the savings is worth it. In addition to cheaper fares, you may find these less popular airports to be easier to manage in terms of parking, security lines, and baggage claim waits.

In many cases, the fares offered by small, local airlines will not show up on the common Internet flight comparison websites, like Travelocity and Expedia. Don't assume that you are



seeing the cheapest available fare. Check the individual discount carrier websites to search for cheaper fares. You can check into local travel agents to help you find Internet deals or check out the many travel Internet sites that you can find on the web. You can often find good deals.

Travel to popular North American destinations isn't the only place where smaller airlines can leave you with more spending money. International destinations also offer a host of discount carriers. Rudy Maxa, host of The Savvy Traveler, offers a "Who's Flying Cheaply" Guide to tackling air travel in Europe. When looking for savings en route to Asia, check out these smaller airlines, which tend to offer quality services at a less expensive airfare rate.

As with making all travel plans, be sure to read the small print carefully. Ask the important questions: What happens if I miss my connection? How much does it cost to change the departure date or time? What's your cancellation policy? If the answers satisfy you, give the smaller a try--you may be happily surprised by your experience and the extra money in your pocket. Happy flying!