Entries for the 'Airfarewatchdog News' Category
Posted by
George on Thursday, November 05, 2009
If you've just tripped across Airfarewatchdog, or heard about us in the news or overheard someone in the supermarket checkout line raving about us and want to learn what our users are saying, then click on over to our Facebook fan page where there's a bunch of comments from current users explaining why we are so super duper. And if you're already a fan, be sure to put in your two cents!
Posted by
Tracy on Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Once again, we've been tinkering under the hood here at Airfarewatchdog, trying to get beautiful. And because you've proven to be such a whiz at this stuff in the past, our new features are based on your genius suggestions for the site. So, hey, thanks!
Don't worry, you'll still find oodles of amazing fares. We've just made it easier to sort through and find exactly the kind of fare you're looking for. And we think you'll really like the new customized home page, which will feature content based on your alert settings. See? More of what you want!
Be sure to check out our sneak peak redesign tutorial for a detailed look at these and all the other new features we'll be rolling out next month! Till then, sit tight!
Posted by
George on Saturday, October 24, 2009
Just in case you're new to Airfarewatchdog.com, and wondering what we're all about and how we're different from the "rest," here's about as good an example as I can come up with.
No other fare alert site or service would notify you of specific fares such as the LOT Polish Airlines deal from New York to Tel Aviv, part of a limited time, LOT.com-only 50% off sale. These fares are only available direclty from LOT, and they're not being listed with the automated fare reporting systems that other sites use. Only real live human beings could hunt them down, and Airfarewatchdog.com only uses people, not computer programs, to find fares and send alerts.
So would you rather pay $892 on Turkish AIrlines, the lowest fare that you would have seen on Kayak?
Or save over $200 per person with this sale? Note that the screen shots below are time and date stamped, and were taken within seconds of each other.
Posted by
George on Saturday, October 24, 2009
We are deeply honored that Travel+Leisure magazine has named Airfarewatchdog in the Fare-Sale Alert category in their annual "Best of the Web" survey.
And we've also been named to Conde Nast Traveler's list of 21 Twitterers to Follow.
Posted by
George on Wednesday, October 21, 2009
According to a recent article in the NY Times, "From New York, a round-trip American Airlines flight to Chicago [departing Nov 25 and returning Nov 29] that cost $354 on Sept. 14 was $540 on Thursday [Oct 15], a 52 percent jump, according to Yapta.com, which tracks fares."
Well today (Oct 21) that route is back down to $428 round-trip including taxes on JetBlue, still not exactly a bargain, but had you listened to the Times' advice that "Dilly-dallying, even waiting just a few days, could carry a steep price [since] fares, though still lower now than at this time last year, are rising each day," well, you just would have paid more than you needed to.
Another route cited by the Times, New York to Orlando, went up from $524 on Sept. 24 to $614 on Oct 15. That route, from JFK, as of 11 a.m. today, is available for $399 round-trip including tax on JetBlue nonstops. Again, not great, but much less than $614.
We have a feeling that consumers are going to look at these high fares and just say no thanks, and that the airlines, which are playing a game of chicken with flyers, will eventually give in and lower peak holiday fares.
Posted by
George on Thursday, October 08, 2009
These folks do not make decisions lightly, let us tell you. So we are honored and thrilled (really, we are), that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has chosen AFWD fares to appear on their newly relaunched Stewart/Newburgh Web site. Obviously, they could have chosen any of several airfare sources, and they looked at them all. Our free fare feeds are available to one and all without charge (FYI, we do not pay to appear on other sites, nor do we get paid to do so).
Posted by
George on Friday, September 25, 2009
We have a new store selling (at cost, mind you) AFWD logo items!
Such as hats...
T shirts....
And mugs.....
There's a lot more in the store, and we'll be updating images and items so come back often!
Posted by
Tracy on Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Ok, so we have some good news and some bad news. The good first? Frontier is reducing their fee for ticket changes to $100 for Economy passengers, down from $150. The new rule covers all tickets issued September 8 and onward.
And now, the bad news, Frontier is upping fees for checked bags. First checked bags are now $20, while second checked bags are $30. That's only a $5 increase, but still.
Also getting in on the bag fee action, Hawaiian Airlines wil now charge a $10 fee for the first checked bag on interisland flights. The new rule begins September 14.
Posted by
George on Monday, August 17, 2009
We recently set up a Facebook profile page, and if you've just stumbled across our site, and are curious what people think about it, take a look.
Posted by
George on Saturday, August 15, 2009
Now that more airlines are offering in-flight internet access, Airfarewatchdog was wondering how we're going to make sure our various devices don't run out of power aloft. So what's the "current" state of in flight power? Is it still a perk only available to the premium class passenger, or do we economy class flyers also get to play? We asked Aaron Tam to investigate the options. His report:
Many types of aircraft are equipped with power ports in each seat so that passengers can operate our growing list of electronic gadgets, such as cell phones, ipods, and of course our laptops, netbooks, and so on. We've even seen people using hair dryers and shavers on planes. For a long time this perk has been mostly confined to first and business class. Now, the trend is changing and many airlines offer power outlets in their economy class cabins as well. However, these outlets are more widely available on longer international flights than on domestic ones. One exception is Virgin America, a leader in implementing in-flight technology, offering a standard 120V outlet at every seat. Continental offers such outlets in economy class on select 737’s.
Before you go on your next flight hoping to power your laptop there are a few things you should know:
There are 3 different types of outlets, depending on your aircraft:
1.) AC power- This is your standard outlet just like the one you use on the ground, and the easiest to use.
Here is the list of airlines and aircraft that offer AC power in Economy Class:
American Boeing 737-800 Vers. 2 (738) Domestic Routes
American Boeing 757-200 Vers. 2 (757) Domestic Routes
Continental Boeing 737-900ER (73E) Domestic Routes
Continental Boeing 757-200 (752) International Routes
Continental Boeing 777-200ER (777) International Routes
Delta Boeing 777-200 ex-TWA (75E) International Routes
Delta Boeing 767-400ER Vers. 2 (76D) International Routes
Delta Boeing 767-400ER Vers. 1 (76C) International Routes
Delta Boeing 777-200LR (77L) International Routes
Delta Boeing 777-200ER (777) International Routes
United Boeing 757-200 p.s. (757) Premium Service
Virgin America Airbus A319 (319) All Service
Northwest Airbus A330-300 (330, 333) International Routes
Northwest Airbus A330-200 (332) International Routes
Northwest Airbus 757-200 (5600 Series) -Pacific International Routes
2.) Cigarette DC power- This is the power port like the one you use in your car. You can purchase adapters online or at local electronics stores. We've even see them at stores like Walmart or Target. These adapters are called power inverters. They start at around $15, but choose wisely because you'll need one that can handle up to 75 watts, which is what many laptops draw.
Airlines and aircraft that use DC Power in Economy Class:
American Airbus A300-600 (AB6) Domestic Routes
American Boeing 737-800 Vers. 1 (738) Domestic Routes
American Boeing 757-200 Vers. 1 (757) Domestic Routes
American Boeing 767-200 (762) Domestic Routes
American Boeing 767-300 (763) Domestic Routes
American McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Vers. 2 (M80) Domestic Routes
American McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Vers. 1 (M80) Domestic Routes
3.) EM Power- The power option most frequently used on airlines (mostly outside the US); requires an adapter that you can buy. If you have a DC inverter you can purchase an Em Power adapter for $13 from Magellan’s. Otherwise Kensington and Targus offer models starting at around $60 that are compatible both for DC and Em Power outlets.
Examples of airlines and aircraft that use DC Power in economy class:
Continental Boeing 767-200 (762) Domestic & International Routes
Continental Boeing 767-400 High Density (76H) Domestic & International Routes
Even if you see that your plane is equipped with power outlets, they might only available in certain seats. Make sure you check Seatguru for more information or simply click on any of the aircraft links in the above charts.
Outlets can only handle 75 watts of power. So if you have a larger sized laptop, it might not be enough power to boot up your machine. Some airlines like Continental will specifically tell you to take out the battery and run on power only, because as you might have heard, batteries have exploded in flight, and we don't want fires at 35,000 feet.
Sometimes you will have to ask the inflight crew to turn on the power since it is sometimes shut off for take off and landing.
With newer technology coming out everyday, you might not even need to to charge your laptop except on those extra long international flights. The new Mac Book Pro claims to have 7 hours of battery life, which is plenty for most domestic flights. But if you're working on your laptop for more than 7 or 8 hours next time you fly, perhaps it's time to slow down, read a good book, and recharge yourself, rather than your laptop.