Transitory state of airfares

Yesterday morning, I started and never finished this article ‘Tokyo on sale across USA, mostly Star Alliance and Skyteam with some American routes $658 to $771’. My wife wanted me to run errands and I postponed finishing the piece. Here is the beginning,

Today started out with Denver DEN – NRT Tokyo Narita at $771 on American Airlines via Dallas DFW. There are not too many real deals from Denver. Checked different cities to see this route has widespread discounts from airports across the USA.

United with ANA and Star Alliance carriers against Delta and Skyteam partners looks to be the real battlefront. American and Oneworld member Japan Airlines JAL have select airports like Denver and Seattle with relatively low fares, but American is not fighting it out with the other two alliances in Dallas DFW, San Francisco SFO, Los Angeles LAX or Chicago ORD.

Loyalty Traveler – April 8, 2015

Later in the day, after the errands and back on the computer, low Delta fares from earlier in the morning were pricing far higher to Tokyo.

Transitory nature of airfares

Airlines juggle the prices to fly from one place to another. Airfare on Tokyo routes yesterday is a good example of how airfare fluctuates wildly in 24 hours.

Strategy for flying on low airfares is the ability to recognize a low airfare when you see it and be ready to buy when low fare are available.

Denver DEN – NRT Tokyo American Airlines August 4-12, 2015

$771 Fare available at 9:49am PT, April 8, 2015

The attractive part of this fare is not only the $771 price, but the available dates of travel in August. DEN-NRT airfare was available for $771 to $776 for 20 of 61 dates in August and September 2015. One of the best features of the fare is American Airlines awards 100% redeemable miles for its deep discount economy Q fare.

Denver DEN – NRT Tokyo United Airlines/ANA September 2-9, 2015

$906 is lowest fare available at 5:34am PT, April 9, 2015.

19 hours after finding $771 airfare for DEN-NRT in August 2015, the airfare for those same August 4-12 dates is $1,590 for the same flights on American Airlines. The lowest airfare for travel on the DEN-NRT route available now is $906 on United/ANA for travel September 2-9, 2015.

A person could have bought a ticket from Denver to Tokyo for a trip in August 2015 at less than half the price yesterday compared to today.

This is the transitory state of airfares.

Dallas DFW – NRT Tokyo low airfare for April-October 2015 travel

• $670 Delta July 1-8; $771 United (April 8 ticket purchase)
• $973 United DFW-HND August 25-Sep 2 (April 9 ticket purchase)

Chicago ORD – NRT Tokyo low airfare for April-October 2015 travel

Airfare is $50 higher for September travel compared to yesterday.

• $785 United Sep 10-17 (April 8 ticket purchase)
• $835 United Sep 10-17 (April 8 ticket purchase)
• $785 United April 30-May 7 (April 9 ticket purchase)

Seattle – NRT Tokyo low airfare for April-October 2015 travel

• $720 American/Alaska August 27 – September 8 (April 8 ticket purchase)
• $936 ANA/Alaska August 27 – September 8 (April 9 ticket purchase)

Miami MIA – NRT Tokyo

• $725 Delta and $771 United/ANA Sep 3-9 (April 8 10am PT ticket purchase)
• $1,124 United/ANA Sep 10-22 (April 9 6am PT purchase)

Los Angeles LAX – NRT Tokyo

• $658 United/ANA Sep 2-9 (April 8 ticket purchase)
• $769 United/ANA Sep 2-9 (April 9 ticket purchase)

Airfares Rise and Airfares Fall

This past month I have regularly posted low economy airfare deals I find. The deals may be around a few minutes or a few days, but they are transitory. Airfares rise and airfares fall. The best strategy for a consumer who is in the market for travel is know where you want to fly and have a plan for when you can travel. When the next good deal comes around, you will be ready to buy during the hours a low fare is available and before that deal is gone.