LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) – As holiday travel approaches, many airlines are making sure they get your attention.
According to ABC News, on Tuesday, October 17, Southwest Airlines announced it is making it easier for flyers to earn higher status by giving better access to upgrades and lowering the number of flights required to become an A-list status member.
“It’s really bucking the trend of what we’re seeing with other airlines, which is actually making it harder, making it so you have to spend more money to get that kind of status,” says senior airline reporter David Slotnick.
Delta Airlines is also jumping on the bandwagon, saying it may have gone too far with recent changes that make it harder to earn status and access its lounges.
Delta has said it will review the changes, although it’s not clear when it will do so.
“I’ve received a lot of feedback on this change,” said Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian. “We are still evaluating what we are doing, but there will be modifications that we will make.”
Experts say you should start booking holiday flights now, as prices are expected to jump as the holidays approach.
“If you’re planning to fly for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, now is the time to book to take advantage of the lowest fares,” said economist Hayley Berg.
Experts say prices for each holiday will jump anywhere from $5 to $10 a day, and in the final weeks, they could spike from $10 to $304 a day.
“If you can fly on the less popular days around the holidays, you can save over 40%. So when you fly is just as important as when you book your tickets,” says Berg.