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More than 34 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this Labor Day holiday, according to AAA.
Though the great majority will travel by car, about 1.62 million will fly, an increase of 4.6 percent from a year ago.
Increased consumer confidence despite a slow economic recovery is expected to fuel a demand for travel in the fall and later, experts say.
Demand for air travel was more or less flat in summer, and now airlines are offering low fares to trigger a demand for travel, said Michael Federico, a spokesman for FareCompare.com, an airline ticket comparison shopping website.
Horizon Air and its sister company Alaska Airlines are offering deals on destinations in the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Today is the last day of the fall fare sale. Visit www.horizonair.com or call 800-252-7522.
Sales at Hawaiian Airlines, which also is offering deals on travel to Hawaii from Seattle and Portland, also ends today, Federico said.
Julie Harrington, chief operating officer of Travel Leaders, a travel agency with offices in the Mid-Columbia, said airfares, particularly on Delta and United, have come down about 25 percent since the beginning of the year.
Traditionally, fall is the best time for travel, she said. The airline industry generally relies on fall travel to ramp up demand for the holiday season, she said. A lot of Tri-Citians are going to Florida and California, she said. "We are selling a lot of cruises."
But getting a bargain has more to do with timing and flexibility in travel plans, said Harrington and Federico.
The presence of airlines like Delta, Horizon, United and Allegiant in the Tri-Cities market gives some choice to local travelers, said Paul Schneidmiller, owner of World Wide Travel Service in Walla Walla. While it may not translate into absolutely low fares, it gives the travelers opportunities for nonstop travel to more destinations, he said.
He said he's seeing many potential travelers waiting until the last minute to book tickets to find good deals. Travel still is rebounding, he said.
Air fares are up about 9 percent from last year this time, said Dave Overstreet of AAA Washington. Last year, many airlines cut capacity to be able to charge high ticket prices, he said. Promotions are designed to lure the reluctant customer, he said.
But customers are playing it conservative and traveling to locations such as San Francisco and Vancouver, British Columbia, or preferring to drive not too far from home, he said.
Harrington and Federico warn bargain hunters not to fall for the advertised low fares, without checking the surcharges, taxes and fees for baggage handling and changing and rebooking a flight.
That may make a cheap ticket expensive, Harrington said. Change fees alone can cost about $150 on average, she said.
But you can be a savvy air traveler by following Federico's tips. He recommends shopping for airfare on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. Eastern time. That's when the maximum number of cheap seats are available, he said. By Thursdays, deals vanish.
He also suggests signing up for airfare e-mail and Twitter alerts at www.farecompare.com. That way you know what's happening in real time, he said.
Sabrina LoPiccolo, public relations manager for Allegiant Air, said customers booking at Allegiant's website can get more discounts when they book their tickets with hotel and car reservations. Allegiant offers twice-a-week direct flights from Pasco to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.
Allegiant plans to offer extra flights to Las Vegas during Thanksgiving and Christmas. "The Tri-Cities market is doing very well," LoPiccolo said.
