Airlines Slash Ticket Prices to Fill Seats

Dec. 17, 2009— -- Travelers looking to getaway at the last second for the Christmas and New Year's holidays just got a bit of good news: the major airlines have dropped their advance purchase requirements through Jan. 4. Tickets for the holiday period that were more than a thousand dollars yesterday are now just a few hundred, according to Tom Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com.

And there's even more good news for travelers: the airlines have cut prices through March, Parsons said, trying to fill seats during traditionally one of the slowest travel periods of the year.

Parsons said that the advance purchase rules -- basically those fare structures that require 21-day or 14-day advance purchases to get the best prices -- are geared toward getting the most money out of business travelers who often book tickets hours in advance. But now during the holidays, most business travelers are staying home and that airlines are looking for passengers to fill those seats, at any price.

"Anything they can put on their plane now is just gravy or icing on the cake," Parsons told ABC News.

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The airlines that waived their holiday advance purchase requirements, Parson said, are: American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Frontier Airlines, AirTran Airways and Midwest Airlines.

Parsons said he personally was looking at a flight on American Airlines between Dallas and New York City yesterday and saw it for $1,858 roundtrip. Today, that same route is as low as $388 roundtrip.