It appears that many airlines are choosing to roll out their summer travel bargains in a bid to get passengers to return to the air. Although these sales are a welcomed offer, some people have already noticed that fewer sales are being offered this year compared to last year.

AirTran and Southwest Airlines have set off the latest sales deals, which are suppose to match American Airlines, Delta Airlines and US Airways. Although this seems like a lot of sales going on all at once, people who wait until the last minute run a high risk of missing out on these great prices.

The last few years have been easy for people. They have been programed into thinking that they can get a great deal on airline tickets, even if they wait until the last minute. This was true for those years due to high fuel prices and the recession. However, now it is a different year and a different “song and dance.”

Many people have not been traveling for the past few years, and there is a lot of pent up demand. This is a demand that airlines are going to take advantage of and win back some of their lost income. Last year’s sales were very nice. However, the deals this year have a lot more blackout dates and limitations.

Some airlines are even charging an extra $10 to $30 each way for flights on peak travel days. Now more then ever, timing is very critical. Anyone that wants great deals on air travel has to strike while the iron is hot, and it’s looking like it will cool down pretty quickly this year.