Don't Rely on Online Travel Agencies to Find Fares for Low-Cost Airlines

Because it is out to save every penny, an airline like Southwest does not permit its fares to appear on any of the famous, general search engines like Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz. Rather than search in the manner you're accustomed to, you usually need to go directly to the website of Southwest to find its bargain basement rates.

Recently, I pointed out in this blog that the very same was the case with Vision Airlines, serving the southeast of the United States (primarily) from its hub at Ft. Walton/Destin, Florida (in the panhandle of that state). You've got to perform the tiring step of going directly to Vision's website to discover those fares.

Well, would you believe that the same extra steps are needed to dig out the low-cost fares of three other cost-cutters? I am reminded by last Sunday's travel section of The New York Times that the very same situation applies to airfares of Allegiant Air (flying from 70 small cities to others located coast-to-coast), Direct Airlines (to and from its hub in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from cities in the northeast and southeast), and Sun Country Airlines (from Minneapolis/St. Paul to and from 30 major vacation locations).