Here’s some good news for those of us who fly between New York, Washington and Boston regularly: Even last-minute fares are now seriously discounted on shuttle flights between New York, Washington and Boston.
The hourly shuttle services were originally started by Eastern Airlines in 1961, followed by New York Air. After takeovers by Trump and Pan Am, the shuttles are now run by US Airways and and Delta. The shuttles were originally both inexpensive and convenient.
In fact, Eastern used to promise if one plane filled up, they would add a second. And that they would fly a plane even if it were nearly empty.
The promise of a backup flight has been long gone, but the fares have steadily crept upward. In fact, regular fares for a same day roundtrip have routinely been over $650, even with a week’s advance notice. And the only discounts were on weekends, or for longer stays plus advance notice.
The result, many travelers just automatically think of flying to or from less convenient JFK and Dulles airports, or they simply take the train instead. (Not to mention the fact that Amtrak, while not perfect, can be more reliable in bad weather.)
But now, aided by the weak economy, and Southwest Airllnes’ plans to start service at La Guardia, reasonable fares can be had. Delta, for example, has “walk-up” fares from $139 including tax from La Guardia to Boston, and $179 from La Guardia to Washington. And fares may be lower for some dates and at the airline’s self-ticketing kiosks. US Air has similar specials.
And like most specials, these fares are limited and not available on every flight, or at peak times. And the exact fares are always subject to change. But if you have written the shuttles off as convenient but too expensive, you may want to take another look. You could save time and money.
