Clark Howard's Tips

Discount airlines and e-ticketing

October 31, 2005

One of Clark's all-time favorite airlines is going away. Song, a discount subsidiary of Delta, will only be in the air for another couple months.

The airline had a great hip factor with its colorful planes, televisions in seatbacks and comfortable seating. Clark enjoyed each of his trips on the airline.

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But Song was a distraction for Delta, which is now in bankruptcy. At the same time, discounters are adding planes left and right and are growing exponentially.

Discount airlines now sell 30 percent of all airline seats sold out there. They're headed to 'owning' the entire business.

The trend of electronic tickets and online check-in also is exploding. Continental Airlines reports that 85 percent of its passengers now check in online.

The idea of e-tickets was started by Morris Air, which originated in Salt Lake City and was bought by Southwest Airlines. The man who started the company also started JetBlue. It's saving the companies ton of money and passengers a ton of time.

Also, remember to be careful how much baggage you bring on during the holidays. You may want to mail gifts via FedEx ground or UPS and insure them. It will save you a lot of time and money in fees if you bring too many bags.

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