Rising airfares force Penn students to shop smart

Even with the rising costs of flights and related fees this summer, students traveling great distances to Penn found themselves mostly unaffected.

According to industry experts, a troubled economy and high oil prices have helped drive ticket and fee prices up.

But many students interviewed said they were largely unaffected because they had booked their tickets early to get good deals or took extra steps to save money.

College sophomore Gideon Spitzer, who is from Encino, Calif., usually flies Southwest Airlines because of the different incentives he receives.

"They don't charge you for a second bag of luggage like other airlines," he said. "That's really important at move-in."

College students also receive double miles in Southwest's Rapid Rewards program, Spitzer said.

And for some students, buying tickets early is key.

College sophomore Maria Davydenko flies from Alaska and said she usually books her flights almost a year in advance.

Students who were a little less proactive turned to a variety of third-party sources for good deals.

College sophomore Yash Saini - from Bombay, India - couldn't book his flight early this year and used a travel agent.

"I cut it really close this year, but my travel agent was still able to get me a ticket that wasn't as expensive as usual," he said.

Experts have predicted another round of price increases, so affordable prices might be more scarce in the future.

According to College freshman Cary Kraft, a flight attendant on his flight in from Los Angeles notified passengers that prices would rise.

Some students are already seeing the effects.

Last year Engineering sophomore Amy Silverstein said she found it affordable to fly back to Boston for Thanksgiving.

"However, this year, as airline prices have skyrocketed, I discovered in early August that the only reasonable way I could go home was to take Amtrak," she said.

She said she was able to find airfare home for winter break at a reasonable price, but it was more than she has paid in the past.

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