Real Deal: Get Cheap Summer Air Fares

PHILADELPHIA - In a recession, it's tough to convince people it's a great time to take a vacation, but the incentives are getting better.

Consumer reporter Michelle Buckman has the 'Real Deal' on what airlines are willing to do to get you on a flight this summer.

Unfortunately, the airlines aren't willing to drop all fees and they'll still charge you to check your luggage.

But here's what they are willing to do -- lower their air fares!

In fact, fares for travel next month are as much as 60% lower than last summer, according to analysis by FareCompare.com. Just chalk it up to good old supply and demand.

Airline prices were sky high last summer because demand was up. We hadn't realized we were in a recession yet.

But this summer, the reality of the recession means fewer passengers. Airline passenger revenue declined 26% in May - compared with the same month last year.

So to get you back on board, airlines are offering summer discounts.

Check out these examples:

A roundtrip from Philly to Ft. Lauderdale in July can cost as little as $159, including tax. That's down 20% from last summer!

A flight to Boston is now just $120. Last year, at this time, it cost double!

A tropical vacation can cost less too. Fly to Cancun for $286 - that's down 29%.

European flights are a lot more affordable too. Fly to Zurich and pay 45% less than you would have last August!

FareCompare.com crunched those numbers for us. You can use their website to find a cheap flight to your vacation destination. One-click does 180 searches in real-time!

The other advice I always like to give is search for the first flight of the day.

You can usually find a good deal on 6 or 7 a.m. departures and try to book your flight on a Tuesday or Wednesday - but especially Wednesdays, the cheapest day of the week.