[chris_myden]

What are promo codes?

At the end of the day, promo codes are a marketing tool used by the airlines to entice people to book with them.

They release a code to the public that you need to enter before searching for a flight on their website, and a discount is applied.

For example, Porter will release the promo code WHATEVER20 and if you enter WHATEVER20 into the 'Promotion Code' box on the first page at http://www.flyporter.com before searching for a flight the 20% discount will be applied upon booking.

So why aren't promo codes all that they seem?

From someone who monitors every promo code released by the airlines, here are a few things to be aware of...

- The discount *only* applies to the base fare, and not to the taxes & fees (which makes up a huge chunk of the cost of an airline ticket). The true discount off the final price when using a '20% off' code is usually more like 10% or less .

- It's obvious to me that the airlines often raise their fares before releasing a promo code. They raise the fares by X number of dollars and then offer a '20% off' code. The end result is that many people end up paying the same amount as they would during a non-promo code period, but *think* they are getting a deal. Smart marketing by the airlines.

On many occasions, I can see that the base fares are vastly inflated to what they would be during a non-promo code period. As soon as the promo code expires, you'll see them come back down.

- When one airline in Canada releases a promo code, the other 2 are usually fairly quick to match it. In Eastern Canada, it's almost always Porter that releases a code first, and then Air Canada will match it (usually within 24 hours) and then Westjet always follows suit shortly thereafter.

So when you a see a promo code released by one airline, but not the others, it is definitely worth waiting 24 hours or so for the other 2 airlines to release their matching promo codes. At least then you can shop around.

So are promo codes useless?

Not at all. Here in Canada, where flights within the country rarely budge much in terms of prices, promo codes are one of the very few discounts coughed up by our 3 major airlines. For many people flying within Canada, it will be the only real discount they ever see.

Just be aware that the discount may not be nearly as great as the airlines would like to have you believe. The only way to know if you're truly getting a good price or not is to be aware of what a typically good price is on your particular route. If a promo code helps you get near or below that price, great. Just don't fall for the airline's marketing ploy, which is trying to convince you that by using a promo code you are *certainly* getting a great deal and *must* book now.

The promo code marketing tactics definitely work for the airlines, or they wouldn't keep doing it.