An installment plan for airfare

Eyeing a trip but can't pay for the flight just yet? Airfordab­le can help with that. The Chicago-based website company acts as a layaway plan for airline tickets.

Users sign up with the company at airfordable.com, send it a screen grab of a selected flight itinerary, pay a portion of the ticket cost upfront and finish on installments. Airfordable books the ticket; travelers get the e-ticket and confirmation number after they make the final payment. For the service, the company charges a one-time service fee, which can run as much as 20 percent of the price of a ticket. It accepts payments via bank accounts and debit and credit cards. Departure dates must be at least 19 days away and the cost of a flight, at least $200. Users can purchase tickets for up to seven travelers, and have as many as five flights booked at a time.

Though it is acting as a microloan company, Airfordable doesn't check credit ratings. The founders aim to make flying accessible to all. The approach lets fliers buy an airline ticket when the price is right even if they haven't yet saved up to cover the cost. More details at airfordable.com.

Kerri Westenberg