| Buying Cheap Airfare |
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Getting a deal on airfares:
Whether you have a limited budget or simply want to get the best
deal on a flight, traveling on cheap airlines can save you a bundle on
airfares that you can apply to the rest of your vacation.
The hunt for airfares is like a game of Stratego — neither side can
see what they’re up against until after they’ve made their move.
Airlines expect consumers to act one of two ways: either to buy early,
which allows carriers to gauge demand for flights, or to wait til the
last minute, which allows them to charge stratospheric full fares
Over the past few years, cheap airlines selling cheap tickets for
cheap flights have proliferated -- and that's to your benefit.
1. Keep yourself updated on airfare wars by watching the news and
reading the newspaper. Look for limited-time promotional fares from
major airlines and airline companies just starting up.
2. Be flexible in scheduling your flight. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays are typically the cheapest days to fly; late-night flights
('red-eyes'), very early morning flights and flights with at least one
stop tend to be discounted as well.
3. Ask the airline if it offers travel packages to save money in other
areas. For instance, is a rental car or hotel room available at a
discount along with the airline ticket?
4. Find out whether the stated fare is the cheapest, and inquire
about other options when speaking to the airline reservations clerk. If
you're using the Internet, check more than one Web site and
compare rates.
Whether you have a limited budget or simply want to get the best
deal on a flight, traveling on cheap airlines can save you a bundle on
airfares that you can apply to the rest of your vacation.
The hunt for airfares is like a game of Stratego — neither side can
see what they’re up against until after they’ve made their move.
Airlines expect consumers to act one of two ways: either to buy early,
which allows carriers to gauge demand for flights, or to wait til the
last minute, which allows them to charge stratospheric full fares
Over the past few years, cheap airlines selling cheap tickets for
cheap flights have proliferated -- and that's to your benefit.
1. Keep yourself updated on airfare wars by watching the news and
reading the newspaper. Look for limited-time promotional fares from
major airlines and airline companies just starting up.
2. Be flexible in scheduling your flight. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Saturdays are typically the cheapest days to fly; late-night flights
('red-eyes'), very early morning flights and flights with at least one
stop tend to be discounted as well.
3. Ask the airline if it offers travel packages to save money in other
areas. For instance, is a rental car or hotel room available at a
discount along with the airline ticket?
4. Find out whether the stated fare is the cheapest, and inquire
about other options when speaking to the airline reservations clerk. If
you're using the Internet, check more than one Web site and
compare rates.
5. Inquire about standby fares if you're flying off-season. High season is a bad time to fly standby because most airlines
overbook flights, making it difficult to find a spare seat.
6. Purchase tickets through consolidators, who buy blocks of tickets and sell them at a discount to help an airline fill up all
available seats. Check the travel section of the newspaper under 'Ticket Consolidators.'
7. Check on E Bay for transferable tickets, make sure the are transferable before you bid.
8. Book early. You can purchase advance-ticket discounts by reserving 21 days ahead; book even earlier for holiday flights,
especially in November and December. Keep in mind that holiday 'blackout periods' may prevent you from using frequent-flier
miles.
9. Stay with the same airline during your entire trip to receive round-trip or connecting fare discounts.
There scores of websites offering cheap airline tickets, you can add your name to E Mail list or fax lists etc to receive notice of
any deals coming up.
Some of the online web sites are: 1 Travelocity 2 Fodors.com 3 Expedia.com 4 Yahoo! Travel 5 Lonely Planet Online
overbook flights, making it difficult to find a spare seat.
6. Purchase tickets through consolidators, who buy blocks of tickets and sell them at a discount to help an airline fill up all
available seats. Check the travel section of the newspaper under 'Ticket Consolidators.'
7. Check on E Bay for transferable tickets, make sure the are transferable before you bid.
8. Book early. You can purchase advance-ticket discounts by reserving 21 days ahead; book even earlier for holiday flights,
especially in November and December. Keep in mind that holiday 'blackout periods' may prevent you from using frequent-flier
miles.
9. Stay with the same airline during your entire trip to receive round-trip or connecting fare discounts.
There scores of websites offering cheap airline tickets, you can add your name to E Mail list or fax lists etc to receive notice of
any deals coming up.
Some of the online web sites are: 1 Travelocity 2 Fodors.com 3 Expedia.com 4 Yahoo! Travel 5 Lonely Planet Online