Shop, Verify and Watch
Unless you are a student, you will need to have a plan to save
money on airfares. The rest of us will have to shop around to get
the best deal.
If you are a student flyer, it is easy to save on airplane
tickets. Contact STA. I recently saved $400 on a trip to Argentina
for my daughter by calling them. For some inexplicable reason, I
got a better rate by calling them on the phone. Their website was
helpful, but I got the better deal on the phone.
That contradicted the usual situation where the website is
invariably cheaper. Normally you find the better rate on a website
than by telephoning a reservation center. You must do both. You
can also avoid service fees by booking with the airlines directly.
Be sure you make a list of all the websites you want to check.
Web searching is by far the easiest method of bargain hunting and
your quest should start there. Check the website deals section for
bargains and specials. If they have an email price watching
notification system, sign up for it. Once you have explored a
website, check them off your list and go onto the next.
Check online for free companion fare coupons. Credit card
companies will often times offer these coupons when applying for a
new credit card. If you are hoping for free flights or travel
vouchers by being bumped from your flight, then try booking
flights for Friday and Sunday afternoons and on Monday mornings.
Flexibility is a standard method to saving money. Leaving from
a different airport or on a different day will usually be a good
money saving tactic. The less flexibility you have, the more you
will probably pay.
If you have little flexibility on the dates of your travel, it
is best to book as soon as you can. Do not wait around hoping for
a bargain to come up. Do your research as soon as possible and
book the best ticket you can find.
At Hotwire and Priceline you can try to get a better deal by
putting in a lower bid price after you know the current rate. Only
you can weigh the value of potential savings against the loss of
some control over the flight times and the airline flown. Flying
in the off season is a good opportunity to save money. Bids for
less than the full market price are more likely to be accepted for
those times.
Last minute deals for weekend travel usually are available
Wednesday morning. Trips normally depart Thursday, Friday and
Saturday and return Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Saturday mornings
are also a good time to find some unique deals. If the price you
find is obviously lower, you should probably book it right away.
When airlines start routes to different cities they will offer
lower inauguration startup rates. Those are good for one time
bargains.
When carriers enter a new market, they may also start a fare
war to establish their presence. They may also be forced to lower
prices when confronted by price reductions from existing
competitors.
After you have booked your flight and paid for your ticket, you
can continue to look for deals. Sometimes an email deal will show
up that will net you savings after cancellation fees and charges
are assessed!
This list of travel websites are an excellent place to begin
your web fare bargain search
Other
Information
Get more information on our website for tours,
hotels,
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rail,
vacations,
links,
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agent, hostels,
maps,
cars
and travel deals and information. Or check the Complete
Travel Site with flights,
hotel,
car,
cruise,
vacation
packages and last
minute travel deals. -
US Airways route for North
America or the World.
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