Archive for the 'Travel' Category

How To Find Cheap Airfare For Your Hawaii Vacation

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
George Wood asked:


You should search the net thoroughly in case you want cheap airfare to Hawaii. There are so many sites that offer discounted airfares. So you should check out these sites regularly in case you are looking for cheap airfare.

You can also purchase your tickets from the airlines sites. Many airlines which have flights to Hawaii put discounted rates on their websites. The discounts may vary from day to day. Sometimes the airlines also release special Hawaii fares. To make sure that you do not miss on to these opportunities, log on to the website three times in a day.

There are also some big travel sites which offer cheap airfare to Hawaii. So you visit either of these sites – Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. You can get discounted rates as these travel sites work in collaboration with many airlines. The rates may differ for each site. So make sure you visit all the three sites to get the best airfare.

You can go to some travel based search engines in case you are not too much into the internet. These sites collect all the available information from several other sites. All these details are then displayed together and thus it becomes easier to locate cheap airfare.

You can also go to travel search engines like Sidestep. They have a huge database which contains information from travel web sites, airlines sites, and it also has information about car and room rentals. You can find all this and more from here.

You can also use sites like Yahoo or Google to find out about cheap airfare. You also become a member of some companies like AAA. Resort owners have extra benefit. There are resort websites where you can get to know all about traveling. You can also visit sites like Priceline, Hotline and eBay. You can also shop by bidding at various sites to get very best airfare price.

Okey, what you need to do if you can not find a cheap flight that is good for your Hawaii vacation? Well, one thing is to try flying to next airport close by. There is likely to be more like one airport within a couple of hours drive, so try find flights from that airport instead. It might take some extra time to get to the airport, but if it save you hundreds of dollars on your Hawaii airfare, its worth it.

There is also a program run by Priceline.com through which you can get cheap ticket for Hawaii. You are supposed to enter your date of travel, your destination city and how much you are willing to pay for the airfare. The site will then contact all the airlines and see if they get the ticket on the price quoted by you.

However these tickets cannot be refunded so whether you like the flight or not, you have to manage it. The rate will be of course the cheapest.



Alexander

Extremely Cheap Airfares: 2 Proven Tips to Get Dirt Cheap Airfare

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Michael Lee asked:


Taking advantage of extremely cheap airfares is crucial, especially during today’s hard times. If you weren’t exactly born with a silver spoon in your mouth (and a diamond rattle on one hand), you can still enjoy great vacations if you know how to search for extremely cheap airfares.

Here are 2 useful tips to help you get the lowest airfare available:

Extremely Cheap Airfares Tip 1: Travel Agencies

One place where you can find extremely cheap airfares is the travel agency. Travel agencies don’t only help you figure out the best places to go, they could also help you take advantage of secret airfare deals

Of course, you have to be smart about these hidden airfare bargains and never say yes to every offer they present to you.

Carefully look through the colorful brochures they give you and check out every package available. Some of them might come with lodging at a specific hotel. If you don’t have just one choice of hotel, taking advantage of these packages might be a good idea.

Extremely Cheap Airfares Tip 2: Check Out Travel and Airfare Websites.

If you’re too lazy to get out of the house, you can just stay where you are and look for travel or airfare websites. There are dozens of them all over the net, waiting for an excited traveler to come their way.

These websites could help book you with dirt cheap plane flights. Many of these travel sites make a living out of monitoring airfare changes, so rest assured that you’re in good hands.

Booking online can also reduce your airfare expenses by around 40%! Some websites like Expedia.com even go as far as having airfare sales! Other sites include Travelocity.com, Cheapflights.com, Priceline.com, and Onetravel.com.

Extremely cheap airfares aren’t difficult to obtain. All you have to do is bear a positive attitude and be on the lookout for amazing deals—whether on land or online!



Donna

Find Out More About My Airfare Secrets

Friday, September 25th, 2009
Brian Garvin asked:


Tony Morrison is a pilot with sixteen years of experience. Tony put together a manual called My Airfare Secrets Secret Airfare Guide, and by doing so has saved people a ton of money on flying all around the world. If you know the shortcuts, you can travel the way you want to and save a lot of money at the same time. However these tips aren’t available to the general public, and unless you know someone who has been there and done that, you won’t get very far.

We are ready to share with you our My Airfare Secrets Analysis and the distinctive protocols that are possible to collect Student Discount Airfares and free vouchers for tickets to fly on any airline in the world, this former pilot has been the employee on the opposite end of the phone line giving away the free tickets. There are secrets concerning how to lower your airline cost by hundreds of dollars, how to qualify for the juiciest Discount Student International Airfares and more.

The Military Discount Airfare tricks that you will learn about in your copy of My Airfare Secrets will reveal to you how to just make a phone call and learn about a boatload of discounts on your tickets. You will find out how airlines decide on discounts they propose to customers. How many times have you searched on the web attempting to encounter the lowest cost common carrier tickets for a flight that you can find? This manual will show you how you are squandering time looking in the wrong locations.

Discount Airfares

There are a couple topics that stood out for us as we did our review of Tony Morrison’s new ebook. One was the fact that he gives you a Detailed Packing Checklist. These are things that if you forget to take with you, your stay can get very complicated and drawn out or just plain uncomfortable. Also Tony being an industry insider,he is aware of things the average person could never know. In fact, you can view their Price Testing Experiments which before today only a few of the priviledged in the Airline Industry had access to.

How would you like to know the breakdown of International Travel Discount Airfares or Discount Domestic Airfares? This is one secret that airlines would never share with the general public. The best kept stories concerning airline food and beverages, a tip that can be done with your name that over a period of time can save thousands on the vacations you take throughout the year.

Do you need to know how to get free upgrades on rentals for vehicles and motels? If you are an global traveler, there are protocols to get 75% savings off of your International Discount Airfare. There are literally hundreds of protocols you can travel the world for less than you would realize. If you are simply a little selfishly interested in how airline pricing glitches end up costing them every year and not just petty amounts but thousands of dollars this data is right here for the taking.

When you get your personalized copy of My Airfare Secrets, you will find out what you should without notice check for when purchasing Cheap Discount Airfare. The expert advice that you will receive will save you from losing hundreds of dollars. Do you want to know how you can acquire parcels and other travel items and get employee discounts on these items? If so, this is the manual that will present to you so you don’t make the same mistakes as 99.9 percent of the rest of the world make.

The information that is covered will teach you how to save money on every aspect of travel, food, itineraries, items for travel, and many other things that are part of the airline business. The guide to My Airfare Secrets Secret Airfare Guide was written as a guide to saving money on any airline anywhere. The discounts are available whether it is in the U.S. or Australia. The price is only $24.95 discounted from $49.95.



Pedro

Discount Airfare To Johannesburg: Experience Africa At An Affordable Cost

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
David Faulkner asked:


Originally a gold-mining center of South Africa, Johannesburg is now the economical and industrial heart of Witwatersrand. Although mining is no longer as prominent as it was years before, tourists are still attracted to the Gold Reef City of Johannesburg, which is reminiscent of the original mining towns in the area.

Johannesburg is a major city of South Africa, and if you get a discount airfare to Johannesburg, the rest of South Africa will be within your reach. You can go on exciting safaris and witness the South African wildlife with your very eyes. You can experience the cultures of the native people and even participate in some of their celebrations. Some areas of South Africa also have surfing opportunities.

The city of Johannesburg itself offers several recreational parks like the Joubert Park, the Pioneer Park, The Wilds Botanical Garden, the Melrose Bird Sanctuary and the Zoological Gardens and Zoo Lake in Saxonwold.

No matter which activity you want to experience in South Africa, the financial savings you can get from discount airfare to Johannesburg will definitely provide you more funds to spend on exploring the rest of the country.

Getting discount airfare to Johannesburg is actually quite easy. All you have to do is go online and you will see thousands of options to choose from. There are numerous websites selling discount airfare to Johannesburg and you just have to select from those flights that will match your schedule.

Looking for a discount airfare to Johannesburg a few months ahead of time will give you more opportunities of securing a better deal. You will have more choices of flights and departure dates.

In most websites, you will end up saving even more if you buy a package that includes discount airfare to Johannesburg, car rentals, and hotel accommodations as well. It is therefore very helpful if you already have an idea of the general location in Johannesburg where you want to stay.

The climate in South Africa is another factor in looking for the best discount airfare to Johannesburg. Most tourists flock to the city during the months of January to May, when the weather is better suited for outdoor explorations.

Most companies offer better discount airfare to Johannesburg for the remaining half of the year, when there is quite a lull in the influx of tourists. However, if you choose to travel to South Africa from June to December, you might have to prepare yourself for frequent rains.

Another thing you may try when looking for discount airfares is typing in various keywords, like wholesale, cheap, discount, special airfares. These different words may net you travel sites on the internet that you have never seen before that offer even better deals than those advertising on television. There are many ways to find discount airfares. The key is to know where to look as well as taking the time to research a few things. Time is precious so when we can find a site that we are happy with it is important to remember that for the next trip.



Elmer

Discount Airfares To Australia: How To Get Low-cost Tickets

Monday, September 14th, 2009
David Faulkner asked:


Australia has always been a popular destination for tourists from all over the globe. But in recent years, the tourism industry has risen tremendously. A lot of the credit for this goes to the Summer Olympics that were held in Sydney in 2000. Since then, tourism revenues in Australia reach an impressive $10 billion each year.

So what makes Australia such a popular tourist destination?

Most of the tourists head to Australia to experience the world-famous Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, see the wildlife in the Kakadu National Park, and take a peek at the architectural splendor of the Sydney Opera House. Outdoor enthusiasts also enjoy the surfing at the famous beaches of Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns.

Many people wrongly assume that a visit to Australia is only meant for the more affluent traveler, as transportation expenses can be quite high. While this is generally true, there are also discount airfares to Australia that make it possible for practically anyone to visit this beautiful country – you just have to know where and how to look.

There are actually many places where you can avail of discount airfares to Australia. The most common is the Internet. In this age of technology, you can get almost anything you need just by a few clicks of the mouse. This includes discount airfares to Australia as well.

Tens of thousands of websites offer discount airfares to Australia. You have to be very discriminating in choosing which website you want to buy your tickets from. Many websites actually have scheming companies behind them who are using false advertising to lure customers into their traps. Most of the time, they are not displaying the real deal on their web pages.

In order to avoid being victimized by these companies, it is highly important to read all the fine print on the websites before submitting your credit card information to them to buy your discount airfares to Australia.

Another option is to go directly to the airline companies. They also offer discount airfares to Australia and other places in the world, but the savings you will get might be lower than if you purchased your tickets from a discount website.

Of course, if you want to stay away from all the hassles of preparing your trip, you can just pay a travel agent to do all the hard work for you. With most travel agencies, you can be assured that they will be able to find you great deals on discount airfares to Australia. All you have to do is unwind, relax, and dream of the fun time you will have down under.

Another thing you may try when looking for discount airfares is typing in various keywords, like wholesale, cheap, discount, special airfares. These different words may net you travel sites on the internet that you have never seen before that offer even better deals than those advertising on television. There are many ways to find discount airfares. The key is to know where to look as well as taking the time to research a few things. Time is precious so when we can find a site that we are happy with it is important to remember that for the next trip.



Ashley

Cheap Student Airfares: Where To Find Them?

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Steven Liew asked:


If you are a youth and want cheap air travel, you should exploit at least the status fares in the airline industry.

Just like other so-called status fares in the airline industry, student airfares are one way of getting a cheaper ticket airfare in the industry.

Typically, student airfares apply to student travellers under the age of 26 who are still enrolled in school.

This is one avenue of cheap air travel especially for youths. For the airlines, they could offer such cheap air travel discounts without worrying that they would be abused by other passengers looking for alternative way out to pay the normal high-published airfares in the industry, given the restrictions on age and student identification.

Apart from the discounts which could be 20%-30% cheaper, student airfares are also generally far more flexible than regular airfare tickets.

Still, if you are looking for cheap air travel tickets via this route, note that student or youth airfares tickets may not typically be available from your regular travel agents.

This is because such student fares are not usually included in the computerised reservation systems (CRS) used by the airlines.

As such, it is easier for you to search for such airfare options from those specialised travel agencies that deal only in student airfare markets.

Remember that not all airlines offer student fares as a cheaper air travel option, and also that their rules and requirements varies from one another.

The most important requirement is normally proof of age (identity card or driving license) and also that you must be holding a current and valid International Student Identify Card (ISIC) at the time of ticketing and when travelling on a student airfare ticket.

Further note that student airfares will not necessarily be the cheapest airfares option that you can find even if you as a student can take advantage of it.

Nonetheless, for a cheaper air travel alternative, they will still beat the usual regular published airfares hands down.

However, if you are looking at cheap air travel options for international travel, you may find that consolidator airfares are often cheaper than student airfares, especially to a country serviced by ethnic-based travel agencies.

Further, there are less student airfare options than consolidator tickets, and the airlines are less likely to offer cheaper student airfares if they can sell them already under the radar as consolidator fares.

If you are picky and a real cheap air travel fan, then note all the alternatives above.

For the airlines, to offer student airfares is good publicity gimmick at the least and also a way to at least sell these status fares at whatever higher fare they could.

Further, much of students travel is non-discretionary and also time-limited and predictable or in other words around their holiday semester break.

Some of these periods like during the year-end and summer period are high-demand period (you won’t get other cheap air travel tickets options much during these times also) and as such, airlines are not likely to be too generous on discounted fares then.

Further, some thinking in the industry is that nice parents are more likely happy to pay higher airfares for their little darling children to go for their holiday breaks.

All the above reasons partly explain why the market for discounted student airfares are served mainly by travel agency specialists who use techniques such as bulk buying, charters and even consolidator tickets itself for such cheap air travel fares.

Still, for a cheaper air travel bill, student airfares are excellent value on their own although you should still compare their fares with other types of cheap air travel options for the reasons given above.

Here are some specialised places that you could start your student airfare searching and research from.These sites list special discounts and deals that are limited mostly to student airfares only.

It is possible also to locate student airfares that are discounted directly through the airline, or through a travel agent, but as mentioned earlier, the ones that are devoted solely to student airfares will often give you a lot more cheap air travel options on this aspect.

Further, if as student and you are thinking of travelling to Europe or other holiday breaks places for the summer, or for a full semester, or for just spring break, these specialised student airfare sites often offer great cheap air travel deals on such itineraries.

These specialised student airfare sites also have automated booking and ticketing of student and youth fares on their site and are a good place to start your search from.

Alternatively, you can search more of these cheap student air travel options through the Internet search engines:

a) Council Travel (www.counciltravel.com) – This is the travel agency division of the Council on International Education and Exchange (www.ciee.org) and has long been the largest student travel specialist in the United States.

College students will find here the biggest cheap air travel bargains on international carriers, which typically offer student fares to Europe on a standby basis. If you’re under 26, you can also take advantage of low-fare charter and consolidator flights that are made available by CIEE.

b) STA Travel (www.sta.com) – This is one of the world’s largest student, youth and budget travel organisation. STA Travel specialises in cheap student airfares, hotels and hostels, student travel insurance and international student identification cards and you are likely to find a host of options here and their affiliated agencies.

c) Student Universe (www.studentuniverse.com) – Student Universe is an online private travel service that specialises in students airfares. By negotiating with the major airlines on their behalf, Student Universe is able to provide students with exclusive and significantly cheap air travel fares catering to them.

At the end of the day, remember that irregardless of which cheap air travel options you choose, always compare prices between sites and their requirements before deciding on the final choice.



Dawn

Looking for the Right Airfare Lowest Deals and Quick Departure Times?

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Looking for the best airfare lowest in price can mean a search through many different airlines unless you have a fixed amount of money that you are willing to spend.

The other factor that can make the number of flights less overwhelming is the place that you are traveling to. This factor can help you greatly as some airlines don’t have any flights that are known to travel to that place.

When you have narrowed this field down quite considerably you can then start looking for the right airfare lowest deals and quick departure times. Besides looking at the various airlines to give you the airfare lowest price deals you can look to see what airlines are traveling to that country.

With these facts you will be able to see if any of these airlines have times and dates that are in line with your travel plans. Once you have found these facts to your satisfaction you can begin looking for airfare lowest holiday package deals and other items that will make your holiday a success.

These items plus the airfares with relatively low prices can make your travel plans much easier to think about. To look for this initial information you may want to use the internet. This facility will allow you to see what the current airfares are like. From the internet pages and links you can see the various airfare lowest deals that are within your budget.

Having obtained all of this information you should see if your travel agent will be able to provide you with the various airfare lowest deals and travel information that will help you with planning your holiday. You should get all of the relevant information that you need before you pay for your airfare.

When you have the information and you are looking to pay for the ticket you will need to double check and see if your airfare lowest possible price deal is stated on the payment form. The final payment should be made only when all of these details and items have been thoroughly checked out.

While there are many different prices that you can pay for an airline ticket sometimes looking for the airfare lowest in price can save you money. This extra saved money can then be used for spending purposes on your holiday. These types of benefits make looking for airfares lowest in price but high in value very attractive for the regular frequent flyer.



Anne

Discount Airfare To Timisoara: Discover A Hidden World Without Spending A Lot

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
David Faulkner asked:


When people dream of traveling to exotic locations around the world, very rarely is the city of Timisoara mentioned. People are more interested in going to Venice, London, Paris, Berlin or other tourist destinations in Europe. But Timisoara, although relatively lesser known, also offers sights that are as enthralling and a history that is as rich as any other European city. If you avail of discount airfare to Timisoara, you will find out for yourself the beauty of this Romanian city.

Timisoara is actually one of the major cities of Romania, and is also the center of the textile and chemical manufacturing industries of the country. When communist rule ended in 1989, the tourism industry in Romania improved dramatically. However, the current government hopes to encourage even more tourists to visit the country, and this is why several companies are offering discount airfare to Timisoara.

If you decide to get discount airfare to Timisoara and explore the secrets of Romania, you will definitely not be disappointed. In fact, you might even be surprised at how wonderful this place really is.

You will be able to witness the grandeur of the medieval Transylvanian castles and the historic monasteries of Bukovina, as well as the gorgeous peaks of the Carpathian mountains.

For those people who prefer more sports and adventure, there are always skiing and hiking activities on the slopes of the Carpathian. You can also opt to enjoy the cool waters and the sandy beaches of the Black Sea. Many people also like to go birdwatching on the Danube delta region.

There are actually many activities you can do in Romania. Getting discount airfare to Timisoara will definitely give you more funds to spend in other leisurely activities.

Acquiring discount airfare to Timisoara is actually very easy. All you have to do is go online and type “discount airfare to Timisoara” on a search engine and voila! – you will be faced with hundreds of websites to choose from.

Some of the best websites that offer discount airfare to Timisoara are Travelocity, Trip Advisor, and 1800FLYEUROPE. These websites will provide you with many different flights with discount airfare to Timisoara. Some prices will be higher than others, and it is important to read all the pertinent information to make a better comparison.

It is usually much better if you can plan your trip to Romania at least 2 months ahead. This way, you will have more chances of getting discount airfare to Timisoara at a schedule that is convenient to you.

Before purchasing a discounted flight ticket from a website, it is advisable to personally talk to one of their customer service representatives instead of just corresponding through email. In case you need to clarify some things, it is much better to discuss matters with an actual person rather than just sending an electronic message.

The amount of money you can potentially save if you get cheap discount airfares can be quite considerable and can be channeled towards other expenses. Finding cheap discount airfares is a lot easier now than it was a several years ago. However, the process can still be rather time-consuming.



Nellie

How to Find Cheap Airfare

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
John Purdy asked:


At one point or another, everyone needs to take a break from their everyday routine. Whether it’s to reconnect with your husband or wife, to give the kids a reward for an accomplishment, or to simply get away from the everyday stresses.

On occasion, developing a vacation escape can rapidly evolve into a distressing project when the issue of costs comes up. Airfare alone can butcher your plans for getting your plans off the ground. And when you already factor in accommodations, food, and shopping, any budget-conscious individual may just give up and remain home.

Thankfully, there are now additional options for fast and fun vacations without having the high-priced airfares.

Low-Cost Airfare

So, how does low-cost or cheap airfare work exactly? Simple: Budget air travel gets you to your destination in the shortest time and at the cheapest possible price.

The main reason these airlines are able to keep airfare prices low is the no-frills concept. First, there is no ticketing office to sustain. All reservations and purchases are transacted online. Through e-ticketing, tickets can be purchased on the Web, which eliminates the need to employ more people for processing or maintain international offices.

However, people can still find affordable airfare even if they do not want to take chances with budget air travel.

Here is how:

A. Purchasing the airline ticket at least 10 days ahead of the scheduled trip will enable the individual to avail of super low fares.

B. It is best to choose a weekday departure and arrival date when possible. This is because weekend flights get filled up faster than weekdays and airlines often offer discounts to fill up the weekday flights.

C. It would be better to book as a group of three or more to get even more discounts on fees.

D. People compare notes with and consult their friends and colleagues who have recently traveled.

E. In order to get the cheap airfares, people should be on the lookout for discounted rates on the Internet. Most of the cheap airfares are available online.

F. It is best to shop around for the cheap airfare first before you jump on the first deal you see. This is because there are airlines that may offer cheap airfares but the quality of service is entirely bad. Most airlines with cheap airfares have low quality of service and lacking the usual amenities.

All of this boils down to the fact that low-cost airlines may assist people to carry out their stay longer, resulting in a more memorable vacation. You simply have to look around to find that affordable airfare, and then you can concentrate on truly enjoying your trip.



Stephanie

How and Where to Find Cheap Airfare on the Internet

Friday, July 24th, 2009
Kai Vorpahl asked:


Below are some very simple and straight forward strategies you can use when searching for cheap airfare or discount airline tickets. Best of all the strategies cost you nothing and may save you not only money but also time.

Book early but not too early

Airlines will give you a better deal the further out you book. But keep in mind not to book too far in advance as you may miss any fare wars etc. For domestic US travel use the airfare prediction site FareCast to see where fares are headed.

Be flexible

As a general rule traveling Mondays – Thursdays will give you a better deal as most carriers charge more for weekend travel.

Saturday night stay

This is more important in international travel. Almost all cheap international fares require a Saturday night stay. In the US domestic markets Saturday night stay requirements have to the most extent become a thing of the past.

Alternative airports

Domestic US: Great way to shop for lower airfare is to check fares out of or into alternative airports. For example, if you wanted to go from Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX) you may also check fares from Providence (PVD), Manchester (MHT)or Hartford (BDL) and into Orange County (SNA), Long Beach (LGB)or Ontario (ONT). Some sites such as Orbitz and Travelocity offer search tools that automatically search for cheaper fares for alternative airport. Again, the more flexible you are the more likely you will find a deal.

International: Finding an alternative airport can save you some serious money but it does require some research and “thinking outside the box.” Here are a couple of examples. When traveling to Germany considering Dusseldorf (DUS) as an alternate to Frankfurt could save you over $50 per person in taxes and fees. Germany’s second largest carrier LTU flies nonstop to DUS from several major US departure cities. Check out Brussels (BRU) or Luxemburg (LUX) as alternates to Paris (PAR).

Buying a round trip ticket

Buying a round trip ticket is almost always cheaper tan buying a one-way ticket. This may not be true for tickets that are purchased last minute or on flights that are almost sold out. Some carriers such as Southwest Airlines and JetBlue price their fares on a one-way basis.

Travel off-season

If your travel is for leisure, you can often find lower rates for off-season fares. If circumstances allow be creative in your vacation planning, and you could save big bucks over time. For example, good times to travel to Europe are usually the first 2 weeks in December and January through March. Also, when planning summer travel to Europe try to depart before May 20. Most carriers switch from shoulder season to high season fares sometime between May 20 and 25. For domestic travel, school vacation, public holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving are considered peak travel periods and fares tend to go up.

Below are some online website resources for finding cheap airfare.

Online Newsletters

By subscribing to some of the more reputable newsletters such as TravelZoo or Smarter Travel you have great and updated access to travel deals on a weekly basis. Many airlines frequently announce new sales or deals online and you want to know about them as soon as possible. The publishers of these newsletters often receive payment from vendors for placement.

Yet Undiscovered Deal Sites

Some of the least know sites may have the “in” to the absolute best deals. One of these sites is Airfarewatchdog. This site has now been around for about 2 years and it specializes in unearthing unadvertised airfare specials. This site is run by George Hobica, a travel journalist with over 25 years of experience in the travel industry. He is a true fanatic about finding incredible airfares.

Cheap Airfare Prediction

While still in a beta phase FareCast promises to truly revolutionize the way we buy airfare and it allows some sort of parity when looking for the best time to buy. They also offer FareGuard which allows you to protect your low fare against future fare increases. To date they cover about 75 US domestic airports.

Low Fare Alerts and Flex Searches

Several of the online travel agency websites also offer low fare alerts. With Travelocity you can see fares from your departure city that have dropped by 20% or more. Alternatively you can use the Fare Finder Search to see a listing of low fares without first having to commit to travel dates. Cheaptickets allows you to set a target price for your trip; once one or more airlines offer fares at or below your target level Cheaptickets will post an alert you. Expedia also offers a flexible date search. While limited in scope this calendar based feature is pretty easy to use (make sure to check “My dates are flexible”) and quickly shows you cheap fares.

Name Your Own Airfare and White Label Fares

In addition to searching for regular published airfare Priceline allows you to “name your own airfare”. Hotwire offers white label fares. In each scenario you do not know the carrier, flights times or the exact routing. With Priceline you basically bid what it is you are willing to pay for a ticket. Once you submit a bid Priceline will see if there is a carrier willing to sell you a ticket at that price (beware: THEY YOUR OFFER IS BINDING if accepted). With Hotwire you will be offered a white label fare. Again, you do not know the carrier, flights times and exact routing. Once you decide to buy there is “NO WAY BACK” If you do not like the flights details. So, either site can save you a bundle but make sure you can stomach the consequences and be flexible.

Flying Abroad? Check Consolidators

Consolidators basically negotiate airfares directly with carriers. These are unpublished (I.e. the airlines do not publish these fares) and can only be purchased from the consolidator. Some consolidators only re-sell these to travel agents while others sell directly to the public. One of the best retail sources for consolidated airfare anywhere is www.FlightsFirst.com.

Compare Apples to Apples

IMPORTANT: When comparing fares from different sites or vendors make sure to consider all the elements. In order to get the full picture of how much a trip is going to cost you must take all taxes, fees, fuel surcharges, and services charges into account. While the base fare maybe the same at two sites taking the above into account could save you some serious money. This is especially true when traveling overseas or to Central and South America.



Dennis