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Ten Secrets to Saving Big Money in the Airline Flights
Do you know
that some people travel around the country and abroad, for both business
and pleasure, and save bundles of money in the process?
They do that
by using little known ways of really taking advantage of the most popular
form of transportation - airline flights.
They don't rely
on the ever-famous "airfare price-wars". They don't rely on
their travel agents to save money while flying.
Certainly, you
should not dismiss these two methods. The price-wars can work to your
advantage. But depending on them too much is a big mistake.
1. Call the
airlines.
Call the airlines
between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday through Friday to get cheaper tickets.
Most people
never realize that at midnight, airline agents revise and load new fares
into their computers. The best fares are just after they have done the
updating!
2. Check into
other airports other than the main one you use.
Many major cities
have two airports. Check into surrounding towns and cities so you can
compare airfares. You may save hundreds of dollars on your flights.
3. The early
bird catches the plane.
The earlier
you book your flight the more you save. Most special fares have restrictions
of 7 to 30 day advance purchase. Usually non-refundable but they can
offer deep discounts.
On the other
hand, there are "last minute" deals too. Visit www.smartliving.com
to get emails for last minute deals.
4. Get out of
town on Wednesday.
Mid-week travel
is usually less expensive. If you leave on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
and stay over a Saturday night, you can garner terrific savings compared
to Friday through Monday when most people fly.
Start taking
your vacations Wednesday-to-Wednesday or Tuesday-to-Tuesday. You'll
save a lot by choosing your departure and arrival dates this way!
5. Buying a
one way or split ticket.
Let's say you
travel from Boston to Dallas. It may be cheaper to get two separate
tickets. You could buy one ticket from Boston to Nashville and one from
Nashville to Dallas.
It all depends
on the connecting cities and your airlines hubs. Just tell your agent
you are willing to travel out of other airports and connect using regional
airports to save money.
6. Open wide.
You should look
into what is called an "Open-Jaw" ticket. These are used when
a traveler is arriving and departing from different cities.
One ticket is
purchased to cover both cities. Check with your travel agent or airline
representative to see if this trick is available instead of two one-way
tickets. Compare the price of each.
7. An excellent
online service www.sidestep.com
You enter destinations
and dates and SideStep quickly searches a couple of dozen affiliated
regional and international airlines to find the best rates.
8. "Code
share".
Ask your agent
if this flight is a "code-share" flight. That means the same
flight is offered by two different airlines. Just copy down the name
of the other airline and check into what they are charging.
Only one of
the airlines is actually operating the flight. The actual operator always
offers this flight for less, so book with them.
9. Sign up for
the airline newsletters.
From weekend
getaways to international flight packages the newsletter saves you money
on travel and doesn't require that you constantly visit the airline
website for the latest offering.
10. The airlines
often slash their fares during sluggish travel times.
Scan your travel
sections in the newspapers and talk to your agent about these low fares.
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