.: Cheap Flights - Top 10 Tips To Save Money On Airfares
By:Shivaun Raff
Category:Home / Recreation and Leisure / Travel
There is nothing worse than discovering that the chap next to you on the beach got here for a fraction of the ticket price that you paid. Here are the 10 top ways to ensure you get the best airfare deal out there, without spending days haggling with travel agents:
1. Book Early.
It is a myth that the cheapest airfares are available to those who book last minute. Rather, the best deals are usually available about 6 months before departure, when the seats are first released for purchase, and these disappear as availability gets more scarce. So if you're thinking of going away at Christmas - book your flights now! (NB hotel rooms are still most likely to have their best deals at the last minute).
2. Be Open-Minded about Airports.
Budget airlines often fly to a minor airport that is farther away from the city center than the main airport - this saves them airport fees, which they can pass on in price savings, and you get to see unusual and exotic regional airports!
3. Be Flexible with Dates.
Depending on the destination, it is often cheaper to travel on a Sunday or mid-week, or if you stay over the weekend. Checking prices for dates a few days before or after you originally wanted to fly can often have a big impact on fares. And if you really want to be away for Christmas or a particular bank holiday weekend, then extending your stay for a few days either before or after the popular dates can save you a lot of money.
4. Once you've been Flexible, be Consistent.
Low cost flights normally come with stringent Ts & Cs, which often include exorbitant cancellation or change fees. Changing your mind once you've booked can be very expensive!
5. Use a Flight Search Engine.
Flight search engines will save you lots of time and money by shopping around for you - you enter your flight details once, and they zip off and search dozens of online travel agents and airlines simultaneously to find you the best deal. Examples of Flight Search Engines include Kayak and SideStep in the US and Foundem in the UK. Sites such as Expedia and Travelocity, are often mistaken for flight search engines, but they are actually online travel agents.
Flight Search Engines make money from referral fees - this means that when you click through to buy your bargain flight, they get a small fee for having pointed you there. Because the budget airlines tend not to pay referral fees, most Flight Search Engines don't include the Budget Airlines such as EasyJet, RyanAir and AerLingus in their search results. Foundem.com is the only Flight Search Engine to include all of these budget airlines and more.
6. Use Hubs
If you're going somewhere a little bit obscure, it is often cheapest to use these tips to find a great deal to the nearest major hub city (such as London or Dallas) and then pick up a hop to your final destination from a low cost airline or commuter service. Make sure you leave plenty of time for the transfer, though, as the hop airline won't be responsible if you miss your connection!
7. Avoid School Holidays
All travel gets more expensive during school holidays, including flights. If you don't have children, this one's a no-brainer. And if you do have children, have you considered leaving them behind?
8. Don't Forget Package Holidays
While its almost always cheapest to de-couple flights and hotels for city breaks and long haul, if you're looking for a week on a beach or on the piste, package holidays can still sometimes be the cheapest option. Package holidays become even more likely to be the best deal if you've ignored tip number 1 and are booking last minute.
9. Look on Wednesday and Saturday Mornings.
The cheapest flights tend to sell out within hours of being released. Airlines play with their fares at any time, but the biggest waves of fresh fare releases tend to be on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
10. Always check the Round Trip Price, even if you're Flying One-Way
Bizarrely, one-way tickets often cost more than the return equivalent. So if you're either flying one-way, or open-jaw (i.e. flying to one destination, then taking a train or camel and returning home from somewhere else), always check the round trip equivalents for these fares. Make sure that the flights you're planning to use are always the outbound ones, though, because airlines often won't let you board for the return leg of a round-trip if you haven't actually flown the outbound leg.
Article keywords: Cheap, Flights, Airfare, Airfaire, search
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Visit www.foundem.com for more information, including a cheap flights search engine and a Hotel search engine.
.: New Travel Articles
1). Sandyport Beaches Resort: A Little Worn But Comfy
A traveler describes a trip to Bahamas and a stay at Sandyport Beaches resort. Overall the hotel is satisfactory although it requires a lot of improvements. Prices at the hotel are moderate but the food is overpriced even in grocery stores. There are more useful tips in the article...
2). Planning Your Education Travel Tour or Trip
Students of all ages are among the largest groups of people who partake in educational travel tours.
3). Tips For Planning Your Student Travel Excursions
While school is a lovely place to explore history, math, English and science, there are many students who embark on journeys just to get a break from the classroom and campus.
4). Are You Ready To Organize Your Senior Class Trip?
When high school and college students start their senior year in school, many begin to think about and plan one or more senior class trips to be taken either right before or right after graduation.
5). Playa Conchal, Costa Rica; A Beach Made of Shells
It looks as if you are walking on normal sand, but when you look down, you discover in astonishment that the shiny white sand is actually made of tiny crushed shells...
6). Atlantis Royal Towers: Nice But Ridiculously Expensive
A traveler reviews a trip to Bahamas and a stay at Atlantis Royal Towers Paradise Island Bahamas. There are also some good tips on getting the most of your stay and saving a few bucks...
7). Paradise Island Harbour Resort: Generally Satisfied
A traveler tells about his trip to Bahamas and reviews his stay at Paradise Island Harbour resort. Although the hotel requires some renovation it still provides a satisfactory experience and worth the money.
.: Top Travel Articles
1). Oktoberfest - A Celebration Of German Culture
Oktoberfest is one of the world's great seasonal festivals. It is held every fall in Munich, Bavaria, and in other locations around the world.
The first Oktoberfest started as a series of horse races in honour of the wedding of the Crown Prince of Bavaria in 1810. The horse races became an annual event and were combined with the state agricultural fair the following year.
2). Halloween In Siberia – Sort Of
Live in another country and you’ll start to experience serious cultural differences. This is particularly true as I discovered with Halloween in Siberia.
Russian Holidays
I loved living in Russia and the primary reason was people. Russians love to celebrate and they are big into holidays. In Chita, Siberia, practically everyday was a holiday. During communism, Russia celebrated the worker with holidays such as bus driver day, teacher day and so on.
3). A Nice Savanna Vacation
Almost everyone have their own ideal vacation spot. This usually considered as the perfect place where the worries and toils of survival can be forgotten momentarily. And two natural elements that often characterize this ideal vacation spot are the sun and the ocean.
There must be something about the sea that makes people flock to it. But humans we know are very unique.
4). First Class Upgrade Secrets Tips and Strategies
Top 12 Ways to Upgrade to First Class on the Major Airlines
Getting Upgraded to First Class
These days with little profit and extra overheard costs, a flyer with no past history on a given airline has little chance of upgrading to first class. But it can happen if you do your homework. Hence why you are here today.
Method #1: Asking the ticket counter agent nicely or perhaps offering him/her a bribe.
5). Backpacking – Go Light On Your Budget & Luggage
Backpacking is one of the best ways to see the world, travel light and enjoy cheap travels.
6). An Oregon Coast Ghost Hunting Guide
The winds cut deeper and make progressively louder noises as the days shorten. Fog creeps in from the sea more often. And then Halloween shows up, as if to really remind us about things otherworldly. It's no wonder Oregon's northern coast has a load of ghostly tales swirling about. It's no wonder the remake of "The Fog" currently in release is set in a fictional North Oregon Coast town.
7). Chapeau Noir...Cheap Chic Travels!
Copyright 2006 The Edventures Group
You've got a favorite photo from your last vacation, right?
Mine is of moi in Paris on the Champs Elysee. I'm posed at the edge of boredom. After all, I am an American in Paris, and can't look too exited.
Looming large in the photo behind me is the famous Louis Vutton store. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.