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Ironically, traveling by air is getting more and more inconvenientas overbooked flights, lost luggage, and pricey ticket sales becomemore common. Unfortunately, booking a flight is sometimes just plainnecessary, a fact that airlines know all too well, allowing them tocontinue maximizing profits while we passengers often get stuck on theground.
The following is a list of useful secrets that will help you find cheaper, better, more convenient ways to fly. Bon voyage!
Rule 240: Understanding your rights according to Rule 240 is vital. This article from Aviation.comexplains the ins and outs of Rule 240, which states “that if an airline[can’t] get you to your destination on time, it [is] required to putyou on a competitor’s flight if it would get you there faster than youroriginal airline’s next flight.†Some airlines, including Delta, “nolonger make any mention of transporting passengers on other airlines inthe event of a flight disruption,†so it’s in every passenger’s bestinterest to speak up.
You can get better deals and schedules without buying directly from the airline. Sure, we all know about discount travel sites like Expedia.com and Orbitz,but matching a good deal with an ideal schedule and direct flight issometimes tricky. Airlines often rely on travelers who can’t afford towaste time during long layovers and would rather shell out extra cashto keep them on schedule. There are alternatives, however. This article, from the Microsoft Small Business Center,suggests contacting a travel agent or even checking your newspaper forspecial deals. Agents “can have affiliate agreements with a largetravel company that negotiates lower rates on their behalf,†and“often, tour operators will advertise ridiculously low fares andpackage deals in the Sunday travel section.â€
First class seats are available at coach prices. You may need to ask your travel agent to help you out with this tip, but it’s definitely worth it. According to San Diego’s 10News.com,coach tickets can be booked under codes like YUPP, QUPP, or Z, whichaward ticketholders automatic upgrades to first class. How does itwork? According to Rick Seaney, president of FareCompare,“a lot of times the YUPPs are matching some sort of low-cost carrier ina particular market.†According to the article, in 2006, a “round tripflight from Dallas to St. Louis on American Airlines, the YUPP fare is$278 — that’s nearly $1,500 cheaper than a regular seat in first classand more than a $1,000 less than the most expensive seat in coach.â€
Find out which days equal the cheapest tickets. According to Wendy Perrin’s The Perrin Post by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine,“You’ll find cheaper fares and greater seat availability if you fly ona Saturday and return on a Tuesday, instead of going from Thursday toSunday or Friday to Monday.â€
Take advantage of lesser-known airlines. The European and Asian travel markets are noticing a boom in the number of smaller, cheaper airlines. Ryanair and Easyjet are popular airlines that are just as safe and probably more efficient than their larger competitors. Book flights on Jetstar or Malaysia Airlinesfor Asian travel. You won’t be able to fly direct from the U.S. on someof these airlines, but once you’re abroad, they’re definitely the wayto travel.
Fly foreign.Air Francehosts its on U.S. site, which features extremely reasonable prices fortickets from various cities in the United States. You’ll probably findcheaper fares by checking with your destination’s airlines rather thanAmerican ones. Just be sure you calculate the exchange rate, however,to avoid paying more than you had intended.
Re-work your travel schedule. If you plan onflying to several different cities, either within the U.S. or abroad,arrange your travel schedule so that you’re always flying into thecheapest cities. Wendy Perrinsuggests looking “into flying via Dublin instead of London†if you’regoing to Europe. “Aer Lingus has cheap flights, and low-fare carriersfly from Dublin to many European cities.
Make sure you understand refund policies. Airlinescan be reluctant when it comes to passing out ticket refunds, so makesure you’re familiar with their policy before getting duped. Thearticle “Airlines’ policies on refunds and changes†from the New York Timesconnects you to the refund policies of all major U.S. airlines,including American, Delta, Southwest, and United. The article is dated2001, but the links should take you to the most updated information.
Buy consolidated. To find cheap fares even at the last minute, buy your tickets from a consolidator. wikiHowpublishes a thorough step-by-step guide with tips on buying from aconsolidator, including planning on departing from larger cities andfinding great international ticket deals.
Schedule your departure from a larger city to avoid higher prices.If you leave near a city like Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, or Los Angeles,consider driving to those hub airports instead of departing from theregional airports in your hometown. You can save hundreds of dollarsand will avoid the hassle of having to connect (or miss) your nextflight. Read the list of U.S. hub airports here.
Now that you’ve got the inside information on these top airlinesecrets, you’ve got a better chance of saving lots of cash, flying inmore comfortable seats, and avoiding some of the inconveniences oftraveling with major airlines. We hope you enjoy your trip!
See also Cheapest international flights and UK Transatlantic tickets at iVirtua
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