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A checklist to cheap airline travel"AIRLINE TRAVEL" Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
9/26/2004 Where do you go for the cheap flights to long-haul destinations? Certainly not directly to the airlines - even if they are offering special deals or promotional offers. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
When I set out to find the cheapest airline tickets for non-stop flights from London to five long-haul destinations - Bangkok, Cape Town, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney, departing in mid-January 2005 - I found that the best deals were through an online agent rather than directly from the national carrier. The greatest saving was on a South African Airways (SAA) flight to Cape Town: SAA's reservations department quoted pounds 731.60, while the airline travel price from the internet flight sales company ebookers was pounds 495. At the same time, you still have to choose an agent carefully for your airline travel. The cheap airfares I was quoted varied widely - by nearly pounds 180 on the Sydney flights, for example. Whether or not you can find a good deal also depends on when exactly you want airline travel. You won't have much joy over the Christmas period (from around December 10 to January 8, in line with school holidays) because demand is so high. But airline tickets drop after this period (until mid March), with good availability, so if you are planning a trip after the New Year, you could pick up a great bargain on your airline travel. If you can be flexible with your dates, you will also get the best cheap flights. For example, a cheap airline ticket not available on one particular day may be up for grabs on the next. This may also apply if you are able to airline travel mid-week as some airlines impose weekend surcharges. Remember, too, that the flight you choose is not only about cost - try to consider the following factors before snapping up cheap flights. Flexibility Should you want to alter a return date, you may find that booking airline travel tickets through a specialist online agent allows more flexibility than those sold directly by the airline. Departure dates are usually fixed, but return dates - particularly on flights from Australia and New Zealand - can usually be changed even if your airline tickets are economy. The general rule is the farther you fly, the greater the flexibility, so while it's reasonably easy to change return dates from Australasia and the Far East,cheap flights from North American destinations are likely to be more rigid - with charges of up to $100 made on any changes. Also check the requirements for minimum and maximum stay: while you are usually required to stay a Saturday night and return within one to three months, policies differ from airline to airline. Vacation Packages Cheap airfares that must be bought in conjunction with two or three nights at a hotel (known as an IT fare) can be cheaper sometimes for your airline travel than a flight-only fare, despite the fact that they include accommodation. Trailfinders is currently offering return airfares to Bangkok with Phuket Airlines from Gatwick at pounds 422. This includes three nights in a three-star hotel in the city and taxes and service. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
Flying times Before you leap at a bargain airline travel airfare check the total journey time with your agent. Many of the cheaper airline travel tickets are on routes that require a change of plane and a wait at an airport. On flights to Australia, for example, it's not unusual to stop twice on the journey, which inevitably adds to the overall time. That said, you may feel that it's worth adding an hour or so to your journey to save money - you could knock as much as pounds 60 off the cheapest airfare quoted in the table below for a non-stop flight to Bangkok, for example, by opting for a two-hour wait at Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, or by travelling via Amman with Royal Jordanian. Choice of airline It's all very well buying the cheapest ticket for your airline travel, but it's worth considering whether you really want to endure a long flight on the airline that goes with it. For a little more money you might find there's a ticket to fly with an airline offering better in-flight entertainment, newer planes and more leg room. Don't assume that the big names will necessarily provide all these: some of the large companies offer a seat pitch (the distance from the back of your seat to the back of the one in front of you) of only 31 inches while others offer 34 inches, even in economy class. Prices are based on airfares quoted in mid-September for flights departing on January 19 and returning a fortnight later on February 2. Fares were correct as we went to press, but are subject to availability. Some are promotional airfares that must be booked by a specific date..... Compare airfares for airline travel here /cheap airfares home |