Submitted by: Lisa Stern
The concept of what is now known as no-frills travel started as soon as commercial airliners realized the great demand for low cost and budget travelling fares. Once they ve discovered that people are willing to travel vast distances sans a meal, reclining seats or onboard entertainment systems, they were able to factor these and come up with fares that have the budget conscious traveler in mind. Furthermore, newer models of aircraft such as the AirBus A380, which are both fuel-efficient and has the capability to hold more passengers of a particular class, significantly reduced their operating overheads which made it possible to also lower their fees. This article will show you how to take advantage of these lower airfares by pointing you in the right direction and by showing you the things you should avoid.
Cut out the middlemen and go directly to the source. The middlemen are your local travel agents and in the online realm, any website that is not directly selling the tickets. While it s true that travel agents do make the whole process easier, they also stand to derive hefty commissions from what you re paying for the ticket. It ultimately redounds to your preference on whether you d like the absolute lowest cost you could possibly have or whether you d like to spend an extra amount for convenience.
Get to know the carriers that cater to the geographical region you are from and going to. A visit to the official home pages of these airliners would most definitely give you an insight of what a ticket costs if you buy directly from them. Most airliners have online booking systems which could give you an idea of how much a seat costs for your trip. You could create a simple chart by listing down the fees, taxes, insurance and other extra charges which you might have to pay. Then go over another airliner s website and try to fill up the blanks that you ve created.
Bundled rates and advertised rates. There has been much controversy lately when it comes to airfare pricing schemes and the way they are advertised to the general public. Oftentimes, the inexperienced traveler might take the advertised fare as it is and be confused with all the fees and extra charges that would be levied by the time the person reaches the airport. You could avoid this by looking at the finer print at the bottom of the pricing matrix that an airliner may provide on their online booking systems. If they mention that they are excluding certain fees, such as boarding fees and others from the total price you are paying, be sure to know what these fees are and how much they are going to cost you.
Make use of those frequent flyer miles. One of the benefits for having these is the ability to reduce or completely waive some fees when it comes to your air travel. If you re a beginning traveler and are planning on going on more trips in the future, start claiming those points so that your future trips would be far less expensive and more comfortable.
Inquire, inquire and inquire. Personally speaking with an airliner ticket sales representative could take you a long way if you know how to ask the right questions. Don t be afraid to ask if there are any travel fares that are more affordable than the one that he or she has given you initially. The pricing of an airfare is not a rigid and a fixed matter. It always undergoes drastic changes particularly affected by factors such as seasons, promotions, weather, the price of oil and even the days of the week. For instance, airliners are known to reduce prices for days when passenger volume is not so large.
There are many more ways you could reduce your travel fare to help you get to where you are going with more cash. Do know however, that with the reduction in expenses comes additional hassle that may very well be not worth the extra small amount you ll pay. Good luck and have a safe trip.
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always check the largest travel sites online for great savings and last minute deals on vacation packages and discount flights.
Source:
isnare.com
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