How to Get Cheap Flights - Free air tickets - Travel almost free - www.abroaderview.org

Nov. 19, 2008 - PRLog -- TWO HUNDRED YEARS ago the cost was seven years to a lifetime of servitude for average people making a one-way crossing of the Atlantic. Now it can be funded by a few days of waiting tables.

When booking through an agent, always specify you want the "lowest possible fare," as there may be specials which do not fall under "economy" or "APEX." Moreover, not every agent--even with the budget specialists listed below--will be equally competent or motivated to find the cheapest ticket. They may not know about a great deal the next cubicle has been selling all week, or the commission may not merit bothering much.  

Likewise, buying a ticket on the Internet is not the same as getting the cheapest price. As with any travel agent, you may be offered the lowest price, an average price, or a test price. You still have to make comparisons and move boldly when a deal presents itself. A good strategy is to book the best-value, fully-refundable fare early, then continue looking for something better to pop up.

You may find an attractive price on the main leg, but a high one on the connect. Try reversing the search, or book one leg at a time. Allow at least three hours between flights for international departures/changeovers.

Often the best deals are offered directly by airline websites. In some cases you sign-up with the airline and they notify you via email of hugely-restricted but incredibly cheap specials a few days before the flight. These include American, United, Continental, Northwest, Southwest (the U.S. low-fare and efficiency leader), U.S. Airways, TWA, Delta, Alaska, Canadian, Carnival, and Cathay Pacific (which periodically auctions--with minimum bid--several hundred seats on New York and Los Angeles to Hong Kong runs.)

Large Internet Travel Sites
All listings are the result of experience, general budget travel knowledge, or research. The only contract is between author and reader.

Student and Budget Specialists
While a few tickets require student or youth status, most do not. The following serve customers requiring cheap fares, and have access to discounted tickets. To be certain of any true low-market price you must make at least a few inquiries.
sta-travel.com

Domestic Bucket Shops
Air Brokers International
323 Geary, Suite 411, San Francisco, CA 94102 tel. 800-883-3273 fax: 415-397-4767. Sells around-the-world and circle-Pacific tickets. airbrokers.com

Air Hitch
2790 Broadway, Suite 100, New York, NY 10025 tel. 212-864-2000 or 800-326-2009. Air Hitch provides one-way rides across the Atlantic for $169 from the East Coast, $269 from the West Coast, and $229 from in-between.

Cheap Tickets, Inc.
1247 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10021 tel. 212-570-1179 Also has offices in L.A., San Francisco, and Honolulu. National tel. is 800-377-1000 (español: 800-991-6199) and fax 800-454-2555. Formerly a U.S. domestic specialist, Cheap Tickets now sells international tickets. cheaptickets.com

Ethnic Bucket Shops

Foreign airlines usually sell the bulk of their discounted tickets to bucket shops in ethnic neighborhoods which mostly serve their own nationality. A travel agency in Koreatown in Los Angeles may have good deals on Korea Air to Seoul. Chinatown in San Francisco has a dozen competitive travel agencies with specials to all over Asia.

Sometimes these ethnic agencies only advertise in local ethnic-language newspapers, and they may not be able to speak clear English over the phone, but they should be considered if you happen to be in the neighborhood.
 
Courier Flying
Courier companies sell cheap airfares in exchange for using your checked luggage allotment for business items such as documents and computer parts which need to get somewhere fast. Therefore your pack should be small enough to carry on. Your job is to show up at the airport on time, meet someone with the ticket, and board the airplane. You do not usually ever handle the checked baggage.

Courier flights are best if you only have a short amount of time, as return flights are scheduled two to thirty days later. Courier companies usually require your presence for the return flight, but sometimes you can get "no return service required."  It's also very unlikely that two people can fly courier on the same flight.

Only when courier companies become desperate at the last minute do they offer free flights. If offered a flight that evening Chicago to London for $200, you can counter, "Okay, but I'll only do it for free." There's a chance they'll agree or come down on the price, especially if you've flown with them previously.

The big negative about flying courier is a more-limited-than-usual command of fate. Indeed the courier company has complete dominion over the ticket until it's placed in your hand, regardless of fronted fees. Your contact may be delayed by traffic or become ill on bad fondue, or your shipment may be canceled at the last minute, and you left without a ticket to anywhere.

I have never given courier-flying much consideration. With so many bargain fares available from so many legitimate sources, courier-flying rhymes in my mind with ding dong. It seems far more efficient to schedule a few extra shifts and purchase a legitimate bargain fare on a guaranteed flight, than try to get something for nothing by entering a possibly endless loop of frustration.

On the other hand some travelers reportedly fly courier regularly, learn the ins-and-outs of the companies they work with, and become favored regulars.

Round-the-World and Circle-Pacific Tickets

These are a series of tickets on one or several airlines pieced together by a travel agent, offering multiple stops. Usually only the first leg must be booked in advance. Travel must be completed within one year from departure. Any route can be configured, but bucket shops advertise the especially good deals, which often include carriers such as Garuda Indonesia and Air India that allow free or cheap stopovers.

Following are low-season examples. Expect to pay $200 more for travel beginning June 1 to August 31, and various airport and departure taxes of $7 to $20 per stop. Check the Sunday travel sections of the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, London Times, etc. for similar deals.

Charter Flights
Charter companies lease an airplane for a certain date and route, say New York to Paris, and then try to sell the seats. Usually they charge a low price (which may go lower as flight time approaches and seats remain unsold), and do not require advance purchase. However, if they don't sell enough seats to make money, the flight may be canceled at the last minute. Other airlines have no obligation to honor your ticket, and it may take a few days to get your money back.

Reputable charter companies hold your money in escrow until the flight. Some charter companies are well-established and fly regularly. These include Council Travel, Martin Air, Lauda, and Tower.

Bumping
Because airlines know a certain percentage of passengers aren't going to make their flight, they slightly overbook to maximize revenue and efficiency. Since sometimes there are more passengers at the gate than seats in the airplane, the airlines must deny boarding to some. Civilized airlines first ask for volunteers who, from the goodness of their hearts, are willing to give up their current seat for one on the next available flight. Since no one responds, they then offer a voucher for a free flight in addition to a seat on the next flight. They may also offer up to $500 cash.

Bumping is more likely during high season, busy holidays, and on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. If you want to be bumped, arrive early to place your name at the top of the volunteer list, and don't check your bag.



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