southrntrnzplnt asked: Ok…here’s the deal. Everyone seems to ask the same question 10,000 times…so here is the answer.
You can start with the travel websites to compare and see what the airlines are offering. ALWAYS go directly to the airlines website to compare. Usually you can find better deals and avoid booking fee’s. Also you will have a better choice of schedules and connections as well as non-stop flights.
BEWARE of websites that advertise cheap or discounted fares. These are potential traps. These websites have restrictions on their tickets above what the airlines are. They are not changable for any reason and if there is a problem the airline will not touch them. Air travel is cheaper than ever and barely pays the cost to fuel the plane in the gate. So…quit asking where to find it and go look yourself. Find the airports website to see what airlines service the city you are departing from. Not all airlines use these travel sites like Southwest and Jet Blue for example.
Ive used Kayak, Booking Buddy and other aggreigate sites and I still find better deals on the airlines website. Start with Orbitz, its owned by the airlines. Then go to the airlines website. Vacation packages can also be purchased through the airlines themselves as well and sometimes are cheaper and have better options.
You have more flexibility booking with the airline itself should something come up and you need to change your flights for any reason.
Pay attention to booking fee’s if you use a travel site. Some rip you off!! You will NEVER pay these fees on any airlines site. Most are charging ticketing charges for calling reservations to book/pay or if you go to the ticket counter as well.
If you are travel or computer illeterate and would like some help finding fares or flights, send me an e-mail and ill see what i can find. Include the cities, dates and a budget you are trying to stay in. I’ll see what i can find and send you in the right direction.
Sometimes Southwest is cheaper, but you have to act early to get their super cheap fares. Most times I find better deals on the major airlines.
Book 30 days in advanced to have the best option for the discounted fares. The closer to departure time the more expensive the fare will be. If the flights fill up, expect to pay closer to a full fare.
There are discounted First Class Fares that are sometimes cheaper or not much more than coach, so keep that in mind when looking especially if you are last minute shopping.
And…CHEAP can come at a cost when it comes to the restrictions on these travel sites and be more hassle than its worth. There really isnt anything secret about fares. There are several offered, once the cheaper ones sell out…they go to the next fare level…its pretty simple. So…book early to have access to these fares.
When booking, always choose non-stop, the fare difference usually isnt that much. It prevents any delays along the way or risk losing or delay or baggage. Saving $50 for a connection isnt worth it in the long run. You lose half a day in travel and then you’ll spend more money because you will be buying food or shopping, well most of us do anyway.
Try not to mix and match airlines especially if you check baggage, thats where it falls through the cracks. NEVER book Southwest and another airline to connect. They do not have ticketing or baggage agreements with any airline and if one flight is delayed, you are on your own for a back up.
The fare sales will normally be out of high tourist cities and hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Cincinatti etc. Smaller cities that are the spokes dont go on sale. Know what airports are around your or within a driving radius. Check them as well. IF the cost of gas will supplement the difference in fares, consider those options as well. Also, know what airports are close to you incase there is a delay and you can be rerouted as a back up to get you to your destination or back home. For example San Francisco is co-terminals with Oakland and San Jose. Flying in and out of Toronto, you can save $100 in International fee’s on top of the fare difference by flying out of Buffalo or making the treck to Detroit. Just weigh the cost of fuel vs the difference in fare cost.
I stress going to the airports website to see who services that airport. Again, several low cost carriers do not participate in these travel sites b/c their fares are discounted enough, or so they think.
And finally, no matter what website you use ALWAYS READ THE FARE RULES so you know what you are agreeing to before you pay for it. Yelling at the ticket agent, “I wasnt told that!” does you no good when its in writing, you just chose not to read it.
Yes an airline can charge you for an extra seat if you obviously take up the size of more than one seat. Not all of them are strict about enforcing it because its a sticky situation. Southwest does however enforce this rule to the letter of their rules. Lost baggage…the airline has 7 days before you are entitled to any compensation. After 24 hrs, you can get $25 a day for necessities…not a full wardrobe. Wheels and handles are not covered as damaged items if they break off and yes your bag will get dirty or wet if its raining. Lock your bags and place a copy of your itinerary inside with all contact info including phone numbers and addresses. Check out the airlines contract of carriage if you feel you got bad service.
Ronnie
