Airfare Sales
September 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
There's good news for business travelers and it involves the airline industry. Drastic cut backs, shut downs, and price increases have caused the number of tickets sold to drop. This means that fewer people are flying and some planes are once again taking off with empty seats, particularly now that the summer travel season has come to an end.
What does the prospect of fewer passengers mean for you? For one thing, keep an eye out for upcoming flight sales this fall. Otherwise, expect prices to start to level out, at least for primary markets. In addition, you can make more solid plans during your travels because you’re more likely to have an on-time flight. It seems like it might be business as usual.
The airlines are still in for a bumpy ride, but for now it seems the crisis has passed. There will still be fewer planes and a lot of passengers, but at least there should be fewer airlines folding and a little more stability in the industry.
Airport Lounges
August 5, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Road warriors who enjoy checking into an airport lounge with their frequent flier cards may be disappointed when they arrive there, only to find the lounge closed. This could be because of recent trends, such as one The New York Times reports about lounge closures by many US carriers. Fortunately, the current closures are in less-frequented locations—but this may only be the beginning.
To make your airport stay more comfortable—without heading to the lounge—here are a few tips:
Bring an empty bottle – Staying hydrated before boarding a dry plane is a good idea, and there’s nothing against bringing an empty bottle through security. So fill it when you get to your gate and drink up.
Make a restaurant your lounge – If you have a good bit of time before your flight, consider a leisurely drink or meal. The food might not be amazing, but the seats are usually more comfortable than the alternatives.
Ask around – We’ve had articles on the best airports through which to book a layover. In addition to this information, ask fellow travelers, or look online before you go. A comfortable seat in a quiet area can make all the difference; finding the airport that has it is gold.
Compare Airfare
July 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
In the case that you don’t collect frequent flier miles for a specific airline, it’s likely that you just search for the lowest cost of the flight you need. This practice worked well when airlines would more or less offer the same services; now, with some airlines charging extra for baggage and food, you might be unable to tell what the final cost will be . While the flight you selected may have the lowest ticket cost, the airline may tack on extra fees, instead making it more expensive than the other options.
So how can you ensure that, when you’re booking your flight, it’s the final payment you make? A number of travel websites, such as SeatGuru.com, have conspired to put together a chart of additional expenses on each airline. The chart lists expenses such as the cost of in-flight food and any ticket change or oversized bag fees. By going through the list—and tacking on the prices for amenities you would like to make use of—you can get a good idea of what the final tally will be; and consider that you may be able to circumvent some of these fees. In addition—if you’re booking online—be sure to click through and see the taxes, fuel surcharge, and other collateral fees. Once all these surcharges are accounted for, you stand a better chance of getting the best deal.
Airline Vouchers
July 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Flight cancellations sometimes mean obtaining an airline voucher, which in turn can be redeemed on a future flight. Once you have this voucher, how can you go about exchanging it and what are the pitfalls you may run into? Getting that voucher may be hard, but using it seems to be even more difficult.
MSNBC recently had an article citing how each airline treats vouchers. The best seems to be JetBlue and Southwest—their “paperless” policy and online booking systems apply to trips credited to you, which means rebooking a ticket is as easy as it was to book in the first place.
So the next time you are offered a voucher for being bumped from a flight—or are given one as compensation for a cancelled flight—consider who is giving it to you and how feasible it is to trade. It could be a great deal, or yet another airline headache.
Carry-On Contraband
July 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What can you take on a plane with you? What needs to be stowed in your checked luggage? This can be a difficult question for people who aren’t intending to check any luggage, or trying to figure out what they can bring with them and what will be confiscated. We all know large bottles of liquids are forbidden, but what else?
Sports equipment is not allowed on a plane. In fact, Tony Hawk has found that skateboards are not even permitted as carry-on luggage.
As far as bringing gel products, you’re better off checking them. Gel sole inserts are a no-no, but shoes with built in gel soles are permitted. Gel candles are strictly forbidden.
And while it’s fairly obvious that you can’t bring a gun onboard, you also can’t bring anything gun-like, including a T-shirt with a picture of a gun on it, as one passenger recently discovered.
When in doubt, put it in the checked luggage. The restrictions are fewer than what they were a year ago, but there are still a whole lot of items that could get you in trouble in the security line.
Choosing a Layover Airport
July 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Airlines are cutting back on the number of routes and flights, meaning that non-stop flights may be harder to find and layovers are getting longer. As you consider possible layover locations, which airport should you look for and which should you avoid?
First and foremost, you want to choose an airport where you stand a good chance of your flight being on-time. Forbes had a recent article that lists airports to avoid due to their high percentage of delayed and canceled flights. Chicago’s O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth International ranked high on the list, as well as all three New York City area airports. Hawaii’s airports were on the other end of the spectrum, with many on-time flights, yet Hawaii is probably not the most convenient layover option.
Another feature to look for in a layover is wireless Internet access. Being able to check email or surf the web can make waiting for a connecting flight more enjoyable and productive. Travel Post has a list of all US airports and the Internet status of each. It also notes which airports have free wireless and which ones charge a fee.
You may not be able to avoid a layover, but with a little research you can choose your connection city wisely to make it as painless as possible.
Faster Airport Experience
June 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
At major airports, the security line has become untenable for the regular traveler: A lot of time is wasted; flights are missed. For the road warrior, this aggravation is compounded by multiple flights. However, there are ways to get to the front of the line.
Makers of the Clear Card have just announced a partnership with Delta, which will add more airports and terminals to the system. $128 a year does not sound like a lot for a guaranteed security line of 5 minutes or less. And with the current gas prices, I wouldn’t be surprised if more airports are enticed by the additional revenue.
If you don’t often fly into airports that have the Clear System set up, it may not be worth the money. but that still doesn’t mean you have to go to the back of the line. Smart Money suggests keeping your frequent flier card handy in order to see if you qualify for the priority line for preferred customers.
And even if you do have to enter the queue, be sure to check the TSA website to find out which line is shortest. That way, at least you’re not waiting longer than you have to.
Flight Contingency Plans
June 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
There have been a number of studies recently, citing a decline in American air travel this summer. Some forecast that the airline industry could lose 6.1 billion dollars this year.
These grim numbers could mean some airlines offer great deals to try to fill empty seats, or it could mean that flights get canceled. While that may just mean taking a different flight, it could potentially disrupt a vacation or business trip. What can you do to recover from a canceled flight?
1. Many airlines let you choose a seat online by giving you a diagram of the plane, showing available seat choices. Keep an eye on that and see how full the plane is. If you’re one of only a few passengers, consider creating a contingency plan.
2. Depending on how flexible your schedule is, consider arriving the day before an important event or meeting so that there’s less chance of missing it, in case you end up on a different flight.
3. Sign up for email alerts and program the airline’s customer service number into your cell phone. The faster you learn about the cancellation and can rebook, the more choices you have for alternative flights.
4. If your flight has been delayed more than once, it’s likely to be delayed even further or canceled altogether. Look for a later flight in which the plane is already at the airport and change your ticket. It’s a gamble, but one that might end up getting you to your destination much faster.
Airline Tickets go Paperless
June 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
It's the end of an era. You will no longer be able to get an airline ticket in the mail. The IATA has announced paper tickets as a thing of the past, changing over to e-tickets entirely. May 31st was the last day to have a paper ticket issued, and these last tickets must be used within the next 2 years.
It's probably about time. Getting rid of the paper ticket completely will reportedly save 50,000 trees each year. And when was the last time you showed up at an airport with a paper ticket and not a printed out boarding pass? It was scary the first time showing up at an airport with no ticket in hand, trusting your reservation would be in the computer, but now it's comforting to know you can't accidentally leave it behind.
For most of us, we won’t even notice the change, having switched to e-tickets long ago. So long, paper tickets!
Luggage Surcharge
May 8, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
When we reported a couple months ago on United charging extra for checking luggage, we thought it might become a trend. Now, five of the six major US carriers carry surcharges for checking more than one bag. For business travelers who need the extra space for presentation materials or demo products, the added expense is a hard hit. Instead of letting the airlines sink your budget, there are some alternatives that may work better.
- Ship packages before you go. Shipping rates may be less than the $50 that luggage will cost you, roundtrip.
- Take them in the car with you. That is, if the event is within driving distance.
- Consider alternative methods of public transportation. Trains, for instance, still allow you to take that second bag for free.
- Only take essentials. This one might be obvious, but if you bring a flash drive with a document, and print copies on-site instead of lugging 50 copies there, you can save space and cut out this surcharge.
