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Buying Flights - tips to get started ... |
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It's always best to do your homework into the types of flights and carriers available in order to get a good deal on a flight. Start by knowing where you want to travel to and the rough dates for when you want to go.
At the same time it's good to also do some research about where you are planning to go to. Try sources like: |
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- Newspaper travel sections
- Guidebooks and their websites
- Your destination's tourist board website
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| The Terminal Information section of this website can help you find out which airlines fly from Stansted. |
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Things You Should Know/Do ... |
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Try and get as many quotes on flight prices as you can before booking,. However, if you do stumble upon a price that's very good don't be afraid to book it straight away. Or, if you would still rather do some more research see if you can reserve the flight, with a time period to cancel without any charges.
Your date and time of travel, even the airport you are flying from, can effect the price of your ticket. So try and be as flexible as you can. Can you travel a couple of days before or after for intended dates? What about flying from a different airport? And mostly inconvenient hours - early or late - are cheaper than mid-day. |
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If you're calling a travel agent or airlines call early or later in the day so they are less busy and can look around for some good deals.
And why not ask
if they know about any deals that are not yet advertised. |
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| Nested Tickets |
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Buying a ticket in a way that's termed as nested can save you money too.
These nested tickets work when a regular midweek fare is over twice the price of an excursion fare (includes a Saturday stopover) to the same destination.
For example, you have been quoted £150 for a flight from Heathrow to Belfast return going out on a Monday and coming back on the Friday of the same week but you can find a return that requires you to stay for a weekend and is priced £75 or less, it is worth buying a nested ticket.
Buy a £75 excursion return ticket leaving on Monday and coming back late in the next week. Then buy another £75 excursion return ticket with the outgoing flight from Belfast on the Friday of your return to Heathrow. The return journey of this second ticket should be dated early in the next week.
By doing this you basically get two return flights for the price of one! If you nest the tickets with consideration of future travel dates in mind you can make use of all the tickets and save money. It is a little confusing but if you do the research then you are bound to get a cheaper deal. |
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| Split Tickets |
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Or try purchasing a split ticket. That means you break up your journey buy changing flights at an interim airport instead of travelling on a direct flight to your destination.
Your travel agent should be able to help you buy both nested and split tickets. |
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| Budget Airlines |
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With budget airlines tickets must be bought early to get the best price. By buying a flight just weeks away will increase the cost considerably.
Always remember however that the extremely cheap fares i.e. £1 are still subject to airport taxes. |
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| Be sure to book your flight online for maximum discounts. |
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| Whilst you can do little to avoid a delays there are a couple of things you can try that might avoid you experiencing a delay. Also, here are some tips on getting a bit more leg room: |
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- Those tour operators who own their own airline like Thomson will normally let you pre-book your seats for a fee when booking a package holiday.
Supplements will offer you better in-flight meals and a bit more legroom.
www.thomson.co.uk
- See what type of plane you'll be travelling on and then see if there are seat plans pre-bookable on the airline website.
- Book your flight that are either the first or last to leave an airport on that day to try and avoid any delays. Also avoid code-sharing tickets - when two airlines are taking you to your destination.
Aim to travel on direct flights as by moving baggage between flights can increase the risk of being delayed.
- What's the plane's seat pitch for the class you're travelling in. This means the distance between your seat and the one in front of it - your legroom. Experts say 31 inches (79cm) should be the minimum for a 6ft (1.83m) person on a long flight.
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The best way to get an upgrade is to get bumped on a flight that's over booked.
Those passengers who volunteer to be bumped on to the next available flight in the first instance get offered travel vouchers, cash or an upgrade.
If the wait is less than a few hours passengers will be offered a phone card, food voucher or possibly a temporary pass to the executive lounge.
For a very long wait, however there is no guarantee, passengers may be offered an upgrade.
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Travel agents are awarded a commission from the airlines you buy a ticket with. With this in mind push for the best possible deal.
When booking with a travel agent get confirmed offers and deals, not vague promises of 4 start hotels and mainline airlines. And make sure you check the small print to see if there are any catches to your holiday deal. |
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| Cut Out the Middleman |
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- See if the company you work for, or your union, get cheaper flights and holidays for employees/members.
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- By booking a flight and/or accommodation yourself you can better a brochure price.
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- Carrying a package for an authorised Courier can save you around £100 on most flights. However, travellers must be flexible so mostly just backpackers tend to take up this option.
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- European city breaks are ideal for saving money as flights and hotels are easily available via the Internet.
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Try Internet sites like Expedia that display which airline is flying where, for how much money and when.
Always make sure the flight is covered by Atol (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing).
Before entering your payment details make sure the website's server is safe and secure by looking for the padlock symbol on your browser.
Once you've paid for your flight ticket and/or accommodation you should receive an email confirming your details. The law states that this email must confirm your Atol protection.
Also visit Priceline.co.uk where you bid for your own flights. Make a sensible bid and airlines will sell you a ticket at a cheaper price, normally around 20-30% lower than the regular advertised fares. Do remember thought, that most flights offered have severe restrictions so check the small print !
Email sites like www.ukfrenzy.co.uk monitors the Internet for special coupon deals and discounts.
Also check travel e-newsgroups - go to groups.google.com and start by searching for "rec.travel" or "rec.travel.air"- and see if anyone has seen any nearly released special offers. |
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Online Fare Searchers ... |
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| You might like to try the following online sites: |
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| Here are airlines offering online facilities -click on the links to go to the airline's unofficial information pages: |
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