Travel and Leisure – Blog Scoop

Watching airline travel prices around the holidays is enough to make a traveler crazy! One week you see a ticket for $180, the next week that ticket goes up to $200, and a week after that, you’re already looking at a $400 fare! Around the holidays, prices generally increased by 10-20%, with certain peak travel days adding as much as $60-$100 onto your ticket. The best flight deal is usually secured several months in advance, experts say. Here are some other tips on getting the best price on a holiday flight.

Brian Clark, senior VP of www.fly.com, warns that airline travel prices are going up closer to the holidays since the airlines have cut capacity due to the recession, which means there will be fewer and fuller flights. For instance, by the last week of October this year, Thanksgiving fares had already jumped 15% compared to the end of September. On average, a $380 round-trip ticket had become a $440 ticket. Travelers can expect the same scenario for Christmas, Clark says. Major airlines are now tacking on an extra $10 holiday travel fee on their busiest days — November 29, January 2 and January 3. Many people can find better deals by flying out on Thursday and returning on Friday or Saturday for better flight deals. He also recommends postponing holiday travel to the Tuesday after New Year’s Day (January 5).

CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg recently appeared on CBS News with some hints for getting the best deal on airline travel this holiday season. Sign up for price alerts at websites like www.airfarewatchdog.com, which tracks the best deals leaving your departure airport or arriving at your destination. “They update the airfares about 300,000 (times) a day so you’re getting the latest,” Greenberg explains. He also recommends www.farecompare.com, which analyzes historical trends to let you know whether you’re likely to get cheap tickets in the coming weeks or see higher fares. Last-minute sales and deals can be found at www.travelzoo.com, www.shermanstravel.com and www.bookingbuddy.com. Signing up for airline email alerts can also clue you in to some great sales. Airline operators like Southwest and United are also posting news at www.twitter.com. If you need a cheap hotel over the Christmas holiday, be sure to visit www.hotels.com.

So what can you expect in terms of airline travel price fluctuations? Experts like Greenberg say you can save as much as 25-50% by being flexible in your travel dates. Let’s look at an example. Say you’re heading from Newark to Los Angeles. According to www.fly.com, if you were to leave on Wednesday the 23rd and come back Saturday the 26th, as most seasonal travelers do, you’ll be paying $601 round-trip on Continental. The website www.priceline.com suggests departing on Christmas Eve and coming back on December 27th or 29th for the best deals. So if you were to leave Christmas Eve and return on Tuesday the 29th, American Airlines offers cheap airline tickets for $453. So just by altering your dates slightly, you’ll save $148!

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In the past, people just called airline carriers directly to book flights from point A to point B. Some savvy travelers were members of exclusive travel clubs like AAA, which would save them something like 10-20% on most travel arrangements. Once the Internet arrived on the scene, airline carriers were quick to offer cheap flight opportunities to book up all the seats on their outgoing flights and entice more travelers to take that much-needed vacation. The Internet can be a dense jungle of information when it comes to finding airfares cheap, so here are some tips to guide you.

The big question is, “When should I book?” Conventional wisdom tells us we can find a cheap flight by either booking far in advance or booking very last minute. This means, for example, if you’re buying tickets to see mom for Christmas, you should have your tickets purchased early. “I think most airline sources would agree that anything outside 21 days before takeoff is considered an advance-purchase ticket,” says Brian Ek of www.priceline.com. “Airlines are different, but generally once you hit 15 days before the flight, the price begins to go up, then it goes up again at the seven-day mark. So if you want a retail ticket, buy it at least 21 days out for the best price.” It’s always best to buy your flight fare early if your travel dates are not flexible or are during high-traffic months.

The time you choose your cheap flight is important. People generally like to travel the day before a holiday, so you could book your ticket the morning or afternoon of the holiday or the week before the holiday to get cheap airfare. Weekdays offer lower prices than weekends, although you should cross Mondays and Fridays off your list, as these are peak business travel days. Choosing different flight times can also affect the cost of your airline ticket. For instance, very few people want to take a “red-eye” flight between the hours of midnight and 6 am, but if you don’t mind, then you’ll save. You can also get cheaper tickets if you don’t mind flying between 5 am and 8 am.

In some instances, you can find a cheap flight by waiting until the last minute. In some cases, travelers have found flights to Europe for $200 just by agreeing to sit on standby. One traveler flew from Amsterdam to Washington DC for $200, for instance. These buyers purchased a Flight Pass for travel between specified regions with a 2-4 day window. When a corresponding seat turns up, the airline will phone you and ask if it fits your needs. If so, you simply go to the airport and redeem your pass for tickets. For more information on flying this method, visit www.airtech.com. If that sounds too complicated to you, there are other sites specializing in last-minute flight deals like www.smartertravel.com/airfare/search/, which lets you search the best travel deals from your departure city.

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For many Americans, European destinations are put off as people conjure up ways to afford the airline flights. After spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on plane tickets, travelers still need to consider exorbitant hotel costs, dining, transportation within the cities and entertainment expenses. However, there are many ways to be a frugal traveler and still have a memorable time. The first step begins with securing cheap airline tickets, so more money can be spent on fun and entertainment.

One good place to look for cheap airline flights from the US to Europe is www.wholesaletraveler.com. You can fly from Buffalo, New York to Amsterdam, Netherlands from January 4 – 11 on Lufthansa for just $468 round-trip. Or you may want to spend a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend in Paris, France departing from New York City for $418. Spend your March spring break in Berlin, Germany, leaving from Los Angeles for $474 round-trip. Or depart from Atlanta, Georgia on your July summer vacation to Madrid, Spain for only $451 round-trip. The best flight deal can be found by calling live agents at 1-866-326-6980.

By far the best prices on flights to Europe can be found at www.lufthansa.com. From New York, you can travel to a number of European cities for dirt cheap, such as Barcelona for $250, Berlin for $298, Brussels for $295, Kiev for $314, London for $256, Oslo for $275, Rome for $317 and Stockholm for $275. These prices are for one-way tickets and do not include taxes or fees. Traveling from Los Angeles, you can visit Bucharest for $483, Frankfurt for $362, Istanbul for $410 or London for $301. Lufthansa’s easy-to-use website allows you the ability to check three days before or after your desired travel dates so you can find the best flight deal. They also show the prices on a number of destinations (from your departure city), which helps if you’re not exactly sure where you want to fly to. Once you’re in Europe, Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) is considered to be the “grand daddy of cheap flight tickets” within Europe.

There are many ways to find cheap airline flights to Europe. Most people begin with comprehensive search engines like www.kayak.com, www.mobissimo.com, www.farecast.com and www.farechase.com. Then, you can do a little research to find out about the best Frequent Flyer Miles and reward programs at www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles-points-1 or www.upgrd.com. If your travel dates are flexible and you’d like to receive updates on fare sales to your chosen destination or leaving from your departure city, then sign up at www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.travelzoo.com or www.smartertravel.com.

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Pros and Cons of Air Travel

Over the past few decades air travel has been becoming popular among people. Air travel is convenient and safe and these are the main reasons that have contributed to the increase in popularity of air travel. The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere by the aero planes and these gases are responsible for global warming. For those people that try to limit their impact on the planet this could be a serious drawback. In order to overcome this problem many airlines nowadays make efforts to become more environmental friendly. Many airlines take action for retrofitting winglet that is usually intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft thereby reducing greenhouse gas emission. Apart from this the airlines invest a large sum of money to replace their old aircraft by fuel efficient aircraft.

Disadvantage: High Cost

High cost of travel makes many people avoid traveling by air. It is cheaper to fill up gas in your car and drive to your desired destination instead of going by flight. You can take advantage of discount
airline travel to obviate the high cost of travel by air. If you can find a good deal for airfare it can be the deciding factor for many people whether they will fly or drive.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

Many people simply do not like to fly. This is mainly because of the fact that they were on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event and this has been rather terrifying.

Advantage: Speed of Travel

traveling by air is much faster as compared to other means of transportation as long as these places are connected by air. While it can take days to drive across the United States, a person can fly the same distance in a number of hours. The savings obtained in this mode of air travel gives you an opportunity to enjoy your vacation for a longer period.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

Another major advantage in traveling by air is that you can travel to far off destinations which are difficult to traverse either by road or any other means. We can fly to any destination around the world. Some of these flights might prove to be quite long but they are still much shorter than if you had to rely on alternative means of transportation.

Advantage: Safety

One of safest mode of travels out of all the forms of travel available is air travel. Each year thousands of deadly car crashes happen. Even train derailments causing deaths are also being heard of very frequently. As compared to other modes of transportation you will find that accidents in air are negligible. For many people this makes it an easy decision to choose air travel over any other form of transportation.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here. For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors. As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.

When most people think “cheap travel,” they peruse sites like www.orbitz.com or www.expedia.com for cheap airline tickets or they visit www.hotels.com and www.bedandbreakfast.com for inexpensive hotels. In 2010, all-inclusive vacations have become all the rage because they offer more bang for your buck, which means more amenities, more gourmet meals, more destinations and more luxury for as little as $50/day! As with airlines and hotel chains, there are numerous cruise operators, and that equates to greater competition and lower prices for consumers.

Just how cheap is a cruise deal? Consider that Carnival is currently offering a three-day cruise from San Diego, California to Ensenada, Mexico and back for just $99! Less than $100 will get you all your transportation, room, dining and entertainment onboard the ship! The Carnival Elation cruise ship has three deck water slides, jogging tracks, ping pong, mini golf, nightclubs, a spa, live shows and a plethora of restaurants and shops. Guests will have to pay a $50 government fee and will pay extra for alcoholic beverages and spa treatments once on the ship. This low price is also only available with the interior cabins. This cheap travel itinerary is available October 19, October 26 and November 23. While travelers may need to make a few concessions, Carnival’s Elation ship still offers one of the best travel deals this fall.

One might wonder, “How can a ship afford to operate, while offering such a cheap deal?” The answer is that 25% of their revenue comes from onboard expenses. Despite most packages being deemed “all-inclusive,” vacationers find it easy to spend money aboard the ship. “You get most food, entertainment, soft drinks and coffee,” explains one Carnival Corp spokesperson. “You pay for alcohol, merchandise, for the spa, for pictures. All of these things are optional, but it’s hard not to spend money on a cruise because you are a captive audience.” On a ship like Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, you’ll come across golf simulators, internet cafes and ice skating lessons, which all come for a small additional fee. It’s still possible to find cheap travel if you can exercise some restraint, but many veteran cruisers confess to spending double what they paid for their initial cruise fare, in the end.

According to the UK Telegraph, one can find cheap travel cruises almost everywhere. Cruising in Europe, the Baltic and the Middle East has newly found favor among travelers. The Far East itineraries to China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Malaysia are becoming hot spots for 2010. “Not surprisingly, the cost will be hugely important in 2010,” writes The Telegraph’s Sara Macefield. “The last year has seen a string of amazing offers, with widespread discounts of up to 60% accompanied by free flights, free places, complimentary car parking on ex-Britain sailings and on-board credits of up to $500 per person.” She said, with more new ships to fill, 2010 is looking like a great year to find inexpensive travel deals as well.

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Your best bet to find cheap flights is to begin with aggregator websites that can scan a number of other sites for you. Visit www.kayak.com, www.farechase.com, www.sidestep.com and www.farecast.com. Next, check the sites that don’t list their deals on aggregators or travel booking pages — like www.southwest.com and www.jetblue.com. After that, visit the old school sources for cheap airline tickets, such as www.travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com and www.expedia.com. Still more websites offering low fares are www.cheaptickets.com, www.hotwire.com, www.priceline.com and www.mobissimo.com. If you’re looking for international flights, try www.skyscanner.net, www.momondo.com and www.trabber.com. You may also want to sign up for the “Top 20 Travel Deals” newsletters at www.travelzoo.com. Now that you know how to dig on your own, read on for some examples of great deals you might find.

Budget Travel Magazine is offering reader codes that provide cheap hotels and flights for Jamaica. Your week-long vacation will include airfare, breakfast and seven nights in a one-bedroom suite at Serenity Villa in Ochos Rios, Jamaica starting as low as $661. You’ll have plenty of sun, sand, golf and marine activities. To get this deal, you must travel from November 1 through to December 21, January 8 to February 18 and February 27-28. The cheapest locations to fly out of are Miami and Orlando, but other gateways can be taken for an additional fee, such as Charlotte ($24), New York City ($37), Chicago ($86), Baltimore ($99) and Los Angeles ($186). To book, use code 1020KBBUD by February 1, 2010.

Similarly, American Airlines is offering cheap flights to the Bahamas for travel from November 19 through to January 31, 2010. Depart from Miami to North Eleuthera, Governors Harbour, Treasure Cay or George Town for $120 each way, plus taxes. Travelers will save approximately $60, compared to Bahamas Air flight fares. Naturally, there are blackout dates around Christmas, but if you’re flexible, this vacation is a great value. The Bahamas offer unparalleled sunshine, warm weather, snorkeling, parasailing, catamaran cruising and beach relaxation.

Expedia and LAN are offering cheap flights to Latin America, a region known for its pricey plane tickets. Visitors love Latin America for its culture, warm weather, pristine beaches, stunning architecture, Renaissance churches, palatial estates and historical sites. Holiday fares begin at $210 round-trip if you book and travel by December 30. There may be several black-out dates and you will need to add taxes and fees to your ticket price, but even so, these cheap airfares can’t be beat! Travel from Miami to Punta Cana for $210, Chicago to Quito for $648, New York to Guayaquil for $605 or Boston to Lima, Peru for $748.

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Many people travel during the holidays. For some it means a short car ride to a relative’s house. For others it may mean thousands of miles to get to a particular destination. The only feasible way to get there is to fly. But airfare is not always cheap. In fact it can be extremely expensive and in this economy that often leaves travelers without a way to get where they need to be. Even if it is not traveling during the holidays, airfare can still be quite expensive. But there are ways to get cheap airfare if you know what you are doing and where to go to look for the cheapest flights. And you should never automatically think that the airfare will be cheaper if you wait until closer to your departure day. This article can help you understand the tricks of the trade to finding the cheapest airfare possible.

How far in advance should I book my airfare if I want to get it cheap?

There were times when most people would wait until the very last minute to get their tickets because often the price dropped as the airlines needed to fill seats. Those times have changed though and usually your best bet is to book your airfare as far in advance as possible. Yes, you are taking the chance that the airfare may drop but it is far better to be safe than sorry. A last minute ticket purchase could wind up costing you over 50% more than if you had booked farther in advance.

Can you find cheap airfare to popular destinations?

The more popular a destination is, the cheaper the airfare is going to be. Why? It is because there are more regular flights with more passengers. Airlines are looking to cut costs and boost sales. So if there are more people flying to a popular destination, cheap airfare is far more attainable because there will be regularly scheduled flights that happen more frequently and the airlines will be able to have more passengers. If you choose an out of the way destination, you could very well pay much more for the flight simply because not many people visit at that particular time.

What are some of the travel restrictions for getting cheap airfare?

In the past cheap airfare meant that you had to work around some travel restrictions. One restriction may be that you could only fly on certain days of the week. Another was to put you on stand-by. These days those restrictions have been lifted and you can find deals for any day of the week. Yes, there are still going to be some restrictions on times of flights so you should keep that in mind if you have to be at a certain destination at a certain time. This is very important if you have to connect to another flight or are leaving on a cruise. One thing to keep in mind is flexibility. The more flexible you are with your dates and times of travel, the better the chance of finding the cheapest airfare possible.

Does the amount of tickets I purchase affect how cheap airfare can be?

If you are purchasing a block of airline tickets, it is definitely going to be cheaper. The same rule applies to just about anything. When airlines know that a group is traveling, they will often offer cheap airfare for the entire group for booking the same flight. So if you are going on a holiday you may want to see if other family members or friends want to go as well. In the case of booking multiple tickets, the best and safest bet is to go directly through the airline rather than through a discount website. Another option is to visit a travel agent.

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If you want to travel cheap this holiday season, then you’ve got to get the lowdown. When is no one else looking to book flight tickets? What destinations see very little tourism volume this time of year? What world-class hotels are willing to drop their rates to keep a constant influx of traffic through their halls? What extra perks can be added to a vacation just by electing to travel when no one else wants to? Which dates does one have to book by to get cut-rate prices? Here are the answers to all your burning questions regarding cheap travel deals.

The holidays leave many of us feeling worn out, so you may want to consider a “pampering” vacation just after the New Year. You can travel cheap to the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans from January 4-11, where $475/person will buy you 4 days/3 nights accommodations, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival, two cocktails, a romantic dinner for two with wine, daily breakfast for two, a tour of Nola’s famous drinks and taverns, a detox session at the Monteleone Spa Aria and a hangover kit (containing aspirin, Pepto-Bismol and Bloody Mary mix). This particular cheap travel deal will save you 62% off regular rates, which is quite a steal! Visit www.hotelmonteleone.com for more info.

The Caribbean is another one of the most desirable locations the winter months because the weather is always warm and tropical. Even so, you can still travel cheap once all the kids have gone back to school and most people have returned to work after some holiday time off. The Marley Resort & Spa in Nassau, Bahamas (owned by Bob Marley’s widow) offers half-price rates of $250/night, which also includes foot massages for two. Visit www.marleyresort.com for more details. The Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort and Spa is another option for cheap travel deals from January 4 – 31 because you can save over 50% off normal room rates. For $99/night, guests will stay in luxurious rooms and receive a 25% discount on massages at the resort spa. Check out www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/hotelpromo.jhtml?ctyhocn=SJOPAHH&promo=All_Inclusive.

Wintry getaways aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “vacation,” but you can travel cheap and have wonderful experiences if you don’t mind wearing that heavy fur coat. Breckenridge, Colorado offers $588/person packages that include four nights lodging in a two-bedroom luxury condo, three lift tickets, a dinner sleigh ride, a day of backcountry dog sledding and the Ullr Fest experience. Each year, Breckenridge’s Ullr Fest celebrates the Norse god of snow, with Viking helmets, games and libations. For more information on this cheap travel deal that runs from January 4 – 11, visit www.gobreck.com.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Travel

The popularity of air travel has been increasing in the past few decades.  There are a wide variety of reasons that have contributed to the increase in popularity including convenience and safety.  The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Airplanes emit greenhouse gases into our atmosphere which contributes to things like global warming.  A lot of people are keen to minimize the effect of global warming on the planet and they find this a major setback. Many airlines are becoming friendlier to the environment to prevent the effect of global warming. One of the ways in which this is achieved by many of these airlines is to retrofit winglet devices that make the aircraft fuel efficient.  In addition, many airlines have started upgrading their fleet of aero planes to modern fuel efficient aircraft by spending millions of dollars.

Disadvantage: High Cost

One major disadvantage in traveling by air is its cost. You may be able to travel by car to many destinations at a very cheap price as compared to traveling by flight. By flying on discount
airline it is possible to overcome this disadvantage of high cost. If you can find a good deal for airfare it can be the deciding factor for many people whether they will fly or drive.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

Many people refrain from flying.  For anyone that has ever been on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event it can be rather terrifying. 

Advantage: Speed of Travel

One of the major advantages in air travel is that it is able to take you to any of the places where airports are available at a much faster rate than any other forms of transportation.  While it can take days to drive across the United States, a person can fly the same distance in a number of hours.  The savings obtained in this mode of air travel gives you an opportunity to enjoy your vacation for a longer period.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

It is possible to cover long distances by flight in a reasonably short time whereas it is difficult to cover far off destinations by other modes of transportation. traveling to any destination in the world is possible if you travel by air. Some of these flights might prove to be quite long but they are still much shorter than if you had to rely on alternative means of transportation.

Advantage:  Safety

When you consider various modes of travel, you will find that travel by air is the safest. Each year thousands of deadly car crashes happen.  Even train derailments causing deaths are also being heard of very frequently. As compared to other modes of transportation you will find that accidents in air are negligible. Many people decide to travel by air since they feel that it is safer to fly than going by other means of transport.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here.  For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors.  As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.

Air Travel-Pros and Cons

The popularity of air travel has been increasing in the past few decades.  One can attribute a number of reasons for this increase in popularity and these are convenience and safety.  The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Airplanes are responsible for sending greenhouse gases into our atmosphere and these gases contribute for things like global warming.  A lot of people are keen to minimize the effect of global warming on the planet and they find this a major setback. In order to overcome this problem many airlines nowadays make efforts to become more environmental friendly. This can include them retrofitting their airplanes with a device called a winglet which improves fuel efficiency.  In addition, many airlines have started upgrading their fleet of aero planes to modern fuel efficient aircraft by spending millions of dollars.

Disadvantage: High Cost

High cost of travel makes many people avoid traveling by air. It is cheaper to fill up gas in your car and drive to your desired destination instead of going by flight. You can take advantage of discount
airline travel to obviate the high cost of travel by air. The main deciding factor for flying or driving is the type of deal you can get for airfare.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

Many people refrain from flying.  For anyone that has ever been on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event it can be rather terrifying. 

Advantage: Speed of Travel

The greatest advantage about air travel is that it is much faster to reach between places as compared to other means of travel; however these places have to be connected by air. Driving in United States between places could take you a number of days whereas you could cover this distance in a few hours by flight. The savings obtained in this mode of air travel gives you an opportunity to enjoy your vacation for a longer period.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

It is possible to cover long distances by flight in a reasonably short time whereas it is difficult to cover far off destinations by other modes of transportation. Air travel to practically any destination in the world is possible. Flying to far off destinations takes longer duration; however they are still shorter than the time taken if you had to rely on alternative modes of transportation.

Advantage:  Safety

One of safest mode of travels out of all the forms of travel available is air travel.  Each year thousands of deadly car crashes happen.  On the other hand you find that the occurrence of train accidents is also quite common. This is not to say that air accidents do not take place; however frequency of such accidents is very small.  Many people decide to travel by air since they feel that it is safer to fly than going by other means of transport.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here.  For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors.  As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.