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The Best Travel Sites For Finding and Booking Great Airfare and Hotel Deals

2010-08-15T07:10:00.002-07:00

The Best Travel Sites For Finding and Booking Great Airfare and Hotel Deals

A Google search for travel will return nearly 8 millions results. But how can you know which travel sites will truly assist you in your trip planning, and how can you figure out which ones you should visit first?

If you know where you want to go, your first step is probably finding out how much it will cost.

Airfare comparison travel sites have come a long way in the past few years. With fares from virtually all domestic carriers, Kayak.com is one of the best. A flexible-date feature makes it easy to see how much you could save by shifting your dates. And once you find a fare you like, clicking on it takes you to the airline's website to make reservations.

Sidestep scans more than 600 sites for fare information. It's another good place to look for cheap domestic flights.

European airlines like EasyJet and RyanAir offer really cheap airfares that aren't available in the United States. You have to be careful about all the hidden charges, but with fares of $2 one way from London to Rome or Paris, they're hard to resist.

The best place to find these fares is on Dohop.com. If you can, don't take any luggage to speak of. And read the fine print carefully. These low-price carriers are notorious for bait-and-switch tactics.

British Airways and several other international carriers recently started charging for advance seat assignments. If you're going to pay for an aisle or exit-row seat, you'd better make sure that it's worth the extra cost. Seatexpert.com or Seatguru.com can help you find the best seats on your flight.

Once you know how much your flights will cost, you can start looking for places to stay.

A lot of people start their search at Tripadvisor.com. With more than 25 million user-generated reviews, it's one of the most popular travel sites. But take it all with a grain of salt. The travelers who give a hotel rave reviews may have lower standards than you do.

We'd be careful about booking a hotel based exclusively on user-generated reviews. Fodors.com and Frommers.com both provide objective reviews from travel professionals. Check them out before you make a commitment.

For European hotels, Venere.com is an excellent travel site that includes lots of smaller properties you won't find listed on Travelocity or Expedia.

Oyster.com is a terrific new site with videos, photos and in-depth reviews by journalists who travel anonymously. But so far, they only cover a few destination.

Once you've settled on a hotel, don't waste a lot of time comparing prices. Since most of the hotel booking sites are owned by the same two or three parent companies, there's not much difference in price. If you find a rate that's a lot better than another, make sure it's for the same room type.

If the best price requires you to pay in advance, contact the hotel directly to see if they will match it without prepayment. If you do prepay to get the best rate, read the terms and conditions carefully. Most of the time, these rates are nonrefundable and once you book, you can't make any changes.

Hotels with low occupancy rates are often willing to negotiate, so if you're traveling at the last minute, call the property. And if you know occupancy is way down, consider showing up without reservations. A hotel with few guests will make you a very good deal if you appear on their doorstep.

M Ottersen is the author of tripplanningguide.net Look here for more Trip planning advice.

Cheap Flights to London - Tips For Finding Affordable Airfare

2010-08-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

Cheap Flights to London - Tips For Finding Affordable Airfare

London is one of the largest cities in Europe, as it welcomes 27 million tourists every year. It's also one of the oldest cities in the world and boasts museums and historical landmarks. Some of the most popular attractions include Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, etc.

Many of the centuries old buildings and castles are said to be haunted by ghosts of royalty and servants alike. Since it's such a fantastic city and tourist destination, cheap flights to London are sometimes hard to come by.

In fact, cheap international flights usually are hard to come by. Many Americans and Canadians find that flying to Ireland first, and then to London, is cheaper than flying to London directly. You shouldn't despair if you experience problems finding cheap airfare. It is possible to find, you just need to know where to look.

Here are some tips for finding cheap flights to London:

· Be flexible with your dates. All the online travel sites and services will provide you with suggestions if cheaper flights can be found a few days before or after those you select. You probably wouldn't think that just one day would make a significant difference in costs, but it really can.

· Don't forget that Heathrow isn't the only airport in the city! Gatwick and Stansted are also nearby, so be sure to check them out as well. And, as mentioned above, some people find it cheaper to fly to Ireland first, and then on to England.

· If you're on a set budget, you can always try to acquire cheap flights to London at airfare bidding sites. You can also sign up to be notified whenever a flight comes up within your budget range. You will also be emailed whenever the average price drops to something more affordable for you.

· If you live on the West coast of North America, you'll have to make it clear to the East coast before you can fly to London. Compare the cost of one, multi-city flight to the cost of flying to an East coast city and then from that city to London.

· New York isn't the only East coast departure city. There is also Charlotte, Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, Washington DC, etc. Try a variety of searches to find a departure city that offers cheap flights to London.

Follow these tips, and hopefully you'll find affordable airfare. The money you save on your flight can be used for touring the city and shopping!

You can begin your search for cheap flights to London right now! No matter where you live, you can save money on your trip to Great Britain. You can enjoy all the historical and cultural sites and shop all you want with the money you save by finding cheap flights to London.

About the author:

Nadav Snir operates a website which includes the best travel providers, including coupons and discounts. To get the best rates possible, visit his site: http://Great-Info-Products.com/Travel/index.html

Extremely Cheap Airfares - How Hard is it to Find Extremely Cheap Airfares?

2010-08-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Extremely Cheap Airfares - How Hard is it to Find Extremely Cheap Airfares?

Finding the right price for your budget when it comes to flying on an airline can be a tricky proposition. The world of air travel ticketing and pricing can seem like a maze of jargon and red tape that is meant to confuse the customer, rather than make your life easier and more convenient.

Even with the issues of modern day flights, traveling by air is still usually the most economical and fastest way to travel great distances. Keeping these three power tips in mind when searching for your next airfare should help you to find the extremely cheap plane tickets your are searching for.

Be Very Flexible. It helps a lot if you are not rigid with your travel dates. Also, flying mid-week can add significant savings. Saying over Saturday is not as important as it used to be for getting the best price, but avoiding peak holiday travel dates is very important when it comes to getting the cheapest airfare. Do not forget to check flights leaving from neighboring airports. You might be able to save a lot of money in exchange for driving to an airport a little farther away from your home.

Plan Ahead. When possible, always attempt to book your travel at least two weeks in advance. Bump that time period out to four weeks if you are looking at an international flight. Last minute deals can always be found, but if you have to travel, you could get in trouble if no deals are available, and you might be forced to pay a higher fare than is fair.
Always Check Round-Trip. One of the mysteries of the universe is that sometimes, the round-trip airfare will be less than the one-way airfare. It is one of those things that goes against common sense, but it happens all the time. Always check both prices when you are shopping for one-way travel.

Finding the best price for your airline tickets can take some work, but by using these three powerful tips can help you to find the absolute cheapest airfare that will meet your travel needs.

If you are looking to save some serious cash on airfares using techniques the airlines do not want you to know about, check out my new Cheap Flights Guide. I wrote this guide after the airlines shipped my job overseas with no warning.

So now I'm spilling their deepest and darkest secrets about how to get cheap flights. This confidential information is guaranteed to save you money every time you fly.

Cheap Airfare to India - The Land of Spices

2010-05-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Cheap Airfare to India - The Land of Spices

To find cheap airfare to India, the internet is the only viable option. With the price of fuel fluctuating, so do the prices so frequency of looking is your best option. The farther in advance you look is generally the cheapest but after 2 months the savings is not significant.

There are a lot of low cost flights being advertised like the one from Kuwait Airways for $580. This is a one stop flight from JFK to Mumbai with a layover in Kuwait City. The part most of the great looking prices leave out are the taxes and fees. For this particular flight they are $280 in fees and taxes added to the ticket. This is typical and a reoccurring event in the price wars on the internet.

The taxes and fees vary from airlines to airlines. This is even if they use the same airports so the fees are just hidden costs from the airlines to get more money out of their customers without looking greedy. A good example is from Qatar Airways.

The difference from the Kuwait Airways price is only $40.00 more but the fees and taxes are $398. This is a $118 increase with the same departure point and destination. The stop over is Doha in Qatar, which is in the Middle East just like Kuwait City.

There are airlines that are upfront like Emirates. Their ticket is $949 but the taxes and fees are only $92. The stop over is in Dubai. The starting point and destination is the same as the other 2 prices quoted above. This makes it evident that the taxes are close to being the same and only the fees charged by the airlines are the variant.

The three prices are $580, $620 and $949. With the fees and taxes the prices change to $860, $1018 and $1041. With the cheap airfare to India, look out for the added charges for luggage that will reduce your savings.

Are you planning to go and visit India? Looking for a a cheap flights to India? Will give you what you want it's all in here the information and updates visit ushttp://www.cheapticketstoindia.org.

5 Ways to Secure Low Cheap Airfare

2009-11-03T03:11:00.001-08:00

5 Ways to Secure Low Cheap Airfare

For low cheap airfare please fasten your seat belt

The best time to book your cheap airfare online

Never, ever, book your flight over the weekend , neither book on a Monday or a Friday as these are the most expensive days to book. The best day and time to book is on a Wednesday after 10.00pm but before 10.00am on Thursday (preferably before 8.00am if you can make the effort to get out of your bed – it’s sure worth your time). The aforementioned tip is due to the way airlines adjust their flight prices.

Generally speaking they will raise them on a Friday, leave them riding high all weekend and if sales are slow they will lower them on Monday morning. Lowering them further on Wednesday evening until Thursday afternoon when they will start to raise them once again, peaking on Friday through Monday.

One final point: If you are considering flying during the next month, make sure you book just after the 7^th of the month as airlines readjust their inventory around this time.

Best days to fly

Well, frankly, if you like me, enjoy travel, any day is a good day to fly. However, in the best interests of securing low cheap airfare don’t even think about travelling on a Monday, or a Friday . The best days to book your flight (actual flying time) is either on a Wednesday or Thursday, Tuesday is OK too.

Obliterate your cookies

Yes, the chocolate chip kind too (yum-yum), but in this case I mean the little cookie spies on your computer, the cookie monsters which hold your preferences, search history , ID’s etc. This is particularly relevant when your searching for cheap airfares on the same site, over and over again, even on different days.

If your cookies are not cleared when you return to the site, you will be identified and all your previous searches are know etc. I am not espousing any conspiracy theories here, but you get my drift – don’t you?

Newsletter sign-up

Visit airline websites (not agents) and sign up for their newsletter or frequent flyer programs. Once on the list you will occasionally get offers and discounts emailed to you. Don’t underestimate the power of this strategy as like everyone else, airline marketing departments have sales targets to meet and will often keep red hot promotion codes to themselves to mail to their list.

Get alerts from airfare comparison sites and Google alert

Sign-up for cheap fare alerts with airline comparison sites. An important point here is to state your parameters and preferences as you don’t want to be getting alerts which are not relevant to your flying plans.

It’s also worth using the Google alert service. Be specific with your keywords though . For instance, if you set an alert for low cheap airfare you will be bombarded with alerts which may not be relevant to you. So go for something like: fly to the Caribbean for 300 dollars. Don't forget to send me a postcard!

You now have some great advice on securing your low cheap airfare. If you want to further increase your chances I strongly suggest you take a look at this Cheap Airfare Guide I would just love to give you this info free but I don't want to get slapped with a copyright infringement (smiley).

How to Get Cheap Airfare - Find the Best Airfare Deal Online!

2009-10-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

How to Get Cheap Airfare - Find the Best Airfare Deal Online!

Nearly half of all travel airfare is booked online so it pays to look online to get cheap airfare. With a little bit of legwork you'll be able to come up with the lowest best airfare deal and often save hundreds of dollars on your airline tickets in the process.

First of all the three major travel sites will often have different prices for the same flight. So go the easy way to Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity and look up and compare prices side by side. If you don't have to fly at a specific time of day, try typing in different times for your arrival and departure.

Be as open as you can and experiment a little. The airfares on the flights that are less popular will save you the most money. You should find significant savings and often a different price for each of the travel sites.

You can save even more money if you avoid the booking tools on the travel website's home page. Instead go to the search options box, Plug in more information such as airports located within a 50-mile or drivable distance. You can save a lot of money on your airfare and get it a lot cheaper if you're willing to be flexible.

Know what a ticket usually sells for. This may take a little research over time to come up with a good average price so you know what a good price for your airfare is when you see it.

Check to see if the discount airline Southwest Airlines flies on your route.

Start shopping for cheap airfare far ahead of time but don't book then, preferably three months ahead or so - airlines post their schedules from six to eleven months ahead of time. This will be information-gathering time.

Forget shopping and booking travel on weekends, the best time to shop and buy cheap airfare is late on Monday or early on Tuesday. Airlines will start their airfare sales on Sunday night or Monday morning. However other airlines usually match the airfares that are on sale by Monday evening so you have more options.

The cheapest day to book airfare is Wednesday, followed by Tuesday and Saturday. Tuesday and Saturday can be good because the airlines are trying to fill seats because of the low demand for these days.

Airlines post airfare to the computer system that's used by the travel websites and travel agents, three times a day - 7:00 A.M., 9:30 A.M. and 5 P.M. Pacific time and on Saturday and Sunday at 2 P.M. also Pacific time. So make sure to have a fare in mind and check several times a day. Fares can change in an hour or two so if you see a price that you know is right make sure to book it right away.

Make sure to start shopping early. Know that fares will start to rise in some cases 14 days before a flight and for sure 7 to 10 days before your flight.

With these tips you should get off to a good start now that you know some of the secrets to how to get cheap airfare and finding the best airfare deal online. There are a few other trade secrets to learn also. Continue to do your research online and you'll save lots of money on your airline tickets and travel online when you fly.

For more tips and secrets for getting the best and cheapest airfare deals go tohttp://www.GetTheBestDealOnline.com for deals on electronics, laptops, credit, airfare, and more and best discounts, hot deals, low cost, wholesale deals and the best deals online and online shopping tips, fraud and security tips.

Cheap International Flights - Getting the Lowest Cost International Airfares Possible

2009-09-30T09:44:00.001-07:00

Cheap International Flights - Getting the Lowest Cost International Airfares Possible

Cheap international flights are every travellers dream. After all, most international flights run in the high hundreds to thousands of dollars, so any savings are a huge bonus. Unfortunately, most people have absolutely no idea how to get the absolute best deals on their international airfares.

Just going to a major travel site and picking the lowest fare that shows up won't get the lowest price. Here are some tricks you can use on your next flight to save the most money possible.

Check international versions of travel sites...

Let's say you're flying to England. You jump on Expedia.com and check the flights and assume the lowest one you see is the best deal and book it. You could be missing out on even better savings that are just a few clicks away!

All you have to do is head to Expedia.co.uk, the United Kingdom version of the site. Often times there are even better deals available on the same or similar flights. You just need to look. Always check if there is an international extension of the travel sites for the country you're flying to.

Follow up your online search with a call to a travel agent...

Once you've completed your in-depth online search and found the lower price on the net, don't book it just yet! The best thing to do now is to call a travel agent, tell them the price you've found and see if they can do any better!

International flights are expensive, and that simple extra step could save you hundreds of dollars extra. If the experienced travel agent can't find you a cheaper price, then it cost you nothing to ask. If they can, you've just saved yourself a chunk of extra cash!

Learn all the secrets to cheap flights directly from the experts...
These are only a couple of the tips and tricks you can use to knock hundreds, and even thousands, off of your future flights. There are so many more that are almost completely unknown to the general public.

Go to Cheap-Flights-Secrets.com and check out Fly Cheap! Airfare Secrets Revealed! The ultimate guide to saving on airfares, Fly Cheap! will show you exactly what you need to know to save the absolute most possible on all of your future flights.

Some Kinds of International Airline Discounts

2009-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Some Kinds of International Airline Discounts

With the war among the airline companies getting hotter day by day and rising to the skies, the international airfares have shown a sudden drop, with endless discounts being offered everyday to travelers.

Alongside, international countries offer numerous upcoming deals in travel packages and discount international airline tickets, encouraging more and more tourists to spend their vacation in one of these much known or not so known international destinations.

It's a true fact that international vacation can create a hole in one's pocket, so maximum of the travelers look for cheapest and affordable ways to do things including accommodation at very reasonable price, discounted airline tickets, cheap eating and shopping and so on.

Discount international airline ticket is one of the smartest ways to have an advantage on budget during international vacation.

Well, there are several ways to fly out of the country without hurting your wallet too much. Looking or asking for discount airline tickets is something very common all these days. One can ask for his discount airline tickets from a travel agent as well from airline authorities.

You can also browse the web for discount international tickets. Spending few minutes on the internet and comparing different airplane deals can actually get you great vacation packages as well as discounted airline tickets.

Mostly, travel agencies fail to compete with the international airline tickets available on the internet. Numerous travel search engines, tourist boards. Trip planners and tourist guides are promoted through website technology.

Booking international airline ticket on net requires intensive research and is a best way to start your quest for airline tickets if you are flying for the first time internationally. It's almost impossible to say which travel website offers right kind of discount on international airline tickets.

These websites keep on getting updated every now and then. Best way for 'money saving' is to always compare numerous websites and search engines before booking your discounted international airplane ticket.

Great news is that many travel portals believe in providing discount to military personal. It is their way to honor men and women who served or is serving their country. In case you are one such traveler, don't forget to grab your military discount on airline ticket.

Alongside, if you are business personal, you must also check if any discounts are being applicable in your case. Often, it's the economy class which gets covered under these discounted airfares by certain airlines. Also, booking tickets in advance can also help you save huge bucks on international cheap tickets.

Discounts on international airfare surely changes with routes. Airliners may not offer heavy discounts on extremely busy routes. Certain less-busy routes are loaded hefty discounts. Seasons also a play a vital role in availing cheap flights & international airfare discounts. Discounts are almost negligible during peak seasons and the moment the peak season ends, airfares show a drastic negative.

Ashu Kaushik: is a renowned and truly acclaimed author in the field of Travel. His write ups has helped his readers a lot to grab maximum benefits in the market of cheap air tickets and flights to bangkok.

Discount Airfare: AirTran Flights from $39 One-Way

2009-05-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

Discount Airfare: AirTran Flights from $39 One-Way

If you're looking for a quick weekend getaway or planning an end-of-the-summer vacation, AirTran might just have the flights to fit your budget.

Starting at $39 one-way, these AirTran flights land at just about all the places the discount airline flies.
In order to grab these cheap flights, you'll have to book your travel by May 12, but you can travel through Nov. 11, 2009.

Sample fares include flights to Las Vegas, Orlando flights, Miami flights and flights to San Francisco.

We found a few sample flights with AirTran, but there are plenty more to be found. Book your summer airfare with AirTran to capture these deals:

Atlanta -- San Francisco $129
Atlanta -- Washington D.C. $74
Baltimore -- Las Vegas $129
Baltimore -- Miami $79
Boston -- Phoenix $129
Charlotte -- New York (LGA) $69
Chicago (MDW) -- Miami $89
Dallas Fort Worth -- Chicago (MDW) $117
Detroit -- Philadelphia $99
Los Angeles -- Orlando $129
Miami -- Seattle $129
Minneapolis St. Paul -- West Palm Beach $84
New York (LGA) -- Miami $84
New York (LGA) -- San Francisco $129
Orlando -- Phoenix $129
Orlando -- San Francisco $129
Philadelphia -- St. Louis $82
Raleigh-Durham -- Fort Myers $79
St. Louis -- Tampa $99
Washington D.C. -- Houston $89
Washington (DCA) -- Los Angeles $129
Washington D.C. -- Orlando $79
West Palm Beach -- Phoenix $129

Taken From CheapFlights.com

Discount Airfare: Spirit's $35 Promotion Ends Today

2009-04-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Discount Airfare: Spirit's $35 Promotion Ends Today

There are less than 24 hours left to save $35 with Spirit Airlines.

Book a flight by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 13 for travel between April 21 and Nov. 17. To get the $35 discount, enter 35HOURS in the promotion code box. This discount works for flights that are $49 each way or higher.

We tested the promotion code for Memorial Day weekend from Boston to Atlantic City and didn’t see a price difference. However, when using the travel dates July 9 and July 13, the promo code did save us some cash.

The airline notes that the $35 discount already reflects a savings of $10 for booking online. This just means you’ll actually only see an additional $25 off when you use the promo code.

Our July flight to Atlantic City was $157 round-trip without the discount, but totaled $132 round-trip with the promo code.

Taken From CheapFlights.com

Discount Airfare: Morocco Flights From $567 RT

2009-04-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Discount Airfare: Morocco Flights From $567 RT

What’s the one thing keeping you from visiting Morocco? We’d guess it’s the normally sky-high airfares, because there's no other reason to miss out on the amazing cuisine and culture of this country. So, if your schedule accommodates traveling in May, Iberia Airlines has just the airfare for you.

Book round-trip flights to Tangier from New York, with taxes and fees included, for $567. Or, head out on a flight to Casablanca for $563. Prepare to be flexible since these prices are only good on select days in May.

To understand why this is a good deal, consider this: A round-trip flight on Iberia Airlines from NYC to Casablanca cost one traveler, with student discount, a total of $805.06 back in December and January.

Taken From CheapFlights.com

10 Family-friendly Places to Visit Before the Recession Ends

2009-04-11T01:31:00.000-07:00

10 Family-friendly Places to Visit Before the Recession Ends

The current recession has hit hard, from the largest corporations down to each individual. At best it has caused financial belt-tightening among some, at worst it has devastated others. No one is completely immune.

But there is a silver lining: The travel industry has felt the effects, too, which has caused some of the best deals in a very long time to become available. Travel suppliers (airlines, hotels, cruises, car rentals, etc) need people to travel.

The current economy has made family travel, in particular, abundantly affordable. Yes, individual travel is also affordable, but do the math and you'll see why family travel is economically hot.

My family totals five people so I have to account for the travel costs of four additional people. My co-worker (and Cheapflights.com site editor) Melanie Nayer recently raved about an amazing deal in Jamaica this year (it truly is amazing) that she is considering. It's a great luxury vacation for less, especially for an individual, but can it equate to a cheap vacation for a family of five?

The hotel is offering an all-inclusive experience (room, meals, drinks, activities, transfers, taxes, tips) for a fantastic rate. Bonus: kids under 12 stay and eat free. There is a four night minimum though, and I would have to pay to fly all five of us there. But factor in the free meals, free drinks and free activities that the hotel is offering and the deal is great even for a family of five.

There are destinations meant for everyone and every family. If you have the means to travel, now is the time to do so. In some cases, it would be cheaper for you to travel than to send your kids to camp for a week (I know from experience). Food for thought.

I’ve compiled a list of some of the more family-friendly destinations that you should consider more closely this year, mainly because all of these places now are within reach financially:

1. Hawaii:

Yes, it is a long flight even from the West coast, but once you are there it is so worth it. Last year, when fuel was over $4 per gallon, Hawaii travel was out of reach for many people. It just took too much fuel to fly there and thus added extra cost.

Now that fuel is 58 percent less than it was last year, airfares have dropped. If you have to pick one island, I highly recommend Kauai (although you can’t go wrong on the other islands). Kids will love playing in tide pools, seeing Waimea Canyon, and will be mesmerized by Wailua Falls. That is, of course, if you can get them to leave the beaches long enough to explore the rest of the island.

2. Las Vegas:

Take advantage of cheap airfare deals to Las Vegas and then head off in the opposite direction to explore the desert. Check out Hoover Dam (30 miles away); Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (20 miles away); Grand Canyon (about 200 miles away); Zion National Park (170 miles away); even Scottsdale, AZ is nearby. In Las Vegas, there are options other than whether to play blackjack or poker.

3. London:

Cheapflights’ world headquarters is in London. Every time I go there, I always think how much I want to bring my family on the next trip. For such a big reputation, London feels small when you're there.

It is a city easily walked and has a great mix of historical sites (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben) and more interactive activities (London Eye, Taussaud’s Wax Museum). Restaurants and hotels are equally ample. Plus, the value of the dollar has strengthened dramatically in Europe making it even more affordable once you are there.

4. Cruise:

(Full disclosure: I’ve never actually been on a cruise but I have always been interested in trying it.) With some of the great deals we are seeing now, this just might be the year to hit the high seas. The nice thing about a cruise is there is truly something for everyone.

The vacation can be whatever you want to make it and in most cases, you stop at three or four ports so there's a nice variety of sites to see. Many cruise lines are offering package deals that include airfare and upgrades to more premium cabins. I couldn’t offer a top 10 list without this making the cut.

5. Australia:

Summer of 2008, you would have had a tough time finding a good deal from the U.S. to Australia. It was just too far and required too much jet fuel to get there. What a difference a year makes.

Today, Australia airfares range from $900 - $1000 per round-trip ticket, which makes this one of the more expensive places on this list. However, these are actually great deals for Australia. The point of this list was to stretch the boundaries and show you how to afford something that may have been out of reach before. Once there, Sydney offers excellent museums and cultural activities. Head to the Gold Coast for wonderful beaches and some neat water parks.

6. Seattle:

Ask anyone what the weather is like in Seattle and they will mention rain. It does rain there, but it’s actually not nearly as bad as is portrayed. Seattle has a laid back attitude that makes stress and anxiety a thing of the past.

Explore Pike Place Market, take advantage of the many parks throughout the city, see the Space Needle, or rent some kayaks and explore Puget Sound. If you have some extra time, you could set your sights on Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

7. Chicago:

It’s a quick and direct flight to Chicago for most. For the price of a taxi ride, spring for a flat rate and catch a limo ride from the airport to the city, which will excite adults and kids. Once in the city, you don’t need to rent a car – you can either walk or take the El (subway) to most of the popular sights.

Rent bikes to ride along the shore of Lake Michigan; visit Navy Pier, or spend time in the world class museums. Head out to Wrigley for classic old-time baseball. But most of all, make sure you leave room for the best deep dish pizza you will ever have.

8. San Francisco:

Ok, this one is for my East Coast contingent. Not only have airfares come down dramatically, but you have several more airline options at your disposal as JetBlue and Virgin America expand their offerings.

Take your kids to Alcatraz, ride the cable cars, and explore the recently developed water front (not Fisherman’s Wharf which is very touristy). Rent bikes and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge.

You have a ton of hotel options at your disposal from big name chains to boutique smaller properties. A good airfare in 2008 ran around $400 round-trip per person. This year, you’ll pay closer to $250. How’s that for affordable?

9. Orlando:

I hesitated with this one, I really did. Many parents don’t look forward to a visit to Disney while almost every kid would jump at the chance. I get why, believe me, I do. However, with the Orlando flight and hotel deals that abound (many including park admission as well), a trip to Orlando definitely makes sense.

I have three kids under 9 years old and the wonderful Disney marketing machine has made an impact. I know firsthand how badly kids want to visit. Why pay more once the recession ends?

10. Ireland:

It use to feel like stepping way back in time when I visited Ireland 15 years ago. Today, my brother lives there so I’ve been quite a few times. Although the major cities have stepped into the 21st century, you can still feel the old world charm when you visit the outlying countryside.

True, I have a free place to stay when I visit (and no, I am not divulging my brother’s address), which helps contain my costs. However, Melanie recently booked a trip to Ireland for the summer - the notoriously peak-travel season - and found great rates on hotels in top cities.

For only $92/night, she nabbed a one-bedroom suite along Ireland's West Coast. The hotel has an equestrian farm on site for horseback riding, and is only a few miles from one of the most breathtaking sites in the world: the Cliffs of Moher.

Rent a car (they drive on the opposite side then we do in the US so be careful!) and drive to Kinsale which is one of the prettiest seaside towns I have ever seen. Head up north and tour the Ring of Kerry on your way to Galway.

(Another hotel deal: Melanie booked a room at a bed-n-breakfast in Galway Center for $80/night.) On your way back, leave some time to explore Killarney which is beautiful, as well. Your kids will love the outdoor activities Ireland has to offer and you will love the slower pace (and the fresh Guinness for lunch…or maybe that was just me).

Taken From CheapFlights.com

Some Tips For Booking Air Travel On A Budget

2009-04-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Some Tips For Booking Air Travel On A Budget

By BETH J. HARPAZ AP Travel Editor

NEW YORK—If you're on a budget but you'd like to fly somewhere for your next vacation, there's good news.

"Domestic fares are down 9 percent over a year ago and summer fares to Europe are down 19 percent," said Mike Fridgen, product manger for Farecast.com.

"Bargains are out there," agreed George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com.

Examples: JFK to Paris, for under $500 roundtrip; Southwest's $49 one-way tickets, and once-in-a-lifetime dream fares from Newark to Hawaii, in the mid-$400s, including taxes and fees.

These and many other deals are easy to find online. But there are some strategies you can use to make sure you get the lowest possible airfares. Here are some tips from the experts.

RESEARCH: "The most important thing is to do your homework," said Michele Perry, spokeswoman for TripAdvisor.com, which just launched a new flight search aggregator.

To do your research right, you'll need to compare fares from many different sources. "Too many people get cozy with their favorite search engine, blithely thinking that it's the best," said Hobica. If there were one best Web site, he added, "the rest would be out of business by now."

"There's not one Web site out there that has the cheapest fare," agreed John E. DiScala, founder of JohnnyJet.com.

Sign up for newsletters and e-mail alerts from airlines that serve the routes you're shopping for, and from sites like AirfareWatchdog, JohnnyJet, Farecast and others, including FareCompare, Kayak, Orbitz and Travelocity. Many airlines post their best fares only on their own Web sites, including Southwest, Allegiant Air, SAS, Aloha, Aer Lingus, Qantas, Alaska, Air New Zealand, and JetBlue, Hobica said.

Absurdly cheap fares, like a recent $14 flight on JetBlue from New York to San Francisco, don't show up on booking sites because the sites can't earn a commission on them. But that fare was mentioned in an alert from AirfareWatchdog, in JetBlue's e-mail stream and on Twitter, Hobica said.

"They Twittered to death that $14 fare, but it was not on Kayak, Travelocity or Expedia," Hobica said.

Airlines may also make deals with some sites and not others, so you may find fares differ for the same flight on different Web sites.

Another source for news about cheap fares, DiScala said, is the message boards of Webflyer.com.

And don't overlook promotional codes. "If you sign up for an airline's frequent flyer program or the airline newsletter, some airlines will generate a promotional code that you can use to get a discount when you book," Hobica said. Often these codes are generated individually and can only be used once, so you won't find them on Web sites.

Finally, as crazy as it sounds, check out package deals. Sometimes it's cheaper to book a hotel and airfare package even if you don't need lodging.

DiScala said he recently saw an airfare on United for $590, but on Travelocity, the same airfare was $480 including four nights in a hotel. That's because hotels and tourism agencies sometimes subsidize airfares to bring people in.

NOW OR LATER: You'd need a crystal ball to know for sure whether fares will keep going down or if they're stabilizing.

TripAdvisor's Perry says "there's anticipation that we're fairly close to rock bottom,"

But Hobica says the news on the economy just keeps getting worse, and "the airlines are panicking again. Spring fares softened and they're softening more. I expect to see summer fares soften, too."

He added that "we're seeing a lot more low fares with no advance purchase, or just three days' advance, because the airlines realize that people are afraid to plan way ahead in this uncertain economy."

If you book now and the fare goes down later, some airlines, including JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska, give a voucher good for future travel for the difference, said Hobica. Others will refund the difference but charge a fee of $150 or more.

WATCH THE HYPE: Sometimes a fare is so low it seems too good to be true. And it just might be.

First, a lot of really cheap deals are one-way, and the return fare may be more, depending on when you want to come back.

Second, look for those pesky little asterisks next to the price. On international flights, taxes and surcharges could add up to several hundred dollars.

"You've got to be careful about the hype around the deals," Perry said. For example, she recently checked out one of Southwest's famous $49 fares, "but when I priced it, it wasn't the cheapest option with taxes and fees, plus it's only one-way."

TripAdvisor's new Flights finder has a "Fees Estimator" function that can also help you keep track of little things—charges for food, checking baggage, even headphones. "If you're traveling with a family of four and everybody sends a bag, you could end up spending the price of a ticket on checking your luggage," said Perry.

DATES MATTER: Look for deals early in the week: "A lot of airlines release their sale fares on Tuesday," said Perry.

And be flexible about when you travel. "It's usually cheapest to fly midweek," she said.

You could also save big on summer fares if you fly early or late in the season, during the shoulder periods of May to mid-June or late August to September, in the weeks before and after peak summer travel, according to Fridgen of Farecast.com.

Newark to Honolulu, for example, is on sale in the mid-$400s through early June, but "once you get to June 15 on, it bumps up $200 a ticket," Fridgen said.

Similarly, JFK to Paris, Fridgen found a sample fare departing June 24, returning July 2, for $567. Push the departure date forward just one day to June 25, and the price goes up to $822.

Hobica recommends using a flexible date search. "Orbitz and CheapTickets.com search over any 30-day period, and include all international routes; Travelocity and CheapAir.com search over a 330-day period, but don't offer all international routes," he said.

COMPARE ROUTES: "Connecting is usually cheaper than a nonstop if you're willing to take a connecting flight," said Perry.

But weigh the risks: If you're switching planes, is there enough time to make your next flight? If there's a long layover, are you going to blow a day of your vacation in the airport, spending money on food?

And check out alternate airports. Perry's home airport is Logan in Boston, so she always looks at flights out of Providence, R.I., and Manchester, N.H., too. "Sometimes nearby airports will be cheaper," she said.

AirfareWatchdog has a search option to see the cheapest fares to any destination from a wide range of cities at a glance—for example you can ask to see all the lowest fares to Paris from anywhere in the U.S.

In Europe, the cheapest destination airports include Dublin, Frankfurt, Shannon, and London Gatwick (not Heathrow), Hobica said. Even if you're not headed to those cities, you might save money by flying in and connecting to a cheap European airline like Ryanair or EasyJet to get where you're going.

For a quick directory of which budget airlines serve which markets, visit WhichBudget.com.

Just remember that it's not always easy to transfer between two airports near one city. It could take hours and cost a bundle to travel between London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Taken From MercuryNews.com

Finding Cheap Airfare Online

2009-03-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Finding Cheap Airfare Online

Not only can you find the cheapest airfare ticket prices online, but you can also find the best seats and choose the amenities you`d like on your flight as well.

Comparing airfare prices is the key to getting a good deal, and websites such as www.farecompare.com make it easy. The site lets you choose from a list of search sites, such as priceline-dot-com and super-search, and you can compare prices until you find the lowest one.

Each day, Fare Compare also finds cheap travel deals from a variety of airlines, like the Jetblue promotion for cheap summer flights to Ireland.

Sidestep.com is another flight comparison site, but this one also shows you how altering the time of your flight will change the price of your ticket.

You can also choose the duration of your layovers, and your overall flight time, and the site will remove the flights that don`t match your criteria.

One of the most popular price-comparison sites now is www.kayak.com. Here, users can compare the prices of other travel sites, or use the price that Kayak has generated.

If you`ve already booked the flight, the next step is to choose your seat. Before you do that, log onto www.seatguru.com
. This site has graphics of hundreds of different planes, with detailed seat maps.

There`s a key that tells you which seats have been given the best and worst reviews, and graphs showing you where the rest-rooms, emergency exits, and even the overhead TVs are.

Finally, to make sure that everything goes well on the day of your trip, check out www.flightstats.com. This site offers real-time updates on the latest status of your flight, including information about the gates the flight is scheduled to depart from, and where it will arrive.

There`s also something called a delay index, which tells you what the current delay time is at every major airport in the country.

Most of these sites also offer guarantees that they`ll find you the cheapest flight, or give you a rebate if the price drops.

Taken From KFYRTV.com

Discount Airfare: AirTran's $39 Flight Sale

2009-03-11T00:57:00.000-07:00

Discount Airfare: AirTran's $39 Flight Sale

AirTran is launching a new nationwide sale, starting as low as $39 for one-way travel.

The carrier's sale fares are divided according to peak time travel and off-peak flights to its popular routes.

Sample one-way fares include Atlanta flights to Charleston for $39 (off-peak) or $49 (peak); Baltimore flights to Milwaukee for $69 (off-peak) or $79 (peak)' and Richmond flights to Orlando for $79 (off-peak) of $89 (peak).

Off-peak travel must take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while peak flights are on Fridays and Sundays.

Customers must book and buy their tickets online with AirTran no later than March 12 and complete their travel by Nov. 4.

Taken From CheapFlights.com

How to Get Student Cheap Airfare

2008-10-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

How to Get Student Cheap Airfare

As a student, you will definitely be concerned about saving costs on several things in order to get by. There is a whole load of expenses that you have as a student that makes it mandatory for you to devise ways to fill up your piggy bank for a rainy day.

Students love to travel too. It is obviously students who contribute to the traffic increase in airliner passengers during the summer as they either go home for the break or go for other study programs elsewhere.

As a student, you are automatically entitled to discounted airfare in recognition of your status and demands as a student. Before you purchase an air ticket as a student, you will be expected to prove that you are a student by bringing out your identity card, which shows that you are a student. You can still get cheaper airfare as a student by adhering to certain tricks. The fact that you get cheap airfare as a student does not mean that you can't get it cheaper.

You can get even cheaper airfare by booking your ticket in advance. Cheaper airfare can also be possible if you take off early in the morning or late in the evening when traffic is less. You can get a lower airfare charge as student by conducting comparisons of different student airfare available and picking the cheapest of the lot.

Basically, cheap airfare can be cheaper if you look in all the right places. You may be tempted to take your low cost airfare initial offer from the airline after all, it's cheaper than most airfare chargers right?

That's true, but you can save even more money by being flexible in your travel time or by simply getting yourself bumped from an over booked flight. As a student, if you make up your mind to get the cheapest of the cheap of airfare, you'll be better off for it.

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Privacy Policy

2008-10-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Privacy Policy for cheap-airfare-discounts.blogspot.com

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