Archive for the ‘Airline Tickets’ Category

10 Rules to Finding Cheap Airplane Tickets

Friday, June 20th, 2008

Looking for bargain prices is probably normal for frequent travelers. It is not surprising therefore, that cutting back on travel costs has become more creative. For instance, you should check out these rules that should be followed by every serious traveler.

Cheap Airplane Tickets
  1. Check ticket rates to neighboring cities. These flights are usually cheaper.
  2. When traveling domestically, choose the subsidiary airline instead of the major airline.
  3. Do not forget to check out online offers every Wednesday since airlines post their last minute offers around this time.
  4. Know when to be patient and when to grab the offers of cheap airfares.
  5. Be flexible when it comes to your travel plans. You will probably be surprised to know that ticket prices could soar even if the difference is just one day.
  6. Try to compare ticket rates offered by your travel agent to those offered by the airline. Always go for the one that is cheaper.
  7. You should check for cheap ticket offers early in the morning since this is usually the time that they are available.
  8. Never forget to check rates for round trip purchases. Most of the time, it is relatively cheaper to book these two-way tickets than the one-way flights.
  9. Book in advance if you are traveling during the holiday. Again, the law of supply and demand applies here.
  10. Check out ‘red eye’ flights and compare ticket prices. You can actually enjoy as much as 25 percent in discount.

These rules should help you find the best deals for cheap airline tickets. However, you must never forget that these travel deals usually come with certain conditions and limitations. You should make sure you have checked out all the details of the deal before booking these cheap flights in order to avoid any inconvenience.

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Airlines Slow Down Planes to Save on Fuel cost

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

With the cost of oil rising, the airline industry has taken steps to try to cutback on their fuel consumption in order to save money, and the newest step in this strategy is to slow down the speed at which planes travel. Just like as it is with cars, the faster a plane goes, the more gas it burns. The idea is that by slowing down planes and having them fly at more consistent speeds, the airline travel and airline ticket industries will all benefit from lower costs, which could have a direct impact on the average traveler’s ability to find cheap airline tickets.

Most airlines have found that by shaving even just a few minutes off flights, they can save huge sums of money on fuel consumption. Southwest airlines recently started flying slower, and estimates that by shaving only 1 to 3 minutes off the average flight time, they will save in excess of $42 million this year, a staggering number. Other airlines, such as Northwest and JetBlue have also employed this method of trying to save money on fuel consumption so that they don’t have to raise prices in other areas.

With the recent merger between Delta and Northwest and rising fuel costs combining to lead to higher airfare for travelers nationwide, the industry is trying to think of ways to remain competitive without raising air ticket prices. The general public is already having a lower opinion of air travel due to high incidents of delays, lost luggage and high airfare ticket prices over the past year, evidenced by a survey showing that confidence in the airline industry has fallen while frustration at air travel has grown. By keeping costs low, cheap airline tickets will be more readily available.

Most travelers so far have indicated that they are fine with losing only a few minutes out of their day if it means savings gas and maintaining lower air ticket prices. The airline industry has been struggling with higher fuel prices lately, as it has been rising steadily for some time. In the past year, the price of fuel imported to New York harbor for their airports has risen 71%.

To the average traveler, this should be beneficial as well. The long term ability of the airlines to maintain lower airfares and cheap airline tickets should be more important than a 5 minute delay to most travelers.

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Northwest Airlines to Raise Fuel Surcharge, Scale Back Operations

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

Northwest Airlines, one of the nation’s larger airlines, announced last week that it would be raising fuel surcharges on all tickets issued, largely as a result of the rising prices of gas and oil. With oil priced over $100 a barrel, this is expected to be a move many airlines are soon to take on, but for now, travelers looking for cheap airline tickets should probably look into other options besides Northwest, unless they are flying domestically.

Northwest Airlines

The airline announced that the increased fuel surcharge would probably amount to anywhere from an extra $10-$20 on flights from the United States to Asia, Australia and Europe. Domestically, flights shouldn’t change in price very dramatically at all. The airlines also said however that it would be scaling back its operation, and would probably do roughly 5% less flying this year than it has in the past, both within the country and internationally.

So what does this mean for travelers? In the immediate term it probably doesn’t mean all that much. There are still all kinds of opportunities out there for discount airfare, but it could signal the beginning of a larger trend that could end up hurting the travel industry and travelers alike. With the economic recession looming and fuel prices rising, many airlines are concerned both with the extra cost it will take to make flights, and also with the reluctance of potential customers to spend that extra money on a vacation in an unstable economy. This could result in many airlines losing money, and therefore in some cases it could lead to rising prices.

However, this could also be a benefit to discount airlines. As the average consumer looks to spend less money on airfare, airlines like JetBlue and Southwest could begin to see more customers, resulting in stable lower fares.

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Hawaiian Airlines to Expand Service

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

If you’ve been considering taking that family trip to Hawaii, now may be as great time to start planning your travel. With the recent news that ATA airlines, a main source for flights to the Pacific Islands, has declared bankruptcy, one of the leading discount airlines for Hawaii travel, Hawaiian Air, has announced they will be expanding service starting next month. Hawaiian Air could be a great source for cheap airline tickets now that they control the market.

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Great Deals for Spring Break

Monday, March 24th, 2008

Looking for cheap airline tickets during the Spring Break season is actually a challenging task. Good thing you have Ticketcomps to rely on for the latest deals.

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Explore the World Even on a Budget

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

As you hit the big 40, you might suddenly feel that time is running out for you to see the rest of the world. But just like most people, you know how expensive traveling can be. One of the best ways that you can probably cut travel expenses into a more manageable level is by purchasing cheap airline tickets. Now, the only thing you need to do is find these discounted fares.

Continue Reading: Explore the World Even on a Budget