Monday, July 16, 2007
incredible airline deals
When I recently started planning out my trip to East Asia, I realized you can find some incredible airline deals out there with just a little bit of searching.
Tons of computer savvy folks have turned to travel websites like www.expedia.com/ or www.travelocity.com/, and these websites certainly have their uses. But more often then not, these websites will NOT show you the lowest prices you can get on your plane ticket.
1) If you're a college student or faculty member, http://www.studentuniverse.com/ can give you discount rates well below normal. I found the price of a non-stop ticket to Tokyo that was literally about $500 less than normal with the same airline! This source is by far the absolute best I have ever found.
2) Regardless of whether you're using Expedia, StudentUniverse, a travel agent, or buying directly from the airline, you can cut back your costs if you play around even a bit with the departure and arrival dates. The difference here can be hundreds.
3) Also, though this service has been mentioned many times before, http://www.kayak.com/ can also find you some ridiculous deals, especially if you don't have the advantage of student discounts on your side.
4) Once in a while it can be worth it to check with the airline's website since not all airlines post their prices on third-party sites (notable examples are JetBlue and Southwest).
5) Check with travel agencies. Some of them can offer you discounted rates because they buy airline seats in bulk. Also, check out the packages they offer if you're interested in getting a hotel at the destination you're headed toward anyways. This can shave off a bit on the plane ticket.
6) The most vital tip I can offer you is to start early and check many different sources. No one source has the lowest fares for every trip.
Good luck finding those coveted cheap plane tickets and enjoy that vacation hot spot you're after!
