Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
directly, adding no service charges and often finding fares that the larger
travel sites miss. Book at far ahead as possible for the best fares, because all
airlines raise prices as seats sell. I personally prefer JetBlue or Virgin America
because their seatback TV sets make the time go faster. If you're flying from
Europe into the United States, take a look at the fares from British Airways,
American, Continental, Delta, United, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa,
Icelandair, Martinair, and Iberia, as these carriers tend to have the lowest
rates for international travel.
Mobissimo.com
and
CheapFlights.uk.com
are
good for searching fares that don't originate in the U.S.
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Fly when others don't, and take an itinerary the biz travelers don't want.
As much as the rules of airfare change, one thing stays true: Those who fly
midweek and midday, and who stay over a Saturday night, will generally pay
less on the standard carriers than those who fly at more popular times. This
price difference is becoming less pronounced as airlines pack more people
onto each flight, but it still exists. Tuesday and Wednesday are also good days
to fly because fewer people are going then. If you jigger your days and you're
still finding that prices are high, perhaps a major convention is starting on
the day you want, bumping up traffic. The same goes for hotel rates. To save
the most, try to be flexible with your arrival and departure dates.
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Book at the right time.
Consider booking on a Wednesday, traditionally the
day when most airfare sales come out. These usually fall around four to six
weeks before departure, but you've got to be vigilant if you're going to rely
on this tactic; if for some reason the news about a sale doesn't reach your ears,
by the time you get to booking your ticket, many of the flights could be full
and prices could be high. Be sure to monitor such sites as Frommers.com,
SmarterTravel.com, and the Kayak.com “Buzz Feed,” all of which highlight
fare sales. If you don't want to live your life looking out for sales, the best rule
is to book as many months ahead as you can reasonably manage.
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Try booking through a consolidator.
Those traveling from another coun-
try may wish to use a consolidator or “bucket shop” to snag a ticket. These
companies buy tickets in bulk, passing along the savings to their customers.
If you reside in Europe, the best way to find one that services your area is to
go to the website
www.cheapflights.co.uk
, which serves as a clearinghouse for
bucket shops both large and small. Many will also advertise in the Saturday
papers and in London-based
TNT Magazine,
a backpacker bible that posts
its entire publication—ads by international sellers of cheap flights and all—
online at www.tntmagazine.com/emag. Be careful, though: Some charge
outrageous change fees, so read the fine print before you purchase your
ticket. Bucket shops will not be useful for those flying within the U.S.,
because they are not generally able to undercut standard pricing on domes-
tic travel.
San Francisco is one of the West Coast's two major gateways to Asia and
Australia, so lots of people from that part of the world use the city to break their
journeys from or to those places. If you doubt the breadth of destinations, you
may be surprised to learn there is even a nonstop flight to Dubai from SFO.
Given a choice between breaking a journey in Los Angeles and breaking one in
San Francisco, I'd pick the Bay Area every time, and not just because it's much
easier to get into and around San Francisco from its airports than it is Los Angeles.
