Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FLYING FOR LESS:
TIPS FOR GETTING
THE BEST AIRFARE
If you're flying from the U.S., keep in
mind that the airlines' low season is
from mid-April to the end of
August—and this happens to be the
best time to travel most parts of Aus-
tralia. High season is December
through February, and shoulder sea-
son is September through November,
and again from March to mid-April.
Keep an eye out for special deals
throughout the year. Unexpected lows
in airline passenger loads often lead
airlines to put cheap offers on the
market. The catch is these usually have
a short lead-time, requiring you to
travel in the next 6 weeks or so. Some
deals involve taking a circuitous route,
via Fiji or Japan, for instance.
Some travel agents specializing in
cheap fares include
Austravel
(
&
800/633-3404
in the U.S. and
Canada or 0870/055 0239 in the
U.K.; www.austravel.net);
Downun-
der Direct,
a division of Swain Aus-
tralia (
&
800/642-6224
in the U.S.
and Canada; www.downunderdirect.
com); and
Goway
(
&
800/387-8850
in the U.S. and Canada; www.goway.
com).
Here are some other ways to keep
your airfare costs down.
• Passengers who can book their
ticket
long in advance,
who can
stay over Saturday night,
or who
fly midweek
or
at less-trafficked
hours
will pay a fraction of the
full fare. If your schedule is flexi-
ble, say so, and ask if you can
secure a cheaper fare by changing
your flight plans.
• You can also save on airfares by
keeping an eye out in local news-
papers for
promotional specials
or
fare wars,
when airlines lower
prices on their most popular
routes. You rarely see fare wars
offered for peak travel times, but if
you can travel in the off-months,
you may snag a bargain.
• Search
the Internet
for cheap
fares (see “Planning Your Trip
Online,” earlier in this chapter).
• Try to book a ticket
in its country
of origin.
For instance, if you're
planning a one-way flight from
Sydney to Auckland, an Australia-
based travel agent such as Flight
Centres will probably have the
lowest fares. For multileg trips,
book in the country of the first
leg; for example, book Mel-
bourne-Auckland-Los Angeles in
Australia.
•
Consolidators,
also known as
bucket shops, are great sources for
international tickets. Start by
looking in Sunday newspaper
travel sections; U.S. travelers
should focus on the
New York
Travel in the Age of Bankruptcy
At press time, two major U.S. airlines were struggling in bankruptcy court
and most of the rest weren't doing very well either. To protect yourself,
buy your tickets with a credit card,
as the Fair Credit Billing Act guaran-
tees that you can get your money back from the credit card company if a
travel supplier goes under (and if you request the refund within 60 days
of the bankruptcy).
Travel insurance
can also help, but make sure it cov-
ers against “carrier default” for your specific travel provider. And be
aware that if a U.S. airline goes bust midtrip, a 2001 federal law requires
other carriers to take you to your destination (albeit on a space-available
basis) for a fee of no more than $25, provided you rebook within 60 days
of the cancellation.
Tips
