15
Ways Consumers Can Reduce Airfare Costs
By Andrea Woroch
Photo courtesy of John
Clayton
1.
Shop consolidators
www.OneTravel.com
and www.Hotwire.com
are just two websites that consolidate the lowest fares
available. But check the terms carefully as there might
be some semi-hidden restrictions.
2.
Book mid-week
Airfare prices are at their lowest in the middle of the
week, according to www.FareCompare.com
who claims Tuesday afternoon offers the best value and
selection of low cost flights.
3.
Weekend layovers
Business travelers know it's actually cheaper to extend
their visit over a weekend to save on airfare. That's
because many plane tickets are sold for weekday round
trips.
4.
Compare baggage fees
Don't forget to account for checked bag fees when comparing
flight prices among different carriers, especially if
you are planning to fly with multiple bags that can't
be carried on. For instance, Southwest allows two checked
bags for free per customer, while Jetblue allows one.
Other airlines charge $15 to $30 for the first checked
bag and an incremental increase for each additional bag.
Some airlines may offer a discount to those who pay for
their checked bags online in advance. Find out what the
airline charges before you book and take the additional
cost into consideration when pricing out the best offer.
5.
Travel light
Avoid those hefty baggage fees by carrying it all onboard.
Remember, it'll cost you big (up to $175 for some airlines)
to check bags exceeding 50 pounds. That applies even if
you're just one pound over. If you think you're near the
limit, weigh your bags at home before you leave.
6.
Use discount gift cards
You can buy American Airline discount gift cards and save
up to 6 percent. Other airlines, like United and Southwest,
also occasionally offer similar discount cards. Be the
first to snag one of these popular discount gift cards
as soon as they become available by signing up for an
alert at GiftCardGranny.com.
|
Photo courtesy
of John Clayton
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7.
Bundle up
Package deals often bundle airfare, accommodations and
vehicle rentals at a serious savings. Some, however, aren't
all that great a deal, so compare the package price to
know how much you'd pay purchasing each service individually.
8.
Pass on in-flight meals
Plan to eat before you head to the airport and pack snacks
to munch on mid-air or in case your flight gets delayed.
Airport food is nearly as expensive as inflight meals
and you can save some cash by simply bringing your own.
9.
Don't pay for in-flight perks
Before you fly, download a movie from Netflix and bring
your laptop plus headphones to avoid in-flight entertainment
costs. An inflatable pillow and a wafer-thin blanket will
help you sleep on long flights and can be stashed in your
carry on to avoid the added expense of renting a much-used
version from the flight attendant every time you fly.
10.
Switch airports
Compare Denver International Airport flight costs to Colorado
Springs, Colo., or consider switching from JFK to Newark,
N.J. You'll need to factor in the cost of a car rental
or other mode of transportation to reach your original
destination, but you might be surprised at the total difference
in price. Plus, the crowds will be much smaller and parking
easier.
11.
Avoid change fees
Booking through a third party site, like Travelocity will
cost you double, should you need to change your flight.
Not only does the airline charge you anywhere from $75
to $150 to change a domestic reservation, but the third-party
site tacks on their own fee to this change as well --
roughly $50 to $100. Southwest is the only airline that
doesn't charge domestic ticket holders for changing their
itinerary. Paying more for a flight sometimes gives you
the option to change flight dates, should something come
up. It's best, however, to solidify your plans before
booking to avoid change fees all together.
12.
Get airline credit
You can receive airline credit for flights that drop in
price after you book. Yapta will help you track your flight
so you know if the same itinerary you booked is reduced.
MasterCard launched the PriceAssure program to help cardholders
track the flights and net airline credits.
13.
Skip the extra leg room
Many airlines now charge for seats that offer more leg
room. Dare to stretch out and, for some airlines, you're
looking at an additional fee of up to $30 for each "leg"
of your trip.
14.
Know your award travel requirements
Some airlines charge if frequent fliers try to book award
travel within 21 days of flight (considered a "rush" booking).
Still others charge to renew expired mileage points. Examine
the small print before you begin the process. Check out
Smarter Travel's complete guide to frequent-flier fees.
15.
Book online
Some airlines now actually charge a fee for booking in
person or by phone, somewhat like banks now charge you
for the privilege of talking to a teller. You could even
get charged extra for paper tickets. Make sure you read
the fine print and stick to the internet when finalizing
flight plans.
