Fly for less
By Melanie Chambers • Bankrate.com
When it comes to cheap air travel, Europeans have it made. Since most countries have their own regional airlines, competition is fierce and prices are low. If every Canadian province had its own airline, ticket prices would probably look a lot different than they do now.
Since the demise of many discount and charter airlines such as Canada 3000 and, more recently, Jetsgo, our choices are limited. But don't give up your dream of running with the bulls in Spain just yet.
We've amassed advice from experts who know how to travel for less. So, whether you're booking online or through an agent, knowing when and where to look for deals will have you in the air in no time.
Think like the early bird
Don't leave booking your flight for the last minute, say experts. Because the closer to a flight's departure date, the higher the ticket prices become. "If there's a seat sale at the last minute, you can save; but traditionally our fares are more expensive the closer you get to the travel date," says Gillian Bentley, a spokesperson for WestJet Airlines, based in Calgary .
She advises booking at least two to six weeks before your trip. However, if you're planning on visiting grandma for the holidays, think about booking three or four months in advance. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the busiest, and therefore most expensive, times to fly domestically.
If you're hoping for a seat sale, Bentley suggests keeping an eye on a major, daily newspaper. When you see a sale advertised, don't delay because the discounted seats don't last long.
Keren Ritchie, a travel writer based in Toronto , says planning ahead and doing a bit of homework is the best way to find a good price. She starts all her trips by making a list of 10 airlines where she might find the best deal and then calls each for a quote.
While the airline that gives her a great deal for one trip can often be relied upon again and again, Ritchie says prices are always changing. "For every different trip, season and number of people traveling, it's important to do your research again, because what works once might not work again and vice versa," she says.
Above all, "it's important to speak to an agent so you know exactly what you're getting," says Ritchie.
Enlist an agent
Although it's possible to book most flights online these days, many people still prefer working with a travel agent, either because they aren't comfortable handing out credit card information, online, or they prefer to speak to a real person.
For a nominal fee, which starts around $25 and increases from there, depending on the complexity of your trip, a travel agent can make all the arrangements for you.
"If you get a travel agent and stick with her, you'll get the best deals," says Nancy Dolson, a travel agent with Budget Travel Warehous,e in London , Ontario . "They can tell you what's new and existing at a better price."
Dolson has a list of clients who she calls when various deals pop up for destinations she knows they like. She says an agent offers peace of mind. "Should something happen, you have no one to fall back on" if you book your own trip, she says.
Go online
At the same time, more and more web sites are offering better customer support in an effort to get your business.
"We see ourselves as a full service agency and not just a web site," says Joel Frey, a spokesperson for Travelocity, based in Dallas , Texas . "We have 24/7 customer service -- there are real people behind the computer screen to help."
And just like a travel agent, Travelocity can alert customers to good deals when they arise. Shoppers can use a service called Fare Watcher to plug in as many as five favourite destinations, and Travelocity will email them updates when fares to those cities start to drop.
Travelocity, like many online travel sites, is a global distribution service, which means it tracks fares from most major airlines to give you a true picture of what the cheapest fare is.
But whereas a travel agent will do the research for you, shopping online requires you do the leg work yourself. You should visit various sites at different times to find the best price, says Bob Mowat, managing editor of the Canadian Travel Press, a trade magazine for the travel industry. "Think of it like going into a store -- they might not always have a sale on. Shoppers [have to] go back at different times to see if they have a sale."
You get what you pay for
If you do go for a cheap charter flight, Ritchie says watch out. She recently booked a charter flight for about $200 but ended up spending an extra $300 on "excess baggage fees, food and drinks on board and a dinky set of headphones with the airline's logo. Bottom line: do your research but don't break your knuckles on saving an extra $30."
And with those cheap flights, there often isn't much flexibility, so don't expect to be able to change your flight without paying an extra fee, which is often the price of a regular ticket or more.
Choose the right time and place
If you're a business traveler, odds are you want to fly out in the morning, the most popular time to travel. "It's not that we raise prices on those flights but that the cheaper tickets have gone," says Bentley of why it's hard to score cheap early-morning tickets.
So, if you can, take an afternoon flight and save yourself a few bucks. You should also consider making major trips in the off-season. Autumn is one of the best times to travel, as students are in school and there are few impending holidays to fill airports.
The last word on cheap flights: make sure your destination is a major gateway. For instance, London 's Heathrow airport will have cheaper options than if you're traveling to an obscure airport in Grenada , Spain .
Melanie Chambers is a writer in London , Ontario . |
