Cheap Flights






http://www.lowfares.com/
http://www.mobissimo.com/
http://www.farespotter.net/
http://www.skyscanner.net/

When looking for cheap flight deals, timing is crucial.

"Unlike package holidays, book flights early: business folk will pay top dollar at the last-minute, so airlines hike prices"

Whenever you need to travel, the internet is a powerhouse for super-speedily finding the cheapest flights, yet which site to use depends on your plans:
End of cheap flights boom as airlines raise fares in line with oil prices
More than five million British passengers could be priced out of the budget holiday market as airlines raise their fares, bringing the era of cheap travel to an end.
Holidaymakers preparing for the traditional summer getaway this week may find that when they come to book their next break the fares have become unfordable.
Ticket prices are expected to rise by 10 per cent this year and next as the cost of oil pushes up airline fuel bills.
The dramatic increase in the price of oil, which has doubled in the past year, will almost certainly lead to radical changes in the airline industry once this summer season ends. Carriers will raise fares, cut the number of flights they offer and some well-known names will go out of business.

The fare increases will be a particular shock to holidaymakers who are accustomed to cheap flights on low-cost carriers or budget airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet.
The budget carrier concept, which was imported from the United States about 15 years ago, has altered the way people travel in Europe. Flights, costing from just £1, made weekend breaks to cities such as Barcelona or Dublin almost impulse purchases.
Traditional national, or legacy, carriers, have withered under the fierce competition from budget airlines, who have used their relentless cost-cutting to produce low prices. Passengers have been happy to forgo small luxuries such as meals, free drinks and assigned seats in return for cheap fares.
Budget flights combined with increased use of the internet to book hotels has encouraged many families to plan their own holidays rather than buy a package from tour operators.
The popularity of the budget carriers has allowed them to grow rapidly, in only a few years Ryanair has become the largest airline in Europe, carrying nearly twice as many passengers as British Airways. The rapidly rising price of oil, however, means that many airlines are losing money.
Douglas McNeill, a transport analyst at Blue Oar, a City stockbroking firm, said: “Fares are clearly going up and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
According to analysts a 10 per cent increase in fares typically leads to a 6.5 per cent fall in passenger numbers. Budget airlines carry an estimated 45million British passengers a year. If fares rise by 20 per cent over two years, passenger demand looks set to fall by more than five million.
Martin Ferguson, business travel correspondent at Travel Trade Gazette, a specialist publication, said: “There's been talk for a while in business circles about the end of the £1 flight. It's undoubtedly true. Everything depends on the price of oil.”
Budget carriers will achieve fare increases by charging extra for checking baggage and priority boarding.
Doug McVitie, aviation analyst at Arran Aerospace, a consultancy, said: “Passengers will have to get used to paying more for less. Budget airlines will introduce more charges to cover their costs and it is probably only a matter of time before some joker suggests charging for using the toilet. The whole experience of flying budget will become even more unpleasant.”
British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France are increasing their fares through fuel surcharges, paid on top of the standard fare. BA's surcharge has risen three times this year and is now £218 return for its longest flights.
Another strategy open to the airline industry will be to reduce the number of flights they operate and cancelling unprofitable routes. Ryanair announced two weeks ago that it would ground eight planes at Stansted and a further four in Dublin this winter. EasyJet said last week that it would cut its capacity by 10 per cent overall and 12 per cent out of Stansted.
Reduced capacity could be bad news for second-home owners in France and Spain who bought their properties assuming that they would be able to commute using budget airline flights.
The larger legacy carriers will also cut capacity, particularly on short-haul European routes. The middle tier of airlines, the small, national carriers such as Alitalia, will be squeezed hardest by rising oil prices. Analysts expect them to be pushed into bankruptcy or be bought by larger rivals.
Mr McVitie said: “The largest legacy carriers will survive because of their long-haul routes and the big budgets will survive because they will still be more affordable than other short-haul operators. Everyone in the middle is in real trouble. This industry will look very different in a couple of years.”
Your ticket to better value
- Be flexible with your flight dates and times. Try flying midweek rather than at weekends
- Consider booking early. You will generally get a cheaper fare
- Be flexible with your airport. Check travel costs to and from it. Flying to or from a nearby airport can save you money
- Consider alternative, but similar destinations. If you are looking for a warm coastal destination to relax by a pool check out non-euro countries such as Tunisia
- Check the one-way fares. In some cases, you can find a cheaper flight by booking two one-way destination tickets. This is usually the case for shorter breaks

Cheap Flights from $49*


How to Buy Cheap Airline Tickets


With a little forethought and some flexibility, you can reach your
favorite destinations without breaking the bank. If you don't know anybody who works in the airline industry that can give you a hook-up, follow the advice below.
















Instructions

1Keep yourself updated on airfare wars by watching the news and reading the newspaper. Look for limited-time promotional fares from major airlines and airline companies just starting up.

2 Be flexible in scheduling your flight. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are typically the cheapest days to fly; late-night flights ('red-eyes'), very early morning flights and flights with at least one stop tend to be discounted as well.

3 Ask the airline if it offers travel packages to save money in other areas. For instance, is a rental car or hotel room available at a discount along with the airline ticket?

4 Find out whether the stated fare is the cheapest, and inquire about other options when speaking to the airline reservations clerk. If you're using the Internet, check more than one Web site and compare rates.

5 Inquire about standby fares if you're flying off-season. High season is a bad time to fly standby because most airlines overbook flights, making it difficult to find a spare seat.

6 Purchase tickets through consolidators, who buy blocks of tickets and sell them at a discount to help an airline fill up all available seats. Check the travel section of the newspaper under 'Ticket Consolidators.'


7 Book early. You can purchase advance-ticket discounts by reserving 21 days ahead; book even earlier for holiday flights, especially in November and December. Keep in mind that holiday 'blackout periods' may prevent you from using frequent-flier miles.
8 Stay with the same airline during your entire trip to receive round-trip or connecting fare discounts.

They say nothing in this world is as fast as the speed of light! Well, let's think about it...hmmm....airfares?? If you are a frequent traveler, you would know exactly what I mean. We tend to stick to our computers, browsing different websites, different airlines, to see where can we find the lowest airfare on the dates that we want to travel. And after hours of research, we do find it, but guess what? The moment we enter into the process of booking the flight and entering our credit card details, BAM!! the fare we chose is no longer available and suddenly went up by a $100, or even more! Sounds familiar, right? What can be more frustrating and annoying! Well, now you can breathe some air. Below are some tips on the best day to buy airline tickets which will help you in grabbing the lowest fares.

Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets

Buying and selling airline tickets, and that too in the lowest possible amount, is more like a 'try your luck game' than a proper 'buying-selling process'. As travelers, we want the best deal at the lowest airline ticket fares. On the contrary, the airlines want us to purchase seats at higher prices. They are right from their point of view and so are we! So, the best way to be content both ways, and to lay your hands on some cheap airline tickets is to do the following.


  • Book Tickets on Sale: This is the best time to buy tickets at a lower price. All the airlines follow the same trend at the same time. Meaning, if one airline announces low fares, then the rest of them follow. Although, you will get cheap fares but you might miss the chance to catch the fish if you aren't quick enough. News for low airfares spread like fire in a jungle, so the faster you are, the better it is.
  • Best Day, Tuesday!: Not always, but most of the times, Tuesday is the best day of the week to buy airline tickets. Why? Let me tell you how it works. All of us know that Sundays are one of the most expensive days to fly, right! So, the airlines tend to lower the fare at the later hours of Mondays. As I mentioned earlier, if one airline decreases the fares, the rest follow. So, the rest of the airlines enter the competition and revise their prices to a lower fare and the process is completed by Tuesday afternoon! So, the best time to buy airline tickets is around 3pm on Tuesdays.
  • Sign-up for a Travel Alert: Many airlines, travel agencies, and travel websites have this facility. All you need to do is to sign up for a lower airfare alert. You need to enter the travel destinations and you will automatically get an email notifying decrease in the fares. Many a times the email itself has a link which enables to take you directly to the page of booking the flight at the lower fare. This proves to be very helpful provided you are real quick in booking! And if you manage to get a good deal, wouldn't it be the best day to buy airline tickets?
  • Red-Eye Flights: Red-eye flight seats are usually less expensive than normal flight seats. Common sense is that most people want to travel at the standard morning/afternoon hours and reach their destination till evening. But, if you are comfortable staying up till late, booking tickets in a red-eye flight can be a good deal monetarily!
  • Some Days are Cheaper: Apart from Tuesday, which is among the cheapest days to fly, Wednesdays and Saturdays are also among the best day to buy airline tickets, where you can get a chance to fly at a lower price provided you book at the wee hours.
  • Purchase Your Tickets in Advance: Booking in advance is a good option, but not way too advance! Many airlines have a 14 days, 21 days advance purchase plan. Airlines like jet blue and Airtran have a 7 days advance purchase plan wherein you can get a lower fare for the travel.
  • Don't Follow The Crowd: Another way of getting a good deal under your travel budget is to be a little flexible with your travel dates. Of course, everybody wants to fly on certain dates and be at the destination during the weekend or on the exact date of the occasion. But then, you will have to compromise either on the price or the wants. So, if money is the more dominating factor, travel on the dates when there won't be much of a rush or fly off-season!
  • Go for 1 or More Stop Flights: Instead of booking a non-stop flight, book a flight which is one stop or two stops. The fare of flights with stops will be lower as compared to non-stop flights most of the time.
  • Check for Discounts: As I mentioned earlier, use all possible means to check the discounts the airlines are offering. Many a times, travel websites like Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz offer really good deals with packages that include air, car and hotel. Keep a track of the latest and lowest deals that they have in store for you and who knows, you just might get lucky!
  • Be Sure and Then Book Low: Not always, but most of the times, airplane seats with low fares are non changeable and non refundable. So, if you are not sure about the dates or your plans are subjected to change, then be sure first and then book. If you think you can change the dates later then let me warn you that changing the airline ticket comes with a heavy change fee.
  • Speed is The Key: Apart from all the points mentioned, bottom line is that one needs to be very quick at the best day to book airline tickets. This is because, there are limited seats at this price and unlimited people waiting to book those seats.
To conclude, I would just like to say is that knowing the best day to buy airline tickets is only half the battle won. One needs to be alert and quick enough to grab the best deals. So keep yourself informed and updated. Subscribe for an airfare alert, and the moment you get a mail, don't be lazy to book the seats later. A delay of even a few minutes can make you lose the low fare and then you might have to book a higher fare for the same seat. This world is all about competition now, ain't it? And the irony is, when we plan to take a break to relax and fly away from our daily competing schedules, we have to compete to book a flight at the lowest fare. :)
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