Special "hot news" and tips for
south-east Michigan travelers and anyone flying Northwest. Click
here
Help finding frequent flyer
seats: click
here for 3
little known tips.
When to buy my ticket
Southwest sells tickets only four to six months in advance. Unless you
plan to travel over holiday times (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.), wait until
you are within the window of Southwest pricing because other airlines' prices
are often higher outside of that time. You can monitor prices at
FareCompare and
Kayak to determine what price
is near the historical low point.
Sign-up
for all e-mail notifications of special prices from low cost airlines that
serve your city or target destination (or are near-by). Examples include:
Kayak's FareAlert, Southwest Ding! Fares, Southwest Click 'n Save fares, AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit Airline
Red Light fares. The
low cost airlines'
special fares are much less restrictive than the high cost carriers' week-end
specials. You can get a weekly summary
of many of the airlines weekend specials at
SmarterTravel.
However, many airlines release their special fares on
different days of the week and SmarterTravel does not cover all of the low
cost airlines nor wholesale/consolidator fares (international flights).
Set up a fare monitor to be notified when prices
drop. Orbitz offers
Deal Detector that allows
you to monitor three trips and includes the Bonus Days options. DealDetector
watches for web-only and published fares but you can often do better for
international flights from a consolidator or wholesaler. Kayak offers
FareAlert services as well.
Continue to monitor the price for tickets purchased but not yet flown.
If the price drops, ask for a refund or credit for the difference. Your chances of getting a
refund or voucher are better if you purchased your ticket directly from the airline.
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Bought your ticket and then the priced dropped?
Use YAPTA to monitor prices. If the
fare drops more than the airline's "change fee," YAPTA will send an email that
includes a link to the airline's refund or credit voucher application.
YAPTA does not monitor all airlines.
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Where to shop for and buy
your ticket?
Don't confuse shopping with buying. See my "comparisons"
section to see the current best site for shopping. Once you've found the
airline and flights you want, go directly to the web site of that airline to
purchase your ticket (except flights across an ocean: see info about
consolidators and wholesalers). Doing so eliminates any fees or charges of Orbitz,
Expedia or Travelocity. It also may give you more frequent flyer miles.
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Multi-segment flights: a
tutorial with examples.
Click here: multi-segment trips involve
flight to more than one destination on the same trip. Searching the
wrong web sites and making all of your flights on the same airline (or their
partners) will probably cost you a lot more money, take too much time to
search and travel and may pose a significant risk because you will not have
adequate time or "plan B" options for contingencies. This is a MUST READ
for business and leisure who fly to multiple cities on one trip.
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Seat Assignments: how to get
seat assignments and how to improve your seat assignment.
Planes are more crowded and smaller. Where you sit can make a big
difference. How to get a seat assignment and how to improve your seat
assignment: Click here.
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Print a very helpful
itinerary.
Use TripIt to create a handy summary of
your trip including maps. It's almost automatic.
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For international flights, use a consolidator or a
'fare comparison' web site. Although they don't check enough
sites, see the Consolidator section of my Travel
Links.
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How to get the best seats on the plane.
The best coach seats are emergency exit and front bulkhead seats. The bad news
for occasional travelers is that
many airlines allow their very frequent flyers to reserve emergency exit seats when
they make their reservation. The good news is that many business
travelers
miss their flights (took an earlier/later flight, didn't show, etc.) and you
can ask the gate agent if there are any unclaimed emergency exit row seats for
which you
want to stand-by. The risk is that if the passengers
do show up, when you get on the plane, all of the overhead space is gone.
A great site shows seating for many airlines
SeatGURU.
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Get a better seat.
Most airlines allow you to check-in and get a boarding pass 24 hours prior to
your flight. At that time, you can often change your seat before you print
your boarding pass. Check in as early as you can and see if a better seat
is available. Change to any seat that is better but if you are not
completely satisfied with it, do NOT go to the part where you print your
boarding pass. Wait a few hours and try again and again and again.
Often airlines will release seats at the last minute that have been blocked.
Also "elite" members may be upgraded to first class thus releasing some great
seats in coach. You want to get one of those seats.
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Getting bumped:
There are different types "bump" coupons and types of compensation.
How can
you increase your chances
of getting bumped and what can you get? Read my detailed tutorial/explanation by
clicking here (don't forget to return to this
page for lots more tips).
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Northwest Airlines' web site will not necessarily
give the lowest prices they offer.
It's imperative that you check with Kayak or ITASoftware first. You may have to force the Northwest web site, call
their reservation center or a travel agent to buy their lowest priced tickets.
When going from Detroit to Minneapolis, lower fares are available if you go
from Detroit to Chicago Midway and then to Minneapolis. Northwest's web
site does not show those fares but Orbitz and ITASoftware do. The only
way to reserve this on Northwest's web site is to make it a three or four leg
flight. I don't trust Northwest's web site to provide the lowest prices
that they offer.
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Split tickets, what are they? Split
tickets involve connecting two flights and possibly different airlines in a low fare city. The combination of two tickets
cost less than one
ticket. Chicago Midway, Kansas City, Las Vegas and
Baltimore are inexpensive connection cities. The best way to find them is to check at
Kayak and ITASoftware.
The risk you take is that you could miss your connection. An example is
from Detroit to Minneapolis. The business traveler (non-Saturday night,
two week advance) pays over $1,000 round trip on Northwest. If you buy a
round trip ticket from Detroit to Chicago Midway and another round trip ticket
from Chicago Midway to Minneapolis you will spend a LOT less. You can
do this using different airlines or often the same airline. If using
different airlines, allow extra time to connect, don't take the last flights
of the day and don't check luggage unless the airlines specifically states
that they will transfer your bags.
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Fly to/from a near-by airport. Another
airport may be cheaper. The best web site to find out is ITASoftware
but you can not buy a ticket there.
Kayak limits the distance
to 70 miles to/from your target
airport.
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Fly a day or more earlier or later. You
may be able to save if you travel a day or two earlier or later. The best way to find
out is to use Orbitz's Bonus Days and
Flexible Stays on their
"My Dates are Flexible" page.
You can also use
ITASoftware's site but it only
searches for a day before or after, not both. None of the major airline web sites nor
Travelocity or Expedia make this easy.
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Book the lower fare and stand-by for
an earlier flight. You may find that a flight later in
the day has a lower price thus you buy it. Most of the major high-cost airlines allow you to stand-by for
earlier flights on the same day of travel without charge. However, if
you want to confirm a seat, there will be a charge. Southwest will not allow you
to stand-by without paying the price of the earlier flight (but without a
penalty or change-fee). Flights later in the day have a greater chance of being
late. If you want to stand-by for the earlier flight, call the airline
and ask about the "load factor" on the earlier flight you want. A low
load factor means that there are lots of open seats. The gate agent is
the ultimate key to getting on board. If the airline's computer
will not permit the gate agent to let you stand by without justification and
your ticketed flight is running late, that is all the excuse the gate agent
may need to document bending the rules for you.
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Be nice to gate agents. The gate agent
is the most powerful person in the airport. The gate agent can make your trip
more enjoyable (i.e. better seating, an upgrade, a meal voucher, frequent
flyer miles, endorsing your ticket to another airline, etc.). The job of the gate agent is to get the plane out on time. They will do everything they can to meet those
goals. The gate agent didn't break the plane or make it snow so don't take it
out on the gate agent.
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Delays or
cancellations? Consider flying to an airport close to your
target when flights all around you are being canceled. Flying
to another airport can be your salvation when you encounter delays or
cancellations. If going to Ft. Lauderdale you should consider Miami or
West Palm Beach; San Francisco bound travelers should consider Oakland or San
Jose. The airline counter agent, gate agent or telephone reservation
agent can
make the change for you at no charge. You must check about your rental
car arrangements. It's much easier to change destinations if you're
traveling by yourself and not
checking luggage but using a roll aboard.
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Want to 'bend' the rules? The
agent's voice and computer are monitored for compliance with official
policy. Don't ask them to bend (or break) the rules. A supervisor
can help. However, a supervisor may have to ask someone else. If
so, you will be put on 'hold' and the longer you're on 'hold,' the better your
chances.
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The longer you're on "hold" the better?
Yes, strange as it seems, when you're making a reservation remember that the
reservation agent doesn't have a lot of power. If you want something special (frequent
flyer seats, lower price, special seating, etc.), he/she often has to put you on
"hold" to speak with a supervisor. The reservation agent will
apologize but they are on hold themselves. I've found that the longer you're
on hold, the better your chances of getting your wish.
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Do you have a question or favor to ask and the lines are long at
your gate? Any gate agent can answer any question for any flight (on the same airline). Find a gate without
a line and
ask nicely or call their "800" number.
Are corporate discounts worth it?
We are supposed to rent from Avis. We get one free day for every 15
rentals, a
7% rebate. It is very easy to get a price that is lower than Avis by a
lot more than 7% from most on-airport rental companies. If all of your
travelers will take a moment to shop, you can
cut your entire rental expense. The challenge is to be sure that
everyone is spending the company's money prudently. Without corporate
discounts and control, there is no assurance that all are good shoppers.
I suggest you get enrollment applications for all traveling employees
from all of the major on-airport car rental company clubs. Their clubs
are free and make renting and returning very easy with no lines or paperwork
and link to various frequent flyer programs.
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Hotel, motel & resort room
rates:
Hotels and resorts have very
sneaky ways of making it difficult for you to compare their rates and tacking on
extra charges. These charges are often hidden from the pricing search
engine or deeply buried on their web sites. You often don't even notice
them even when you check out. Beware and read:
What
should be included and what should not be?
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Hotel conference rates can often be beaten:
The conference rate at the Hilton at Squaw Peak (Phoenix) is $179. The
Hilton web site (and Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) shows much lower prices.
I should have booked on the web site originally but didn't. I made a
reservation via the convention but did not guarantee by a credit card.
When I arrive at the hotel I ask about a lower rate. They tell me
that I'm getting the conference rate and they can not do anything about it
but they do have rooms available. I ask where there is a pay
phone (across the lobby) and call Hilton's 800 number. I make a
reservation for $139. I go back to front desk and check in and save my
company $80 (two nights). Most conventions, cruises, ski packages,
etc. give the group coordinator one free room, cabin, package, lift ticket,
etc. for every 15 booked. Who do you think pays for these 'free'
rooms?
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Beware of hotel telephone
surcharges for toll-free numbers and the charges for local calls!! Ask
when you check-in if they charge for toll-free numbers. If they
say "yes," tell the desk clerk that you don't pay them. There is no
more reason to pay for their free telephone access than to pay extra for the
wallpaper or towels. Some hotels make excellent mark-ups on local phone
calls (Internet access). The Embassy Suites in downtown Chicago charges
$1.65 for the first minute and $0.15 per additional minute. The actual
cost for the call (under 8 miles) is $0.045 for the first minute and $0.015
for each additional minute. That means a 3 minute call earns the hotel a
2333% mark-up, a 5 minute call gets them a 2000% mark-up and a 20 minute call
a 1347% mark-up. Given a choice, I will stay at a hotel that allows
free, unlimited local calling and 800 calls. If I have to pay for local
or "800" number calls, they must have a good baud rate or I will object and
ask that the charges be proportionally discounted.
Hotels are tacking on small charges for use of the room safe. The
charges usually only show up when you check out and are listed as 'security'
or 'insurance.'. If you see a safe in the room, ask the front desk if
there is a charge for it. If you do not use the safe, ask that the charges be
removed.
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How to make a 'Plan B'. Use
Kayak,
ITASoftware or Expedia to show your flights
on all airlines. Sort the results in 'departure order' and make a
print-out. This becomes your 'plan B.' Take it with you and use it
so you can tell the airlines the flight you want to take when your ticket
flights are delayed or canceled.
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Never give up. The gate agent
announces that only 4 stand-bys may make the flight and you are number six. You decide to head for the
bar, rest room, etc. Stop, don't leave the gate area, you may still have a
chance. I've seen
the 4 stand-bys turn into 'no shows' and the gate agent has to go further down
the stand-by list. I've also seen the
gate agent tell the passengers that the aircraft door is closed or the plane
has just pushed back from the gate although there were open seats. You
walk away and the plane comes back due to an easily fixable mechanical problem. The door
is opened and more passengers get on but you were not available.
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Never pass up the opportunity to take an earlier
flight. If there is an earlier flight and you can get on it,
take it. There are too many opportunities for the airlines to delay or
cancel your flight. To be prepared for this, keep your eyes open, don't
check luggage and move fast. If the weather is bad, most
airlines will waive any stand-by fees. Southwest will not let you
stand-by for an earlier flight if you have a discount ticket but the charge to
upgrade does not have any penalty fee.
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Get "roll aboard" luggage.
Avoid checking luggage if at all possible. Roll aboards are the
luggage the flight crews use. They will fit in all of the overhead bins on
most
jets. Many airlines have expanded their overhead bins so that roll
aboards will fit perpendicular to the aisle. Put them in with the wheels
up and pointed out toward you. If the bin will not close, put a pillow
under your roll aboard. Many overhead bins have a diagram showing how to
stow your luggage.
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Get on the plane early.
When taking a full sized plane, that's
the only way to get overhead luggage space on a full flight. Get in line
before your section is called so that you are near the door when your section
is called.
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Get on the plane last.
When taking a regional jet there is no overhead space and seating is tight.
If you get on board last and there are any empty seats, you get your choice
and perhaps a better seat than you reserved.
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Get on board quickly. When you get on board, put your things in the overhead and then
immediately step out of the aisle to allow others to get past you. If you are in an aisle or window seat, give the armrest to the person in the middle seat. It makes for a much more pleasant flight and you just might start-up an interesting conversation. Finally, and this one is big, don't recline your seat-back without asking the person behind you if they mind.
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Lots of delays & cancellations? Don't trust
the display monitors. According to the monitor, the plane is gone.
It just disappeared off the monitor so it must have left. Don't necessarily
believe it! If you really needed to catch the flight, it still may be at the
gate. Run (don't walk) to the gate. If the airline monitors tell
you the flight is delayed, go to the gate anyway. Often delays are
canceled and the flight leaves on time. If you're not at the gate, you
may miss the plane.
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Join all of the rental car
company frequent renter programs. It
insures no waiting at the counter. Paperwork is done and you jump into your
car. If someone tries to charge you to join (i.e. National), a good travel
agent can get you an application free of charge. Join hotel programs as
well. Frequent stayers get the room upgrades.
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Unethical or illegal ticketing tools?
Click here for more detail.
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Lots more tips in my class & public speaking.
