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Authors: Nicholas Depinto
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some of my readers tend to be seasoned travelers, traveling several times a week, and some have never traveled before, or have traveled once or twice.
Travel in “high season” always costs more than in “low season.” There is a 3 rd category, which is sometimes referred to as “shoulder season” which is between high and low seasons during which fares go up and down.
Of course, you should keep in mind that the “seasons” vary by destination. Summer is VERY high season in Europe, but low season in the Caribbean. It should be obvious that leisure travelers may be simply touring at times when the tourist crowds are gone.
Holiday periods are HIGH SEASON EVERYWHERE, but if you’re one to leave behind friends and family, keep in mind that the slowest day of the year for airlines are Christmas day and Thanksgiving day! Those are the days to get the real bargains.
Midweek:
I think I mentioned this a little before, but again it’s worth repeating. The cheapest departing day is almost ALWAYS Wednesday or Thursday.
Off hours:
Noone wants to fly at the crack of dawn, or really late at night. But there are sometimes flights departing at those times. If you can wake up before dawn, ask the airlines what flights they have available between 5 am and 8:30 am on the days you’re traveling. If you can travel at night, very late at night, especially if you’re flying from the West Coast to the East Coast, you should ask about “red-eye” flights.
Secret # 4: Purchase a package
If the trip you’re taking requires a hotel and/or a rental car, you should consider getting a package. It’s part of a retail tradition that allows buyers to save money if you buy several items.
Tour operators or “packagers” negotiate with various suppliers to purchase the individual package elements at wholesale prices, enabling them to offer the package at a very low price.
Most travel agents will know how to find you the best package deals, because many tour operators choose not to deal directly with the general public.
Secret # 5: Split Tickets
If you are willing to trade-off convenience, you can save some money by “splitting” your trip into two flights, changing planes at some intermediate point. This will typically involve using a low-cost carrier for one or both segments.
Here’s an example. Flying from Boston, MA to Honolulu, Hawaii non-stop costs $1,040 on a major airline. By making a connection in Los Angeles, you save $287. This is a big savings and you only need to be in the Los Angeles airport for one or two hours.
Secret # 6: Find a fare, and a flight
The way airlines keep track of all their fares is by the fare code. An example of a fare code is something like KE14NR. The fare code is linked to lengthy “fare rules” that list the restrictions and conditions, making a specific fare different from all the rest. And the fare code is what allows the airline to be able to answer the questions “why did the guy sitting next to me on this plane pay $350 less for his ticket than I did?”
Here’s how fare codes work: The first letter of every fare code identifies the “class.” The most obvious letters are “F” for first class, “C” for coach. Other letters are “Y” for full price, most unrestricted, and most expensive coach fare. Then there are the various letters for coach class, which may include B, H, K, L, etc. They tend to vary with different airlines. The numbers and letters that follow the “class” designator tell you other restrictions that you must abide by. For example, with this fare code KE14NR, it means you booked in coach class K, E is for excursion fare, 14 means this fare is for a 14-day advance purchase, and NR means it is non-refundable.
You’re going to learn how to quickly become very good at interpreting fare codes. Let me tell you why right now, before I get into examples on how to get low fares using these codes. The internet
Travel in “high season” always costs more than in “low season.” There is a 3 rd category, which is sometimes referred to as “shoulder season” which is between high and low seasons during which fares go up and down.
Of course, you should keep in mind that the “seasons” vary by destination. Summer is VERY high season in Europe, but low season in the Caribbean. It should be obvious that leisure travelers may be simply touring at times when the tourist crowds are gone.
Holiday periods are HIGH SEASON EVERYWHERE, but if you’re one to leave behind friends and family, keep in mind that the slowest day of the year for airlines are Christmas day and Thanksgiving day! Those are the days to get the real bargains.
Midweek:
I think I mentioned this a little before, but again it’s worth repeating. The cheapest departing day is almost ALWAYS Wednesday or Thursday.
Off hours:
Noone wants to fly at the crack of dawn, or really late at night. But there are sometimes flights departing at those times. If you can wake up before dawn, ask the airlines what flights they have available between 5 am and 8:30 am on the days you’re traveling. If you can travel at night, very late at night, especially if you’re flying from the West Coast to the East Coast, you should ask about “red-eye” flights.
Secret # 4: Purchase a package
If the trip you’re taking requires a hotel and/or a rental car, you should consider getting a package. It’s part of a retail tradition that allows buyers to save money if you buy several items.
Tour operators or “packagers” negotiate with various suppliers to purchase the individual package elements at wholesale prices, enabling them to offer the package at a very low price.
Most travel agents will know how to find you the best package deals, because many tour operators choose not to deal directly with the general public.
Secret # 5: Split Tickets
If you are willing to trade-off convenience, you can save some money by “splitting” your trip into two flights, changing planes at some intermediate point. This will typically involve using a low-cost carrier for one or both segments.
Here’s an example. Flying from Boston, MA to Honolulu, Hawaii non-stop costs $1,040 on a major airline. By making a connection in Los Angeles, you save $287. This is a big savings and you only need to be in the Los Angeles airport for one or two hours.
Secret # 6: Find a fare, and a flight
The way airlines keep track of all their fares is by the fare code. An example of a fare code is something like KE14NR. The fare code is linked to lengthy “fare rules” that list the restrictions and conditions, making a specific fare different from all the rest. And the fare code is what allows the airline to be able to answer the questions “why did the guy sitting next to me on this plane pay $350 less for his ticket than I did?”
Here’s how fare codes work: The first letter of every fare code identifies the “class.” The most obvious letters are “F” for first class, “C” for coach. Other letters are “Y” for full price, most unrestricted, and most expensive coach fare. Then there are the various letters for coach class, which may include B, H, K, L, etc. They tend to vary with different airlines. The numbers and letters that follow the “class” designator tell you other restrictions that you must abide by. For example, with this fare code KE14NR, it means you booked in coach class K, E is for excursion fare, 14 means this fare is for a 14-day advance purchase, and NR means it is non-refundable.
You’re going to learn how to quickly become very good at interpreting fare codes. Let me tell you why right now, before I get into examples on how to get low fares using these codes. The internet
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