A working phone

Internet access (optional)

Phone numbers and/or Internet sites for the following (all should be available in the travel section of your local newspaper):

• a courier company
• a ticket consolidator
• a charter company
• a rebater
• a good travel agent
• individual airlines

Up to 90 minutes, beginning at least 14 days before departure for advanced purchase discounts (one month in advance for international flights). Two to seven days for last-minute deals.

Younger travelers can try consulting agents devoted to student and youth travel. If you meet the qualifications (usually you must be either a full-time student or under 26), student and youth travel agencies can provide excellent deals--often 25% to 35% off the lowest coach fares. Council Travel is the largest student travel agency, with offices in most cities as well as college towns.

2torial #0904: Learn2 Shop for Bargain Airfares Are you paying big bucks for bruised knees? You're flying from Boston to New York--via Houston--and you've paid dearly for the privilege. After an over-priced cocktail, you strike up a conversation with the guy next to you and find out his ticket only cost one-half as much as yours. How is that possible? Welcome to the mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world of airline ticket pricing. Airlines know the public is willing to pay a pretty penny for the convenience of flying. However, they want to fill the seats (the plane's going to have to fly anyway), so they regularly offer discounts. The result: rates vary widely depending on where, when and how you buy your ticket. This means passengers and airlines are constantly engaged in a game of chicken. Let's say you're planning to visit your parents at Thanksgiving, but you find that the cheapest ticket is 30 percent more than you usually pay. Here's the dilemma: do you buy now in case rates rise further, or do you wait for a last-minute sale that may never materialize? Without a crystal ball--or a hidden microphone in United's board room--it's difficult to know what the future will hold. Fortunately, the savvy consumer can make an end-run around the airlines' fickle pricing policies. From consolidators to courier flights, from email sales to online ticketing, we've laid out all your options. If you learn when and where to look for tickets, you might just find yourself flying high at half the cost. If you've got to be in Dubuque by dawn, you're going to pay dearly for the privilege. The farther you can plan in advance--and the more flexible you are--the cheaper it'll be for you to fly (though there ARE exceptions, so read on). To find a really good fare, you also have to be willing to step outside the usual channels. Airlines and travel agents sometimes offer real bargains, but you can consult a number of other sources before turning over your credit card number. A little extra time could net you hundreds of dollars in savings. When first making plans to fly, keep in mind these general guidelines: Book at least 14 days in advance: Airlines like to know in advance how crowded their planes are going to be, and they'll generally give you a discount for planning ahead. Stay over on a Saturday night: Airlines charge a premium for business travel, and if you complete your round-trip during the week, you'll pay business rates. If you stay over a Saturday night, you'll probably qualify for a lower excursion rate. Don't travel Friday evening or Monday morning: These are the busiest travel times (besides big holidays), and airlines can get away with charging extra. Avoid holiday travel: Very often, prices creep (or shoot) up around big holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July--just when you want to travel most! If possible, plan your getaways outside these times. Besides getting lower airfares, you'll avoid the big crowds. Travel between November 1 and December 15: This is the slowest season for travel (except during Thanksgiving), and airlines generally provide big discounts--especially for overseas travel.   Call a courier company Courier flights are the cheapest way to fly--usually costing less than half the lowest coach fare--but they can also be the most inconvenient, so know what you're getting into. Does the term "courier" conjure up visions of espionage and smuggling, of shady characters handcuffed to briefcases? Relax: no one's asking you to do anything illegal. They're simply asking you to trade some of your luggage allowance in exchance for a discounted ticket. It's not a job, just a temporary arrangement--one that's arranged thousands of times a day. How can you be sure you're not smuggling contraband, you ask? Legitimate courier companies can only operate with a license (if you have any doubts, legit firms will be happy to show you theirs before you sign on). In any case, the shippers leave a paper trail plenty long for the authorities to find them--leaving you off the hook. In fact, the cargo is never even checked in your name. Here's how it works: you arrive at the airport two to four hours early, where a representative from the company presents you with your plane ticket and receipts for bags he or she has already checked. You may also be asked to bring an additional carry-on item--usually quite small. You fly coach, usually on a regularly scheduled flight on a major airline. When you arrive at your destination, you pass through immigration, after which a company representative will meet you, collect the necessary documents, and send you on your way. In most cases, you'll never even see the cargo--and you certainly won't have to ferry it through customs. (If on the outside chance you're asked to do this, simply refuse). Most couriers report that their duties are so slight that they hardly notice them at all. Flying courier has one distinct advantage--it's cheap (particularly for overseas flights)! And unlike commercial flights, courier flights grow cheaper and cheaper as the departure date approaches. It's even possible to fly for free if you're willing leave immediately. However, you must be willing to cope with some potential inconveniences: You're usually limited to carry-on luggage, so you have to be capable of packing light. Except for very busy routes (New York to London or Los Angeles to Tokyo, for example), the choice of dates and times are limited. In addition, the length of your stay can also be limited, since you're often required to carry cargo back on a certain date. Though unlikely, you could face last-minute delays and cancellations--not good if you're on a tight schedule. To learn more about courier flights, your best bet is to join one of the many courier clearinghouses; the Air Courier Association (www.aircourier.org) and the International Association of Air Travel Couriers (www.courier.org) are two good places to start. They coordinate many different courier companies, and for a fee of around $50 they'll provide you with extensive flight listings for twelve months.   Consult consolidators Like courier flights, ticket consolidators are an underused resource--and one that your friendly travel agent might forget to mention (they're direct competitors). In fact, consolidators can generally beat the fares travel agents offer. That's because they buy large blocks of tickets directly from the airline, then resell them at a discount that ranges between ten and 40 percent (usually you can count on fares 20% below the airlines' cheapest coach fares). Unfortunately, consolidators can't provide seats on every airline or every flight. That means you might not be able to fly on the exact day you'd like, or with the airline where you have the most frequent flyer miles. Still, the savings might make adapting your plans or flying a different airline worth it. Check out charters Charter flights can spell big savings on overseas and transcontinental runs, with prices roughly equivalent to those offered by ticket consolidators--generally 20 to 30 percent off major airlines' coach fares. Some charter companies actually fly their own planes, while others operate like consolidators, buying large blocks of tickets from major airlines, then selling them at wholesale prices. Charter flights have a few drawbacks, however. First of all, you'll usually have a more limited choice of days and times. Charter companies make money by flying less often, but filling every seat. Furthermore, service and comfort is generally below that of major airlines (and that's saying a lot). Finally, cancellations can be a real problem, since the next flight might be days away. To find a charter flight, call a travel agent or peruse the ads in the travel section of your local newspaper to find a company that serves your destination of choice. If your hometown paper's too small to offer an extensive listing of travel-related businesses, check out the big city paper in the metropolitan area closest to you. Most of them have their biggest listings in the Sunday edition.   Put your modem to work A number of travel sites, such as Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), Preview Travel (www.previewtravel.com) and Expedia (www.expedia.com), to name a few, give you direct access to online reservation systems like those used by travel agents. Just enter the dates and times you want to travel, and they'll search for the lowest fares available on regularly scheduled flights. They'll also notify you of any special sales. Unfortunately, the process can take time, especially if you have a slow modem. And since the systems generally require specific dates and times, you might not learn about all the deals available to you if you're more flexible. Keep in mind that even the most big-budget travel website doesn't guarentee you the lowest fares possible...just the lowest fares in their system. Also, you'll find that the search systems aren't as flexible as, say, a good travel agent: you can tell an agent "just get me the cheapest flight leaving the first week of November and getting back sometime in February; I don't care when I land at either end." Most online systems, on the other hand, usually start with the assumption you not only know your exact travel dates, but the travel times (give or take an hour). Take advantage of e-mail services Several major airlines now have special services that automatically notify subscribers of special discounts by email. Besides regular sales, some companies provide last-minute bargains. For example, on Tuesday you might find out there's a special available for the following weekend only. To sign up, simply go to the airline's homepage and search. If your itinerary is fixed, or you need to travel immediately, this option may not work for you. But at least you'll learn about upcoming specials on a regular basis. Research rebaters and travel agents Really just discount travel agents, rebaters return to the consumer a portion of the commission they receive from the airline. The more expensive the flight, the better the deal you'll get, though the most you could conceivably save is ten percent. In fact, savings average around five percent--but every cent counts. It's generally a good idea to call a rebater before checking with a travel agent, so you can compare prices. Large membership warehouse clubs, such as Costco and Sam's Club (owned by the same corporation as Wal Mart), often act as rebaters. However, you might have to be a member to take advantage of their services. You can also find sites with rebater contact information simply by searching the Internet. Call a travel agent Now that you've checked out the other options, why not call a traditional travel agent? They might just have a deal for you. Travel agents can check airfares at all the airlines, and can suggest less expensive flights that fit your schedule. In addition, travel agents can provide a level of service, from reserving seats to arranging hotels and ground transportation, that no one else can match. So if cost is no object, this is the way to go--but if that's the case, why are you reading this 2torial? Call airlines directly "Cut out the middleman." It's the businessman's rule of thumb, but it sure doesn't apply to flying. In fact, airlines are likely to charge more than anyone else--and certainly no less. But if all else fails, call the people who'll actually be flying you where you want to go. Even if you've already bought a ticket, call up an airline to see how much money you've saved by shopping elsewhere. You'll probably find that your time and effort were well-spent!   -end- Learn More!