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10 Reasons to Take a Holiday in New Zealand - Part 2
1. Queenstown in the South Island is considered to be the "Adventure Capital of the World". You can bungy jump or go on a thrilling jet boat ride, go heli-skiing, sky diving, fly-by-wire, and luging to name a few. Both bungy jumping and jet boating...
Bald Eagles arrive in Squamish BC
Once again our planet's largest gatherings of Bald Eagles in
underway in Squamish British Columbia, just North of Vancouver
BC, and just 50 km south of the world class Whistler Ski Resort.
Based on population estimates, up to 5% of the world's...
Bali, Indonesia: Island Of The God
Bali is undoubtedly one of the most enchanting place that honeymooners can desire for. Lush greenery, beautiful miles stretched sandy beaches, roaring rivers, crystal clear lakes, tropical forests full of exotic wildlife. There are also picturesque...
Qatar Airways Flights
Qatar Airways to order both Airbus and Boeing in US$15.2 billion
deal...
Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the
world with one of the youngest fleets in the skies. They have a
vast range of wide-bodied aircraft with the...
Siberia, Russia Part 3 – Communist Planes And Defining “Fluent”
In the first two parts of this series, we covered my decision to move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story aboard the flight from Anchorage to Khabarovsk, Russia.
Day 3
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Finding Really Cheap Plane Tickets
To begin with, the best place to buy really cheap plane tickets is online. Travel agencies can't compete with discount ticket sites. Search Google ("cheap airfare south america", for example), or try the well-known sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or Priceline.
Just now I checked fares from Tucson, Arizona to Traverse City, Michigan on the five sites mentioned above. The cheapest quotes ranged from $704 to $432. Nevermind which was cheapest (oh, okay, it was Expedia), because you never know from day to day which sites will find the cheapest flights.
Check at least three places. In this case, it would mean a savings of $272. The flight durations are within minutes of each other, by the way, and the food is probably equally bad on all the flights.
Flexibility For Even Cheaper Airfare
The more flexible you are, the better your chance of getting a really cheap plane tickets. Try different departure and return dates if you can. Check the box "2 or more connecting flights". Mark the "anytime" departure, even if you don't want to leave at midnight - the savings might change your mind. Try all the options. If the savings aren't enough, you can always book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer.
Really Cheap Plane Tickets - More Ways
You can buy two tickets. The cheapest airfare from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Tucson, Arizona costs $451 roundtrip right now. Las Vegas to Tucson is only $161, however, and there are regular $199 specials to Vegas from Grand Rapids. It's up to you whether saving $91 is worth booking two flights. (It saved us over $1000 when we went to South America.) There is the problem of whether you'll get a refund if your timing is off on the connections (you probably won't).
Check for package deals, where you pay for plane
tickets and your hotel room. I haven't had much luck with these deals, but it can't hurt to look at them.
Buying ahead of time gets you cheaper plane tickets. Any thing less than a week away tends to be expensive, although you never can tell in the mysterious realm of airfare pricing. Sometimes the "last minute specials" are the best thing going.
Priceline still has their "Name Your Own Price" feature. Make your bid, and the airlines say yes or no, depending on whether they have empty seats to fill. First search for the cheapest tickets you can find, then bid lower than that. If your bid is rejected, you can return to the website where you found the best deal and book it.
If You're Really Cheap
My wife and I once took a bus from Michigan to Miami, and flew from there to Ecuador. For us at that time, saving a couple hundred dollars was worth 38 hours on a bus. This won't save you much on domestic flights. Right now, for example, taking a bus from Traverse City to Detroit, then flying to Los Angeles, would only save about $70 (allowing for cab fare to the airport) over flying directly.
There are other options beyond the scope of this article. Courier flights, for example, can be a great deal if you don't mind letting a company use your baggage allowance (you get carry-on only). There are also stand-by deals and last minute deals and other ways to get really cheap plane tickets. Good luck!
About the Author
Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For more on cheap plane tickets, and to read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com
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| Federal Aviation Administration - Home |
| The FAA is primarily responsible for the advancement, safety and regulation of civil aviation, as well as overseeing the development of the air traffic ... |
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| U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center and Fort Rucker |
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| Resource centre for airliner accidents and civil aviation safety issues. |
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| The aviation site at DTLR. Sections on environmental and noise issues, the future of air transport, the Heathrow Terminal 5 enquiry, air safety and other ... |
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| Canadian Aviation - Real Pilot Info for Canadian Pilots - Home |
| Your Canadian Airline, Aerospace and Pilot Portal. News, Webmail, Links, Metar Reports, Classifieds, Wallpaper, and Galleries that affect you in Canada. |
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| Unusual Aviation Pictures |
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