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How
to save money when booking your airline tickets online.
(Beat
the airlines at their own game )
Finding the
BEST fare can be a difficult task. However a little knowledge
of geography and an understanding of how plane fares work can
save you hundreds of dollars on your plane ticket.
You'll be
using EXACTLY the same booking information as a travel
agent would, but you can invest more time into research than a
travel agent could, so it's often possible that with a little
creativity, you can come up with a better fare than a local travel
agent.
How
do airlines determine their fares?
Like ANY business,
airlines want to get as much revenue as they can. It's a difficult
time for airlines right now. Also, like any business, their fare
prices are largely controlled by supply and demand.
The airlines
are not our enemy... but in order to get the best fares, we need
to understand WHY (I'll never understand HOW), they price their
fares as they do. Winning at the fare game takes a little time
and knowledge, but the rewards can be well worth the extra time
for us.
The more demand
an airline has for a particular route (and the more competition),
the less a fare is going to cost. If they price their fares too
high, people won't fly and they'll be flying an almost empty airplane.
Conversely if they price their flights too low, they may have
a full plane but they're making a very thin profit margin. (If
any)
It's interesting
to me that from my hometown of Spokane Washington I can fly across
the state (about 300 miles) for about $90 round trip, or I can
fly round trip to Orlando Florida (about 3000 miles) for only
$220. Competition is the answer. There are a lot of people traveling
to Orlando, and lots of airlines competing for the same dollar.
Click on
each of the tips to the right for more information on how to get
the best fares for your airline tickets.
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