Tips and Tricks on How to Book your Flights Online

Some travelers prefer to book discount airline tickets online, while others like talking to an agent and let the agent book their flights usually for a small additional fee. No matter which route you choose, whether you’re looking for domestic or international airfare, it is beneficial to know how to actually look for cheap airfares yourself, so you can know that you’re getting the best deal even if you work with an agent.


Every airline or travel agent website will have some kind of booking engine loaded on their website. Usually the airfares are the same online and when working with agent directly besides the live agent fee. Therefore, it is usually recommended to reserve the flights online yourself to save on the customer rep fees.

Let’s say you need to travel from Atlanta to Frankfurt. All you need to do is to fill the booking engine boxes. First of all, will you fly one way or you will also return to Atlanta? Then check the boxes accordingly for one way or round trip. If you plan to make any stops in between these cities and disembark for a certain time, then you’d need to check multi-city box. Next goes the city names:  FROM: Atlanta and TO: Frankfurt. Then you will see Depart and Return. Here you will enter you departure date and return date. If you can be flexible on dates, make sure you check the “flexible dates”; you will get more travel dates and this means that you can get better discount airline tickets if you travel couple days later or earlier. If there is no such option, be sure to check flights and prices several days or weeks before or after your original travel date.

Sometimes you will also see an option of “nearby airports”. If there are several airports you may fly from or return to, check this box or check the flights from all the possible departure points. Oftentimes, you may find lower airfares from smaller airports.

Next, you’ll need to identify how many adults, children, or seniors will travel. Pay close attention if you travel with children as children under 2y., so called infants, usually do not occupy the seat, and therefore would be charged 10% of the adult price on international airfare and usually can fly free of charge with the United States. You may choose to buy a seat for an infant. In this case, you’d simply purchase an airline ticket for a child as he or she would be 2-11y old. The child would automatically get the seat. Recently airlines have changed some policies and rules for children tickets. It used to be that children (2-11y) would get a discount of 25-30% off the adult’s airfare.  Now most airlines and airfares for children are the same as for adults.

Finally, when booking your flights online, you can enter your preferred airline, if you have any. Note, if you request a particular airline and if there one flight leg operated by a different airline, this flight option would not show up in your result page. Therefore, check both options to get all possible flight results. And the last option you may choose is if you’d like a business or economy / coach service class. Click Submit and you will see the flight options.

When checking the flight results, make sure you pay attention to the layover time, connecting, if any, cities and times, airlines, etc. Pay attention to the dates and follow every flight line departure and landing times to make sure you when and where you land. This will help you determine and choose a flight you want to book.

Now you know it all, and it is TIME to BOOK your FLIGHT!

Flying Across the Ocean can be an Experience Much Different Than Domestic Travel

 

While many around the United States have traveled in the air across the country, or even to Canada and Mexico, many others have never traversed an ocean in flight. This can be quite a different type of flight for people who have never experience it. It is not drastically different enough to make you run out to get travel insurance, but you would need to do some research on find best deals or cheap airfare to Europe, Australia or other continent as it is an experience unlike the four hour domestic flights within the United States.

Most Transatlantic or Transpacific flights are longer than 10 hours, and can last two, three and four times the time of a domestic flight. When traveling over the ocean, it is essential to do your best to make yourself comfortable. You will have a lot of time to kill on this type of flight, and it is in your best interest to be as comfortable as you can the entire way.

You should also bring something to distract you on the flight. While the booking worries like finding a discounted hotel, car rental or international airfare might have passed, now you need to take as much rest on a long haul flight as possible and have the flight as enjoyable as possible. Flying over the Atlantic or Pacific will hours, but you can easily overcome them if you can sleep, enjoy onboard movies, food or simply have activities you like doing. Books, MP3 players and computers can help to keep you occupied as you travel.

It would also be a good idea to pack some snacks as you may find your stomach growling on a flight much longer than you are used to. You should stay hydrated as well. Do not forsake liquids so you will not have to get up to go to the bathroom. Instead, drink water or coffee to give yourself some energy, some fluid and a sense of comfort.

If you are prone to needing legroom, or to going to the bathroom often, or to needing to stretch out a bad back or knees, you should choose your seat wisely. When buying your tickets, be sure that you find a flight that has a seat where you are accommodated. So when you book your flights, especially international airfare, check yourself or ask your agent about possible and available seating options. In addition to stretching, you should also make sure to get up every few hours just to ensure that the blood is flowing and that you are not getting too stiff.

You will also have to get used to the changes that just took place during your flight. You may be entering a different temperature, a different altitude or a different culture. You should be prepared to handle the jet lag, to take on the time change and to adjust to your sleeping schedule. The best advise is to try following the local time schedule from the very moment you land in the destination point. This will help you to adjust to local time quickly.

Whether you choose to book a dream vacation, business trip or simply take a world tour, make sure you find cheap airfare to Europe, Asia, Australia or other continent you choose, hotels that would accommodate your needs or tours to make sure you’re not missing on local attractions. So make your flights as pleasant as possible so you can enjoy the rest of your time at the destination.

For more travel resources and BOOK your Flights today visit www.faretex.com

Childproofing Your Flight Will Ease the Burden of Air Travel with Small Children

Flying with Small Children

Traveling with children can be a stressful experience for parents – no matter how obedient the child is. The younger the kids are the more difficult the travel may be, but there are tips that can always be followed to ease the burden of keeping your small children safe and happy in the air. For some, saving money on cheap international flights might be a goal, while others worry more about the time in the air with their babies or toddlers.

While a child does have to be screened before entering a plane, you will never be asked to be separated from your child by security. Security officers at airports are specially trained to handle the sensitivities of young children and their parents, and are taught to treat these relationships with the utmost respect and care. If your child is presenting an issue that must be addressed by a security officer, they will consult you about the best way to handle the situation.

If you have already purchased airline tickets for you and your children, you still want the flight to go smoothly and safely. You can help to promote the safety of your children . < Continue Reading >  

Travel to and within Europe

So you found cheap flights to Europe, booked a hotel room, and you think your travel arrangements are almost done. But really, you also need to think about what you’re going to do at your destination. So it is time to plan what you’re going to see, where to go or fly or ride.

Coach or Business Class?

Differences between airfares and service classes: Coach / Economy vs Business / First class

Many travelers do not know much about differences between coach and business class. Travelers want to find inexpensive airline tickets in either economy or business class, but really not sure what is difference is. Prices and rules are the major differences, though service and quality can also play a big role in a flight option you choose.

Is it really worth flying business or first class?  The answer is Yes and No.

All depends on your destination and the plane/ aircraft and your budget. I would not recommend spending money for business class on the US domestic or European domestic flights. Besides the “better” and not “outstanding” service you will not really feel the difference worth the money. You will have plane seats that are about an inch wider and will have a different meal menu to choose from. 

There is quite a different picture when you get onto the international, especially transatlantic flights. If you look for plane tickets to Europe, a flight ticket might cost you $10k, but you can get plane seats that recline into a bed with blankets and nice pillows. You will be greeted on board with a glass of champagne.  The service would be outstanding. There will be several hot or cold meals to choose from to include unlimited wide variety of alcohol. You would also get metal silverware instead of plastic wrapped utensils with your meal. I could go on and on about the pros of business or first class.

Are there any cons of business and first class? Yes, there are. Similarly as with domestic flights, there are certain circumstances when it is not worth spending money on business class plane tickets to Europe or other international or transatlantic flights. The major criterion is the aircraft. Older aircrafts do not have as much space as newer and some aircraft types either (e.g. Boeing 747 on some destinations). There is really not that much difference between a coach and business class seat. There might be difference in food and service quality or options offered, but value is still not there. So if this is the case, my suggestion is to get most inexpensive airline tickets in economy or coach class and have more things to do or more expensive attractions or visit or just spend the difference in money elsewhere. 

If you want to fly cheap in business class, you can try buddy passes or stand by that you can get from the airline employees. Some word of caution… you also need to know that a stand by is not a guaranteed space on a plane. You will get on the plane only if there are some seats left available in business or coach class. If flights are full, you might need to wait until the next available flight. So good things usually come with some risk and it is up to you if you’re willing to take that chance.

For more air travel tips visit our travel tools. 

 

Mysterious Travel Medical Insurance

Why to get a travel insurance?

Many travelers wonder what travel insurance is for and some reasons why would anyone want to get it.

These are very legitimate questions and you should do some research and weigh your options. The main purpose of the travel medical insurance or international travel insurance (you’ll have different names with different companies) is to protect

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What you don’t know about Coach / Economy and Business / First class

Did you know that you may have purchased an airline ticket for $500 and the person sitting next to you on the plane might have paid $1200 for the same economy or coach class ticket?

This is very common and normal. Many air travelers do not know that there are different levels of the ticket fares. There may be about ten different levels for economy or coach class tickets and several levels for business/ first class airline tickets. The only major differences between them are the price and the rules.

The very cheapest international airline tickets or domestic tickets in coach class would be the most restrictive. It means that if you want to change a flight or cancel a ticket, these tickets maybe unchangeable or non-refundable or maybe changed...  <continue reading>

Visas and Passports for Air Travel Across the Globe

Traveling by air provides the largest exchange of citizens from one country to another, and the measures taken to ensure safety are essential for any country. The departure or arrival airports will often require a number of travel documents such as passports and or visas, and occasionally you may also be asked to have international travel insurance as well. If you travel domestically, a driver’s license or similar identification might be sufficient, and it will be your decision

How to Find the Best Airfare: When and Where to Book

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, airline travel has become an important part of life for people of all walks of life. In either case you will be looking for economical and or most convenient flights on preferred airlines. This does not always come easy. Oftentimes if we find good airfares, flight times or connections might not work, especially when traveling with children or for business purposes.

So how can you find cheap flights with best possible connections and times?

Unfortunately, there is no one formula, but there are several tips that will help you buy plane tickets with best possible attributes.

The main thing you need to know is when to book and travel and where