TRAVEL TIPS for Flights

Travelling is so exciting… but, sometimes it can become quite stressful if you realise that you have forgotten something or even worse – forgot to book something! A friend of Garth Jenman (managing director) – David Friel – wrote some great articles that we think you might enjoy, below are some tips from him; Flight Tips & Advice……… Have a look below to find some great helpful hints for planning your flights and your holiday!

Top Tips for Getting the Cheapest Airfares:

1. The Wednesday night bargain window. On Wednesdays between 12:00 Midnight and 1:00 a.m., most airlines rid their computer systems of deadwood caused by people who reserved lower-cost flights but never paid. You might land a big bargain by booking in the time zone of the airline’s home base during this window.
2. Wednesdays are also when airlines offer deep discounts on undersold flights to certain cities for the coming weekend, if you can leave and return on their choice of days.
3. Be flexible with your travel dates. Leaving or returning just one day earlier or later than you’d prefer might save you 25 percent or more. (By the way, staying over Saturday night seems no longer necessary. Don’t ask why. Nobody knows.)
4. Reserve as far in advance as possible — 30 days for international flights, and 2-3 weeks for domestic. The closer to your departure date you make the reservation, the more you’ll pay.
5. Beat the booking windows when rates go higher, which open up at most airlines 21, 14, and 7 days before departure.
6. Fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
7. Choose the same fare for each direction of a round-trip.
8. If going one way, see if the round-trip fare is cheaper and choose it. Don’t ask why. Nobody knows.
9. Choose flights departing from alternate cities, which might save you several hundred dollars if you don’t mind driving the distance.
10. Fly on holidays (Christmas Day, 4^th of July etc.).
11. After Thanksgiving, return on any day except Sunday.
12. If you’re going to Europe, flying to London first can save you money.
13. Volunteer to be bumped on oversold flights, which can earn you free flights or vouchers you can use to reduce the cost of future flights.

Seating and Meals

• Choose your seat when booking. If you wait until you get to the ticket counter and the flight is overbooked, you could be bumped to a later flight.
• For the most legroom, choose an emergency exit row (no children allowed, however).
• If you didn’t order alternative meals (vegetarian, kosher, children’s etc.) when booking, do so by calling the airline 24 hours before departure.

Lessons in Luggage

• If you call your bags “fragile” at check-in, they’ll be on top of the heap and come out first at the other end.
• Add a colored ribbon to your checked luggage so you can spot it faster at baggage claim (Just don’t use red, because most people do).
• Be sure the destination tag on your luggage is accurate before it gets whisked away.
• If you know your carry-on won’t fit overhead, check it at the gate instead of stuffing it under the seat and limiting your legroom (also a good way to ensure your bag isn’t accidentally placed on the wrong plane).
• Taking gifts? Leave them unwrapped for security checks.

Well-Being

• Natural remedies for motion sickness: hold a lemon; inhale essential oil of ginger; take a ginger root supplement.
• To reduce ear pressure problems, munching on chewy sweets before takeoff often works.
• To cope with dry air in flight, moisten a paper towel and breathe through it. Also use lip balm.

Communicate

• If you book a round trip and miss the first flight, notify the airline so the return leg won’t be canceled.
• At your destination, call the airline to confirm your return flight and provide a phone number where you can be reached.
• If you want to extend your stay, some airlines will let you change your flight for an extra charge. Call them.

Important Miscellany

• Keep a copy of your ticket’s back page separately in a safe place. At the hotel, leave your ticket in the safe.
• If you lose your ticket, report it immediately to the issuing airline, using the ticket number from the photocopy you (hopefully) made.
• Bring your own headphones. Most airlines charge for headphone rental.