| Interview: How to Buy Airline Tickets |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-113 |
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There are lots of ways to buy airline tickets these days and all are not created equal, says DIY Travel expert Mark Orwoll, who is also the managing editor of Travel & Leisure magazine. He offers these tips and warnings to consider before you buy plane tickets: - First do some research on the Internet. Go online to two or three of the major booking engines and get some sample fares. Most of the sites, such as cheaptickets.com, require you to sign up to use their information. Then you plug in your name and password and the destination and dates you'd like to fly. It will check different airlines and flight schedules and list the cheapest rate going for the date you picked out. This will give you an idea how much the fare will run you.
- If you don't have access to the Internet, you can call individual airlines directly. Most have toll-free numbers. You give them your travel dates, times and destinations and they'll give you a price. You pay by credit card over the phone and they send you a ticket or e-ticket, which essentially confirms your seat on the flight. You won't necessarily get the best price booking this way, though, because you don't have the option of haggling over the price, and you can't compare airlines.
- Here's how auction or "name your price" Web sites work: You go to their Web site and type in all of your information, including a credit-card number. You name your own "reasonable" price and the site notifies you if you have received a ticket for that particular site. The benefit is that you can save as much as 35 percent of the fare. But the method has its pitfalls. Just like any auction, once you bid, you can't go back -- you have to purchase the ticket. You don't get to choose your airline or specific flight times and you don't earn frequent flyer miles. You also run the risk of getting bumped if the flight becomes overbooked. In other words, you can get a deal, but there are other prices you might have to pay to get the cheap fare.
- Consolidators are another route to think about. They buy blocks of seats on specific flights and get a good deal because they're buying in volume. Then they resell the seats, usually at a savings of 30 percent to 40 percent over full fare. Consolidators usually run small ads in the back of the Sunday newspaper's travel section. Although these tickets can really help you save, they can involve steep penalties for cancellations or changes -- and sometimes the tickets can't be changed at all. This option is best used for international flights. Ask your travel agent if she knows a good consolidator.
- Should your airline cancel or overbook a flight, don't go to the counter to resolve the matter! Instead, go to the nearest telephone and dial the airline's reservation number. Tell them you got bumped and need another flight.
For information on Travel & Leisure Magazine, click here. Web site resources for Buying Airline Tickets: Travelocity.com Airline Tickets at United from United.com Buying Airline Tickets Online at Savvy Traveler.com Airline Tickets at Priceline.com How Airlines Set Their Ticket Prices at So You Wanna.com Buying Airline Tickets Online is Not An Easy Task from QC BizNet Buying Airline Tickets Online from ABC News.go.com
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