Sky-tours Blog

  • Home
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • News
  • Flights
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Connect on LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Connect on G+

Tips and tricks to ensure successful travel

February 11, 2015 By Terence Nilson Leave a Comment

1. Consider ‘hidden city’ ticketing for serious savings

This is the idea of buying a cheaper airline ticket for a flight to anywhere that has a layover at your actual destination.

It’s clearly a controversial travel trick, however. When a New York City man developed a website, Skiplagged.com, last year, which helped travellers find cheaper flights through this style of ticketing, both United Airlines and Orbitz filed a civil lawsuit. 

It’s also important to note that this strategy only works if you book a one-way flight, have no checked
bags, and happen to be heading to a destination that is not a regional airline hub.


2. Full refunds on flights are possible to redeem

Have you ever booked a flight months in advance, only to have your flight schedule changed just weeks
ahead of your trip? 

As it turns out, when an airline does that, most are obligated to re-book customers on new flights without any additional fees – and if they newly proposed travel times aren’t acceptable, travellers just may be eligible for a full refund.

3. Compensation owed on delayed bags may be greater than you think

In the United States, the Department of Transportation issued a directive to all airlines stating that in the event of lost checked bags – and also delayed bags – that there cannot be ‘arbitrary limits’ placed on monetary compensation.

Essentially, this means that while often airlines offer very little in compensation (if any) for delayed bags, or simply hand out a future travel voucher or frequent flyer miles, the maximum liability that you can claimed may actually be as high as $3,300.

However, this particular number does only apply for domestic US travel and the limits on international travel are often less.

4. Flight delays could offer a major payout

It’s not just American passengers who benefit from compensation. In the EU, you are entitled to a pay-out if your flight is delayed by more than three hours on arrival – if it was the airline’s fault.

On a short flight, the amount payable is €250 (about £200) per person; on a mid-length flight, it’s
€400pp (around £320); and on a long-haul flight, it’s between €300 and €600pp (about £240 to £480), depending on the length of the delay.

And don’t feel obligated to accept vouchers, you’re entitled to the cash, according to EC Regulation 261/2004. 

5. Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

Recent research from Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) has found that it’s best to buy tickets on a Tuesday – and ideally, more than 21 days in advance – to take advantage of the best possible rates.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays tend to be the days when airlines have a greater surplus of seats
available – likely because they are the least convenient days when it comes to accommodating work schedules and weekend getaways – and so, offer the cheapest fares.

6. After three hours of Tarmac delays, you can get off the plane

At least in the United States! The Department of Transport mandates that during a lengthy Tarmac delay
in the U.S. (arrival or departure), an airline cannot keep passengers on a plane for more than three hours on a domestic flight or four hours on an international flight without allowing you to disembark.

After two-hour delays, airlines also must provide you with food and water, provide regular 30-minute
updates. So even if you are just connecting through the US, this applies to you.

In the UK or the EU, however, no equivalent rule exists. According to the Civil Aviation Authority,
while there is not a specific length of time that airlines can keep passengers on a parked aircraft during a delay, it is expected that ‘all operators abide by the regulations that are in place regarding delayed flights and ensure a
suitable level of welfare is maintained.

7. Save hundreds by ‘booking the wrong date’

EasyJet’s Flexifares let you switch the date of your flight by a few weeks, without paying more, Steve Nowottny, consumer and features editor at MoneySavingExpert explains.

This offers a sneaky way for you to bag peak-time flights for less.

For example, you can buy cheap flights during in-term time, then swap for your chosen school holiday date.

8. Code-share and always check for cheap seats

There are plenty of ways to ensure the cheapest possible fare on the flight of your dreams.

‘Sometimes, two or more airlines sell the same flights and booking via one partner is cheaper,’
Nowottny tells MailOnline Travel.

‘For example, a United flight from Birmingham to New York can be cheaper via Lufthansa. This can be a
good way of flying with well-known airlines for less.’

The MoneySavingExpert editor also recommends checking how many cheap seats are left on a flight if you’re thinking of booking, but not quite ready to commit just yet.

‘Many airlines let you book seats for up to about nine passengers, so pretend to make the booking for more seats than you need,’ he says.

9. Whenever possible, use a credit card for your booking

Although plenty of airlines offer incentive for completing a booking on your debit card, it may be
wise to pay via credit card instead. If that’s not possible, using a debit card is still preferable to paying with cash, cheque or bank transfer.

10. Keep all tickets, receipts and any other documentation 

To make any sort of successful claim, you’ll need to have kept all travel receipts, tickets and any
other relevant documents.


This information was taken from www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about it by clicking on their link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2945796/The-time-money-saving-tips-airlines-never-tell-you.html#ixzz3RQgYq4fM



No related posts.

Filed Under: Travel Information Tagged With: air fares, cheap flights, cheap tickets, Online airplane tickets

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

sky-tours flights

Popular Posts

balos banner horizontal

Holidays in Greece. Optimize your budget with combined flights

Passengers motion

Airport Hacks

Water villas in Maldives

The Joys and Challenges of Living and Working Abroad

Categories

  • Commentary
  • email promotion
  • Event
  • Features
  • Gadgets, Gears and more
  • Hotspot
  • News
  • Popular
  • sky
  • SkySpeak
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Travel Hacks
  • Travel Information
  • Travel Updates
  • Trending

Tags

Airfare Bargains airfares Airline Airlines Airline tickets air travel airtravel aviation Business Cheap Airfares cheap airline tickets cheap arline tickets Cheapest Flights cheap flights cheap holidays cheap tickets cheap travel discount airline ticket discount airline tickets discounted airline ticket discounted airline tickets Europe European Vacations flight Flights Holidays holiday travel tips Los Angeles multi-city trip multi-stop trip Online Travel Agency San Francisco Sky Holidays SkyTours Spain Tips and Tricks Transportation travel Travel and Tourism travelling travel tips United States US FlyDrive US Vacations vacation ideas

About Us · Contact Us
Copyright © 2015 · Sky-Tours.com