Saturday 7 August 2010

When Is It Time To Pay A Little More For A Flight?

I found this blog on the Shama Travel Bog (http://www.shamatravel.com/)  and think it is an excellent article in helping us determine if  it is really worthwhile to pay for the lowest price we found for our air travel.

Photo courtesy of Air Canada
We all want to save money on air travel.

That’s a pretty obvious statement. And a recent study came out that indicated deregulation has, over time, given consumers better airfares and plenty of options to fly. I often see great airfares and it is true that you can fly just about anywhere for what could be considered a fair price — even in light of the economic challenges facing airlines.

But, there are some times and situations that may actually merit paying a premium or a little extra.

Consumers are conditioned to look for the lowest price when booking air travel. Often times, they overlook some of the things that may make their experience less than satisfying: overnight flights, quick connections, more than one stop and longer travel times are just a few ways that a “bargain” may turn out to be a nightmare.

Consider flying coast-to-coast.

You may be enticed by a lower fare. Most of the time, a consumer stops there and doesn’t do the extra research to see what better options may be out there. If you’re flying from the west to the east, there are usually overnight flights that seem to be a good deal. Factor in a stop, a layover and that “bargain” may end up being not much of a deal in the first place. Same thing heading from the east to the west. Many times, the “lowest” fare is early in the morning. Sometimes, you could end up with a terrible connection and more.

The bottom line is that there are many ways to make your trip better by paying a little bit more. You may fly at a better time. You may avoid out-of-the-way connections. You may just have a better experience all around.
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Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in travel and cruises to tropical areas such as Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your your next trip, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or phone 403-477-0643.