Two hundred years ago it cost from seven years to a lifetime of servitude for average people to make a one-way crossing of the Atlantic. Now you can do it for a week of waiting tables. Nevertheless, the less you spend on your flight, the more you have for actual travel, and air fare is still the single greatest expense for most budget travelers.
Finding a great deal may or may not require more effort than booking a full-fare economy flight with your neighborhood travel agent, but it usually takes knowledge and phone work. Note that not every travel agent--even at the budget specialists listed below--will be equally competent or motivated to find the cheapest or best fare for you. They do not all have access to the same information. They may simply not know about a great deal on a flight their co-worker in the next cubicle has been selling all week.
Also, if price is important to you, always specify you are looking for the "lowest possible fare," as there may be specials which do not fall under the categories "economy" or "APEX."
- APEX
Advance Purchase EXcursion. This is the standard discount ticket available from airlines and most regular travel agents. Depending on the airline, these tickets require a seven to thirty day advance purchase, a minimum stay of usually seven days, and a maximum stay of thirty or sixty days, sometimes longer. Round trip is required, and fees are usually charged for date changes or cancellation.
- Open Jaw
- A ticket which allows you to fly into one city, but return from another. For example, you might fly into London, travel Europe by train, and then return to the U.S. from Athens. Open-jaw tickets usually cost more than a regular return ticket from one city, but convenience may make up for that. Not every travel agent or airline sells open-jaw tickets for a reasonable price, but some budget agencies specialize in them.
- Open Return
- A round-trip ticket which allows you to make the return flight at any time--providing there is space--during the period the ticket is valid.
- One-Year Ticket
- This Cadillac of tickets is generally a full-fare that allows you to make changes and cancellations without penalty for up to one-year. It should also be fully-refundable. While you usually cannot get a discounted one-year ticket directly from the airline or most mom-and-pop travel agents, they are sometimes available from bucket shops.
- One-Way Ticket
- Usually costs more than half of a round-trip. Nevertheless this is often my preferred ticket since I like the free feeling of not being committed to a particular time and place, and because my travel is usually limited by money, not time.
- Confirmations
- For international flights, but especially those originating outside the United States, call the airline to confirm your reservation 72 hours before the flight regardless of what your ticket says. Otherwise your seat may be given to someone's cousin on the waiting list.
- Bucket Shops
- Experience tells the airlines that a certain number of seats are going to be empty on certain flights, so they discount that space--sometimes heavily--to travel agencies variously known as bucket shops, consolidators, and discounters. These agencies mostly serve individuals who are only going to fly cheaply or not at all. This maximizes the airlines' revenue by forcing customers of regular travel agencies to pay non-discounted prices. Note that some regular travel agents may be able to get discounted tickets from wholesalers.
- Wholesalers
- A middle-man who handles discounted tickets between the airlines and bucket shops.
- Newspapers
- The best way to find discounted tickets is to check the Sunday travel sections of major newspapers, such as The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, and Miami Herald. (The latter three are especially good for finding flights to Latin America.) USA Today, The L.A. Weekly, and The Village Voice also have advertisements by bucket shops. Your library should have some of these newspapers. The New York Times has ads for dozens of agencies, some listing one-way and round trip fares, with others listing "half-round-trip" fares to make the prices seem lower.
- Onward Ticket Requirement
- Many countries, such as the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand, require visitors to have in their possession a valid airline ticket out of the country when they enter. Bus or train tickets are usually not acceptable. Most airlines will check that you have this onward ticket before they let you board the airplane, as they will be responsible for bringing you back should you not be admitted. See Chapter 5 Passports and Visas for more information about onward tickets.
- IATA
- International Air Transport Association. Organization of most of the world's major airlines.
- MCO
- Miscellaneous Charges Order. Can be bought in any denomination and traded for tickets or cash with IATA airlines. MCO's look like airline tickets, so they may meet the "onward ticket requirement" of some countries.
- Stopovers
- Some airlines allow you to disembark when the plane stops along the way to somewhere, and then continue your journey up to one year later. On some routes on some airlines there is no charge for this valuable privilege, while others charge 50-$100, or much more.
- If you can find an airline with free or cheap stopovers you can create a great ticket for not much money. On Air India you could stopover in Bangkok on your way from L.A. to Delhi, and in Hong Kong or Singapore on your way back. (And IcelandAir has for thirty years lured backpackers with a free stopover in Iceland on their New York to Luxembourg run.)
- Carry-On Allotment
- Officially this is limited to one bag with a total of three sides length of 45 inches (115 cm.) This is length + width + height, for example: 22x14x9 inches (55x35x25 cm), or 2900 cubic inches (50 liters). You may get by with a little more.
- Bicycles
- Can be shipped on most airlines as long as they are boxed, and count as your second piece of checked luggage. This policy may vary.
- Routing Tags
- Remove old routing tags that may confuse baggage handlers, and be sure your name, address, and phone number is on and inside your luggage in at least two places. For preparing your pack for baggage handlers, see Chapter 14 Walking and Backpacks.
Charter companies lease an airplane for a certain date and route, say New York to Paris, and then try to sell the seats. Usually they charge a low price and do not require an advance purchase. However, if they do not sell enough seats to make money, the flight may be canceled at the last minute. Other airlines have no obligation to honor your ticket, and it may take a few days to get your money back.
Reputable charter companies hold your money in escrow until the flight to ensure you get your money in a reasonable time. Some charter companies are well-established and fly regularly. These include Council Travel, Martin Air, Lauda, and Tower.
Airlines know a certain percentage of passengers are not going to show up for their flight, so they regularly slightly overbook the flight to make the plane as full as possible. Since sometimes there are more passengers at the gate than seats, the airlines have to deny boarding to somebody. Civilized airlines first ask for volunteers who, out of the goodness of their hearts, are willing to give up their current seat for one on the next available flight. Since no one responds, they up the ante by offering a voucher for a free flight, in addition to a seat on the next possible flight. They may also offer up to $500 cash.
Bumping is more likely during high season, busy holidays, and on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. If you want to get bumped, arrive early to get your name at the top of the volunteer list, and don't check your bag. While I have not been lucky yet, I usually ask at check-in if the plane is going to be full, and if it is I hang near the desk just before flight time so I can be first to respond. I fully expect a stampede, at least of one.
These are a series of tickets on one or several airlines pieced together by a travel agent, offering multiple stops. Usually only the first leg must be booked in advance. Travel must be completed within one year from departure. Any route can be configured, but bucket shops advertise the especially good deals, which often utilize carriers such as Garuda Indonesia and Air India that allow free or cheap stopovers.
Following are some low-season examples. Expect to pay about $200 more for travel beginning June 1 to August 31, and various airport and departure taxes of $7 to $20 per stop. Check the Sunday travel sections of the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, London Times, etc. for similar deals.
- L.A.--Honolulu--Bangkok--Singapore--Tokyo--L.A. for $1000.
- L.A.--Hong Kong--Bangkok--Bombay--Delhi--London--New York for $1200.
- New York--Hong Kong--Bangkok--Jakarta--Bali--Sydney--Auckland-- Tahiti--L.A.--New York for $1800.
- New York--London--Moscow--Nairobi--Bombay--Delhi--Katmandu-- Seoul--New York for $1900.
While a few tickets require student or youth status, most do not. The following organizations serve customers requiring cheap fares, and have access to discounted tickets. To be certain of any true low-market price you must make at least a few inquiries (see Bargaining in Chapter 8.)
All listings are only the result of my experience, general budget travel knowledge, or research. The only contract is the imaginary one in my mind between I and the reader.
- STA
- Student Travel Australia. STA has dozens of branches worldwide, and their skill at getting good deals is partly responsible for the legions of Aussies carousing the world. 17 E. 45 St., New York, NY 10017 tel. 800-777-0112 and 212-986-9470. Also 7202 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 tel. 213-934-8722. STA has more offices in San Diego, San Francisco, and Boston.
- Council Travel
- The travel arm of CIEE. Has several dozen offices in the U.S. specializing in student and budget travel. Operates charter flights to Europe in the summer (Council Charter tel. 800-800-8222). Main office is at 205 E. 42 St., New York, NY 10017. tel. 212-661-1414 or 212-661-0311. Sells ISIC cards, Eurail passes, and the most excellent book, Work, Study, and Travel Abroad: The Whole World Handbook.
- Travel CUTS
- Canadian Universities Travel Service. Has twenty offices in Canada and one in London. Similar to Council Travel. Main office is at 187 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5T1P7. tel. 416-979-2406.
Domestic Bucket Shops
- Air Hitch
- 2790 Broadway, Suite 100, New York, NY 10025 tel. 212-864-2000 or 800-326-2009. Air Hitch has been around since 1983, providing cheap one-way rides across the Atlantic for $169 from the East Coast, $269 from the West Coast, and $229 from in-between. Call for a brochure and ticket application. Air Hitch is a ticket consolidator, selling last-minute seats that would otherwise go empty. You send them the money, a five-day "window" when you would like to leave, and your top three destinations in Europe. According to AirHitch, 95% of their customers fly within their date range. They do not guarantee your destination of choice, although London, Paris, and Amsterdam are relatively consistent. AirHitch is suitable for flexible travelers with more time than money. They also arrange regular reserved seats for a more money.
The following companies offer discounted one-way, round- trip, around-the-world, and circle-Pacific tickets.
- Air Brokers International
- 323 Geary, Suite 411, San Francisco, CA 94102 tel. 800-883-3273 fax: 415-397-4767. Has good around-the-world and circle-Pacific tickets.
- Cheap Tickets
- 1247 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10021 tel. 212-570-1179 Also has offices in L.A., San Francisco, and Honolulu. National tel. is 800-377-1000, and fax 800-454-2555. This company is very good for domestic tickets.
- Cut Throat Travel Outlet
- 731 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 tel. 800-642-TRIP and 415-989-TRIP. A clever agent from this company saved me $150 on a one-way by having it issued from Dubai.
- Global Access Travel Group
- 595 Market Street, Suite 2810, San Francisco, CA 94105 tel. 415-896-5333 fax: 415-227-4641. Has sister offices in London, Athens, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and Auckland.
- TRAVAC
- 989 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 tel. 800-TRAV-800 or 212-563-3303. Travac specializes in tickets to Europe, on scheduled airlines and charters.
Ethnic Bucket Shops
Foreign airlines usually sell the bulk of their discounted tickets to bucket shops in ethnic neighborhoods which mostly serve their own nationality. Thus Egypt Air may sell most of its off-price New York-Cairo tickets to an Arab agency in Queens. A travel agency in Koreatown in L.A. may have good deals on Korea Air to Seoul. Chinatown in San Francisco has a dozen competitive travel agencies with specials to all over Asia.
Sometimes these ethnic agencies only advertise in local ethnic-language newspapers, and they may not be able to speak clear English over the phone, but they are worth considering if you happen to be in the neighborhood.
Foreign Bucket Shops
If you become a one-way flier like myself, you will probably use bucket shops in other countries. Competitive bucket shops are found in London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Athens, Istanbul, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Delhi, Bombay, Bangkok, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Sydney, and many other cities.
Since unscrupulous dealers exist, you must be careful about handing over your money. Look for one recommended by your guidebook, a chain such as STA Travel, or at least an agency which looks like it has been around awhile.
Before giving them money find out exactly what you are getting, such as what airline, times, and cancellation and date-change fees. Sometimes it takes them a day or two to actually get the ticket, and they may want all the money up front, but try to limit this to a deposit of twenty percent, which is fair. Get a receipt, of course.
Courier Flying
Courier companies sell very cheap airfares in exchange for using your checked luggage allotment for business items such as documents and computer parts which need to get somewhere fast. Therefore your pack should be small enough to carry on. Your job is to show up at the airport on time, meet whoever is giving you the ticket, and get on the airplane. You do not usually ever handle the checked baggage.
Courier flights are best if you only have a short amount of time, as they schedule the return flight two to thirty days after your arrival. Courier companies usually require your presence for the return flight, but sometimes you can get "no return service required." Approximate sample fares, all round-trip: L.A. to Sydney, $400; L.A. to Hong Kong, $450; New York to Paris, $250; New York to Buenos Aries, $500.
Only when courier companies get desperate at the last minute do they offer free flights. If they tell you there's a flight this evening Chicago to London for $75, you can say, "Okay, but I'll only do it for free." There's a good chance they'll agree or come down on the price, especially if you've flown with them previously.
The big negative about flying courier is you have a more-limited-than-usual control over your fate. You have to allow for this extra middle-man to be at the airport with your ticket, and thus naturally things are more likely to go wrong than if it's just you and the airline trying to dance. He may get stuck in traffic, get horribly sick on some bad fondue, or your shipment may be canceled at the last minute, and you left without a ticket to anywhere.
On the other hand some travelers fly courier regularly and learn the ins-and-outs of the companies they work with, and become favored regulars.
Courier Booking Agents
- Some courier booking agents charge a yearly fee of $25-$50 to book courier flights for you. Some of the companies listed below have twenty-four-hour taped programs that detail their requirements for being a courier, and the flights and prices they currently have available. You have to be lucky and keep calling to get a free flight.
- Now Voyager
- 74 Varick St., #307, New York, NY 10013 tel. 212-431-1616. Call this one first.
- Halbert Express
- 147-05 176 St., Jamaica, NY 11434 tel. 718-656-8189, 718-656-8279.
- Way to Go Travel Club
- 6679 Sunset, L.A., CA 90028 tel. 213-466-1126. Has an office in San Francisco at 415-864-1995.
- Courier Travel Service
- 530 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 tel. 516-763-6898.
- International Air Couriers Association
- 191 University Blvd., Suite 300B, Denver, CO 80206 tel. 303-278-8810. For $58 the first year ($20\year thereafter) this company sends you a big stack of information and a quarterly newsletter. When you need a flight you call them, they check they're computers and give you several phone numbers for booking yourself directly. One frequent courier said, "They don't do anything you can't do yourself, but they know what they're doing and can save you time and money."