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URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/mkant/Public/Travel/airfare.html
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 2 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz
This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The
focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are
also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to
Get Cheap Airtickets".
Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms
and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu.
*** Copyright:
Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved.
This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without
modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents
(e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines,
or other print form) without the prior written permission of the
copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document
to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.
This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty.
*** Topics Covered:
Part 2 (Travel Agents, Connections, Airports, Baggage):
Travel Agents:
[2-1] Travel Agents
[2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters
[2-3] Consolidators
[2-4] Couriers
[2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students
[2-6] Visit USA
[2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class
[2-8] Companion Tickets
[2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams
[2-10] Missed Connections
[2-11] Getting There Faster
[2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier
[2-13] Hub Cities
Baggage:
[2-14] Lost Baggage
[2-15] Baggage Limits
[2-16] Pets
[2-17] Bicycles
[2-18] Restrictions on Electronics
[2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors
[2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist
Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly.
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Subject: [2-1] Travel Agents
It pays to use a travel agent only if you know a *good* one. A
good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can
save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may
not find out such information, since they will only quote you the
rates for the times you ask. So if you're going to use a travel agent,
make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search
through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for
you. A travel agent who just punches your data into the computer and
tells you the prices is no better than the airline's 800 number. A
good travel agent can probably save you about 10-15%.
[Actually, if the airline goes bankrupt between ticket purchase and
flight time, and you bought your ticket from a travel agent, you may
be able to get a refund, especially from some of the larger agencies.
If the airlines goes bankrupt within 10 days of the purchase of the
ticket, the agency may not have paid the airline yet (they are allowed
10 days to do so), so you can ask them for a refund. Better yet, buy
your airtickets with a credit card, and the federal credit protection
act will allow you to get a refund from your credit card company.]
There are several major differences between using a travel agency and
using the airport (airline) ticket agents:
1. A travel agent can look at all the airline fares, not just
those of a single carrier. A good travel agent will check fares
on at least three carriers. Airlines can only give you their own
best fares. Then again, you can always call up three (or more)
airlines yourself to discover the best fares on each.
2. A travel agent can check for special deals with consolidators.
Airline ticket agents can't. Airlines sell heavily discounted
tickets only through consolidators, not direct to the passenger.
Given the frequency of fare changes these days, a good travel agent
can often find you some real bargains. A bad travel agent, on the
other hand, may miss getting you the lowest possible fare. So it is
best to find yourself a good travel agent.
If you don't care for consolidator tickets, the travel agents get the
same pricing information as is available from most of the online
reservation services and the airlines themselves. So you can do your
own legwork if you wish by calling the airlines themselves. But why do
it when a good travel agent can do it for you? After all, when you buy
a ticket direct from the airline the airline still keeps the
commission, so why not give the commission to a travel agent, who'll
do a little work to make sure you get the cheapest fare?
One reason to do the legwork yourself, either through an online CRS or
by calling the airlines directly, is to get full details on the fare
rules governing special fares. Many travel agents do not know how to
retrieve the rules from their CRS, or aren't willing to do so. If you
read through the rules yourself, you may find a loophole or two to
your benefit.
Note that some travel agencies try to funnel all their business to
a specific airline, because the more tickets they sell to a single
airline, the more money they get. Airlines have incentive programs to
encourage this practice. The travel agent may also know how to look up
fares on only one airline. This means that your travel agent may be
checking the fares on a single airline, instead of hunting around for
the best fare from several airlines. This is especially true for
travel agencies near airports that are dominated by one carrier. Your
best bet may be to call several airlines before you go to your travel
agent, doing the research on your own, or to tell the travel agent to
check fares on two or three specific airlines. (Don't tell them to
check on all airlines -- nobody is going to do that much work just for
a $20 commission.)
Also, airlines sometimes sell bulk tickets to large travel
agencies at bargain basement prices if they think they cannot fill the
seats. So depending on the travel agency, you might be able to get a
really good deal. Travel agents sometimes get complimentary tickets
(e.g., one free ticket for every 25 sold), which they can sell as they
wish. (These are called "Promotional Tickets" and are for standby travel.)
But then again, travel agents get a commission on air tickets
and hotels. The commission is a fixed percentage of the fare (if you
order direct from the airline, the airline pockets the difference). So
the agent can earn more money by selling you a more expensive ticket.
So be cautious when using a travel agent. Look over the agent's
shoulder and see if they're overlooking a really cheap flight. Most
travel agents will try to find you the cheapest possible flight,
because they want your repeat business. But that's the only incentive
for them to try to hunt down an inexpensive fare, so they may not be
as thorough on the cheaper routes. All computer reservation systems
provide a method of displaying the applicable fares in order of price,
from cheapest on up.
Since discount flights have restrictions on day of week and
flight times, make sure that you let the travel agent know that you
are flexible and will change a day either way if that will save you money.
Also don't be shy of stating the obvious -- that you're looking for
the cheapest possible fare -- since (most) travel agents aren't mind
readers.
Airport ticket agents tend to be better informed than the
people at the toll-free reservation number, since they often have to
deal with special situations (missed connections, bumped people, etc.)
that require really knowing the reservation system's ins and outs.
But beware. Airport ticket agents are not beyond lying or making
mistakes. A frequent complaint of air travelers is being quoted one
price over the phone, and finding that their credit card has been
charged another. Sometimes this happens because the computer system
has trouble completing the transaction and delays it until the
following morning (whence the fare change). But other times it is due
to human error (as if computer problems aren't due to human error
either). When you get your tickets, be sure to verify that the price
charged matches the price you were quoted. If they're different, be
prepared for a fight -- airlines seem very reluctant to own up to this
kind of error. Give as much detailed information as possible, such as
the time you called, the name of the ticket agent, the price quoted,
any unusual occurrences. Get the problem fixed *before* you use the
ticket. They probably won't refund you the difference, as the price on
the ticket is almost always the correct price, but they are required
to (by law) allow you to cancel the ticket and get a full refund
without penalty. If they give you any trouble, pursue it with your
credit card company. It is worth repeating, however, that you can get
the refund only if you don't use the ticket, and initiate any
complaint promptly. [Note that this circumstance is different from
when the airline prints an incorrect price in the newspaper. Not only
is the error clearly documented, but the error occurs before the
transaction is completed, not after.]
Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount
fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines.
For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some
sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't
mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking
another airline.
Most airlines have a "tickets by mail" service which lets you charge
the tickets to your credit card over the phone, and have the tickets
mailed to you at no extra charge. Allow 5 business days for the
tickets to reach you.
When using the airline ticket agents (the ones you get when you
call the airline's reservation number), if you find that you're having
trouble with the ticket agent, try hanging up (politely) and calling
again. Some of the agents are more knowledgable and helpful than
others, and by calling again you may reach one of the better agents.
If you get very good service from an airline ticket agent, write to
the airline commending his or her performance. Thank you letters do go
into the employee's permanent file.
To find a good travel agent, ask the secretaries where you work and
your friends for recommendations. Note that most people will recommend
a particular agent -- don't assume that every agent who works at that
agent's travel agency is as good. Don't be afraid to ask for the
recommended agent by name. Most people tend to use the travel agent
that is closest to where they work or live. If you don't like the
service you're getting, try a different agent.
A good travel agent will become familiar with your travel preferences,
and keep track of your frequent flyer numbers and any special
requirements, such as special meals, seat selection (window/aisle),
non-smoking, etc. They'll also let you know if changing your itinerary
slightly will result in a lower fare. They'll also advise you of any
changes made by the airline on your tickets, by calling you (or if
they can't reach you, by mail).
When you get your tickets, be sure to check them for accuracy,
especially if they are non-refundable. Many airlines will correct
genuine errors, but only if they are reported in a timely fashion.
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Subject: [2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters
Travel agencies earn their money by receiving a commission on the
base fare of the ticket (i.e., before taxes). Usually the commissions
are as follows:
US Domestic: 10%
Canadian Domestic: 8.25%
International: 8%
Canada-to-US: 10% (sold in Canada)
Rent-a-car companies: 10%
In some cases travel agencies will get higher commissions (so-called
"incentive", "override", or "bonus" commissions) because of
their productivity.
The following travel agencies will give you a small discount on your
ticket price by rebating to you a portion of their commission, or by
charging a flat fee (which is less than the usual commssion amount).
Although airlines are prohibited by the IATA from rebating commissions
to passengers, IATA rules place no such restrictions on travel agencies.
[Note: Delta announced on 24-OCT-94 that it would reduce travel agent
commissions on international full fare coach, business class, and
first class tickets from 10% to 8%.]
Travel Avenue is a Chicago-based travel agency that charges a fixed
flat fee for each ticket ($15 US domestic, $25 international). They will
rebate to you a portion of the difference between their commission and
their fee. For instance, if you were booking a ticket from Houston to
Aspen round trip for $370, TA's cost is $336.36. TA refunds the user
7% of $370 ($25.90) and then takes their $15 from that. So, traveler
pays $354.10 for the ticket. You must, however, work out your travel
plans in advance, and they only provide rebates on tickets costing
more than $300. They charge a $5 delivery fee for these tickets. If
several passengers are traveling on the same itinerary, the
per-passenger flat fee is reduced. Travel Avenue also provides the
consumer with a similar rebate for car rentals and hotel bookings.
Call 1-800-333-3335 for recorded information.
It pays to be a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Besides complimentary maps, the AAA travel agencies often have special
discounts beyond the usual airline tariffs, such as extra discounts on
some international flights, and discount airfares for visiting friends
and relatives on certain flights with specific airlines. AAA also
has included dollars off coupons for airlines like USAir and United in
their membership newsletter.
ISE Flights has a special deal with Citibank through June 30, 1995.
They will give you a $20 rebate on any ticket priced over $150,
provided the ticket is purchased through ISE and issued in cardholders
name. (If you are traveling with friends and family, ISE will
be pleased to issue tickets for all of you.) To get your rebate,
1. Call a major airline and make a reservation directly.
Reservations made through a travel agent are not eligible.
2. Record the flight information, the price quoted, and the
reservation number (if available).
3. Ask the airline to put the flight on courtesy hold.
4. Call ISE at 1-800-255-7000, and charge the ticket to your
Citibank card. [The tickets do not necessarily need to be
charged to your Citibank card. They will ask for your Citibank
cardnumber to verify that you are a Citibank cardholder, but you
can charge the tickets to another card, such as Discover card,
America Express, MC/VISA.]
The rebate and ticket will be mailed out the same day.
Costa Online Travel offers a 5% rebate on any CRUISE or TOUR booked
through their service. For more information, see
http://mmink.cts.com/costapackage.html
Excelsior Travel offers Internet users a 5% discount on airline
tickets over $200, provided you obtain the reservations yourself.
Excelsior Travel, 419 Highland Avenue, Boston, MA 02144
1-800-522-1118, 617-625-1077 fax
excel2345@aol.com
WARNING: Be careful about sending your credit card over the network
(e.g., by email or by telnet), as it is very easy for someone on an
intermediate host to intercept the contents. If you do this, it's
at your own risk.
CitiTravel (from Citibank) provides a 5% rebate, but there is an
annual membership fee and you have to send in documentation after the
flight to get the rebate. Many other credit cards offer similar
programs.
If your company's employees travel regularly for business, have your
company negotiate a special deal with one or two local travel agents
to provide a rebate for tickets purchase through them. Many travel
agencies are willing to do this, since they make up the difference
through volume.
The Discover Private Issue credit card provides a rebate of up to 2%
of purchases (in contrast to the maximum 1% rebate of the Discover
card), and has a special 5% rebate arrangement with a Oklahoma travel
agency. You get a 5% rebate of pre-tax airfare, car rental, hotel, and
cruises purchased through the travel agency and charged to your card.
There is a $20 annual fee for this card. For more information, call
1-800-DISCOVER.
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Subject: [2-3] Consolidators
Ticket consolidators (wholesalers, ``bucket shops'') are often 30-40%
cheaper than buying direct from the airline. They buy blocks of unsold
seats from the airlines and resell them at a slim margin. Such tickets
are usually heavily restricted and are for a standard profile (e.g.,
no special meals, no changes, no transfers, no refunds). It used to
be the case that you couldn't get frequent flyer miles for travel on
consolidator tickets, but that seems to be changing. Cancellation
penalties are often much more severe than on regular tickets. The
greater the distance traveled, the greater the chances of saving money
through a consolidator ticket. This is especially true for
international flights. If you're planning a round-the-world trip,
definitely use a consolidator to buy your tickets. Consolidators don't
buy their tickets until a month or two before the flight, so you
probably won't be able to buy your tickets very far in advance.
The Sunday NY Times travel section has a list of such wholesalers, as
do many other major newspapers. You can also find some in your local
yellow pages, under the same listing as regular travel agents.
Although "consolidator" and "bucket shop" are often used
interchangeably, they refer to different kinds of wholesalers.
Consolidators buy large blocks of tickets at discounted rates direct
from the airlines. When an airline can't sell their tickets at regular
prices, they sell them to consolidators at lower prices. The
restrictions on these tickets are governed by the consolidator's
contract with the airline, and not by the rules for published fares.
Such contracts usually preclude consolidators from naming airlines in
advertisements, but do allow them to specify prices. Sometimes they
are restricted to promoting the fares only to a particular geographic
or ethnic market. Usually they sell only through retail agencies and
not directly to the public. Some consolidators sell tickets only to
travel agencies. Others sell both wholesale and retail. Bucket shops
are retail agencies that specialize in getting discounted prices on
tickets. They are familiar with the full range of consolidators for
all the carriers (every airline sells to many consolidators) and in
other techniques of fare construction, importing tickets, etc. Many
bucket shops don't have any direct contact with the airline, in
contrast with consolidators.
International airfares are set by international agreement and
regulated by the airline cartel, IATA. Most interantional airlines
are closely related to, if not directly owned by, their national
governments. Thus most governments have an interest in protecting the
profits of their national airline, with the result that the IATA fares
are artificially high. IATA rules prohibit discounting, and in some
countries these rules are actually enforced. Bucket shops work around
the rules by buying discounted tickets direct from the airlines or
through consolidators. These tickets are discounted with restrictions
that attempt to ensure that the airlines fill otherwise empty seats
instead of diverting full-fare passengers to cheaper tickets. Some
restrictions include limitations on the advertising of such tickets,
forbidding mention of the name of the airline, or restricting the
promotion of such tickets to a particular geographic or ethnic market.
Another method of discounting tickets is through rebating a portion of
the consolidator commission to the public.
AirHitch (212-864-2000; 2790 Broadway, Suite 100, New York, NY 10025)
is a consolidator which buys unsold seats very close to the wire. You
provide a window of times (or destinations), and AirHitch lets you
know about available flights within your window on extremely short
notice. Tickets are one-way and there may not necessarily be a perfect
match with the destination you had in mind. Since this is a form of
standby travel, it is possible that there will be no seats left when
the you arrive at the airport. If that happens you'll have to try a
different destination in the same window, maybe the same day, maybe a
day or two later. If you want to travel to "somewhere" in Europe and
then return to "somewhere" in the US, AirHitch can be a very
inexpensive method of traveling. A similar outfit is AirTech
(800-575-TECH) . There have been reports of
complaints by consumers about both outfits. Be sure you understand the
risks and uncertainties involved in flying this particular kind of
cut-rate standby travel before buying their flight vouchers. Not for
the faint of heart.
When buying tickets from a consolidator, it is best to use a reputable
one that has been around for a while. Many are small companies and
tend to go out of business frequently. Check the out with the Better
Business Bureau. Caveat emptor. The best advice we can offer is to
purchase tickets through a travel agent who regularly deals with
consolidators.
Some tips:
+ Shop around. Unlike regular tickets, different consolidators may
offer different prices for the same destination.
+ Buy your tickets with a credit card, so you can get a refund
from your credit card company if you never get the tickets. Many
consolidators, however, do not accept credit cards, or add a 2-5%
surcharge for non-cash purchases (possibly phrasing the
difference in price between credit card and non credit card
purchases as a cash discount).
The reason for credit card surcharges has to do with the economics of
selling tickets for air travel. When a regular travel agent sells a
ticket for travel on an airline, the credit card is in effect being
charged by the airline, not the agent. Normally a merchant pays a fee
from 1% to 5% of the purchase price to the credit card company. Due to
their high volume, airlines are able to negotiate very low fees with
the credit card companies. When a consolidator accepts credit cards,
they are doing it as an individual merchant, and hence aren't able to
get the low fees available to airlines. Given how little money they
earn from each ticket, they just cannot afford to accept credit cards
without adding a surcharge. For example, if a consolidator earns
a commission of 8% of the selling price, and then has to pay 2%
to the credit card company, they've cut their income by 25%.
Most consolidators can't afford to do this and stay in business.
Credit cards also pose a risk of chargebacks, which can affect
the consolidators bottom line.
+ Deal with a local consolidator, since you can check them out
yourself (e.g., verify that they aren't just a mail drop for a scam).
+ Don't put much stock in favorable references from satisfied
customers, unless you personally know the customers. Even the
worst consolidator has some happy clients.
+ If possible, pick up the tickets in person. If you don't get the
tickets within a day or two by mail, something is wrong.
+ When you get the tickets, call the airline immediately to verify
that the tickets are legitimate.
+ Airlines reserve the right to change the fares on consolidator
tickets at any time, so the fares are not guaranteed until you
actually receive the ticket. If the airline increases the fare
after you purchase the tickets but before you receive the
tickets, some consolidators will charge you the difference.
Example Consolidators:
+ Airbrokers 800-883-3273
415-397-4767 fax
+ Best Travel Service 800-800-4788 (713-777-4888)
713-777-4886 fax
+ Cheap Tickets 800-377-1000
+ Council Charter 800-800-8222
+ Dixieland Tours 800-256-8747
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
+ Euram Tours 800-848-6789
+ Global Access 800-283-5333
+ IntraTours 800-334-8069 (713-952-0662)
713-952-2631 fax
+ Nippon Travel 800-662-6236
+ Overseas Tours 800-878-8718 / 800-227-5988
+ Sunline Express Holidays 800-786-5463
+ STA Travel 800-777-0112
Specializes in student/youth travel.
+ TFI Tours International 800-745-8000
+ Travac Tours and Charters 800-872-8800
407-896-0046 fax
+ UniTravel, St. Louis 800-325-2222
314-569-2503 fax
+ Worldwide Travel Center 800-886-4988
703-379-6363
703-379-6283 fax
AUSTRAVEL is a consolidator for travel to Australia. They have offices
at 360 Post Street, Suite 606, in San Francisco, phone 800-633-3404
(415-781-4329), fax 415-781-4358. They have other offices
in New York, Chicago, Houston, Sydney, and the UK.
PASSENGER'S CHOICE 1-800-666-1026 advertises business class for up to
40% off in the San Francisco paper. They aren't really a consolidator.
They get the low fares by buying excess frequent flyer miles from high
volume frequent flyers, and then redeeming the certificates for a ticket
in your name. The selling of frequent flyer miles in this manner is a
violation of airline rules (the original certificate holder can issue
a ticket in your name, but isn't supposed to accept compensation for
doing it). This is a gray area.
Other bargain travel agencies:
+ Travel Bargains 800-872-8385
+ Airfares for Less 800-AIR-FARE
Consolidators are now also buying up blocks of hotel rooms and selling
them at steep discounts. For example, Hotel Reservation Network (HRN)
1-800-964-6835 offers rooms at 10 to 40 percent off AAA rates,
especially in New York and San Francisco.
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Subject: [2-4] Couriers
One way of getting cheap international flights is to fly as a
freelance courier. There are a few companies which will pay you for
the right to use your baggage allowance, yielding a heavily-discounted
fare (typically a little more than half the regular discounted fare).
For them, this is much cheaper (and sometimes more reliable) than
paying cargo rates for shipping. Since the shipment is usually
time-critical (e.g., financial documents), it is essential that the
package be classified as baggage. Baggage is less likely to be
"bumped" from a flight than freight. The courier company can't simply
buy a ticket and leave the seat empty, since the seat must be occupied
for the freight to be listed as baggage instead of freight.
The courier company earns a percentage of the savings from the company
shipping the package. They also further defray their costs by selling
the seat to you (at a discount, of course). The courier company may
also charge you an annual registration fee (typically $50) or a
refundable deposit ($100 or $200 is common). If the courier company is
really desperate, sometimes (rarely) you can get them to pay for all
or most of your ticket. The tickets are non-refundable -- you pay the
money for the ticket to the courier company, who then buys the ticket
from the airline. The trips are usually very short notice, typically
1-2 weeks. When shipments are done on a contract, seats can be
assigned to couriers several months in advance.
Some courier companies are less shipping companies than they are
courier brokers. Such companies match couriers with companies that need to
ship packages. An annual registration fee is usually a good tipoff
that the company is a courier broker, though there are no hard and
fast rules of thumb.
You do not deal with the baggage, other than (occasionally) to
hand-carry a set of paperwork. You will not get the tickets until you
arrive at the airport (at the last minute) and meet with the freight
company's representative to get the paperwork. The representatives are
sometimes late and disorganized, so be prepared for some anxious
moments while you try to connect with them. When you arrive at the
destination you'll turn over the manifest to another representative of
the company. You'll probably have to wait for some time for the bags
to be unloaded and to clear customs.
You are allowed a carry-on. There may be other restrictions, such as
limits to the length of the stay (e.g., usually anywhere from one week
to 30-days maximum, though it can vary significantly from case to
case). Sometimes you can use the baggage space on the return flight,
depending on the company and the situation (many companies have you
couriering a shipment both ways). If the company doesn't need you to
escort a package home, sometimes you can change the return date on
your ticket. You're responsible for your expenses at the destination
(e.g., food, hotel), so you'll probably want to learn the ins and outs
of staying in youth hostels. Since only one courier is needed for a
route, you'll be traveling alone. If you want to travel with a friend,
don't courier. You must be at least 21 years of age, have a valid
passport, and be somewhat levelheaded. It helps if you have a sense of
adventure.
You will most likely be flying on a major carrier. In the US, most
courier companies are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, and San Francisco. There are also courier companies based in
England, various major european cities, the far east, Australia,
Argentina, Singapore, Honk Kong, Tapei, Japan, South America, Canada
(Toronto, Montreal), and so on. Courier travel between destinations in
the US is much less common these days, as US domestic airline package
delivery services have improved enough to no longer make couriering
cost effective. (For example, shipping a package from Pittsburgh to LA
with same-day delivery on an airline costs around $50.) So most
courier travel is between the US and an overseas destination. If
you're not located in a city that has courier companies, you'll be
responsible for your transportation to that city.
It is much easier to find a trip by visiting their offices in person
than by mail or over the phone. If you don't live near one of the cities
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