Travel Tip Tuesday:Saving on Airfare

True story.

Remember last Tuesday, when I posted about our new and exciting events coming up?  Namely Travel Tip Tuesday.  Well, as luck, fate or karma would have it, across the Atlantic, in Italy, fellow blogger Cherrye of My Bella Vita also announced to bloglandia (huh, that does sound Italian) that she would be having Travel Tip Tuesday on her blog. What are the odds?

Yeah, I had to sit down too.  Had to stare at it for a few minutes.

Of course we had to tell each other.  After a few emails back and forth, a logistic Q&A and a collaboration of ideas, we have decided that it would be great fun to host this weekly event...together!!!

So, from today forward My Melange and My Bella Vita (they sound and look so good together, don't they?) will have a dual event every Tuesday.

You may be asking yourself, "What does that mean to me?" 

Well, I'll tell you what it means....it means you will have double the Travel Tips each and every Tuesday!  That's right.  Double the fun and twice the tips. 

We'll kinda be like the Doublemint Twins, but with a twist of travel, instead of gum. 

You know..
two,
two,
two tips in one! 

Or like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...

two great tastes that taste great together! 

Oh Lordie!  You must think I watch waaaay too much TV.  I digress...

Cherrye will post tips from her and her readers and I will post tips from me and my readers!  We will attempt to be organized and have theme weeks, so that we both discuss the same topics. 

I am so excited about this new venture and I know Cherrye is as well.  I hope you are just as excited as we are!!

Now, don't forget, in order to make this a double success, we really need your participation!  Please email your travel tips to me at mymelange(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Now...on with the show!!!

Todays theme is Saving on Airfare.  Here are some thoughts...

1. Sign up for all the free airfare alerts or newsletters you can find.  This way the deals come right to you!  Each site works a little differently, but on some you can put in an alert for notification of a specific price you are looking to pay, others will let you flag when a specific fare has dropped by a certain dollar amount.  A few of these alerts are available thru FareCompare, SmarterTravel and Airfarewatchdog.  Others are newsletters that come directly to your email with a list of the top deals of the week.  Travelzoo and Sherman's Travel offer this type of service.  And as I said...these are FREE!
2. Don't forget to sign up for alerts and fare sales with the airlines directly.
3. Always travel midweek.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday seem to offer the best fares. And don't be afraid of a red-eye, they can be less expensive.
4. Book on line.  Generally, the airlines will charge you a fee for booking over the phone.  Try to compare prices during the week.  For some reason, Tuesday seems to be a day where the airlines lower their prices, albeit temporarily.  Often a flight I have been watching, goes on sale on Tuesday, but goes back up on Wednesday.  I don't know why, but now you know!
5. I am not a huge fan of travel packages, but for the right price, I would go for it!  Most packages often lump in your airfare, hotel, car and/or attractions for the same price that you would find for just airfare alone.  You end up paying alot less for your airfare in the end.  Try gotoday.com for package deals.
6. Check with consolidators.  I used 1800flyeurope to go to Italy.  They were able to get me the same direct flight that I wanted on Delta, at far less than the airline price.  And the best part...I was still able to rack up the frequent flier miles on the flight, which doesn't always happen on a sale ticket.  Bonus!
7. Speaking of FF miles..try signing up for FF programs that have codeshares with other airlines.  You may not reap the rewards with your first flight or two, but if you make a valiant effort to use only those airlines, you could see yourself with a free ticket, sooner than you think.  Delta is one example, as their program codeshares with Alitalia and AirFrance. 
8. If you will be traveling within Europe, check out Ryanair and Easyjet.  These are smaller Europe only airlines, but you can score tickets for a little as $20 each way.  You will sacrifice luxuries and have luggage limits, but at those prices I would think you would be ok with bringing your own water or buying a new wardrobe when you get to your destination.
9. And last, but not least, airfare auctions are becoming more popular.  Try Skyauction.com, but like any other auction, make sure you price compare your tickets on other sites, just to make sure you a getting a deal.

Got a travel tip that you want to submit?  Both Cherrye and I would love to hear it!  Email it over, along with your name and where you are from, unless you want to remain anonymous.  That is fine too!  Now head on over and see what Cherrye has to say today!

Until next Tuesday.....Happy Travels!

Comments

[Craig McGinty]

That is a great list of tips, but with my European hat on keep your eyes open for additional fees if booking flights through the likes of Ryanair and Easyjet.

For example, if you want to check-in at the airport you face an additional charge. Want to put your bags in the hold? Again it costs extra, so be very aware.

These extras can soon end up costing more than the actual tickets!

[Joanne]

Bell'idea, mi devo organizzare per mandarti qualche consiglio.

[bleeding espresso]

So happy you're collaborating! This is a great topic as flight prices are getting so out of control. Thanks for the tips :)

[Cherrye]

Yes, great tips, Robin. I'm excited to try the 1800flyeurope tip myself! Also, for Craig, above, I just read that if you have to check in at a RyanAir counter b/c you dont have the EU passport, or for other reasons beyond your control, you can request a refund. But, you are right. The fees and taxes on those European low-cost airlines can really get you!

[Kathy]

And don't forget transavia.com and flybmi.com!

About prices being lower on Tuesdays, I read an article a while back explaining that prices tend to begin dropping on Sundays, with the lowest price being reached on Wednesdays. Then on Thursday mornings, the prices start going back up again. If I can find the link to the article, I'll post another comment!

[My Melange responds]

Craig~ You are right!! One must be careful...but if you are..it can be done ;) Thanks for your input!!

Joanne~ Grazie mille per le parole in Italiano ;) Scriva alcune punte, per piacere!! Or at least I think that is what I mean to say :)

Michelle~ Yeah, fun huh? Thanks for letting me know...and I hope you will be participating..of course!!

Cherrye~ Why thank you, partner :) Yes, try them!!

Kathy~ Oh goodie...more sites!! The more the merrier!! If you can find it, I'd love to see it :)

[somepinkflowers]

yes!
travel tips!!!
i have been doing tourist*tuesday for almost a year now
see over here:
http://somepinkflowers.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/tourist-tuesday.html
and
http://somepinkflowers.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/tourust-tuesday.html

it is fun!
i go local, i go global.
next one will be when i am back from spain...

:-)

anyway,
pop over
and leave a comment with a link over to this, your travel tip permalink,
why don't cha?

yes, i fly out on tuesday
and then back on a thursday
one or two or three weeks later...
whatever...
prices are better in most hotels as well
i have noticed.

also, i charge everything on american*express
and then pay off each month
for reward points for travel...

i am such a travel*slut!

keep up the good work with these tips!
let's all go somewhere every chance we get.....YES!

[NurseTerry]

Seatguru.com
The place to pick the seat you want on the plane! I also buy the "Economy Plus" package from United. For $150. a year you can guarantee an economy plus seat..bigger and better than coach for those long flights.

[Paris Parfait]

Just be careful with onlne "deals." The Independent in London just had a piece about one out of three online air travel deals being fradulent.