Top Airline-Travel Secrets, Part 2
Save money on fares to Europe by flying through Dublin International Airport.
By Wendy Perrin
On Monday I shared some of the top 30 travel secrets compiled by yours truly for our 20th Anniversary issue. Here are a few more tips that have garnered the most thank-yous from Conde Nast Traveler readers over the years.
Which are the best days to fly for a long weekend?
Taking two days off work? You'll find cheaper fares and greater seat availability if you fly on a Saturday and return on a Tuesday, instead of going from Thursday to Sunday or Friday to Monday.
How do you bypass the airline phone tree and speak to someone who can actually help?
If a family member has elite frequent-flier status with the airline, use his or her special elite phone number (as well as frequent-flier number and PIN). If not, press the number for booking international flights.
Want to save hundreds of dollars on an international flight?
Find out if it's a code share. When a U.S. airline and its foreign partner both sell seats on the same flight (making it a code share), one carrier's fares could be substantially lower, so check prices on both. The same seat on the same New York-Hong Kong flight could cost hundreds of dollars less through Cathay Pacific than through American Airlines.
More strategies for international flights after the jump.
How do you get the most comfort for your dollar in international coach?
Asian airlines generally have the best seats and service, and often
have cheap fares on non-Asian routes that people don't realize they
fly. Singapore Airlines, for instance, flies from JFK to Frankfurt; Malaysia Airlines, from Newark to Stockholm. You can learn which airlines fly your route at ITA Software.
How do you find a cheap flight to Europe?
Look into flying via Dublin instead of London. Aer Lingus
has cheap flights, and low-fare carriers fly from Dublin to many
European cities. Be sure to allow at least two hours to catch a
connecting flight out of Dublin.
How about a cheap flight to Asia?
Instead of booking one flight between major hubs, combine two that
connect in a lesser hub with cheap fares -- Bangkok, Manila, Seoul,
Shanghai, or Taipei.
Stayed tuned for more top travel secrets on Friday.
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You refer to ITA Software as a tool to identify which airlines fly which routes; after searching through their website via your link I cannot find it. Please help. Thanks.
Posted by: BarrettJohnson | September 20, 2007 at 04:33 PM
Here's the exact link for ITA's airfare search engine: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/prego.
Posted by: BrookWilkinson | October 04, 2007 at 12:53 PM
the ITA link you provided is now broken. do you happen to have an updated link?
Posted by: kingbee8404 | December 22, 2007 at 03:14 PM