Airfare Shopping Tip 2

Filed in archive Flying high on September 15, 2005

Airports can save you money.

Among the ways that airports influence prices is the fees they charge hosted airlines. But that influence pales when you study which airlines have slots at the airport. The presence of a no frills carrier or a low cost charter service surely makes a difference but a not so visible influence are the connections with other airports that hosted airlines offer.

While the business model of low cost airlines and charters has diminished reliance upon traditional hub and spoke airport systems, the traditional model is here to stay. A flight itinerary that begins and or ends at a spoke airport is often priced lower than one that originates and or terminates at a hub. Then we have trade agreements.

Some countries have trade agreements with other countries that result in lower airfares. Your ability to transit airports in those countries can make a big difference in the price you pay. When using this tactic, please be sure to check the entry and transit requirements of each country before you purchase your airline tickets.

Beyond trade agreements are airport passenger fees and taxes imposed by the host country. Sometimes one or both of those charges are not entered into central reservation systems and cannot be included with your original ticket payment. Such charges can have a significant impact on total trip cost by their presence or absense. Make an effort to learn of charges not included with your ticket purchase and imposed by each airport and each country before you buy.

Then there are sales. Countries, airports, airlines, tourism interests, and municipalities all initiate or participate in special incentives for people to visit or use their service. You can often take the advantage even when your destination is not the one being promoted. Simply make use of the airports and airlines involved in the promotion when the discounted airfare is available to you. Sometimes the special fare requires additional spend at the destination so be sure to check all sale terms before you buy.

Two or three tickets are often cheaper than one. Whether it be a discount airfare, a low cost airline, an airfare sale, consolidator pricing, tax n fees, or trade agreements; being able to take advantage is often a matter of airport choice. When flying to airport D, drive to airport B instead of A, take advantage of a low cost flight from B to C and pay pocket change for another ticket from C to D.

The Internet is helping us do things like that and much more. Electronic and cross border ticketing are becoming commonplace so that we can easily choose what airports to use, in what countries, to get the lowest possible trip cost. It also facilitates the finding of answers to questions like, what does it cost to fly from this field instead of that field or transit through here instead of there and arrive at one destination rather than another. Unregistered charges can be found out, entry and transit requirements can be ascertained, airports can be explored, and destinations can be researched before we spend.

Whether on a simple domestic or a complex multinational trip, airports can save you money.


via Creative Reporter, article contributed by Air Travel Center
over the wires at: http://airtravelcenter.com/
over the air at: http://airtravelcenter.ch/
over the road at: 1 E Manor Ave R