Monday, February 21, 2011

Tips on Finding Cheap Airline Tickets

Finding cheap air tickets is a priority for travelers, especially for frequent ones. It is essential if one must keep their vacation budget under control. There are several things you can do to find lesser airfare. Here are some of them:

  • Be flexible when it comes to scheduling your date of travel

If you want to take your trip on a specific date, chances are you will be forced to take whatever’s available just to get seats on that period. This won’t leave you much room for getting cheap air tickets. Now if you are more flexible with your scheduling, you can always choose to leave when rates for air tickets online booking are at their lowest. This is true, especially for international flights. Also, make sure to book your flight ahead of time. Rates are almost always cheaper when you book in advance.

  • Book your for the middle of the week

As expected, most vacation travelers choose to fly during weekends, which makes air ticket rates more expensive on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

  • Always check the price of round-trip tickets

You’ll be surprised to find out that sometimes, one-way tickets are actually more expensive than round-trip tickets. In that case, it’s practical to check the price of round-trip tickets for your destination. Do this, especially for international flights. You may end up getting cheap air tickets for round-trip flights.

  • Avoid booking for the holidays

Expect to shell out more for holidays, since a lot of people travel on those dates. For instance, try booking for Thanksgiving Day itself rather than the day before Thanksgiving.

  • Choose the right website for airlines ticket booking

All of these websites provide the same service to travelers, but there are differences in their rates. There are websites that work best for those whose travel dates are flexible. Some websites specialize in giving cheap rates during last-minute bookings. This also depends if you plan to book for local or international flights. So make sure to explore all your options first; do not hesitate to compare prices before reserving seats. This way, you will be able to get cheap air tickets.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Exploring Hong Kong's Popular Tourist Spots

There is a reason why Hong Kong remains to be one of the most favorite tourist destinations in the world. This small but dynamic country has everything that tourists could possibly want or need. There are lots of tourist spots that must be included in your itinerary, which are definitely worth your cheap air tickets to Hong Kong. Here are some of them:


• Disneyland


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Do not even think of getting out of Hong Kong without visiting the happiest place on Earth. This sprawling park near Lantau Island needs no introduction and thousands of tourists spend considerable time here with their friends and family. Disneyland Hong Kong is a perfect alternative for those living in Asia who don’t want to go all the way to Disneyland in Florida.


• Times Square

Shop till you drop here at Times Square, which holds lots of stores that offer everything from designer items to cheap thrills. Times Square is the perfect place to be if you are going to be in Hong Kong in time for the Western New Year.


• Wong Tai Sin Temple

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Those who are into religious attractions should visit Wong Tai Sin Temple, with its elaborate red pillars and golden ceilings. Here you can observe a mixture of Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist traditions.


• Victoria Peak

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It ranks high up there with Disneyland as one of Hong Kong’s must-see destinations. Enjoy the magnificent view of the highest point in the city, which is definitely a very relaxing way to spend a day of your vacation. Make sure to buy some of those souvenirs sold in those shops to give to your friends and family.


• Star Ferry

Enjoy the views of the waterfront by taking the Star Ferry, which will take you across Victoria Harbour.


• Hong Kong Museum of History

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History buffs should not miss taking a tour of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Explore the rich variety of artifacts housed in this museum. You will get to see traditional costume displays, old photo collections, and village house replicas, among other things.


To get to know more about the other attractions in the country, visit other travel websites and check out the list of tourist spots that you would love to visit in case you will get a tour package to Hong Kong.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The Safest Way to Travel


Traveling is a very unpredictable activity and whether you like it or not, accidents can happen while you are aboard a plane, ship, or land transportation. Some people develop a phobia if they experience travel-related accidents, especially if the said accidents involve losing loved ones. It is true that traveling can be scary to some people, especially those who are new to it, but it doesn’t help thinking about it every time you go on a trip. It doesn’t matter whether you travel by air, water, or land – accidents can happen whenever you happen to be.

There are several measures you can do to decrease the possibility of getting involved in travel-related accidents.

    • Choose a reputable airline before reserving air tickets. This is important especially if you are looking for long, international flights. Sadly, there are airlines with a high number of flight-related incidents, so it’s better to steer clear of those. Do not think of the price of air ticket booking when it comes to safety; what’s a hundred dollars more for a reputable airline that can take you safely to your destination?

    • Follow airline policies at all times. Believe it or not, there are still people who do not understand the importance of turning off mobile phones during flight. Remember that those rules are made for the safety of passengers and crew. Bending the rules might endanger not only yourself but other people on the plane as well.

    • The same applies to traveling by ship. Although it is considered less risky than air travel, you should keep in mind that ships or boats can sink and leave you swimming in open water. There are rules that ship passengers have to follow, so don’t even think about leaning too far in the railing or going to the part of the ship that is off-limits for passengers.

    • If you are planning to travel by land, do not, by any means, drink before or during driving. Remember the number of drunk-driving accidents that happen within a year. Even if you think you have a high tolerance for alcohol, don’t do it. Long-distance driving is tiring enough and alcohol can add to your lack of concentration on the road, which can lead to accidents.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

How to Get Low Price Airline Tickets?


Anyone who wants to go on a vacation or business trip wants to buy cheap tickets. Discounts on air tickets will considerably lower one’s vacation expenses, especially if you plan to take an international flight. However, not everyone has the knowledge of how to score discounts on airline tickets. They end up paying more for something that they can get for a lower price. If you are looking for inexpensive airline tickets, keep the following tips in mind:

·         Book your flights in advance. This allows you to reserve great seats at moderate prices. Do this especially if your flight is scheduled on a peak season. People who reserve seats at the last minute end up paying more for their tickets. Airlines usually sell the most expensive tickets last, so you will end up buying those if you don’t reserve seats in advance.

·         Learn to shop around. Airlines offer different rates so it is best to compare prices before reserving seats. Find out if one airline is offering a lower price for the same destination. You might end up getting huge savings just by taking the effort to compare prices.

·         Try to be more flexible when it comes to scheduling flights. This may not be busy if you have a very limited and specific time for vacation trips, but it is worth making the effort. A lot of savvy travelers schedule their vacation during off-season periods when you can easily buy low-price airline tickets. This allows you to go to your dream destination at lower rates. Aside from savings, there are other benefits to traveling during the off-season. You get to tour around the city/country without the usual crowds.

·         Avail of packages that combine airfare and hotel accommodations. These packages offer great discounts for travelers. Agencies offer these packages in partnership with hotels and airlines so they can promote them to visitors. This is perfect for travelers who are not really looking for luxury accommodations, and who rarely offer discounts. Just make sure that you transact with a reputable agency in order for you to get quality accommodations even at discounted prices.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Book Online for Cheap Air Tickets

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Air ticket booking on websites is now the most preferred way of booking flights because of the special deals and promo tours that boil down to discounts and cheap air tickets.  The trick is to visit as many online ticketing agents as you can and then compare their offerings until you zero in on the most irresistible deals.  


One of the best ways to get the most benefit from online air ticket booking is for travelers to set a flexible schedule for their travel date and time. This means that you adjust the time and day of your travel to slower periods for passenger demand.  When passenger demand is slow, airlines are forced to reduce rates in order to fill up their flights. This is the best time to book your airline ticket.


There are many other times and situations that compel airlines to offer discounted airfares, such as flights in the course of the night and those during noontime.  Flights that run into high noon are found inconvenient by many travelers who want to have a full lunch on trips, while overnight flights are commonly avoided by passengers who need a quiet, restful sleep.      


Online booking websites are alert and ever on the lookout for these times when airlines are offering discounted airfares, which information they then convey to travelers post-haste.  

Monday, December 20, 2010

Air Travel Deals on Holidays


When people get into the holiday mood, their attention usually turns to travel to go on a holiday escapade and have more time for fun and adventure.  Aware of this universal yearning for travel during holidays, airlines and travel agents unveil a list of special holiday air travel deals.      

For example, holiday revellers can go to Florida from different parts of the US on airfare that starts at $39 each way.  Going to the festive city of Las Vegas?  Air Canada has a low-cost carrier that sets bargain prices for travel across Canada and to Las Vegas.

Travellers can save up to 15 percent instantly if they fly from over 60 US cities on preferred airlines that offer air travel deals on holidays.  You can go as a group of eight on the same reservation and receive the instant 15 percent discount for all travellers.  This offer is valid starting January 25, 2011 onwards.

On December 31, or New Year’s Eve, Lufthansa will fly travellers from the US to Europe on web fares starting at $316.  On the same route, Qantas provides frequent flyer points of up to 1 million to those who book their tickets online. 

Holiday travel deals are also available at 5 percent discount on low-cost airlines to Hawaii.   But this is valid only if the starting points are Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington. It has already started and will be available until June 18, 2011.

If these discounted air ticket rates fail to impress you, then you should hear about the last-minute getaways that cut costs by up to $100 from normal fares.  All you need to do is purchase a package of air plus hotel, or air plus a car, or air plus a car and hotel. You can purchase a package as a single traveller, a couple or as a family.

If your total package price, including all taxes, is $500 to $699 you receive an additional $50 off instantly. If your total purchase price is $700 to $899 you will receive $75 off your package instantly, or if your package price is $900 or more you will receive $100 off instantly.  However, additional fuel surcharges and international taxes are excluded from the discount.

For Europe-bound holiday travellers from any part of the world, there are air travel deals with the come-on slogan: See More of Europe for Less.  These provide free stopovers in London and Paris, which strikes a chord because travellers love stopovers anywhere in Europe free of charge.  The stopovers give travellers more opportunities to see more of Europe at less cost.    

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Top Reasons for Booking Air Tickets on Christmas



The approach of Christmas is known as among the busiest periods for travel.  At this time of year, airlines and their ticketing offices are besieged by people seeking to spend the holiday season in fun places outside their home countries.   

There are many reasons why people book air tickets for Christmas travel, the chief of which is the need to visit relatives and family friends based in other countries.  Thus, many poor countries that need tourist revenues provide enticements to citizens who work and live in richer nations to return home for the Christmas holidays. They could bring home any goods they want tax-free.   
 
For the same purpose, some air ticket bookings are made by people who could not travel at Christmas time but for the benefit of relatives in other places that they want to spend the holidays with. The tickets are simply sent to the relatives who then take the flight to visit and stay with the purchaser of the tickets for the duration of the Christmas season.

The search for a new and different experience is another major reason why air ticket booking on Christmas goes overdrive.  For example, people in landlocked countries book air tickets to spend the Christmas holidays in beach resorts. Conversely, those who are used to beaches and the sea book air tickets for metropolitan areas known for their skyscrapers and other urban delights.        

Then there are the shopping meccas that draw people from all over the world.  Paris attracts shoppers keen on the latest fashions, while those who want expensive jewelry for their Christmas shopping will fly to Switzerland.

For some heartbroken people, Christmas may also be a good time for escape.  Let’s say a family tragedy struck while you were celebrating Christmas in the not-too-distant past. As a result, the people involved come away from the experience hating to be reminded of anything Christmassy.  So they book air tickets for places that don’t make so much fuss about Christmas perhaps because of non-Christian beliefs. 

Natives of tropical countries dream of a white Christmas and the holidays afford them a chance to make this dream come true.  So they book travel to Europe and North America to celebrate Christmas with snowmen around.  The United States is a popular destination for Christmas not only because of the snow but also because of the famous New Year’s Eve celebration on Times Square.

Not all tickets purchased at Christmas time are used for the holidays, however.  Many people actually book their tickets during the holidays for use next summer to take advantage of cheap air tickets.