Posts Tagged ‘cheap tickets’

Since the tragic events of 9/11, Airports have taken great strides to ensure the safety of their measures. Many new security measures have been implemented that travelers should be aware of before going to the airport.

The following is a list of important security essentials that travelers should know when they go to the airport:

1. Because of the security measures that have been implemented, one may expect longer security check lines so checking in for the flight may take longer than in the past. Airports recommend that you arrive at the airport about two hours before your scheduled flight.

2. The first checkpoint is registering for your plane seat. You will have to show your boarding pass and a form of identification such as a drivers license or a government issued identification card.

3. When you arrive at the security check point, you will be required to put your carry-on bag through the scanner. There will be a bin for placing your coat that will be scanned before you walk through the metal detector. Before going through the metal detector, you will have to remove any items you are wearing and put them in a bin for scanning. Some airports now have — shoe sniff — devices that analyze your shoes for the presence of explosive materials. If the scanner picks up something unusual, you and your bag will be searched. The security agent may pass a wand with a removable filter that will test for explosive residue.

4. X-ray body imaging machines at airports, called backscatter devices, are being installed in up to 30 airports. The machines are intended to replace the physical pat-down some passengers receive.

5. In August, 2006, rules were implemented to allow passengers on US and European flights to carry only 3 ounces/100 ml of liquids or gels through airport security in a clear Ziploc type plastic bag. Beverages purchased in the airport after clearing security are allowed. You are permitted to bring more than 100ml of baby formula, baby food, milk, or juice prescription and essential non-prescription medicines. You must declare these items at the security check desk.

6. Items that are considered weapons are banned such as knives, tools, pepper spray, and scissors. As well, loose batteries are not allowed on the flight. Lithium ion batteries in cell phones and laptops are allowed. You may not pack loose lithium batteries in your checked baggage, but spare lithium batteries are permitted in carry-on baggage. It is important to check with the airport if you have a concern about what items you are bringing.

7. Other security areas being enhanced include random screening of employees, stronger air cargo security measures, additional canine patrols, more thorough identity verification, deploying more trained security officers in bomb appraisal, and improved screening by observation techniques.

Many travelers do not think they have to worry about security checks, however, if you are caught with a banned item, you could be fined and even prosecuted. The last thing you want to happen is to be prevented from boarding your flight, or even worse, end up on the no fly list.

The no-frills airline, launched by Southwest in the 80s, is no longer a U.S. phenomena. Low cost carriers are popping up around the world. They are taking over domestic and international routes throughout Europe and Asia and select routes in South America, Africa and the Middle East. A few even operate intercontinental flights. And many make money.

There is a another side to cheap airfare. Travelers can spend a significant amount of time scouring the web for the best deal. Not all countries have a low cost carrier and not all airports are serviced by a discount airline.

Many low-fare airlines cannot be booked through on-line agencies or portals, such as Expedia and Orbitz. Promotional offers are usually limited and expire on a daily if not hourly basis.

And when you finally find a flight, it is difficult to compare the offering. The following airfare secrets will reduce your search time and prepare you for any additional travel time.

Research

• Determine which carriers service the route you wish to fly. Many airport web sites include a route map as well as a list of carriers. Other options will only be found if you check the web site of both airports for arrivals and departures.
• If you are traveling abroad or within a foreign country or continent, identify local on-line agencies and consolidators of discount airfares.
• Low cost carriers often use secondary airports. Make sure you know where you’re going and can get a rental car before you book. Most low-fare carriers and many consolidators provide such information on their web sites.
• Many low-fare carriers offer point-to-point service. You may not be able to check-in for a second flight at a transit desk. So you may need to build-in some time between flights to accommodate any passport formalities, get your luggage and check-in for the next part of your trip.
• Security precautions introduced by major credit card companies may limit your ability to book flights on foreign web sites.

Getting the Best Deal On Airfare

• Initiate your search with on-line agencies and consolidators.
• Subscribe to the airline and to the consolidator’s newsletter.
• Utilize services that enable you to set a price, such as the Orbitz “Deal Detector”. Orbitz will send an email if fares on the route you select drop to the price level you set. They provide the service for free.
• Use the portal as a reference tool. Book directly with airline. This may reduce the service charge without affecting the fare.

Comparing Fares

• Low cost fares are often quoted on a one-way basis.
• Taxes, handling fees and other surcharges are not always included in the initial price. Click through to the final page to effectively compare airfares and fees.
• Airfare may be quoted in the airline or portal’s local currency only. Converting airfares to USD will facilitate comparison.

Before You Depart

• Pack a lunch or a snack and drinks for all. Food and drinks are no longer included in the price of the ticket!
• Come to the airport early if you want to sit next to your spouse and the kids. Seating is likely to be open and boarding is oftentimes based on the order in which passengers’ check-in.

Learn More Airfare Secrets, Get To AirfareSecrets.net to find out more.

Pros and Cons of Air Travel

As the decades have passed air travel has continually grown in popularity.  There are a wide variety of reasons that have contributed to the increase in popularity including convenience and safety.  The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Airplanes emit greenhouse gases into our atmosphere which contributes to things like global warming.  This is considered as a serious drawback by people who are keen to limit the effect of global warming on the universe.  ) Many airlines are trying to become more environmentally conscious these days.  One of the ways in which this is achieved by many of these airlines is to retrofit winglet devices that make the aircraft fuel efficient.  In addition, most of the airlines have been modernizing their aircraft to more fuel efficient aircraft by spending a lot of money thereby reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Disadvantage: High Cost

One major disadvantage in traveling by air is its cost. You may be able to travel by car to many destinations at a very cheap price as compared to traveling by flight. There are ways to get around this by taking advantage of discount
airline travel.  The main deciding factor for flying or driving is the type of deal you can get for airfare.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

Many people avoid flying for specific reasons. For anyone that has ever been on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event it can be rather terrifying. 

Advantage: Speed of Travel

traveling by air is much faster as compared to other means of transportation as long as these places are connected by air. The duration of travel by road between two different places in the United States may be a few days as compared to travel by flight which will take only a few hours. This helps us to enjoy longer vacations because we have to spend less time traveling.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

Another major advantage in traveling by air is that you can travel to far off destinations which are difficult to traverse either by road or any other means.  We can fly to any destination around the world. Some of these flights might prove to be quite long but they are still much shorter than if you had to rely on alternative means of transportation.

Advantage:  Safety

One of safest mode of travels out of all the forms of travel available is air travel.  Car accidents wherein people die happen in thousands every year. On the other hand you find that the occurrence of train accidents is also quite common. Air travel related disasters do happen but they occur much less frequently.  Decision making on the mode of travel has been very easy for many people who consider safety as the main factor for opting to fly.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here.  For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors.  As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.