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Many people are currently planning summer trips and I want to reintroduce the split ticket strategy which can save you loads of money.
Recently, I have spoken to several people or read online about proposed itineraries with connecting flights.
I have received or seen requests for flights to Alaska, Istanbul, Berlin, Sydney, Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), and more.
The departure airports differed in each case but there was no nonstop flight option.
Each itinerary involves mandatory connecting flights. That is, the routings are such that the passenger MUST connect in an interim airport. There are no nonstop or direct flights between the departure and arrival airports.
When I am forced to make a connection, I research how much it costs to buy two different flights. This is what I call split tickets.
Flights to Sydney, Australia from the US East coast make at least one connection. The lowest fare for many flights between Dulles (near DC) and Sydney in July cost about $2,200 and connect through Los Angeles. Flights between Los Angeles and Sydney during the same period are as low as $1,200.
Buying two separate round trips (Dulles-Los Angeles AND Los Angeles-Sydney) makes financial sense if the Dulles to Los Angeles flight is under $1,000. Current fares are $376. By buying separate round trip tickets for this routing, you save more than $600 (per passenger!). Now you can afford to stay another night in Australia!
Three Advantages of Split Tickets
As the ad guys say, “but wait, there’s more!“
First, split tickets can save you money. One example is above.
Second, you can pick your favorite airlines. For example, instead of choosing between only American, United, and Delta between the East coast and Hawaii, you can fly JetBlue or Virgin and Hawaiian Airlines.
Third, you can create stopovers. The above $2,200 fares between Dulles and Australia require passengers to travel straight through. When connecting in Los Angeles, you must take the next flight. If you wanted to stay for a couple of days, it is a different fare situation and much more expensive.
When buying two separate round trip tickets, you decide how long to stay in interim cities. In fact, I have created itineraries through two separate interim destinations. For instance, fly from East coast to San Francisco and stay a few days. Fly to Hawaii and stay a week. Return flight to Los Angeles (or San Diego or Las Vegas) and stay a few days. Return flight back to East coast.
Split tickets are not less expensive for every connecting routing. Every once in awhile, though, it makes perfect sense. After all, even the best baseball player does not hit a home run every time.
For more information about split tickets please see my previous articles: Air Travel Tip: Split Tickets and Air Travel Tip: Split Tickets Part 2.
Previous McCool Travel post ====> A Visit to White Sands National Monument
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, StumbleUpon, and Instagram.
© 2013, Charles McCool
You might already unknowingly use co-terminals in trip planning. It is worthwhile to check co-terminal flight options, as it will often provide you with better flights at lower prices.
Below is an excerpt from my book, Winning the Airfare Game, published in 2001.
Co-Terminals
Using co-terminals[1] can result in lower airfares because airlines do not typically charge extra to use them. Instead, airlines determine the price of a co-terminal flight by averaging the fare to each airport. An example co-terminal flight is to Miami and back from Ft. Lauderdale. If the Miami flight costs $300 and the Ft. Lauderdale flight costs $320, the airline charges $310 for the co-terminal flight.
One advantage of using co-terminals is that you can select the best flights for each airport. In the above sample trip, assume that flights to Ft. Lauderdale are convenient but return flights are not. The opposite is true for Miami—great return flights but inconvenient flights there. The solution is a co-terminal flight, to Ft. Lauderdale and back from Miami.
The days, times, routings, or upgrade possibilities may be more convenient for one route than another. Perhaps flights to and from Miami are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while flights to and from Ft. Lauderdale are on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Maybe all flights from Miami on the desired return date have connections while there is a non‑stop flight from Ft. Lauderdale. Checking flights from each co-terminal allows you to get lower fares and select the most convenient flights.
A disadvantage of co-terminal flights is arranging transportation to the other airport. It may be a simple matter or a major hassle. For example, rates are higher for rental cars not returned to the pickup location.
[1] Co-terminals – airports in the same city or metropolitan area. Examples include Miami & Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco & Oakland, and Baltimore/Dulles/National.
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Do you or have you used co-terminals?
Previous McCool Travel post ====> Frequent Flyer Programs
To read previous posts in the Road Trip Diet series click here.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.
© 2012, Charles McCool
The following section about Frequent Flyer Programs is from my book Winning the Airfare Game. It was written over 12 years ago. How much of this information is still valid today?–I wonder…
Excerpt from Chapter 3 of Winning the Airfare Game by Charles McCool, © 2001, Hawk Ridge Press
Frequent flyer programs were created to encourage passengers to continue flying on the same airline. It is worth joining several frequent flyer programs—they are free to join—just to receive their member newsletter. Frequent flyers may be eligible for lower airfares that are not available to the general public. They may also receive coupons and special offers by mail and in the newsletters.
Frequent flyer programs are similar to restaurant or retail store programs where consumers buy a certain number of products and get one for free. Five cross‑country round-trip flights, roughly, earn enough points for one free domestic U.S. flight—25,000 points are needed in most programs. Some programs offer multiple awards at a discount, such as two domestic tickets for 40,000 rather than 50,000 points.
Airlines are not consistent with the amount of points needed for awards to similar destinations. For instance, one airline may require more points than other airlines for an award flight to Asia but less for an award flight to Hawaii. Another airline might offer First Class awards to Europe for much less than other airlines. For award flights to Brazil, one airline might “charge” 50,000 points, while another uses a partner airline and charges 85,000 points.
Once you are familiar with several programs, select a target destination and award. Your preferred airline should be convenient to use, fly to destinations that you intend to go, and have the best award structure. Book your award flight with that airline when you have enough points.
Here are requirements for First Class award flights to Asia:
Airline One Ticket Two Tickets
American 120,000 240,000
Delta 120,000 240,000
Northwest 80,000 160,000
United 120,000 180,000
A First Class award ticket to Asia requires 33 percent fewer points on Northwest. For two First Class tickets to Asia, United would be a better choice than Northwest, depending on convenience, quality, reliability, and point accumulation opportunities. For example, if your primary airport is O’Hare (Chicago), Dulles (Washington, DC), or San Francisco, then most of your flights will be on United rather than Northwest.
Consolidating flights on one airline enables you to accumulate points faster and get more rewards. Members that fly most are called very frequent flyers (VFF) or elite members. Not only do they accumulate points more quickly by flying more, but they also receive bonus points for being VFFs. For instance, a 100 to 150 percent bonus may be awarded to members flying over 100,000 miles in a year.
Frequent flyer points can be earned from several sources besides airline flights. Additional points can be earned by staying at hotels and using rental car companies that partner with the airline’s frequent flyer program. You can also earn 10 points for every dollar spent at participating restaurants. Buying certain products, using the airline’s credit card, or making telephone calls with the partner long distance service can earn more points.
For any offer, be aware of the requirements to earn points. Make sure that a product’s price is not inflated more than the value of the bonus points. It is not a good deal to pay too much for a product simply to get more points. Frequent flyer points are worth 2 cents; 500 points are worth $10 and 1,000 points are worth $20. Product prices are often inflated for frequent flyer point offers. If 1,000 points are awarded with a $100 purchase, determine whether the product, like flowers, would cost less than $80 ($100 cost of flowers minus $20 value of points) elsewhere. Paying $100 for a $40 product in order to get $20 worth of frequent flyer points is not smart.
Figure 3.1
McCool Rule: Value of Frequent Flyer Points
Each frequent flyer point is typically worth 2 cents; 500 points are worth $10 and 1,000 points are worth $20. A 25,000 point award is worth $500.
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Then again, paying an inflated price to get points could be a good strategy when only a few points are needed to reach an award level. Most of the time, it is less expensive than paying for an unnecessary flight. Some programs, including Continental’s OnePass and United’s Mileage Plus, allow members to buy points. OnePass members can buy up to 20% of the needed points in 1,000 point blocks for $25 each block. If you need 3,000 points for a 100,000 award, you can buy the points for $75.
To maximize the value of frequent flyer awards, redeem them for flights that would cost more than the award value. Basic awards for domestic flights are worth $500 (25,000 points at 2 cents per point). Using a domestic award for a flight that costs $199 is not a good value. Emergency, last minute, and business flights are usually expensive and ideal situations for redeeming frequent flyer awards.
Most airlines charge a fee for booking award flights with less than three weeks notice. Avoid paying the fee, and potential disappointment, by booking award flights more than three weeks before flying. Award flights can be booked up to 360 days in advance and free flights to popular destinations are booked very early. If needed, reserve award flights as far in advance as possible, then change the dates and times closer to the start of the trip. There is no fee for changing the dates and times of an award flight; completely changing the itinerary incurs only a $75 fee.
Discounted awards may be available for off-season flights or other promotions. A program may offer award flights to Europe for 40,000 points between January 15th and March 15th and 50,000 points for the rest of the year. Award flights may also be discounted when a new partner airline is introduced. Shorter award flights of 500 miles or less “cost” only 15,000 points on many airlines.
People flying once or twice a year should follow the principles in this book to get lower airfares, rather than trying to accumulate enough frequent flyer points for free flights. Frequent flyer programs are beneficial but it is not worth paying more for flights on a specific airline simply to earn frequent flyer points.
Figure 3.2
McCool Rule: Frequent Flyer Programs
1. Join Several Programs (they’re FREE!)
2. Analyze Award Levels and Select a Preferred Program
3. Consolidate Points
4. Redeem Points for Emergency and Last-Minute Flights
5. Take Advantage of Non-Flight Point Accruals
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What has changed about frequent flyer programs? Do you use frequent flyer programs?
Previous McCool Travel post ====> Effective Trip Planning: Declutter Your Mind
To read previous posts in the Road Trip Diet series click here.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.
© 2012, Charles McCool
I recently noticed three things:
- A new copy of my book is listed on Alibris for $106.49.
- I just opened my last box of books. I have less than 50 copies remaining.
- My birthday is Thursday!
Put those three together for a super, duper birthday extravaganza.
I will offer a limited number of my personal copies of Winning the Airfare Game for only $6.
Winning the Airfare Game
These books are better than new condition. They are mint condition. I know this because all books were delivered to me from the printer. I was the publisher. I distributed all orders.
The box I just opened was the last unopened box. These are last mint condition copies of Winning the Airfare Game.
The standard shipping charge at Alibris is $3.99 per book. I will charge only $3.
Some advantages of ordering a copy of Winning the Airfare Game from me are:
- Save over $100 (them=$106, me=$6) on each copy of Winning the Airfare Game. Buy 10 copies and save $1,000. Wow!
- I have the best possible condition copies of Winning the Airfare Game.
- I will personally sign and customize a message on each book (by request).
- I will send gift copies directly to the recipient.
- All sales proceeds will help grow a small business and not a huge inefficient corporation.
- A birthday gift for me? Thank you very much!
This deal is only available for shipping to US addresses.
This deal will be available until my next post (probably on Friday). However, the deal will end early when I sell 40 books.
Order NOW to ensure you receive one of the last copies of Winning the Airfare Game. When they’re gone, they’re gone!
Order NOW by clicking the PayPal button below. You can securely pay using a credit card or your bank account.
<< OFFER COMPLETE>>
Thank you!
Previous McCool Travel post ====> Surprising Delaware!
To read previous posts in the Road Trip Diet series click here.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.
© 2012, Charles McCool
Whew, there is much talk lately about rising fares due to increased fuel surcharges.
The bad news is that you have to pay this fuel surcharge no matter which carrier you use or which booking engine you use.
The good news is that you can avoid paying the fuel surcharge by not flying.
But wait, there is another way…
If I have said it once, well, I will say it again. FlyerTalk is one of the best, if not the single best, online resource for do-it-yourself travel planners to learn how to save money on travel.
Specifically for airfares, the Mileage Run Deals and Mileage Run Discussion boards are fantastic. There is also a board for Hotel Deals.
Consider those message boards–along with most of my prior posts–to be beginner to intermediate level discussions.
Why is this post called Air Travel 504?
Because this is the Graduate course. This topic will not be of interest to everyone. This is a very specialized and complicated topic.
Master it and you will be a lean, mean, airfare booking machine.
This is an independent study course using only one reference source.
The one source is a specific FlyerTalk thread . Currently 1198 pages and almost 18,000 posts it is called Trick It / Negotiate It / Special Savings Lounge Thread.
In it, contributors find extremely complicated and rare anomalies in airline reservation systems, such as quirky fares that do include the fuel surcharge. You can realize huge savings since the current fuel surcharge on flights between US and Europe is over $450.
However, the contributors do not simply tell you how to get these circumvention fares. Everything in the thread is coded.
A crude example (my creation) post: FD from lazy airport to kid’s summer wet game via land of ice and fire only using Keanu’s engine.
This would mean you can find a fare without the fuel surcharge (FD=fuel dump) between Los Angeles (airport code is LAX) to Naples (actual name is Marco Polo) via Iceland (land of ice and fire). Flights via Iceland can be assumed to be on IcelandAir–so the carrier is implied in this case. Keanu’s engine would be Matrix, which is a commonly used booking engine by FTers.
One reason for the encryption is that once a deal is discovered and publicized, the airline quickly fixes the problem.
Another reason is by speaking in code, the information remains cryptic to outsiders.
Outsiders can become insiders. All you need to do is spend the time to understand the lingo and processes.
It is not easy. And it will take lots of time to decode the puzzles. YMMV, of course, depending on your cryptography skill set.
Even better, insiders can discover and share their own findings, which contribute to the overall group benefit.
What do you think? Are you ready? If so, are you interested?
By the way, ever notice that the airlines do not lower the fuel surcharge when oil prices decline?
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.
© 2012, Charles McCool
A couple of weeks ago I paid only $82.50 for a $914 flight.
Are you curious to learn how I saved over 90%?
Just to let you know, I did nothing tricky or against any rules. I really did pay only $82.50 for a flight that was listed for $914. The trip was within the continental USA but the itinerary was not a standard round-trip. That routing, plus purchasing the flight only two days before flying led to the extremely high price.
Basically, I wanted to book a last-minute six-day trip and selected Santa Barbara, California as my starting point. Initially I planned to return home from Eureka/Arcata but I changed my itinerary because of the weather forecast. Instead, I returned home from Phoenix, Arizona.
My flight itinerary was actually Dulles to Santa Barbara (via San Francisco) and Phoenix to Dulles.
Yes, that flight would cost $914 when booked only two days prior to flying. Insane!
OK, so that is some background.
Now, how did I pay only $82.50?
Short answer ======> I used frequent flyer points
Detailed answer follows…
Believe me when I say that I do not travel as much as I would like to. I did have enough points (25,000) in my frequent flyer account to redeem to a flight within the continental US. However, I am guessing that less than 10% of those points were from actual flights. I earned points from a variety of sources and you can too!
I earned points from buying things on the internet (electronics, gift cards, music, and more), dining at restaurants (10 points per dollar), and other offers (completing surveys, accepting targeted emails). Plenty of online sources detail how to earn hundreds of thousands of points, including by signing up for credit cards.
Indeed, there are many ways to earn frequent flyer points without flying. Here is a current post outlining how to get 30 points per dollar spent of flowers for Valentine’s Day. You can even buy points but look for bonus offers.
Now you know that you can easily earn frequent flyer points. It might take some time and work but you can do it!
After earning a pool of frequent flyer points, you can also redeem for high ticket flights, like I did. In fact, last-minute flights, expensive open jaw flights, and first class upgrades are some of the best redemption values for frequent flyer awards.
Why did I pay $82.50?
A $7.50 fee had be paid for airport fees ($2.50 per airport used). If I would have booked this itinerary a year in advance, I would still be required to pay the $7.50. That fee depends on the itinerary. If I had returned from Eureka, then I would have paid $10.
I had to pay a $75 fee for booking within 21 days of the flight.
My multi-city itinerary was super easy to book on the airline’s website.
What is the best frequent flyer award deal you have found?
You can contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.
© 2012, Charles McCool
I first published this in 2002. What is still true? What is worse? Submit your proposed 2011 updates. Surely, “no full body scans” and “no pat downs” will fit in here somewhere.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@CharlesMcCool) and subscribe to this blog (click button in upper left corner) to be among the first notified when a new entry is posted.
© 2011, 2002, Charles McCool
The following is the last verse, to be sung to the tune of the popular Christmas Carol, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Enjoy!
On the Twelfth Flight of Christmas, the airlines* should give us:
Undamaged Baggage
Pleasant Customer Service
Easier Check-in
No Overbookings
More Non-stop Flights, Please
Better Eating Choices
Convenient Parking
L O W E R A I R F A R E S
Increased Leg Room
More jetBlues**
Fewer Delays and
NO Lines at Se-cu-ri-ty
* Sure, the airline are not to blame for every air travel problem. What fun is there in teasing the airports or FAA?
** Substitute “Southwest” for “jetBlue,” if desired.
******************************************************
Happy Holidays!
Charles McCool
author, Winning the Airfare Game
http://www.LowerAirfares.com
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Welcome to the busiest travel period of the year.
For most travelers, this is a trying time and getting there (and home) is a daunting task. Yesterday’s McCool Travel post listed 8 great tips to avoid getting bumped.
On the other hand, the insanely busy holiday travel period is an opportunity for flexible and savvy travelers to “earn” free future flights. I have been bumped from flights (I volunteered to do so!) several times.
This post will list a few ways to maximize your chances of getting bumped from flights.
Please see my post from 2010 which thoroughly explains bumping.
Here are 8 Great Tips to AVOID Getting Bumped From Holiday Flights:
- Book Overbooked Flights. Some people intentionally predict and buy overbooked flights (more tickets sold than number of seats on the plane)–specifically to be bumped. In other words, they buy tickets on busy flights expecting to be bumped and receive compensation. Many flights in the next few days will be overbooked because it is the heaviest travel period of the year. This article lists some typical overbooked flight scenarios. I would add introductory flights, as my best flight bump situation came from one.
- Confirm Flights. Same as if you want to AVOID getting bumped, you should confirm flight information, such as airports (departure, arrival, connecting), dates, times, and seat assignments–at least a couple of days prior to departure. If you bought a cheap fare many months in advance, things may have changed.
- Arrive Early. This week and a half (Friday before through Sunday after Thanksgiving) is the busiest travel time in the US. Airports are more crowded, check in lines are longer, staff is overwhelmed, flights will be overbooked. Allow additional time to find parking, pass through security, board planes, and everything else. If you miss a check in deadline or boarding announcement, then you might be involuntarily bumped. You DO NOT want that to happen.
- Be Nice. Whether it is busy or not, whether you want to be bumped or not, I believe it pays dividends to be nice to the airline and airport personnel. Anyway, it can only help you perhaps receive a coveted denied boarding compensation (aka bumped) spot from your flight if you are nice rather than obnoxious.
- Volunteer. If I know or suspect that a flight will be overbooked, I specifically (and nicely) ask if the flight is full. If they say anything other than “No” (“Yes” or “Definitely” or “Severely” or similar), I politely ask if it is overbooked. If there is a chance of the flight being overbooked, then I nicely say that my travel plans are flexible and that I can take a later flight if it will help them out. If checking baggage or otherwise speaking with airline staff prior to security, volunteer then. If you have no luggage to check and printed your boarding pass at home, clear security and then ask/volunteer at the gate or customer service counter. Also, volunteer for all of your flights on that itinerary. I once was the only bumped passenger on a Los Angeles to Honolulu flight because I was the first volunteer; I was able to be first on the list by asking when I checked in for my first flight in Monterey (that day I flew Monterey to San Francisco, San Francisco to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Honolulu).
- Listen to Announcements. If you are on the volunteer list, it is critical to stay in the gate area and pay attention to the blathering announcements. You may be paged and told that your seat is not needed, that you have been rebooked on another flight (good news), moved to first class (yippee!), or just to make sure you are still around. Miss any page and you will be removed from the volunteer list.
- Board Late. Yesterday, I suggested boarding as early as possible when you want to avoid being bumped. When you are on the volunteer list, you may have to wait until the airline staff go through a series of steps: board ticketed passengers, figure out connecting flights, reassign seats released due to upgrades, book standby passengers, assign non-com seats (pilots and other airline employees), etc.
- Bargain. Airlines typically offer a standard compensation to bumped passengers. When the demand is higher (more standby passengers), you have a better opportunity of negotiating more compensation. This FlyerTalk thread has a log of various compensations issued (reported by passengers).
Bonus tip #1: Ask for a travel voucher rather than free flight. Free flight vouchers are wonderful. Travel vouchers, on the other hand, are like cash discounts. You can book any fare and apply the travel voucher. Travel vouchers earn frequent flyer points and are less restricted than free flights.
Bonus tip #2: Volunteer multiple times. I have been bumped two times in one trip. However, there are savvy, opportunistic travelers who have been bumped multiple times in one day. I remember reading of a couple receiving eight worldwide first class tickets for getting bumped four times in one day from flights between the Caribbean and Miami on the Sunday after New Year’s Day. Wow!
OK, I could have made this a top ten list but I like staying true to my “8 Great” theme.
Following these tips will not guarantee, but will maximize the chance, that you that you get bumped from an overbooked flight.
In addition to my post with tips to AVOID getting bumped, Airfarewatchdog also published a blog post yesterday about bumped flights. Check it (after mine) and let me know what you think.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
UPDATE: 2:18 PM EST
Today’s blog post on Airfarewatchdog is also about bumping. Check it (after mine) and let me know what you think.
Welcome to the busiest travel period of the year.
For most travelers, this is a trying time and getting there (and home) is a daunting task.
This post will list a few ways to maximize the chances that you do not get bumped from your flight–and make it to your destination and back home.
Please see my post from 2010 which thoroughly explains bumping.
Here are 8 Great Tips to AVOID Getting Bumped From Holiday Flights:
- Avoid Busy Airports. Perhaps too late to book this year’s holiday flights but if not (and for the future) when possible avoid flying to/from/through busy airports. Avoid potential weather delays by connecting in southern airports; for instance, connect in Dallas instead of Chicago (although try to avoid both!). Here is a list of the busiest airports in the US and the world.
- Confirm itineraries. If you bought a cheap fare many months in advance, things may have changed. At least a few days before flying, confirm flight information, such as airports (departure, arrival, connecting), dates, times, and seat assignments. Airlines charge fees to book flights over the phone but not for checking information. So, call the airline, if you wish, or check your itinerary online. Believe me, it is much easier to address problems over the phone a couple of days before flying than at the airport.
- Print Boarding Pass. Most airlines will let you check in online and print your boarding pass up to 24 hours early. Do so! When flights are overbooked, being check in greatly increases the chance that you will not be bumped from your flight. Plus you will save time and stress compared to checking in at the airport. Yuck!
- Arrive Early. This week and a half (Friday before through Sunday after Thanksgiving) is the busiest travel time in the US. Airports are more crowded, check in lines are longer, staff is overwhelmed, flights will be overbooked. Hundreds of thousands of non-savvy travelers (who do not read my posts) will be clogging up the system. Allow additional time to find parking, pass through security, board planes, and everything else.
- Be informed. If you are checking bags (try very hard NOT to), ask the agent to confirm the gate where your flight will depart and connecting flight information. When walking to the departure gate, check the information boards in case there is any change (departure time, gate). If you will be in an airline lounge, let the desk agent know your flight information (they will find you if any changes).
- Listen to Announcements. I know you would love to catch up on calls or crank up your iPod while killing time but I suggest that at least one person in your party pay attention to the blathering announcements. Flights may board and depart early, gates may change, flights may be delayed or cancelled.
- Board Early. Normally, I like to minimize my time on planes and will choose to board as late as possible. If I am on an overbooked flight, however, I usually board as early as I can. When there are duplicate seat assignments, for instance, the person occupying the seat almost always stays and the second boarder has to sit elsewhere. On the other hand, at least once I have been the second boarder and been relocated to first class. I do not want to take that risk on an overbooked flight.
- Be Nice. Since I believe in travel karma, I believe it pays dividends to be nice to the airline and airport personnel all the time but especially when it is super crazy. A smile goes a long way with shuttle drivers, TSA workers, and overworked and under appreciated airline staff. I have given small chocolate items to flight attendants and half a Santarpios pizza to a pilot without expectation of anything in return. Anyway, it can only help you ensure receiving a spot on your flight if you are nice rather than obnoxious. Although I have not seen a scientific study, I have seen both “strategies” many times and rarely see the negative behavior be rewarded.
Following these tips will not guarantee, but will maximize the chance, that you that you get a seat on an overbooked flight.
If you are a flexible traveler and are willing to give up your seat (be bumped) in exchange for compensation, well, I will cover that in my next post.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Twenty years ago (20!), I learned of a strategy to find cheaper fares for many trips.
It was 1991, just a year or two before I could book my own fares on the internet. I wanted to fly this itinerary: Monterey to Los Angeles, Orange County to Las Vegas, Las Vegas to Monterey. I was not sure this itinerary was feasible or economical.
I used a decent travel agent at the time who was patient and tolerant enough to let me experiment and test the computer boundaries and limits. For this trip, she said it would have to be one-way fares but not all routes had competitive one-way fares. Luckily, these routes did. The second issue was that no carrier operated all of these routes. She had to use different airlines–different ticketing computers, different reservations. At that time it was more complicated.
She said that it was very unusual for anyone to want to fly this type of itinerary. Nearly all of the airline tickets she booked were roundtrip flights with a small percentage of one-way flights.
This was a huge paradigm shift for me.
My thinking that day changed, wondering why most people fly simple round trips and do not take these type of trips.
Today, it is easy to create complicated itineraries but I am still surprised that more people do not take advantage.
What Are Multi-City Flights?
Most trips fly from one airport to another and back. It is just a typical round trip (or return) flight.
A multi-city flight uses three or more airports.
An open jaw flight is one example. Instead of flying between the US and London, an open jaw itinerary will fly into London and back from Rome (or Dublin, Paris, Madrid, or any other airport). I have set up open jaws in the USA, such as into Los Angeles (or Long Beach) and back from San Francisco (or Oakland), to Detroit and back from Minneapolis, and others.
Split tickets are another example. I could book separate round trip flights, such as DC to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Honolulu. With multi-city flights I could fly DC to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Honolulu, Honolulu to San Francisco, and San Francisco to DC. Some would call this a circle trip.
A series of one-way flights is another example. A few months ago, I flew into Key West and returned from Miami. With these one-way flights plus the one-way car rental between Key West and Miami, I saved hundreds of dollars compared to flying round trip into either Key West or Miami (and renting/returning a car to the same location).
For another Spring Break trip, my family flew from Dulles to Long Beach and back from Los Angeles to DC National (four airports and two different airlines). Another trip we flew from Baltimore to Seattle and back from Calgary to Dulles.
Why Use Multi-City Flights?
In some of the above examples, I show how to save money. It often costs less to use different airports compared to flying a standard round trip.
You can visit more places for the same (or less) money than a standard round-trip, such as with a split ticket itinerary.
You can save time, as with the Key West and open jaw examples. Instead of doubling back to the arrival airport to return home, I can create trips where I spend more time seeing new destinations.
How to Book Multi-City Flights?
OK, you savvy travel consumers have either already played with the multi-city feature or at least seen it.
Every booking engine–whether you use Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz, Travelocity, ITA Software, Vayama, or any other–has an option for searching for Multi-city flights (along with One-way and the default Round-trip options).
When you are doing a flight search, click the Multi-city option and enter the desired airports.
For example, using Kayak, I can click Multi-city, type Long Beach for From, Miami for To (for the first flight), Orlando and New Orleans for the second flight, and Kansas City to Long Beach for the third–and appropriate dates for each. I can select the Nearby Airports for any or all; maybe I only want to fly from Long Beach on the first flight but am willing to return to Los Angeles or Long Beach.
Add this travel strategy to your tool box and find cheaper flights in the future.
Have you used multi-city flights? Do you think you might try them in the future? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
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© 2011, Charles McCool
