What’s new right?\u00a0 Well, in the travel industry, much is new.\u00a0 First of all, there have been mega mergers that are now in full-swing and others that are in their fledgling state.\u00a0 According to ABC News, mergers which yields less competition equals higher fares and more fees.\u00a0 Unless you’re that man from China who managed to dress himself in just about everything he owned, including 60 shirts and 9 pairs of pants to no have to pay some of those airlines ridiculous checked bag fees.<\/p>\n
FEE FEE FEE<\/strong><\/p>\n Pay attention to the fine print on airline websites!<\/p><\/div>\n We like to research flights before we fly.\u00a0 Yes we are frequent flyers of the cheapest fare<\/p>\n but we still look for best routes and flight times…and we also have our favorite carriers (although some of our preferred are treading on thin ice) and will book with th<\/p>\n em if possible.\u00a0 We still like to get our air miles, even though they are worth much much less these days.\u00a0 We will discuss this in a minute.<\/p>\n Now, back to all these fees.\u00a0 All one has to do is search major fare search engines like Kayak<\/a>, Orbitz<\/a>, Priceline<\/a> or Expedia<\/a>, type in your needs and you’ll get a plethora of results.\u00a0 Depending on the service you are using, you’ll usually see the cheapest first.\u00a0 We think most default to that.\u00a0 But don’t be fooled!\u00a0 Cheapest fares don’t always mean your out of pocket expense won’t exceed what you might have paid on another airline that has lower fees.\u00a0 These cannot and should not be overlooked.\u00a0 You must read the fine print on all airlines fare offers BEFORE you book.\u00a0 Case and point…<\/p>\n We had a friend who wanted to fly from NY to Chicago.\u00a0 He did his search on one of the servers mentioned above and got several hits.\u00a0 One airline was by far the cheapest.\u00a0 Almost too good to be true.\u00a0 This particular airline has been popping up on several airlines search engines as the “lowest fare” and rightfully so.\u00a0 Our friend, booked on this airline as he was strictly on a budget.\u00a0 Luckily (depending on how you look at it), he was talking about his trip with his sister who just happened to have flown on that same airline a few weeks prior.\u00a0 “She started laughing”, he said.\u00a0 “She immediately told me that I should check any bags I had online prior to getting to the airport to avoid very high bag check fees.”\u00a0 He did so, paying a modest $25 for a size of an overhead roller bag.\u00a0 This particular airline charged for any kind of carry on.\u00a0 “The closer you got to the plane, the more expensive the checked bag fees got…it was unbelievable!…if you had to check your bag at boarding it could be as high as $125 per bag, no matter the size!”\u00a0 Unfortunately, the fun doesn’t end there.<\/p>\n FLIGHTS, ROUTES AND HASSLE<\/p>\n Our friend also pointed out that although his flight did get him to ORD (Chicago), his plane was not direct by any means.\u00a0 He first had to fly to Florida, change planes and then lay over for 1 hour before re-boarding to continue his itinerary to ORD.\u00a0 He eventually got there and swore that he wouldn’t fly with that particular airline again.\u00a0 He actually did though…he had to get back home.\u00a0 And of course, had to check his bag like he did before, on line, to avoid all those fees.\u00a0 Beware!\u00a0 Beware…BEWARE!<\/p>\n FEE BUNDLES<\/p>\n According to ABC Fee Bundles are where it’s headed this summer.\u00a0 American did this last month<\/a> with its Choice Essential and Choice Plus options (airlines love buzzwords like “choice”), which provide such options as early boarding and a free bag. Delta has something similar<\/a> with its Lift and Ascend programs, which also began in December. Both can be great for frugal-minded business travelers who want some of the comforts of business class without the steep price tag.<\/p>\n SUMMER IS EXPENSIVE<\/p>\n Yes, it is.\u00a0 And it will be this Summer.\u00a0 If you want to circumvent that and you can travel before, you might have some time to book.\u00a0 Just don’t expect any discounts when all those hormone-enraged college students hit their favorite destinations for Spring Break.<\/p>\n BEST TIME TO BOOK AN AIRLINE TICKET<\/p>\n According to SmarterTravel.com<\/a>, the best day and time to book a domestic airline ticket is, Tuesday around 3PM EST<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 How do people get these figures?<\/p>\n DON’T BOOK LATE<\/p>\n Summer travel won’t get cheaper the closer it gets to Summer.\u00a0 Remember be sure to buy you air ticket at least 21 DAYS Prior to departure<\/span>.\u00a0 Inside 21 days you will pay dearly.\u00a0 One week prior and it will be 3X what it was previously.<\/p>\n SPRINGTIME FOR EUROPE<\/p>\n Spring is a great time to go to Europe because the weather’s good and you can save a couple of hundred bucks over summer. Rule of thumb: peak pricing typically kicks in around May 15.<\/p>\n KNOW YOUR INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS<\/p>\n Speaking of Europe, consider making Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt,\u00a0Madrid, London, or Vienna your arrival city. These European gateways are served by major carriers from both sides of the Atlantic, and that generates enough competition to keep prices under control\u2014relatively speaking.\u00a0 Or, fly a lesser-known carrier hungry for your business. Consider, OpenSkies<\/a>.\u00a0 Find out which international carriers fly directly to their home country from your nearest international airport, and then follow the cheap fares. \u00a0For instance, Boston’s Logan International, generally offers great prices to Ireland because it’s served directly by Aer Lingus.<\/a> Again, it’s all about the competition.<\/p>\n CONSIDER GOING DIRECT<\/p>\n While we primarily use Kayak<\/a> and all the others listed above, remember that there are a few airlines that do not offer fares on these sites.\u00a0 One is Southwest<\/a>.\u00a0 And that’s a biggie!\u00a0 Southwest still doesn’t charge for up to 2 checked bags.\u00a0 Consider that a round trip flight on say, American Airlines for the same two checked bags<\/a> would be $65 each way, totaling $130.00.\u00a0 That’s a lot more added to your ticket price, isn’t it?<\/p>\n LIQUIDS<\/p>\n Stuff, pack but it has to zip in a 1 Quart Bag for TSA to be happy.<\/p><\/div>\n The TSA is constantlychanging the rules on carry on liquids<\/a>.\u00a0 One rule that has not changed is that all of your liquids you are bringing on to the plane must be in a 1 Quart Ziplocbag.\u00a0 And they all must fit inside that bag and zip.\u00a0 Don’t be stupid and have a ton of travelers behind you annoyed with you by having TSA confiscate your expensive face cream, sun tan lotion, or even tooth paste.\u00a0 You won’t be able to argue with them and ignorance is not a defense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n OVERHEAD BAGS<\/p>\n Yes, many airlines like Spirit<\/a> charge out the wazoo for any kind of carry on<\/a>.\u00a0 The link we just mentioned, notates that these are the fees if you do it online, they get higher as you ignore and wait until you get to your plane.\u00a0 Remember our friend?<\/p>\n American Airlines<\/a> also has gotten stricter on the size of bag you can bring on<\/a>.\u00a0 Ever seen those little metal boxes at the plane entrance?\u00a0 Well, gate agents for American have gotten very good at spotting most potential over-sized bags and WILL ask you to make it fit.\u00a0 If it does not, they will make you check it.\u00a0 You won’t get charged, but you will have to wait for it at your destination’s bag claim, delaying your trip, sometimes considerably.<\/p>\n MIDDLE SEATS – THE BANE OF ALL TRAVELER’S EXISTENCE<\/p>\n Yes.\u00a0 We all know this.\u00a0 And as the bean counters at all the airlines have also surmised, you will pay to NOT have that dreaded middle seat.\u00a0 As most of our travelers are over 6′ tall, we understand your pain.\u00a0 The seats have obviously gotten smaller and narrower.\u00a0 So, airlines like United<\/a> and Spirit give you an option to pay to insure you don’t get it.\u00a0 Most of these fees start at $15 per flight.\u00a0 Some think this is money well spent.<\/p>\n TRIP INSURANCE<\/p>\n We don’t recommend this<\/span>.\u00a0 But if you’re not sure about your travel plans but needed to book to insure a price you can live with, get it.\u00a0 Just read the small print on this.\u00a0 If you have to cancel you better have a good excuse that falls under the guidelines (small print).\u00a0 Remember, these underwriters have done their research.\u00a0 You do yours.<\/p>\n CHECK IN ORDER\/PRIORITY CHECK IN<\/p>\n Some of our travelers are premiere flyers.\u00a0 Good for them.\u00a0 But some are not.\u00a0 And here’s the deal on that.<\/p>\n Southwest Airlines:<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n Check in right at the 24 hour mark prior to your departure time for Southwest.\u00a0 You probably won’t have to check your bag.\u00a0 Get a mid “B” or “C” on your ticket, and you might.\u00a0 If you are checking in a few hours prior to your flight and will be under a time constraint at your destination, consider paying a few bucks for priority access and you won’t have to check your bag.\u00a0 You’ll board early and won’t even have to be stuck with a middle seat.\u00a0 Most Southwest flights are booked solid.\u00a0 Board late and you’ll have to suffer.<\/p>\n American and United…and most other airlines:<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n Flying Economy can be hard on your legs<\/p><\/div>\n Doesn’t matter what time you check in.\u00a0 Just make sure you have a seat assignment and you can usually do this when you purchase your ticket.\u00a0 Make sure you check this and click on the seat area\u00a0 you want. \u00a0Also, at that time, you can decide if you want that added leg room or seating towards the front (with an extra fee).\u00a0 Don’t know what seat to get, go to Seat Guru<\/a>, other travelers have assessed which seats are best on most planes in the world.\u00a0 They even compare various ways to fly and the amenities available to you on\u00a0 those flights.\u00a0 Here’s an example of “Long Haul Economy Class Comparison of Flights”<\/a>…Already done for you.<\/p>\n FLIGHT INTERNET ACCESS<\/p>\n Some airlines like American, Delta, Alaska and Air Tran offer in flight internet.\u00a0 You will pay but if your flight is over 4 hours, you might want to do it.\u00a0 We don’t think you can Skype but you can Facebook<\/a> and Tweet<\/a>…or actually work. Expect most airlines to follow suit.\u00a0 This is the wave of the future.\u00a0 And we think it’s WAY better than having in-flight phones.\u00a0 Imagine this now…There are now ways to purchase your internet time prior to flying.\u00a0 Gogo Air<\/a> is one of those offering to save you money for the convenience.<\/p>\n Pay for the service but be entertained without kinking your neck.<\/p><\/div>\n INFLIGHT MEALS<\/p>\n The first kitchens preparing meals in-flight were established by United Airlines in 1936<\/a>.\u00a0 They reached their Heyday arguably in the 1960’s.\u00a0 Since then, the “meal” has dwindled to a rarity.\u00a0 Be lucky you get nuts.\u00a0 Frankly, the dreaded in-flight meal was a lucky strike in our book.\u00a0 Bring your own meal and forget it.\u00a0 If you did forget to bring your meal, one can still buy one for a modest price on most airlines and flights usually over 2.5 hours.<\/p>\n Amazing Waiters travel tips<\/p><\/div>\n BE A GOOD\u00a0 TRAVELER<\/p>\n You are not entitled.\u00a0 If you take the mentality you will be hassled, jostled and treated like a passenger on a New York Bus, you’ll be fine.\u00a0 Everyone is in the same “boat” and you got what you paid for.\u00a0 You are still traveling on the fastest mode of transportation or you would have chosen something else.\u00a0 Be kind.\u00a0 Everyone is trying to get somewhere. Instead of getting irate, be amused.\u00a0 People are weird.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n TAW<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you’re like us, we travel…we’ve pretty much seen it all while we have traveled. Now that Spring has Sprung and Summer is just around the corner, the indicators are that traveling, Summer 2013 will be more expensive. What’s new … Continue reading ![\"Watch](\"http:\/\/amazingwaiters.com\/BLOG\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/no-fees.jpg\")
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