Competition is keeping some airfares in check, and in some cases, cheaper than you think

by Jamie Rhein on

From what I’ve been reading, despite the talk of how airfares are increasing, it’s wise to keep checking for the travel deals. They can be found.

According to this AOL Money and Finance article, depending on where you are heading, you can find a reasonable rate. Heading to Europe, for example, may score a bargain because there has been an increase in flights which means more seats to fill which means cheaper fares. Last month I checked out ticket prices from Columbus, Ohio to Copenhagen, Denmark and found a fare on Northwest just over $700. Not cheap, but cheaper than I expected.

A friend of mine flew from Boston to Columbus the end of August and paid a little over $200–another surprise. Some cities are bargain destinations: San Antonio, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Phoenix, for example.

In order to find deals, the article presents the recommendation that you search out the airports as well as the cities. Depending on what airport you use, you could save hundreds. If the fare to Newark makes your heart stop, check out JFK, for example. A flight from Minneapolis to Newark, a fare that used to be cheap, has now jumped to $1,600, but to JFK, the flight still hovers around $300.

When we have flown towards Montana, we looked into the cheapest flights within a 12 hour driving range. Denver was a bargain three years ago. Seattle was it summer before last. (Since once in Montana we would have needed to rent a car, renting a car in Seattle or Denver saved money in the end. Plus, it gave us a chance to visit friends and see other sites along the way.)

I’d also keep checking back since prices jump so frequently, and don’t assume. Two years ago my family and I were driving to Florida for Christmas because I assumed flights would be expensive since we were making our plans last minute. When I found out they were less than $200 a piece, we flew instead. Driving would have cost more, not to mention the time factor.

How to save up for the dream vacation in 90 days: Tips from a financial guru.

by Jamie Rhein on

I love financial expert Jean Chatzky’s voice. She sounds so calm and reasonable. I came across a video clip of hers where she outlines how to save for a dream vacation in 90 days. It’s not rocket science, and her tips do work. I just did number two myself.

Here are the three tips in a nutshell. Seriously. It’s not rocket science.

1. Once you decide where you want to go, find out how much it will cost. Chatzky says to figure in the costs of eating and entertainment as well. The ticket or gas prices are only part of it. Factoring in ALL expenses helps plan. She recommends travel Web sites to scout out deals.

2. Then she suggests that you look to see if there are ways you can save, such as seeing if you can use miles. (That’s how I’m going to Denmark with my daughter in December.) In many cases we have NOT used miles if flights were not that expensive. We wanted to save up miles for a bigger trip.

3. Once you know your total cost, divide the cost by 13 since you have 13 weeks to come up with the money. Chatzky then says you look at your expenses to see what you can cut out each week. Chatzky picks coffee, clothes, lunches out and make-up as areas for savings.

Her figure to save was $80 a week. If you save $80 for 13 weeks, that’s $1,040.

If $80 is a hefty amount, my idea is to expand the length of time you need to save the money. The point is to know what your goal is so you can aim for it.

Although cutting back on immediate expenses, Chatzky says that once you’re on the beach, or wherever, the sacrifice you made to get there will be worth it.

Here’s the link for the video so Chatzky can tell you the how tos herself.

Any tips you’ve come up with to save for your dream vacation? I’ve saved all spare change.

Solo travel. How to make it cheaper.

by Jamie Rhein on

For those who solo travel, bargains are harder to come by, particularly if you’re booking a cruise or taking a tour. Most tour prices are couple friendly. If you have a traveling buddy, lodging is cheaper.

Ed Perkins, a consumer travel writer for Tribune Media Services offers some suggestions for people who are going it alone to reduce the cost of an adventure.

One option is to have a cruise line or cruise operator find a roommate for you. Perhaps someone is in the same position you are. You would only be sharing a room, but the rest of the time you can strike out on your own.

Another is to look for a traveling companion by hitting up your friends, coworkers, family members, basically anyone you know, to find out if they know of someone who would like to go on a trip.

Check out an organization like Connecting Solo Travel Network, Travel Acquaintance and Travel Chums. These businesses specialize in hooking people up to single travel deals and with each other.

Perkins also suggests O Solo Mio Tours and scouting out last minute deals with tour operators. Sometimes you can get a good deal right before a trip starts.

Even for people traveling with a partner, hooking up with a single person can be a money saver and can offer a broader experience. When my husband and I were traveling in Vietnam we became friends with Amit, a woman from Israel. We shared a room and hired a driver together, and even arranged to meet up with her in Hanoi after we veered in different directions for a few days.

We also hung out with Stan, a Vietnam vet who was traveling alone. After sharing a meal, we shared the cost of a driver from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang. Since Stan was stationed in Nha Trang, this gave us an experience from his point of view.

Amit became our companion from Nha Trang to Hue and on to Hoi An.

In Hoi An, Amit and I had a wonderful time shopping while my husband was relieved to not tag along.

Gadling TAKE FIVE: Week of May 17-23

by Jamie Rhein on

This has been a week where deal snagging has been a bit elusive and prices are rising.

For example:

  • Grant noted American Airlines announcement that it will start charging $15 for the first checked bag.
  • Jeffrey gave us details about how we can expect the price of plane tickets to keep going up as the availability of flights go down.
  • Aaron made note of the higher gas prices which could affect some travel plans for drivers this three-day weekend.
  • Iva has been searching in Moscow for things that are cheap without much luck, unless one considers the subway, vodka and symphony tickets.

But, on the bright side, Tynan was hooked up once more with his beloved Aloksak Plastic Bags which can help pack items more tightly so they can fit in those carry-ons. Plus, they are waterproof so things like your camera won’t get ruined. That’s money saving.

Budget Fares from New York to Egypt

by Grant Martin on

Airfare Watchdog is reporting the latest in a string of strange USA-LON-XXX flights that are remarkably cheap for this time of year. This week, the Egyptian port of Sharm el-Sheikh is on sale from New York City for the paltry sum of about 600USD.

Availability appears to be anywhere between November and March, and AFWD has created a series of handy dandy links to help you search throughout an entire month of availability. The trick with booking this flight is to be flexible. Most dirt-cheap tickets are going to require a little bit of leeway on your part — leaving on a weekday or flying out of your way to get to where you need to be. Just remember that you’re getting a steal on airline tickets and any deal you can work out and book is a gift.

Another thing to remember is that deals like this often don’t last long. Gadling readers searching for this fare on Wednesday may already be too late; often times you may have a few hours to research, book and confirm your tickets. I won’t advocate making any snap decisions on international travel, but it may be a good idea to check the cancellation policy on your favorite booking engine’s FAQ. Many have a clause where you can cancel a ticket within 24 hours without penalty. That way you can book a ticket for you and your girlfriend from work right now and ask for her permission when you get home.

Trans-Atlantic legs appear to be mostly on British Airways, a oneworld alliance member earning you miles on American, British, Cathay and Quantas among others.

With regard to Egyptian travel, you can pay for a visa at the border (nifty postage stamp visas that you can paste into your passport yourself) for a reasonable price. Sharm el-Sheikh is a fabulous city at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula well known as a tourist destination and home to excellent scuba diving and western hobnobbery.

Don’t forget your Cipro.