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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Check Baggage Restrictions before Booking Flights

Travelling by air is convenient as it is fast, comfortable and connectivity to different places across the globe is good. However, it is suggested that people need to look into a number of important of factors while making flight reservations. The aspects that fliers need to take care of include the type of carrier, aircraft in use, in-flight amenities, class of travel and restrictions regarding carrying of certain objects on-board. Out of these factors, baggage restriction is among the important factors that people should be aware prior to making bookings. Experienced fliers and travel experts suggest that travellers should check for these restrictions of a carrier before booking flights to avoid hassles at the airport. In the recent past, most airlines have become strict in regard to the size and weight limits of both types of luggage – carry-on and checked-in. They charge extra for exceeding the predefined limits. Hence, it is advisable to verify all relevant rules and restrictions of the carrier beforehand.

Check Baggage Restrictions

Some Important Facts to Remember

There are several important facts that help travellers determine the carrier and luggage size to avoid extra expenses at the time of checking-in. To begin with, those who are planning their journey with codeshare flights, should be aware that luggage allowance may not be same for all aircraft they board during the sojourn. Rules and regulations of the operating airline are applicable in such cases usually.

Sometimes, it becomes inevitable to carry extra baggage, especially for long vacations. In such cases, people can check online travel agencies to acquire information about the cheapest way of carrying their required stuff. Leading travel portals offer attractive discount options on existing flight fare that help in cutting down travel costs. This revenue can be used to pay the additional allowances. Besides, experts state that charges are considerably low when exceeding weight and size limits of objects is pre-arranged in comparison to detection of excess luggage at the airport. Besides, it is also suggested that those who have a lot of baggage should consider flying in the business class or even first class. This is because most airlines offer a greater luggage allowance for these classes.

Other Ways to Save Money on Excess Baggage

Travellers who want to save expenses and have excess baggage to carry can opt for postal services or sea freight. However, this involves slight delay of delivery of items during transit and people are suggested to check individual country listings for information on duration and reliability. This might not be an ideal option for vacationers, but in case of transfer of jobs or shifting to a new place, people could consider this. Another comparatively cheaper alternative than excessive baggage fees is the air cargo service offered by many airlines. Goods are delivered within a specific time, usually between two to five days from the date of the booking, at the address given by the customer. Airlines that offer cargo services for transportation of objects, provide proper paperwork and take care of custom procedures. However, trends reveal that most people prefer carrying their belongings in-flight to avoid chaos. They are advised to select an airline after verifying for specific rules and regulations in this regard.

For more detailed information on excess baggage procedures go through this link -  

Hand baggage and check-in baggage on domestic and International carriers.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Keeping in Mind the Basics while Looking for Cheapest Air Fare

Booking flights is considered one of the trickiest things because of excessive and frequent fluctuations in ticket prices. Most travellers get confused while making seat reservations, be it for domestic or international trips. Cheapest air fare remains the primary agenda, when a search for flight options is carried out. However, cheap is a comparative term and whether a particular option is cheap or not can be determined only by experience and proper application. Keeping in mind a few things might as come of help while making reservations of seats of an aircraft.

Compare Different Carriers

Compare Fares on Different Airlines


Comparing different airlines is regarded as the best way to get an idea about the flight fares between two destinations. The number of airlines operating in a particular region has increased by quite a margin in the last few decades, thus competition has grown manifold. On one hand, the number of available options has increased while on the other, choosing a particular airline has become a bit confusing, more so for frequent fliers. This has also made airfare on offer by airlines operating in the same region more competitive. Thus, choosing a flight meticulously is the best option if travellers are looking for cheap airfare.

Look for Airlines operating from Smaller Hubs

Frequent fliers have suggested that opting for those carriers, which do not operate out from major international hubs is a smart way of reducing flying expenses. Most airports levy a charge on carriers for allowing operation of their aircraft at their tarmac. The busier an airport is higher are the charges, so those airlines operating from less popular hubs are expected to have a reduced cost of operations. This in turn allows the airline to sell their tickets at a lower price, thus reducing flight fares. Having an idea about the base of an airline, thus, has a significant impact on reduction of travel expenses.

Operating Single-Aircraft Fleet

The fleet of an airline is another important aspect that has a considerable impact on determining flying charges. If a carrier is operating a single type of model for all its journeys, the maintenance and replacement charge is only of one type. However, if the fleet consists of aircraft of different types, the maintenance charges are of different types, thus, increasing the operational expenses. Furthermore, training procedure for pilots and crew for different aircraft is different and, as a result incurs more expenses. So, opting for those carriers, which operate aircraft of one type can be cheaper for travellers.

Opting for Discounts

Check offers before booking

Most airlines around the world offer international and domestic flight offers from time to time to boost passenger influx to increase their market share. Keeping a check on different carriers before making a flight booking, thus, allows travellers to get the best deals. Subscribing for mail alerts or notifications from various Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) is a smart way to stay updated about all offers. Whenever a discount is provided on a particular route, travellers are sent alerts from such agencies. This ensures that people do not miss out on the best offers.

How to Choose an Airline while Booking International and Domestic Airlines Tickets

International and Domestic Airlines Tickets
With considerable progress in global aviation in the past few decades, there is a number of options in flights available today in the market. It is true that the rise in options given fliers more options while making a choice, but the fact cannot be denied that it has also made booking tickets more confusing for first-timers. Due to a sharp increase in the number of carriers, it is not easy to select flights for travelling when booking international as well as domestic airlines tickets. Travellers should keep in mind a number of important aspects while finalising a reservation.

Ticket fare and In-flight Comforts

Price is one of the fundamental parameters that fliers consider when they book tickets. Another significant factor that influences the choice of an airline is comfort. Experts suggest that all journeys are not similar and people should choose carefully depending on the duration of their trip. During short-haul journeys, tourists can compromise with some in-flight amenities and can look for the cheapest rates to save money. However, while taking cross-continental flights, the primary concern should be comfort irrespective of the price of tickets to avoid jet lag and other travel related health issues like headache and sleep deprivation. Thus, the first important factor to be considered is the duration of the journey as it helps in deciding a priority between the ticket price and on-board comforts. While making a final decision, travel portals come of great use as they offer a detailed comparative study of probable options.

Perks of Using Travel Portals

With the advent of the internet, came a new revolution of technology. The late 90s witnessed this revolution impacting almost all sectors of business and day to day life. The emergence of travel portals was one such boon that came after this inception. Today travellers, instead of going to agents, have started planning out their trips on their own by researching portals. Online agencies offer consolidated information that comes of great help. Another unique advantage of these websites is that users can compare flights of different carriers for their prices, amenities and routes. This spares them from visiting numerous websites to check individual airlines and makes selecting the suitable flight easier. There is no middle man in the transaction and people do not have to pay any commissions when they book airline tickets on portals.

Advantages of Opting for Low-Cost Airlines

Now, reports suggest that the percentage of fliers is maximum of the middle class, which means lesser the price of a flight the better is its appeal. Due to high demand of cheap air tickets, low-cost carriers (LCCs) were introduced in the market. If fliers are not looking for premium travelling experience while flying, opting for LCCs might be an ideal option. LCCs are also known as budget or no-frills or discount carriers as they focus on quality mandatory services. They usually charge separately for facilities like food, seat allocation, priority boarding and baggage. These airlines in general offer the cheapest rates and opting for a budget flight might cut down expenses by a significant margin.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Flight Ticket Booking in Low-Cost Carriers – A Boon For Budget Fliers

The demand for cheap air tickets domestic as well as international has significantly increased in the last few decades. This can be attributed to the fact that flying has become a more feasible and easier option to travel long distances in a short span of time. Due to their fast lifestyle and lack of free time, people opt for travelling by air even for short distances across cities today. This has led to an increase in the demand for cheap tickets paving the way for the rise of low-cost carriers (LCCs). If travellers are not looking for premium travelling experience while flying, then opting for these carriers might be the best solution. They generally offer cheapest rates, and opting for them helps to might cut down on travel expenses by a significant margin.

LCCs are also known as budget, no-frills or discount carriers as they focus on providing mandatory quality services. They usually charge separately for facilities like food, seat allocation, priority boarding and baggage during the trip. Travellers who do not want to spend excess money on flying can consider flight ticket booking with a budget airline. There are a number of advantages of these carriers, both for fliers and the owning company.

Advantages of Operating LCCs

Budget airlines are not only convenient options for travellers, but they are also equally advantageous for operators. To begin with, low-cost flights have short stoppages at airports that increase the use of fleet that cuts down on expenses on demurrage (period for which the aircraft stays at the airport). Besides, operators of such airlines do not have to worry about additional services like free goodies, food and entertainment. This not only avoids the complexity of services, but also reduces ancillary costs. Additionally, this factor invites extra revenue that is charged for catering and extra baggage. Moreover, owners of these carriers have to pay less landing and other airport fees because their flights generally land on secondary and regional terminals. Moreover, they have standardised fleet – mostly only one type of aircraft with higher seating density. This results in lower maintenance costs, easier exchange of on-board crew and increased usage of aircraft.

Impact of LCCs on Tourism

Budget airlines fly across cities, states and sometimes across several nations. The advent of low-cost carriers has rendered positive impacts on the tourism industry of most countries. These airlines play a significant role in the development of weekend and short-break tourism, and in bringing about a radical expansion of potential destinations. They are extending the frequency of travel for leisure through various travel portals, where travellers can not only buy a flight ticket, but can also book hotels and hire cars. Cheap airlines target a wide range of overlapping niche markets, ranging from cultural tourism to pensioners wintering abroad.

Discount airlines have assorted perks for all – travellers, operators and the tourism industry. It is fast developing and being considered to thrive further in the coming decades.