# Stay over a Saturday night. The famous Saturday rule, requiring a stay of at least one Saturday night, can help with ticket costs. For longer visits, of course, this isn�t a problem, but if you are only planning to be somewhere only for a couple of days, say on a business trip, a Saturday is less likely. But be creative: perhaps you can include a personal day (or two) on that trip, letting you stay over a Saturday and have a little R&R (catch up with an old high school chum, or just relax in the hotel hot tub) � then you can fly back not only refreshed, but with a few more bucks in your wallet (or department�s budget) as well.
# Fly on weekdays. Lowest fares are usually found on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday flights. Monday and Friday flights are usually higher-priced (if you�re wondering why, just remember that Monday and Friday are around the weekend, so often higher in demand for departures and returns). However, Saturday flights sometimes have discount fares, but the rule is weekends are more expensive than weekdays.
Always looking for the cheapest way to do things, I searched several websites that claimed to have cheap international airfare. The cheapest from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, Ecuador, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from Traverse City to Miami was $299. Book two separate flights and I could save more than $1000! The discount sites aren't set up to check in this way, so you have to do this on your own.We've found that travel agencies just can't compete with the discount ticket websites. You can search Google ("cheap airfare Europe", for example), or go straight to one of the well-known sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or Priceline. Doing a quick search for the cheapest airfare from Tucson, Arizona, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, using the five sites mentioned, here's what I just found: They ranged from $1221 down to $873 for the lowest fares, with fares as high as $3728. Hotwire happened to be the cheapest, but they were the worst of the five when I searched for a domestic flight earlier. You cannot say which service will find the cheapest international airfare from week to week. My number one money-saving tip is to always check several websites when shopping for inexpensive flights.
Air courier opportunities are becoming rarer, due to the recent heavier regulation of international flights, but there still are opportunities. Find out more at The Air Courier Association Website (www.aircourier.org). The ACA can also help you get really cheap plane tickets by way of airline ticket wholesalers, discounters, last minute specials, and stand-by travel.
When searching the discount websites, try several different departure and return dates if you can. The difference of a day or two can save you a lot. There's little logic to airfare pricing, so don't try too hard to figure it out. Just be aware that if you leave on Friday instead of Wednesday (or vice-versa), you may save $100. Check the boxes that say "any time" for departure and "2 or more connecting flights". Even if you aren't sure that you want to leave at midnight, see what your options are. The savings might change your mind. When search criteria allow you choices, first take the ones that are the least restrictive for the airlines. If the savings aren't enough, you can always book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer. Buying your plane tickets two weeks in advance is usually cheaper. There can be a dramatic difference (but not always) if your trip is over thirty days. You may want to cut it from 32 days to 30 to save hundreds of dollars on your fare. Play with the dates. You never know what you might discover.
Rick Brown gives these tips about upgrading to first class:
1. Ask the ticket counter agent nicely. Does this work? 99% of the time, absolutely not. In most cases, on most airlines, the ticket agent is not authorized to upgrade passengers unless you have frequent flyer status and even with frequent flyer status, you will most likely need to use miles to get your upgrade.
2. If you are late because of a competitor, make sure the airline is aware of that. They may want to give you a good impression of their airline, especially after your bad experience with one of their competitors. This is also dependent on seats being available and with today's oversold flights, don't expect much here.
3. Use your connections. If you just so happen to be related to a family member or are friends with an airline employee, you certainly could ask for an upgrade, but keep in mind that airlines are in the business of making a profit, and if there are upgrades to sell, or loyal frequent flyers to keep happy, don�t expect to be first in line for an upgrade. It can work if flights are not full and seats are empty in first class.
4. If you happen to be a travel agent, show your ID. Again, if and only if seats are available will an airline offer a free upgrade and even though a travel agent might have some cloat, you always have to assume that frequent flyer status will help more than just travel agent status. If you have both, you will only improve your chances of an upgrade. It certainly does not hurt to try.
5. Ask a flight attendant for an upgrade if you see a seat available. Typically flight attendants never upgrade passengers and simply asking for an upgrade is not going to work. However, there are legitimate reasons why a flight attendant will upgrade you.
Here are a few tips to help you find a cheap airfare to Europe:
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