Tag: Domestic Flights

Is the Bubble About to Burst for Cheap Flights?

Travelling by plane has taken a knocking in the past year or two, with many “green” groups blaming airplanes for the declining state of our environment. However, since the dawn of time man has wished to soar the skies and explore foreign lands, something many of us do at least once a year.

And in recent years we have been able to get to these distant locations for relatively cheap, in recent years air travel prices to European cities have been touted as low as some rail fares back home! Places like Germany, Prague and Amsterdam all cost next to nothing these days and has seen many countries such as Bulgaria and Tunisia’s tourism trade skyrocket as a result of people being able to afford cheaper flights to new places for holidays. The best prices have been normally for domestic flights and the usual cheap flights to Spain and other common holiday destinations.

The only trouble is that with all the pressure on governments to reduce emissions it is unfortunately the airline industry that is being targeted for extra taxes in November 2009. This extra taxation is being applied in an attempt to discourage people from flying in favour of other methods of transport where possible (Ferry, Car, and Train).

The pressure has recently come to a head with last year extra duty tax being applied to flights, £10 for short haul flights, and £40 for long haul flights. This caused some annoyance to customers who had already booked flights who were faced with not being allowed to fly if they didn’t pay up the difference either online or at the check in desk in some extreme cases. British Airways supported it’s customers by putting up the money for the passengers already booked before the change, costing a considerable £11 Million in order to do so.

This year the Conservative party (normally known for appealing for tax cuts) proposed an argument to charge purchase tax on domestic flights, but this statement was met with some scepticism from one tour operator who believes that the government could easily extend this idea to all flights, meaning that passengers could end up paying 17.5% extra on their flights.

The main worry for holiday makers is that the recent period of cheap flights is due to end due to the government coming down like a ton of bricks on anything that the public discovers as being cheap. Others believe that with the pressure to appear environmentally friendly, aviation is going to pay the price. Despite the UK being one of the few to have met its commitments with regards to the Kyoto Agreement.

Is it Impossible to Get Cheap Flights Now?

Fuel costs are going higher and higher. And many airlines are increasing their fuel surcharge in response. You may have noticed that your travel costs have gone up by up to 50%! Can you still get cheap airfares now? The airlines still do have cheap air tickets. Let us look at some of the ways you can get those cheap flights.

Search Online for Cheap Flights

Just Google it! There are lots of airfare aggregators and also discount flights search engines like Priceline. Check your airfare with as many of them as possible, they often provide different airfare prices. You may want to start your search with these websites:

For US domestic flights: Kayak, Farechase, Cheaptickets, Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity.

For international flights: Other than the above, you should also try Mobissimo, Skyscanner and Zuji.

Also check if your travel destinations are served by low cost carriers or no frills airlines. If the above websites did not provide you airfares from these airlines, go to the airlines’ own websites and see their prices.

Once you find the cheap flight you want, check the airline’s own website and see if they offer the same flight at a cheaper price.

You can also experiment with flights on different timings or days. Different days of the week will have different prices, and so do different times.

Do your check for cheap airfares at different times of the day. This is because prices fluctuate throughout the day.

Check one-way flights too. Experiment with different airlines and you may find a combination that is cheaper than your two-way return flights.

If you’re flying on low cost carriers or budget airlines, you can usually get cheaper fares when you book really early. Or you can wait for their promotions. Just check back often on the airlines’ websites.

Check With Your Local Travel Agent

Sometimes travel agents will have access to special deals that are not available online. Check their air ticket prices against the cheapest airfares you have found online.

After you have done all your research and found the cheapest flights, book them and enjoy your travel!

International Airports versus Domestic Airports

Each year, a large number of Americans fly for the first time. As exciting as it is to be a first-time flyer, many first-time flyers are at a disadvantage. That disadvantage is not knowing everything about the airport that they will be using or the airline that they will be flying on. If you are a first-time flyer, you are advised against going into this exciting experience with unanswered questions. Instead, you are advised to get the answers to your questions.

When it comes to first-time air travel, there are an unlimited number of questions that many have. Some want to know what the best international airports are to fly out of and others want to know exactly what an intentional airport is. If you are planning of flying out of the country, it is advised that you familiarize yourself, not only with local international airports, but international airports as a whole. You will likely find that after doing so you will not only know what you are doing, but you will also have a better appreciation for international travel.

In the United States, there are two main types of airports. These airports are domestic airports and international airports. Perhaps, the best way to learn more about international airports, namely what they are, is to compare them to domestic airports. Domestic airports are more commonly found in the United States, when compared to international airports. This is because essentially any airport is considered a domestic airport.

A domestic airport is defined as an airport, in the United States, that offers flights to and from other cities or states, also in the United States. Since their planes will not be leaving American soil, the flights are considered domestic flights. Essentially, an airport that houses domestic flight is referred to as a domestic airport. On the other hand, there is an intentional airport.

An international airport is an airport that offers flights from the United States to other countries. Although they tend to advertise the fact that they specialize in international flights, most international airports not only have international flights, but domestic flights as well. For that reason, international airports are often larger in size, when compared to most domestic airports.

The size of an airport will also have a direct impact on how you will go about getting around the airport. Since most, but not all, domestic airports are relatively small in size, many only have a few terminals. These terminals are also likely to be connected or be all in the same building. International airports are a different story, in fact, some international airports are so large they have to shuttle their passengers around from terminal to terminal.

Although there are a number of differences between international airports and domestic airports, there are some similarities between the two. These similarities most commonly include the baggage and passenger screening processes. Due to concerns about airport security, namely on international flights, the airline industry has started to follow a number of strict rules. These rules often include bans on dangerous objects and intense screening, such as the removal of all shoes. In most international airports, domestics flights are not always separated from international flights, this means that all passengers will have to go through the same security checkpoints and examinations.

As you can see, it is easy to learn about international airports, especially when comparing them to domestic airports. Now that you know exactly what an international airport is and does, you can now start searching for an international airport that can offer you the services that you need, if you have not already done so.