Tips for Finding Good Fares

I was the guest "travel expert" on the last episode of ADOBO NATION, the weekly magazine talk program airing Sundays at 6:40pm on The Filipino Channel (TFC). In the ATM: Anong Tanong Mo segment, I talked with host Michi Valeriano about holiday travel and gave a few tips and tricks for finding good airfare deals. For those of you who missed the show or are interested in more details, I thought that I would repeat the points that I made and offer up some more advice that I didn't have time to mention on the show.

Tip 1: Look and book early

In general, you want to book your airline tickets at least 3 weeks in advance. Topaz International – a travel industry auditor - released a study in May that said you can save about 20% for international destinations and up to 50% for domestic trips if you purchase your tickets 21 days or more before the day of your flight.

For travel during the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday seasons, you want to start looking for deals even earlier, like beginning around August or September. If you see a good price a few months before your trip then you should go ahead and book it if you can afford to, because the really great deals don't last very long before selling out.

It's also helpful to know that many airlines recalibrate their prices on Tuesday or Wednesday, sometimes in response to changes made by their competitors, so if you research fares on those days you are more likely to see "fresh" deals. If you make a habit of checking the price of an itinerary every day, you will be less likely to miss out on a great price.

Tip 2: Be flexible

When choosing dates for your flights, it generally helps if you aren't tied down to specific travel days. If you can, try to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday -- prices will be better on those days since most people fly on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. You will also get a better deal if your trip includes a Saturday night stay. It helps to think of the days that a business traveler would want to fly to be at work during the week and at home during the weekend -- and then do the opposite!

It also helps if you are in a big metropolitan area with multiple airports and you don't mind which airport you fly out of. You should look at flights from all airports within a convenient driving distance from your home. For example, if you live in San Francisco, you should look at flights out of the airports in Oakland and San Jose in addition to ones leaving out of San Francisco.

Holiday travel requires a different kind of flexibility. For Thanksgiving, most people tend to fly out on Wednesday and come back Sunday or Monday, so try to avoid those days if you can. If you plan on spending a few weeks away for Christmas, try booking a flight out for the first or second week in December since prices will go up the closer the flight day is to the 25th. Another option is to fly on the actual holiday itself -- my husband and I have flown on Christmas morning for the last few years and we see better prices on that day than the day before (Christmas Eve).

Tip 3: Research the web

There are lots of travel search engines on the internet -- it's hard to know which one to use! Some respected websites are Kayak, Mobissimo and Bing. These are not booking sites but aggregators that pull prices from multiple airlines and travel providers’ databases, let you easily sort the information so you can find the exact flight that you want, and then send you directly to the source to complete your purchase.. Kayak and Bing also allow you to run the same search through multiple sites like Travelocity, Expedia, Hotwire and Priceline all at once – these will pop up in different windows, so you can easily do a direct comparison.

Kayak has been our favorite flight search website for the last few years, but I recommend that you try each of them to see which one you are most comfortable using and which one is easiest for you to find the best prices.

Each of the websites have additional tools that can make it easier to find good deals. For example, Kayak has a handy chart that tells you the special fees for each airline. You can automatically add baggage fees to the list of prices if you know how many bags you are checking in for your flight. Kayak also has a special "weekend" search that quickly shows you the best fares over every weekend in a specific month. The website also has "Fare Charts" that show you in a graph how the price has changed for a specific itinerary over the last 90 days.

Bing (Microsoft's travel website, which bought and integrated Farecast.com) also has fare history and takes it to the next level by predicting if the current price is going to go up or down or stay the same, and advising you if you should "buy now" or hold off for a better deal.

Priceline still has a "name your own price" feature that may provide even better discounts but may involve multiple layovers and early/late flight times.

Even if you find a good deal through one of these aggregator sites, you should still check directly on the website of the airline with the best deal, because they may have a even better deal that you can only find on their website. It's also helpful to know that fares for Southwest Airlines can only be found on southwest.com so you should always check that website too if you know they fly to your destination city.

Tip 4: Use a fare tracker

If you start looking early enough, you can use websites like Kayak and Bing to track fares – meaning you can punch in a departure and return date for a specific destination and they will continuously monitor the price and send you an email alert when it drops and/or rises.

Even after you buy a ticket, you can still use Yapta to continue tracking the fare -- if the price goes down below what you paid, you may be eligible for a voucher or credit from the airline for the price difference. There is a cost to re-book your flight for the lower price, so Yapta will only alert you when the refund is greater than the fee. This gives you some peace of mind if you are worried that you are booking too early and think that the price might drop a lot.

Tip 5: You may get a better deal from a travel agent

There are still some benefits in booking with a travel agent, especially if you have a complex itinerary with multiple destinations or are traveling in a big group. The agent may have good business connections in a certain destination and can arrange for transfers, hotel upgrades, discounts and other conveniences that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get if you did things on your own through a website.

Most importantly, if something goes wrong during your trip -- like for example you miss a flight -- the agent will be the one to straighten things out for you. Or if for some reason you need to cancel part or all of your trip, it’s easier for a travel agent to void a booking, something which is either very difficult or impossible to do if you booked online.

If you’re just buying a simple domestic flight from Point A to Point B, chances are you’re going to be able to find the best savings online. But if you’re going abroad, some travel agents have cheaper deals because of special relationships with airlines and providers. The best thing to do is shop: get a couple of quotes from some trusted travel agents and then see if you can find a better price online.

Balitang America Travels: Online Booking & Travel Resources

If you’re looking for travel information online, chances are you already know which sites to visit. But in case you don’t, this post will at least tell you where to start. I shared this information in my February 16th "Travels" segment, but will also include some additional websites travelers might find helpful.

1) The usual suspects: travel search engines for looking and booking

Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz – These sites allow you to search for deals and book discounted accommodations, airfare, car rentals, cruises and even vacation packages. But remember since these act like virtual travel agents, there can be fees when you book with them.

Priceline – Bid for discounted luxury accommodations or airfare and see if the price you named is right. But you won’t know the hotel name or specific location until you’ve paid, and the site won’t refund your money if you decide to cancel. For flight deals, you can adjust the date but not the return and departure times, so you need to be flexible.

Hotwire – Get your hands on discounted hotel stays and airfare, but you also have to be flexible as the site uses blind-booking as well, meaning you pay first and then you get the specific details. But deals are consistently low.

2) Just shopping around: looking but not booking.
These sites are aggregators that show you where the deals are, then you can book those deals directly with the site or provider where they came from.

Kayak – Searches through more then 140 sites (including the usual suspects listed above) all at once for the lowest airfare, hotels, cruises and car rentals

Mobissimo – Similar to Kayak because it just shows you the source of the deals on airfare, hotels, cruises and car rentals. While it does list deals originating from U.S. travel providers, it often times leans towards international suppliers or agencies.

Vayama – Also an aggregator showing the prices and deals for strictly international flights, hotels and car rentals.

3) Monitoring airfare and travel deals.
These sites allow you to sign up for email alerts that inform you when prices change.

Farecast.com – Shows deals on airfare and hotels from various websites, but also gives you its analysis on whether prices are projected to change – drop, rise, hold steady - within the next 7 days, so you can decide if you want to wait or buy now.

Farechase.com – Just like Farecast.com, only it also shows how flight prices on or near a selected date of travel vary according to departure and return times, the airport you fly from, along with the airline you choose and whether it’s a non-stop flight. So, by adjusting any of these options, you can try to get cheaper airfare. NOW DEFUNCT

Farecompare.com – Finds deals on airfare and has a calendar illustrating the price differences according to the day of travel, even spelling out the best time or month to buy airfare for your particular destination.

Yapta.com – Finds the best airline deals, but also tracks airfare prices for your specific flight. If you’ve already purchased a ticket for that flight and the price drops before the trip, Yapta will work to get you a refund or travel credits from the airline.

There are so many other websites that function in very similar ways to the ones I’ve listed. These are just some of the more known sites out there. But like anything else on the vast worldwide web, you need to zero in on what exactly it is you are looking for or hoping to achieve. Hopefully, these sites will at least get you started and on your way to that next great trip.

To see the actual Travels segment that aired on Balitang America, check it out here.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels Segment on February 2nd: Finding a Good Travel Agent

Looking to visit a destination that’s normally off your radar or planning to plunge into new travel territory? Maybe it’s time to talk to a travel agent. Even my husband and I, who are pretty independent travelers, tapped an agent for our trip to Indonesia in 2004. But how do you find a good travel agent? This was the topic I explored in my Balitang America Travels segment yesterday, Monday.

Let’s put it this way: it’s not like finding a needle in a haystack, but it does require some research and initiative. What travelers want is an agent who will listen and give them exactly what they want. Not someone who pressures them into buying the vacation package or airline fare that’s going to earn he or she, the agent, a fat bonus or commission.

In addition, consumers should be aware of scammers perpetrating travel fraud. In my travel segment, I revisited the story of how a woman paid upfront with a check for airline reservations through a travel agent who promised to send her the tickets in the mail. What she didn’t know is that, today, U.S. travel agents no longer issue physical tickets. Instead agents give a receipt or invoice with an electronic ticket number that passengers show the day of travel. By the time she realized she’d been had, the scammer was long gone with her money.

Don’t be shy to probe a little. After all, this person is working for you, and you want to make sure he or she is looking out for your best interest. Here are some things to keep in mind in your search for a travel agent:

When starting out…

* Be careful about booking with a travel agency that only accepts cash.

* Research the company to make sure they don’t have a bad record with the Better Business Bureau.

* See if the company or travel agent has any certifications. Travel agents aren’t required to have any specific kind of certification, but if they are certified, it may provide insight as to their level of experience and professionalism. You can also check to see if they are affiliated with any respected travel organizations.

Once you’ve identified a company or travel agent…

* Interview them and ask how long they’ve been in the industry, as well as what they can do for you.

* Make sure they are upfront about fees and the cancellation policy.

* Check to see how available they are, because if something goes wrong you’re going to want them to step in to resolve the issue or dispute.

* Ask yourself: is this travel agent listening to my needs? Do they really know about the destination?

If this is too much effort for you, ask friends or family if they can recommend the company or travel agent they've used before. Also, below are some helpful websites that provide information about travel fraud and how to avoid it.

Federal Trade Commission
National Consumers League
Fraud Guides

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Correction: Balitang America Travels Segment on Airplane Precautions aired on January 23rd

Oops, I originally posted that my segment about airline precautions would air on Monday, January 26th on ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel, but it was actually a part of the Friday newscast on January 23rd. In the segment I interviewed Captain Bob Norris, a former commercial airline pilot who was employed with a major carrier for 30 years. The piece did talk about the harrowing US Airways landing made by pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger (whom Katie Couric will interview for a 60 Minutes piece slated for February 8) in the Hudson River, but that wasn’t the focus. I didn’t want to sensationalize the piece or scare people with a dramatized story on how to survive a crash. Instead, the segment aimed to remind travelers about the importance of knowing airline safety measures.

Norris said too often frequent flyers dismiss the pre-flight safety demonstration given by the flight attendants. He pointed out not all airplanes are designed exactly alike: things like the operation of the exit doors and safety rafts can differ, as well as the flotation devices. Yes, there are flight attendants who are trained to take the lead in an emergency. But in a life or death situation you never know what can happen because people panic, and if that's the case, you may need to help yourself.

Norris highlighted the following as being the most important things travelers should keep in mind:

- Identify your exits and how to operate them (even if you’re not seated in an exit row). All of this can be found on the safety cards inside the seat pockets.

- Pay attention to the flight attendants during the safety briefing.
For frequent flyers, it may sound like a broken record, but you’ll be better off knowing all the particular aircraft’s safety features.

- Remember to leave everything behind in an emergency landing. Flight attendants and crew are trained to get everyone off the plane in 90 seconds. Why 90 seconds? It’s the amount of time it takes for a fire to engulf a cabin. In a panicky situation, people can drop bags or items, which can end up blocking the evacuation path, potentially causing a human pile up and endangering lives. In addition, there may not be room for extra weight or baggage on a life raft full of people especially in a water landing. What’s more important: your bag or your life?

I have to admit I’m a nervous flyer. One very bad plane ride is to blame. Not just bad turbulence but a sudden dip that sent a male flight attendant, who was easily 250 lbs., flying upward and smacking his head up against the aircraft ceiling; secured containers in the galley flew out of cabinets and landed with a bang leaving the floor a mess. So, yes, when a major airline incident happens my mind wanders, and I find myself visiting sites like Popular Mechanics which has an article on how to survive a crash.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a person who dwells on doom and gloom. I know flying is statistically the safest mode of travel, but I also recognize that accidents happen. All I can say is being aware of all safety measures makes you better prepared to deal with an emergency situation.

Curious about what some say is the safest place to sit in an airplane? Check out this article or take a look at a video of a mock evacuation. Also, here's a recent Time Magazine piece with additional tips on how to cope in an airplane emergency.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: New Year Airfare Sales

It's time to start thinking about that next vacation! But you better be quick because "winter airfare sales" will be over soon. The skinny on these deals was part of my recent travel segment that aired Monday, January 12th, on Balitang America's 5:30pm newscast. Below are highlights of some of those hot deals arranged by the dates that the offers end, and keep in mind these are one-way prices (but even then, it's still a bargain):

- Jet Blue: West Coast escapes for $39 (ends Jan. 14)

- Air Tran: Fares for as low as $39 to select U.S. cities (ends Jan. 15)

- American Airlines: Fares starting at $39 (ends Jan. 16); international fares to popular spots for as low as $90 (ends Jan. 16); European sale includes destinations like London for only $168 (ends Jan. 21)

- Southwest Airlines: Fly for $49 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and $59 on other days (ends Jan. 19)

- Virgin America: West Coast flights for $59 and transcontinental routes for $139 (ends Jan. 20)

- Alaska Airlines: West Coast routes starting at $59 (ends Jan. 24)

Most of these airfare specials are good for travel through Spring and some even until early Summer. This is just a partial list as many airlines have promotions right now. Typically, airlines offer lower prices around this time, but the industry is making an extra effort because of the economic slowdown. However, even if we're in a recession don't expect to see killer deals throughout the year.

In my segment and interview with CEO Beatrice Tarka of Mobissimo.com, she said airlines will be reducing the number of planes in their fleets to cut costs. Translation: deals will be scarce. If you find a really awesome deal now for Spring or Summer vacation, grab it!

Here are some great sites that track airfare and travel deals:
Mobissimo.com
Fare Compare.com
Farecast.com

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.