This is also a good time to make sure you are using the credit card adapted to your travel habits and airline loyalty, which can easily pay for flights using points. There's a learning curve, but it's never a bad time to start, especially since most major credit cards offer large sign-up bonuses several times a year. All major airlines have their own credit card (or a co-branded card with a bank), and most major banks, including Chase, CitiBank, and Bank of America, also offer travel-specific cards that can offer discounts. significant advantages. Savings on flights (plus hotels and more travel costs). Take a look at what deals are on offer – and how to get them – with our monthly Travel Offers Points and Miles column.
Consider Fifth Freedom Flights
Fifth Freedom Flights, in which an airline offers service between two countries outside of its home base, can be a boon for budget-conscious travelers for several reasons. First, they are often served by larger aircraft on popular international routes, which means more competition and lower prices, and they also sometimes offer overlooked availability for frequent travelers – all of which can translate through significant savings, not to mention a superior on-board experience.
Beware of “skiplagging”
Let's say you have to fly from DC to Dallas, but the price is too high. Since booking a longer flight with a stopover is usually significantly less expensive than a non-stop itinerary, some passengers may book a flight from DC to Los Angeles via Dallas and disembark in Dallas without intending to travel for the next leg. This controversial tactic is known as the “hidden city ticket” or “skiplagging.”
Jumped up is the most well-known search engine for this workaround, but be very careful if you decide to try it. This tactic is strictly prohibited in many airlines' contracts of carriage, so if they catch you flying this way, your ticket could be invalidated – or worse yet, you could be sued. United Airlines And American airlines have both cracked down on passengers taking advantage of hidden city bookings in recent years.
Hidden city tickets “can offer travelers cheaper fares, but there are significant potential problems if you get caught,” says Brett Snyderpresident of Grumpy concierge. “It’s just not worth it, especially for the casual traveler who won’t really understand the potential ramifications.”
Don't be afraid to ask for a deal in person
Instead of spending a lot of money online for an upgrade, try a more human approach – a strategy that has proven to pay off big for Kimberly Lovato, a writer specializing in France, on a transatlantic flight between San Francisco and Amsterdam about five years ago. At the SFO check-in counter, Lovato jokingly asked the agent if anyone had purchased one of the $10,000 business class upgrades she was eyeing online. No, the agent replied, but did she want one?
Not for $10,000, Lovato replied, countering with $400 — and, to her surprise, the agent said, “Done!” »
“I don't know if it was because she was in a good mood or if I was just lucky, but it definitely made my flight possible,” Lovato says. The moral of the story: “You never know. Most of the time I asked for things that seemed crazy and got them.
