Are places like orbitz, cheaptickets and travelocity the best places? I thought ebay had things like ‘airline vouchers’ for $99-ish that were good for one round trip domestic flight. Maybe i’m remembering wrong.
What else should I look into to get cheaper tickets? Most round trip domestic tickets to pretty much anywhere are available at or under $200 as it is (if you go economy and purchase in advance) so I don’t know if finding other ways to save money matters much but i’d still like to know just for my own personal records.
I could always go greyhound instead of a flight and only pay $59-$109 round trip instead of $200 on a round trip flight. Don’t flights take 6 hours to board now due to terrorism stuff? I have never flown before so I have no idea, i’ve only been to an airport once and that was in the early 90s. Are there other methods of traveling cross country other than driving yoru own car, driving a rental car, bus and airline? How about train travel, is that a fun way to travel? Are there any places other than amtrak that offer domestic train travel?
What way is most efficient and comfortable? The price difference between bus, plane and train is negligible. For a round trip that is about 1000 miles the prices are $59, $200 and $200 for bus, plane and train. for a 3000 mile round trip the prices are $100, $200 & $300 respectively, so price difference is not major. Which is the best idea and how can I get better deals? I tried ebay for train vouchers but they only have ‘companion vouchers’ and I don’t need one of those.
First off, at least in the airports I’ve used recently, about 2 hours is what it takes to board. At least that’s a safe margin to give yourself. There are occasional events that will cause you to take longer, but then that will also likely mess up the flights as well. I’ve been using a 2 hour margin, and that has worked out fine. Some people cut it even closer to that - so it’s a matter of gambling/comfort level.
As to cheap flights, I’ve tried a couple places like Travelocity. And when I compared them to buying direct from the airline, there hasn’t been that much of a difference. Sometimes I’ll look up a price on-line, and then call the airline and see what they come up with. If they don’t come up with the same deal, I use whatever online service I was using (sometimes the airline’s own website). If they beat the deal, then you go with them.
One thing that can make a big difference is to check flights via a larger city/airport. For you, I don’t know how far Indianapolis is, but there might be a difference. And I would imagine you could get even better deals using Chicago. You would need to factor in driving time and the cost of leaving your car at the airport (hint: some hotels nearby airports will allow you to park at their lot and use their shuttle. Don’t know about O’Hare, but I know this is true near LAX). For example, I live in San Diego and can generally find better deals from LAX. I have to weigh the cost difference against the “ease” of not having to deal with LA.
In our local Sunday travel section, there are these little adds for cheap airfare. I don’t know how these places work. And usually you can’t book a flight too far in advance (maybe 2 months tops). But they often have pretty good deals. They usually advertise for overseas travel, but will also have deals for domestic as well.
I generally find that buying direct from the airline’s website is a bit cheaper. (Make sure you pay attention to whether the price includes tax.) Discount airlines generally don’t show up on Orbitz et al, so check their websites individually. Jetblue has consistently low fares if you’re going somewhere they fly.
As a rule, you have to be checked in at least an hour before your flight. You never know when you’re going to encounter a long line for check-in, so you should allow time for that. Most airlines these days have a self-check-in if you have an e-ticket and no luggage to check, which is quicker. One of the other reasons I like Jetblue is that their check-in is very efficient.
I don’t know how flying compares to ground travel in terms of time and money in your region. On the west coast, it is much more expensive and much slower to travel on the ground. In most of the country, Amtrak is the only train option. (There are some regional rail lines in the Northeast.) I’m not sure where you got those samples prices from, but Amtrak tends to be very expensive and slow. However, some of the routes are very scenic, and it’s more comfortable than the bus, since you can walk around and whatnot. (Personally, I get carsick if I read on buses, which is another reason I prefer rail travel.)
Oddly on cheaptickets.com when I say I want a first class ticket I get quoted the same price as an economy ticket. Its porbably a fluke though as orbitz charges 3x for a first class what they charge for economy.
I’ve seen the same deals, my brother took one for his honeymoon. Two round trip tickets plus hotel to the caribbean for $500. It sounds like it might be fun to do sometime. Also international travel can be cheaper if you are a courier.
I fly Southwest all the time. (They fly out of Indianapolis) They have great deals sometimes, if you’re booking about a month to two weeks in advance. Plus they’re always on time, usually polite, and you can check in online! Many airlines let you check in online now (though sometimes you won’t be able to if you have luggage to check). I get to the airport an hour in advance anyway, just in case it’s crowded and the line at security is long. If you’re not familiar with the airport or the way things work, I would definitely get there at least 2 hours in advance. But you’re gonna be really bored if you get there 6 hours before your flight is scheduled to leave!
Courier flights were a great deal for people who were willing and able to travel with unusual restrictions. I was a prime candidate, but never found it worth my while. I haven’t heard anything about courier flights in years, and I would be surprised if they were still in existence, given all the new security.
