Why the Discount Carriers are Winning
Over the years, air travel has declined significantly. Bad economic times, acts of terrorism, and the overall high cost of flying have deterred many travelers from flying the friendly skies. Instead, they’re opting for local travel that doesn’t require flying or selecting other methods of transportation such as driving, taking the train, or going “Greyhound”. As a result, the major airlines are making less and less each year, forcing some to close up shop and call it quits.
However, bad economic times and acts of terrorism aren’t the only things affecting the major airlines and the air travel industry as a whole. Discount air carriers who offer limited yet discount air travel rates have put a huge dent in the business of the major airlines. These airlines, such as U.S. based Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines, can undercut the major players in the air travel market because of lower overhead and less labor costs. Since the discount air travel carriers are smaller and often only have one type of aircraft (compared to bigger airlines that have full fleets of varying plane types), they have more flexibility with their pricing and can offer discount air travel deals more often then their much larger counterparts. And when combined with the decline in overall air travel, the discount air carriers are winning out over the larger airlines, causing the major players to rethink their game plan and, in many cases, start offering discount air travel through dynamically priced fares.
Using Discount Air Travel and Carriers for Your Benefit
For the most part, discount airlines operate within their country of origin. In other words, many don’t offer flights abroad. So if you need to fly domestically for business travel or a family vacation, a discount air carrier is the way to go. However, just because the discount airlines don’t offer overseas travel, it doesn’t mean you can’t get discount air travel deals on international flights. Remember, domestic AND international air travel has dwindled significantly over the years; so, the major airlines are often scrambling to fill overseas flights. As a result, the bigger airlines are starting to offer last minute travel deals and dynamically priced fares to try and fill their flights as much as they can. And since the discount air carriers are taking much of their previous domestic air travel customers, the larger airlines are desperate to make a buck any way they can.
Finding Discount Air Travel Deals
Some airlines offer last minute and discounted travel deals directly to the consumer; however, many work with online travel sites and supply them with bulk-rate deals on plane tickets. Either way, the key to finding discount air travel deals is to search the web and call the airlines. Compare prices and give yourself time to research your discount travel options. You may find that booking last minute will save you a bundle on your flight in some cases, but cost you twice as much in others; so be flexible and don’t purchase the first ticket you find. You’ll find a better deal on discount air travel if you shop around.
The discount air carriers have caused a significant shift in the air travel industry. There is more competition and less people buying, causing the industry to offer more discounted air travel deals than ever before. As a traveler, this means there are currently more ways to save on your air travel. All you have to do is go out and find those deals.
Posts Tagged ‘Local Travel’
Discount Air Carriers And Discount Air Travel Transforming The Air Travel Industry
Monday, June 22nd, 2009Vacation Rentals – 21st Century Family Vacations
Thursday, April 9th, 2009It seems as if Vacation Rentals are becoming more and more popular. With the rise of the world wide web, you are able to communicate with a vacation rental owner anywhere in the world. Years ago your only option was to visit your local travel agent and book a hotel. There were no vacation rental directories or portals in the past. Now you can surf the web for the perfect vacation rental house. No need for a travel agent as you usually negotiate directly with the owner of the property. Since vacation rentals are slowly becoming the preferred method of booking a vacation, I decided to create an article to give renters some tips about finding the perfect vacation rental.
First, let’s define what we are talking about when we say vacation rental. We call it a vacation rental when a renter rents a property directly from the owner (or representative of the owner). The property usually has it’s own kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc. They come in many shapes and sizes including condos, single family homes, townhouses, cabins, chalets, and more. Vacation rentals are usually near resort locations and activities such as theme parks, beaches, and skiing. A hotel or motel room is not a vacation rental!
What makes vacation rentals different from hotels? The comfort is the main difference. You have all of the same luxuries that you have at home. Most vacation rentals have kitchens and most of the other amenities that you have at home, plus many have additional amenities such as hot tubs, pool tables, etc. With larger groups there is definitely a cost advantage. A 3-bedroom vacation rental usually hosts more visitors than 3 hotel rooms. Make sure to keep this in mind if you do any cost analysis. Also make sure to include meal savings in your analysis since you may not dine out as often in comparison to a hotel vacation. These items alone could be substantial savings.
Imagine this scenario: Yourself and two other families pay a visit to a popular tourist destination. Your touring of the destination is complete for the day at about 3 pm. From 4pm – 6pm you dine together. It’s now 6pm with still some time remaining in the day. If you have a hotel, what do you plan to do? You can waste all of your money at numerous tourist traps (activities such as spending $3, to try to throw a ball into a bucket or $2 to throw a plastic ring around a bottle). With a vacation rental there is no need for that stuff! You can have family game night sitting in a nice comfortable home or take advatage of all the other amenities your rental has to offer. This is why it is important to learn about the amenities of the rental before you enter into a contract. As stated earlier some have hot tubs, pool tables, movies and many other activities.
Tips for Renters:
1. Bookmark as many “vacation Rental” websites as possible. This way when you are searching for a rental, you have all of the portal sites at your fingertips.
2. Always make sure to find out what items are provided and what is not provided by the owner. For example, in some rentals you may need to supply your own linens. It would be unfortunate to show up with no towels/sheets, etc.
3. Always book early. Many of the popular destinations get filled quickly.
4. Check for references if possible. The exception to this rule is if the owner is just starting out.
5. If you enjoyed your trip, try to negotiate a better price for next year. The owner would probably love to start filling his/her calendar for next year.
6. Make sure you have the owner’s contact information with you while on the trip. If there is an emergency, you may need to call.
7. Read the fine print and make sure to read all fine print on any leases or documentation that you are asked to sign. Also, read any fine print on the vacation rental web listing.
8. If you’re trying to save some money, scroll to the bottom of the list. Many vacation rental portal sites have hundreds of listings. Many times, the listings at the bottom of the list are just as good as those at the beginning. The listings at the bottom don’t get as many page views so you may find some better prices and some owner’s looking to fill a quick vacancy.
9. Make sure you ask any questions you may have before making a reservation. Questions about the amenities, pets, smoking/non smoking, handy capped accessibility, and cribs for children are some questions that come to mind.
10. Lastly, have fun on your vacation and please respect the owner’s property and follow all of his/her rules and regulations. Please remember this is someone’s personal property that you are renting.
About the author:
The author is in the business of assisting vacation rental owners in promoting their rental properties. He designed and owns the following vacation rental websites: Jersey Shore Rentals, Beach House Rentals, and Destin Vacation Rentals.
Best Travel Blogs on the Web
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009Holiday enthusiasts find travel blogs on the web the best resource to gain valuable information about their travel related requirements. Travel blogs post facts, figures and firsthand experiences of travelers. Not only are these interesting to read, but also informative for those who like to travel to a particular location without knowing much about the place. These are also extremely beneficial for those who are on the lookout for attractive travel packages and deals. The valuable insight of the bloggers helps the readers to assess the various facts and come to a conclusion.
A good travel blog will be constantly updated. Simple and clear language is used to avoid ambiguity. One can come to know about the specialty, importance, weather conditions and even attain information regarding the expenditure and availability of accommodation. Links help you go directly to the site where you can sign up for a tour package and make reservations well in advance, sitting in the comfort of your home. Furthermore, the blogs allow you to raise doubts or ask queries directly to the blogger to get specific answers.
The best travel blogs on the web generate a lot of interest and you can always find better and attractive deals with irresistible discounts. No longer do you need to decide on the limited offers made by your local travel agents. With a wide array of choices to make, the only difficulty you might have would be to decide where to go with your loved ones.