Saturday, June 2, 2012

Cheap Flights to Popular Destinations

Traveling can be a wonderful experience. But it can also be expensive. Fortunately, travelers can get cheap flights to even the most popular destinations if they are willing to follow these basic guidelines. You must be willing to be flexible in your travel schedule to get the very lowest airfare rates.
Time Your Flight
Peak travel times cost more - there really is no avoiding this fact. If you must travel during holidays or on weekends, you can still save money by booking several weeks in advance. You can also select the day before or after peak days for your own travel departure times. For example, airfare on the day before a major holiday costs more than if you fly on the actual holiday.
Try Secondary Airports
Tickets at major airports often cost more than those at smaller nearby airports. Regional airports may offer additional discounts to encourage travels to use their services. And you can still travel to popular locales from these airports. Smaller airports may have limited destinations but are still worth checking out if you are headed to a major destination. You may even be able to take a flight to another major airport that is closer to your destination which can save you money.
Take the Long Route
If you are willing to stop in multiple cities on the way to your destination, you will find lower airfare rates. Travelers pay more for the privilege of direct flights. But a more leisurely approach can save you quite a bit of money. These layovers may or may not require you to de-board the plane. People who just do not like flying may be unwilling to do this and will need to seek other options to get cheap tickets.
Use Connecting Flights
This takes the previous recommendation one step further. You can save money if you do not mind changing planes along the way. Most travelers do not like doing this if the departure times are too close together or because the chances of you losing luggage increases. But if you plan it well, using several short connecting cheap flights can produce significant savings.
Travelers have many options when it comes to saving many. Cheap flights are available to those who are willing to be flexible and enjoy flying. And you can use online aggregator sites which can easily help you in developing your flight itinerary.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Travel Agents Are Your Guides

Travel agents assess individual's and business people's needs to help them make the best possible travel arrangements. An agent may specialize by type of travel, such as leisure or business, or destination, such as Europe, Africa or Australia. Travel agents also promote travel packages on behalf of cruise lines, resorts and specialty travel groups.

On a typical day a travel agent will give advice on destinations. They also make arrangements for transportation, hotel accommodations, car rentals, tours, and recreation. They advise on weather conditions, restaurants, tourist attractions, and recreation. They provide information on customs regulations, required papers (passports, visas, and certificates of vaccination), and currency exchange rates to international travelers. They consult published and computer-based sources for information on departure and arrival times, fares, and hotel ratings and accommodations. And they also visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants to evaluate comfort, cleanliness, and quality of food and service.

You can hear horror stories each week where tourists get caught out by arriving at a destination only to find out that the connecting flight has already gone all because they did not allow time for transfers, delays and overbooking seats. We hear many stories that hotel rooms are not what they looked like in the picture.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Working Online From Home As a Travel Agent

If you take a look around when you're walking downtown, you won't find that many brick and mortar travel agencies anymore. The reason is that most travel agents are working online from home - and so can you! You may think that there is a lot of work to get started working online from home as a travel agent and get your business off the ground, but it's actually not that hard. In this article you will get some guidelines that will get you started working online from home as a travel agent.

There is basically two ways you can operate as a travel agent working online from home:

    Booking and selling agents - Book tickets directly with hotels and airlines.
    Referral Travel Agents - Working online from home under a hosting agency that books the tickets.

Booking and selling agents need to be ARC/IATA accredited in order to be allowed to sell airline tickets. An ARC/IATA card is an industry identification that allows you to book any kind of travel product. This identification is very expensive and you need to meet certain minimum standards in order to be qualified for it, so the smartest way to go if you're inexperienced in the travel business is as a referral travel agent.

As a referral agent you do not need ARC/IATA identification, because you're basically working under an accredited hosting agency. You promote the travels, the hosting agency books the tickets and you will get a commission.

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Benefits of Using an Online Travel Agency

Most people who go on vacation like to book trips through a travel agent in order to take some of the stress out of the planning process. Travel agents can also help you save money on flight, hotel rooms, cruises, and more; but what about online travel agencies? While people worry that Internet travel agencies could scam you or provide low-quality service, there are actually a number of benefits to choosing an online travel agency, providing that you pick the right one.

First and foremost, with an online travel agency, you can work with the place that has the lowest prices without geography limits. In other words, you have more options! When you opt to choose a travel agency in an offline setting, you are limited to the handful of companies that operate in your neighborhood, or at least within a reasonable distance. People who live in major cities might especially be affected by the high prices of brick and mortar travel agencies. Online, there are not proximity limits. The travel agency with which you work might actually have headquarters thousands of miles away, but if they have the lowest prices, you can still work with them over the Internet.

The increased number of choices does not just help you save money. It also means that you have limitless possibilities when it comes to travel. The travel agencies in your areas probably can book dozens or even hundreds of different trips, but there will be limitations. Even if an offline travel agent can plan a vacation to an obscure destination for you, it is not likely that he or she will be an expert in travel to this location. Online, you can find a family or an individual who has been there and will plan an amazing vacation for you. There are few places in the world where you can't travel if you work with an online travel agency.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Travel Agent - Committed To Provide Top Quality Service

However, how could it be enjoyable if you are stressed with planning everything? The answer to your concern is simple: employ a LA travel agent and get your stress away. These professional travel organizers will be sure that everything is in order in your holiday, ensuring that you'll enjoy without the hassle of accomplishing the planning by yourself.

Most vacationers feel actually spending too much on getting travel agents. However, having a travel representative has a lot more advantages than a lot of people could see. For one, travel agents can offer assistance to you, even when you are staying at your destination. Just one call and you may be assured that your LA travel agent would certainly settle unawareness at the lodging, or reschedule your trip if something unexpected happens. Also, you know that your tour was set up in a way that you will come across all sites in the area that are worthy to see, making the family vacation worth the spending.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Why You Should Book Your Cruise With a Travel Agent

In our do-it-yourself Internet world, it's easy to think travel agents may as well go the way of gas station attendants and milkmen. However, they have access to information and bargains that most travelers can't get on their own. Here are three reasons why you should get over the do-it-yourself mindset and go directly to a professional the next time you want to book a cruise vacation.

1) Access to the best deals.

It's a common misconception that the only way to get a great deal on a cruise vacation is to book directly with the cruise line. Before booking directly with your cruise line of choice, get in touch with a travel agent. Often, they have access to unpublished deals and upgrades you can't get on your own.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Travel Agent Jobs - Dealing With Itineraries

One of the key skills needed in travel agent jobs is the ability to put together an itinerary for prospective clients. Many customers booking travel arrangements, whether it's for a business trip or for a family holiday, often don't have the time for extensive research and price comparison checks, or have the specialist resources that agents do. The ability to put together a well-thought-out inventory is an absolute necessity to achieve success in travel agent jobs. So what are people looking for in a travel itinerary? Obviously, it depends on their personal requirements and the purpose of the travel, but there are a few general guidelines which apply to building successful itineraries.

A Person Versus A Website

The main advantage the agents have over online booking is the ability to offer a personalised itinerary, but there are also other options that those working in travel agent jobs should be aware of. Agencies need to build good working relationships with service providers such as cruise lines, because with this comes access to unpublicised deals and upgrades. These unpublished promotions can range from price discounts to free or cheaper upgrades. A good agent will also need to know about such categories as senior, military, or location-based discounts that might not be easy to find online.