Archive-name: travel/air/cheap-tickets/part1
Last-Modified: Wed Mar  9 17:57:18 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz
Version: 1.12
Size:  71808 bytes

;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 1 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************

This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The
focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are
also covered. 

Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms
and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu.

;;; ********************************
;;; Copyright **********************
;;; ********************************

Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved.

This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without
modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed.  It
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents
(e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines,
or other print form) without the prior written permission of the
copyright holder.  Permission is expressly granted for this document
to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.

This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty.

;;; ********************************
;;; Obtaining the FAQ **************
;;; ********************************

An updated version of this file is posted once a month to the
newsgroups rec.travel.air and news.answers. The version date for the
file is located in the header near the top of the file. The list is
also available via anonymous ftp from
   ftp.cs.cmu.edu:user/mkant/Travel/
as the files airfare-1.text and airfare-2.text. The file jet-lag.txt
in the same directory contains the ANL jet lag diet. This is actually
the AFS directory
   /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ 
so if your site is running the Andrew File System, you may access the
file directly without using FTP.  You can also get the file by
anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu (18.181.0.24) in the files
/pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/{part1,part2}, or by
sending mail messages to "mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu" with the lines
"send usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/part1" and "send
usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/part2" in the body.

;;; ********************************
;;; Contents ***********************
;;; ********************************

Recent Changes:
;;; 16-FEB-94 mk    Added reference to "The Courier Air Travel Handbook",
;;;                 thanks to Dave Bakken. Also, new 800 # for America West.
;;; 16-FEB-94 mk    Added description of ISE Flights special rebate deal with
;;;                 Citibank. (Unusual travel agencies.)
;;; 17-FEB-94 mk    Information about OAG products on part 2.
;;;  9-MAR-94 mk    Added new section, "Smoke-free flights", based in
;;;                 part on Edward Hasbrouch's post.
;;;  9-MAR-94 mk    Added entry on AUSTRAVEL.
;;;  9-MAR-94 mk    Extended a note about applying unused nonrefundable fares
;;;                 as a credit to subsequent flights on the same airline.
;;;  9-MAR-94 mk    Added entries to the glossary about "fly-by-wire", based in
;;;                 part on Brandon Walts' post.
;;;  9-MAR-94 mk    Added section on hidden city fares.
;;; 21-MAR-94 mk    Added reference to rec.travel library, thanks to Brian
;;;                 Lucas <Brian_Lucas@Umanitoba.ca>.
;;; 12-JUN-94 mk    Updated non-smoking flights section.


Topics Covered (Part 1):
   Temporary Notes
   Smoke-free flights
   IRS
   Standard Tricks
   Hidden City Fares
   Fare Classes
   Classes of Service
   Fare Types
   Special Fare Categories
   Flying Standby
   Getting "Bumped"
   Upgrading to First Class
   Missed Connections
   Getting There Faster
   Buying "used" tickets through the classified ads
   Sympathy Fares, Emergencies
   Refunds
   Advance Purchase Fares
   Travel Agents
   Pets
   Lost Baggage
   Baggage Limits
   Bicycles
   Hub Cities

Topics Covered (Part 2):
   Flying International: Couriers, Consolidators
   Visit USA
   Unusual Travel Agents/Discount Agencies
   Special Meals
   Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
   Frequent Flyer Programs
   Premier FF Membership
   Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans
   Credit Card Voucher Offers
   Coupon Offers 
   Companion Tickets
   Restrictions on Electronics 
   Complaints and Compliments
   Glossary
   Miscellaneous Notes
   Other Sources of Information
   Further Reading
   X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors
   Jetlag
   Packing Tips
   Safety
   Pregnant Passengers



;;; ********************************
;;; Temporary Notes ****************
;;; ********************************

With the American Airlines fare restructuring, many discounted fares
have been eliminated, ostensibly because "everything's cheap now".
However, I am not eliminating the discussion of these discounts
because they still apply to some airlines. In addition, I expect the
fare restructuring to be largely temporary -- as soon as fares start
creeping up again, some airline is going to announce discounted
children's fares to attract families as a marketing move, and the
other airlines will follow suit. [The fare restructuring seems to have
ended. Airlines are starting to offer discounts again, so it pays to
ask. --mk 12/15/92]

Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount
fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines.
For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some
sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't
mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking
another airline. 

;;; ********************************
;;; Smoke-free flights *************
;;; ********************************

The December 1992 EPA report on the health effects of environmental
tobacco smoke (so-called "second-hand smoke"), underscoring the
independent assessments in 1986 by the US Surgeon General and the
National Research Council, concluded that environmental tobacco smoke
is a carcinogen with significant health risks for non-smokers. The
lung cancer risks to non-smokers from environmental tobacco smoke are
ten times greater than the cancer risks which would normally elicit a
reaction from the EPA. It is therefore unthinkable that any airline
would continue to condone smoking on any of its flights, and any
airline that permits smoking is opening itself up to future lawsuits
from non-smoking passengers and crew.

Most domestic flights in the US are smoke-free, due to FAA regulations
that restrict smoking on short flights (under 6 hours). No US carrier
operates completely smoke-free trans-oceanic service, with the
exception of "experiments" (e.g., United on some SFO-SYD and JFK-LHR
flights). As more passengers complain about smoking to the airlines,
more flights will become smoke-free, especially new flights. United
recently announced that international flights to London (from New
York) and the South Pacific (LA-Auckland) will be smoke-free.

Note that code-share flights operated by another airline may permit
smoking even when they carry a flight number of a smoke-free airline.
Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and China
Airlines all participate in code-shares with smoking carriers on some
routes.

The smoke status of other international carriers is as follows:

Air Canada:   Flights between Canada and the USA and Europe. 

Air New Zealand:  All flights to the USA. Smoking is permitted
     on pool flights operated by Qantas, of which
   there are many. 

British Airways:      Riding the fence; no firm policies as yet.
                        There is a completely non-smoking SFO-LHR nonstop.

Canadian Airlines It'l: All flights to Euope, TPE, HKG, and BKK, and
    pool flights YVR-HNL-AKL operated by either
   Canadian Airlines  International or Air New
   Zealand. Smoking is permitted on the YVR-FRA 
   flight, and pressure from Japan forced smoking
   on flights to Japan (TYO and NGO). (The US
   seems to export lawyers and tobacco to Japan. :-) 

Cathay Pacific:  Daily nonstop LAX-HKG is smoke-free as is all
   flights within Asia, and to Australia and New
   Zealand. New non-smoking flights between FRA
   and HKG. Smoking is allowed on flights to
   Europe, the Mideast, and Africa.
                        Cathay Pacific has announced its intention to
                        become a totally smoke-free airline, on all
                        its routes worldwide, by the end of 1995. 

China Airlines:  SFO-TPE and all flights within Asia. Three weekly
   smoke-free nonstop flights LAX-TPE; smoking is
   permited on the daily afternoon departure from
   LAX to TPE, as well as all flights to HNL,
   NYC, and ANC. They also permit smoking on
   flights to Europe and Africa.

Qantas:        Riding the fence; no firm policies as yet.


;;; ********************************
;;; IRS Rules Change ***************
;;; ********************************

A recent IRS ruling allows companies to deduct the cost of lodging and
meals as a business expense when an employee stays over a Saturday
night in order to get a cheaper airfare, even if no business is
conducted on that day. The company does not have to report the 
room and meals expenses as income to the employee. 

As of January 1, 1994, the deduction for business lodgings and meals
goes down to 50% (from 80%).

;;; ********************************
;;; Airline Antitrust Litigation ***
;;; ********************************

Note: The deadline for claims was June 1, 1993 (postmark). They should
have acknowledged receipt of your claim by mid-September, 1993.  If
you did not receive a postcard by September 12, 1993, or have any
other questions, write to Airline Antitrust Administration, PO Box 66,
National Park, NJ 08063-0066. Please do not call the court. (If you
didn't submit a claim by the deadline, it's too late.)

It will take at least a year for them to distribute the certificates
because of the length of time required to process the over 4 million
claims received.

If you flew on American, Continental, Delta, Midway, Northwest, Pan Am, TWA,
United, or USAir (domestic flights only) between January 1, 1988, and
June 30, 1992 from one of the following airports
   Atlanta        Baltimore         Boston
   Charlotte      Chicago (O'Hare)  Chicago (Midway)
   Cincinnati     Cleveland         Dallas/FW
   Dayton         Denver            Detroit
   Houston (IAH)  Indianapolis      Kansas City
   Los Angeles    Memphis           Miami
   Mpls/St Pl     Nashville         Newark
   New York (JFK) New York (LGA)    Orlando FL
   Philadelphia   Pittsburgh        Raleigh/Durham
   St. Louis      Salt Lake City    San Francisco
   San Jose       Syracuse          Washington (National)
   Washington (Dulles)
you are probably eligible for part of the $364 million antitrust
settlement. This settlement is in response to a suit charging that
they conspired to fix prices through a computerized reservation
system. If you write to

   Airline Antitrust Litigation
   P.O. Box 209
   Philadelphia, PA 19107-9711

they will send you a claim form and instructions.  You can also call
them at 1-800-854-7264. (An alternate address is PO Box 267,
Pennsauken, NJ 08110.) 

If you've taken at least one eligible trip, you will get a $100
voucher good for travel on either Northwest Airlines only, or on 
the other airlines (the restrictions on the vouchers differ, see
below). You choose which kind of vouchers you prefer, subject to
availability. 

If you've taken at least 5 round trips or 10 one-way trips (or some
combination), you will receive $250 in vouchers.

If you've taken more flights, you can file additional documentation
with your claim, and receive vouchers for 10% of the actual amount
spent.

This is a gross oversimplification of the terms of the settlement. If
more than 2,689,840 claim forms are submitted, the base $100 amount
will be reduced. If the total payout exceeds $364 million, the program ends.

Certificates may be used only as partial payment toward a ticket; they
may not exceed the price of the ticket.

The vouchers have the following restrictions on the price of the
ticket for which they may be used:

         Northwest Vouchers
      =====================================
      Voucher Amount   Ticket Price
      =====================================
       $25             $100-200
       $50             $201-300
       $75             $301-400
      $100             $401-500
      $125             $501-750
      $150             $751-1000
      $200            $1000-

       Other Airline Vouchers
      ===========================================
      Voucher Amount   Ticket Price (min)
      ===========================================
       $10              $50
       $25             $250
       $50             $500
       $75             $750
      $100            $1000
      $125            $1250
      $150            $1500

The first $100 in vouchers may be used immediately upon receipt. Of
the rest of the vouchers, half may be used immediately and half after
6 months. Vouchers are valid for a period of 2 years. Tickets
purchased using the vouchers are good for one year from the date of
purchase. Vouchers may not be combined with any other special offer.
Only you and your immediate family may use the vouchers unless you
designate a different recipient when filing your claim. Vouchers are
for use when purchasing tickets directly from the airlines, and may
not be used when purchasing tickets from a travel agent. Vouchers may
be used only for purchasing round trip tickets for travel within the
continental US (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded, except for residents
of those states). There are blackout dates during which the vouchers
may not be used. Tickets purchased using the vouchers will receive
frequent flyer miles. 

;;; ********************************
;;; General Notes ******************
;;; ********************************

The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights,
though some information may also apply to international flights.

;;; ********************************
;;; Standard Tricks ****************
;;; ********************************
   
   Airlines give better fares to people who advance book because
they are trying to encourage people to book as early as possible. If
the airline were to lower fares just before flight time there would be
a flood of people (on random flights) at the last minute. Airlines
need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of
baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel.
(Meals and beverages also have to be loaded.)

   Moreover, people who book at the last minute are usually
flying on business, and therefore the business is paying for it.
People flying for pleasure usually know weeks or months in advance,
and can't afford the prices that a business would pay. Thus it is to
an airline's advantage to set rates according to the major differences
between business and leisure travelers:
    o  Business travelers fly mostly between 9 and 5, whereas leisure
       travelers can fly offpeak hours. 
    o  Business travelers buy tickets on very short notice, whereas
       leisure travelers plan trips well in advance. 
    o  Business travelers do not stay over a weekend (= Saturday
       night), whereas leisure travelers do. 
So airlines typically give discounts for people who stay over a
weekend, flying offpeak hours, and purchasing tickets 7 days, 14 days,
21 days or 30 days in advance. 

   For example, "Supersaver" or "Maxsaver" fares require that you
buy your roundtrip ticket 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days in advance, and
that you stay over a weekend (Saturday night). The price is usually
the average of the two one-way tickets. (E.g., a 2-week advance
PGH/BOS advance ticket is around $200 this way.) Since a regular 1-way
ticket is so much worse, it sometimes pays to buy a round-trip ticket
and throw away the other half (if you're only going one way). If you
buy a round trip ticket and throw away the other half, make the first
leg of the trip the destination, since some airlines will cancel the
return trip if you don't show up for the first leg. If you intend to
skip ONE leg of a multi-leg flight, tell this to your reservation
agent in advance, so that they can annotated your PNR to prevent
subsequent legs from being cancelled. (Note: You can't use this
technique to exploit a "hidden city" fare. You'll have to have a very
good reason for skipping a leg for the travel agent to allow it, and
you may have to pay a different fare to do so.) 

   For example, a round-trip to San Francisco from Pittsburgh
with a one-night stayover is $1,333. However, the cost of a Saturday
night stayover is only $479 if you order the ticket a week or two in
advance. Purchasing two round trip tickets, one originating from Pgh
and one from SF, and then using one half of each round trip ticket
saves you $375.

   Note that for many airlines the discount fares depend solely
on the date of the first leg of the trip. The price does not vary no
matter when the return flight is (so long as you stay over a Saturday
night). You could buy a flight with one leg in March and the return in
November, and it would cost the same as if the return was in March.
For some of the lowest fares, however, there is now a 30-day maximum
stay. Staying more than 30 days often increases the fare by about 25%.

   If you travel regularly to a particular destination, but don't
stay over weekends, you can get the cheaper weekend rates by
staggering your tickets. I.e., if you're flying from A to B and back
Monday and Wednesday of Week 1, and the same Week 2, instead of buying
roundtrip tickets for each week, buy a roundtrip ticket leaving A
Monday of Week 1 and returning Wednesday of Week 2, and a second
roundtrip ticket leaving B Wednesday of Week 1 and returning to B
Monday of Week 2. This works out to be precisely the same flights, but
since both tickets are over a weekend, you get the cheaper rate. The
only problem is that you have to know your schedule in advance to make
this work. Using the Pgh-SF example from above, this method would save
you $1708 on a pair of midweek round trip flights.
 
   The 30-day maximum stay on discount fares prevents you from using this
overlapping round trip tickets trick if you travel to a destination
infrequently (say, every six months). If your trips are more than 30
days apart, here's a new trick to use. Buy two round trip discount
tickets (weekend stay) per trip, using one for the outgoing trip and
one for the return, and then turn in the return portion of each ticket
for credit towards your next trip. Even with the $25 or so processing
charge per ticket for crediting and reissuing the ticket, it is still
cheaper to do this than to buy a single round-trip ticket without a
weekend stay.

   If you travel on offpeak hours and low volume days, the rates
are cheaper. Thus to guarrantee a low cost flight, you have to be very
flexible about where you are going, what time and day you are leaving,
and how long you want to stay.

   Also important is when you make the reservation. If you make
the reservation for an offpeak flight during the peak season (say,
make a reservation for February just before Thanksgiving), you may be
charged the peak rates. After the holidays some airlines lower their
discount fares to attract customers. So you may be able to get a
better fare by making your reservation right after the holidays.

   If you notice that the fare for your flight has been lowered
after you bought the ticket, try calling the airline. Sometimes they
will refund the difference between the price you paid and the lower
fare. (You may have to go to the airport to get the ticket rewritten
at the lower fare.) For example, USAir will refund the difference less
a service charge, or give a travel voucher (credit) for the difference
with no service charge.

   According to a Wall Street Journal article by James S. Hirsch,
(July 30, 1993) many airlines now test fare increases by raising
prices on the weekend (Friday night through Sunday night). If other
airlines don't match the increases, the fares return to normal on
Monday. So you should avoid purchasing tickets on the weekend. (This
works around the Justice Department consent decree that prevents
airlines from signalling planned fare increases in the computer
reservation systems.)

   Hirsch also reported that many airlines have increased the $25
charge for changing advanced purchase tickets to $30 or $35. Note that
this is often a minimum fee -- you'll probably have to pay the full
difference in price if the new ticket price is much higher. Airlines
are using these measures to discourage passengers from buying tickets
during a fare war and later changing the time of flight or
destination. If you go to one of the airline's ticket agents (not a
travel agent), some airlines will reissue a ticket at the lower fare
without fee if the difference is refunded in the form of a voucher for
future travel.

   In addition to the Saturday night stay requirement, many airlines
now give discounts for travel midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
when a Saturday night stay is involved. For example, Northwest
discount coupons recently had this restriction. Most leisure travelers
like to travel Sunday-Sunday, or at least not miss a large part of the
week. Business travelers, of course, don't like to stay over the weekend.

;;; ********************************
;;; Hidden city fares **************
;;; ********************************

A hidden city fare occurs when a flight from point A to point B
happens to make a connection in point C and is cheaper than a direct
flight from point A to point C. This is a quirk of the way in which
airlines price their routes, which has little to do with the distance
flown. Theoretically, you could buy a ticket from A to B, get off at
point C, and throw away the B to C portion, saving some money, if
point C was your ultimate destination.  Airlines frown on this
practice, and taking advantage of a hidden city fare is explicitly
forbidden by their rules. If you happen to skip a leg of your flight
(e.g., logged as a no-show on the airline's computer), the airline has
the right to cancel all subsequent legs, and will do so to discourage
folks from using hidden-city fares. So the only case in which you can
"safely" take advantage of a hidden-city fare is when you're taking a
one-way flight. If you buy a round-trip ticket from A to B through C,
skip the C to B leg, and try to board the return flight at B or C,
you'll find that your reservation has been cancelled and you'll be
required to buy a new ticket at the full-price one-way fare.

Airlines have started to really crack down on the use of hidden city
fares. They can not only cancel subsequent flights on their own lines,
but also recommend cancellation of subsequent flights on other
carriers. They've programmed their airline reservation systems to
watch out for hidden-city reservations, flagging potential violations
in the passenger's record, and in some cases will automatically cancel
all subsequent legs if one leg is skipped. Even if the reservation
system doesn't automatically cancel the subsequent legs, the agent at
check-in will see the warning flag and will be very suspicious of any
skipped legs.

Some airlines (e.g., Delta) have a practice of checking you in for all
outbound flights at the point of origin. But this doesn't them any
more susceptible to folks who use hidden city fares, because if you
don't show up for the return flight at B, they'll still cancel all
your remaining legs.

Hidden city fares happen most often when the connecting point is
dominated by one airline (the carrier of your flight) and the ultimate
destination is a competitive market. 

If you happen to catch an earlier flight than your scheduled one, be
sure to reconfirm your subsequent flight segments. Any departure from
your ticketed reservation can potentially cause your itinerary to be
flagged as a hidden-city violation (e.g., "NOSH" for no-show), if the
gate agent didn't record the earlier flight properly.

;;; ********************************
;;; Fare Classes *******************
;;; ********************************

   When airlines set their fares, they divide their seating into
"classes", which are based on an analysis of past passenger purchases.
Suppose you have a 100 seat airliner going from DC to SF. The rates
might break down on a particular day as follows:
   30 seats at $315 round trip, 30 days in advance
   20 seats at $350 RT, 21 days in advance
   20 seats at $375 RT, 14 days in advance
   20 seats at $400 RT, 7 days in advance
   10 seats at $450 RT, full fare, available until the last minute.
Now if the time has elapsed within a given price group, then the fare
will go up to the rate of the next price group. If they sell the quota
of tickets for a price group, even if the time has not elapsed, then
they can only sell you tickets at the next rate group price (which is
naturally higher). So it can pay to make your reservations way in
advance. (The number of seats available at each fare varies from day
to day, depending on the airline's yield management algorithm.)

   Actually, it would be more accurate to say that airlines
distinguish between classes of service and types of fares. A discount
ticket (fare) for first class travel (service) could, in theory, be
cheaper than an advance purchase ticket (fare) for thrift travel in
the first class compartment (service). The best way to describe it is
as a series of overlapping tiers of fares.

   There are five regular classes of service: First, Business,
Standard, Coach and Thrift. Standard is practically nonexistent these
days. Fares usually drop with lower class service. For each class except
Standard there are six main types of reduced-fare tickets: discounted,
night, offpeak, weekend, advance purchase, and excursion fare.


;;; ********************************
;;; Classes of Service *************
;;; ********************************

   The following chart gives some of the letters used to
designate each class of service. Note that Fn means Night/Offpeak
Coach in the First Class compartment, and Yn means Night/Offpeak Coach
in other than the First Class compartment.

                        Regular Premium Discounted      Night/Offpeak
First Class             F       P       A               Fn
Business Class          C       J       D               Cn
Standard                S
Coach Economy           Y               B, H, M, Q, T   Qn, Yn
Thrift                  K               L, V            Vn, Kn
Supersonic              R
No Reservation Service  U

In reality there is no difference between classes F and P, nor between
classes C and J.



;;; ********************************
;;; Fare Types *********************
;;; ********************************

   The following lists some of the letters used to designate
different types of fares. This is distinct from class of service. A
number (e.g., 7 or 14) usually means how many days in advance the
ticket must be bought.

   Miscellaneous
      AP   Advance Purchase
      EX   Excursion Fare
      B    Capacity-controlled Excursion Fares
      SW   Offpeak; Saturday or Sunday
      W    Weekend
      X    Midweek
      US   48 contiguous states (not including alaska/hawaii)
   
   Economy
      KH   Weekend
      KL   Midweek/Offpeak
      MH   Weekend (Discount Fare)
      ML   Midweek/Offpeak (Discount Fare)
      L    Capacity-controlled Inventory
   
   Standard
      SH   Peak
      SL   Offpeak
      V    Offpeak
   
   Coach
      B    Capacity-controlled Inventory
      BN   Night Coach
      H    Capacity-controlled Inventory, Coach/Night Coach
      V    Offpeak
      YH   Weekend
      YL   Midweek/Offpeak
   
   Super Coach
      QH   Weekend; applies Fri-Sun
      QL   Midweek; applies Mon-Thur
   

;;; ********************************
;;; Special Fare Categories ********
;;; ********************************
   
   All airlines have special rate categories, but you have to ask
for them by name, since the agents are usually not familiar with them.
You may even have to talk to the agent's supervisor. Below is a brief
listing of different special fare categories, followed by a more in
depth discussion of standby fares.
   Also, see preceding discussion of classes of service and fare
types. For example, on TWA, class K, V, YC, and M fares are the cheapest. 

   Note: Just because you qualify for a special fare category doesn't
mean that it is the cheapest fare possible. Shop around. By being
flexible with your travel plans, you may be able to save even more.
When the special fares are discounted against full fare coach prices,
you can often do better by purchasing a supersaver or other advance
booking fare.  Of course, if your special fare discount may be
combined with other offers (e.g., 5% discount for using the official
airline of a conference to travel to the conference), you win both
ways.

Children's fares:

   Children under 2 years of age travel free on US domestic flights.
(That is, children who have not reached their second birthday at the
date of commencement of travel.) To be more accurate, the child must
not occupy a separate seat (sits on its parent's lap), and must be
accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger 12 years of age and over
(the lap in which it sits). Such children do not get a baggage
allowance. Additional children under 2 are subject to regular
children's fares. On international flights you need a "lap child"
ticket which typically costs about $100 (10% of the regular fare). 
   Fares for children (age 2-12) accompanied by a fare paying adult
passenger and occupying a separate seat are cheaper than fares for
unaccompanied children. Some carriers will not accept unaccompanied
children under five years of age (some 8 years, some 12). Fares for
accompanied children range from 50% to 100% of an adult fare 
(1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, 80%, 90%, full fare). Fares for
unaccompanied children range from 50% of adult fare to 125% of an
adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, full fare, 1-1/4 fare). 
Nowaways, 2/3 fare seems to be the most common children's fare.

Clergy fares:

   Clergy get ridiculously cheap standby fares on certain
airlines if they possess a certain type of "Clergy Identification
Card". 

Military fares:

   US military personnel traveling at their own expense on
authorized leave or pass may get signicantly cheaper fares. Discharged
military personnel must complete all travel within 7 days of discharge
date. Valid active duty US green identification card or separation
orders must be presented. USAir has a 50% military discount. 

Also, any military person who is on active duty and either on TDY
(temporary duty), emergency leave or regular leave, or any retired
military person may sign up for space available travel on
pre-scheduled military flights to any air force base (e.g., Hawaii,
Boston, Florida). Active duty personnel have priority over retired
personnel, and space is allocated in order of signup. Few flights,
however, are scheduled more than 24 hours in advance, and you may need
to go to your destination by a very roundabout route, since not every
base has a lot of space-available flights. The cost is free from most
bases, but some tack on a $10 or $20 charge for admin purposes. For
long flights, they will sell you a box-lunch for $2.40. The planes may
not be as comfortable as commercial flights. There are numerous books
on space-available flights that military people can pick up at their
PX/BX.   They should also contact the PAX representative at their
nearest base for more specific information.
   

Senior Citizen fares:

   Certain airlines provide reduced fares for passengers 65 (sometimes
62) years of age and older. Passengers must carry proof of age
(passport, birth certificate, driver's license or medicare card). The
typical discount is 10 percent. Some programs provided a booklet of
discount couposn, or sell several tickets at a sharply discounted
rate.  Seats are usually limited.  In some cases, membership in the
AARP will qualify you for the reduced fares. (The AARP's 10 percent
discount deal with American Airlines ended in 1992 when the fare war
broke out.) Airlines with special fares include: American, America
West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, TWA, United,
and USAir. Be sure to ask if there are any special fares for senior
citizens, if you qualify.  Many travel agents are reluctant to ask a
customer if they are a senior citizen, because they are afraid the
customer might be offended.

Student fares:

   Some airlines give discounted fares to full-time students of an
accredited school, college or university who are at least 12 years of
age. Student ID card must be carried and displayed at the request of
the carrier. Some restrict the age of the student to under some age
(e.g., 22, 26 years of age). Stopovers are not permitted, and some
require reservations at least 7 days before departure. 

[The USAir student discount was cancelled on May 30, 1992, as a
consequence of the American fare restructuring. As of June 1993, the
program has been reinstated on a limited scale, primarily on
short-haul east-coast flights. For discounts of up to 30%, you must be
a student of under age 24.]
USAir has a 10% discount on fares for full-time students. The student
discount is combinable with supersaver fares (i.e., you get a 10%
discount above and beyond the supersaver discount). The only
restrictions are that 
   (1) You must be a full-time student, aged 16 through 26.
   (2) You must show proof of age and student status to the
       agent when making a reservation (e.g., a college ID and
       driver's license)
   (3) The discount is limited to domestic travel.

Students may purchase discount books of 10 tickets on the Trump (now
USAir) shuttle for $499. Delta has a similar program for their shuttle.
Age restrictions can be as low as 18-22 on these tickets (Continental
18-22, USAir 18-24 some routes, 18-22 others, Delta is 18-24). Times are
restricted from 10am to 2:30 pm and after 7 pm. 

A variety of discounts are available if you have an International
Student Identity Card. Ask your travel agent for details on how to get
such a card and what discounts are available. (All Council Travel
travel agencies sell the International Student ID Cards. They are
rather cheap, and well worth the price.)

Youth fares:

   Passenger must be between 12 and 22 (25 for international
travel) years of age. Seats may be limited. Tickets must be purchased
from the point of origin. Some require picture identification such as
Youth Fare identification Card, birth certificate, government ID card
or drivers license. Southwest gives the offpeak rate for *all* flights
for youth (21 & under), although this is still more expensive than
their supersaver fares. 
   
Family fares:

   Some carriers offer discounts on family travel. For the
purposes of the discounts, a family is defined as a husband and wife
with or without accompanying children age 2-17, or one parent with one
or more accompanying children age 2-17. Age restrictions on children
differ from airline to airline (some set the maximum age at 20 or 21
years; and some break children into two classes, 12 & under and
12-21). Some include legal guardian and grandparents within the
definition of parent. It is usually not necessary for the family to
travel under a common surname. Proof of family relationship must be
established to the satisfaction of the carrier and all family members
must travel together for the entire trip. Fares are typically 100% for
first family member, 50% each additional. Some have further discounts.

Conference Fares

If you're flying to a meeting or conference, airlines will often offer
a conference discount. This must be arranged ahead of time by the
conference organizers and only holds for one particular airline. This
airline is designated as the "official" airline of the conference, and
is advertised in the registration brochure. Discounts are generally
40% off of full coach or 5% off of the best supersaver fare, with
travel within 3 days of the meeting. The conference organizers receive
one free round trip ticket for every 20 conference attendees who use
the airline.

;;; ********************************
;;; Flying Standby *****************
;;; ********************************

   Flying standby used to be one of the cheapest ways to travel. The
idea was that an empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So
some airlines would sell special fare "standby tickets".  Using such a
ticket you were NOT guarranteed a seat on a particular flight, but on
the next flight with empty seats. You'd be enplaned on a flight
subject to the availability of space at departure time.  This was only
after all passengers with reservations for the flight have been
boarded.  Passengers from a previous flight who were bumped also had
priority. No stopovers were permitted on standby fares.

   Since advance reservations were not accepted, you had to get to the
gate early to put yourself down on the standby list.  If it was a busy
day and the flights are full, you would have to wait several hours to
get a seat, or maybe not get a seat at all.  A standby ticket didn't
guarrantee you a seat, but if you did not absolutely, positively have
to be there tomorrow, you could get some good deals.

   But the days when students could hang out at the airport and fly
standby for dirt cheap prices are long gone. The term "standby" is
still used, but doesn't mean what it used to:

   1. Most airlines no longer sell standby tickets at a special
      fare, but will sell you a standby ticket at regular fare. In
      other words, if they have space on the flight, the gate agent or
      ticket agent will sell you a ticket for the flight on the spot.
      All this means is you can buy a full fare ticket on the spur of
      the moment.

   2. Nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets can often be used for
      standby travel on the same or similar route (sometimes with a
      slight surcharge). This most often comes up if you missed your
      flight, but you may be able to use unused flight coupons in 
      this manner. For example, if you bought a ticket but didn't go
      for some reason (a reason that didn't entitle you to a refund), the
      ticket may still be usable for standby travel on the same airline.
      (Your best bet with such a ticket, however, is to have your
      travel agent or airline credit it towards your next ticket.
      You'll probably have to pay a fee, but it's better than throwing
      away the ticket.) All this is often at the whim of the gate
      agent, and is based on the notion that a ticket is often
      designated as being good for travel on the airline for one year
      from the date of issue. Your luck will vary by airline and gate agent.

   3. If you're on a later flight but get to the airport early,
      check with the attendant at the gate. You may be able to get on the
      earlier flight is there's space available (but this may result in your
      getting no "snack" or losing your special meal). This works even
      for "non-changeable" tickets. 

Airlines stopped the practice of selling standby tickets for a variety
of reasons:

   1. Even if a seat isn't taken, putting somebody in the seat still
      costs the airline some money (e.g., fuel). 

   2. Standby travel played havok with airline load management programs.
      Airlines were sometimes faced with having to unload fuel to
      change the weight distribution of the aircraft because of a
      sudden appearance of several standby passengers.

   3. Some people would "ensure" the availability of standby seats by
      making a large number of regular reservations, and then an hour
      before the flight release the block of seats, virtually ensuring
      that standby passengers will get aboard at cheap standby fares.
      This caused airlines to overbook flights, and eliminated their
      ability to schedule their flights accurately. Since the
      elimination of standby tickets, overbooking errors have dropped
      significantly. (Another result of this practice is the automatic
      cancellation of unpaid reservations after 24 hours.)

   4. Airlines felt that they were losing regular business to standby travel.

   Flying standby, however, may be making a comeback. In 1993, some
airlines had special one-day fares for folks traveling on Christmas
and New Years. These holidays are the nadir of the travel season, so
by offering these fares, the airlines were able to increase their
business on flights they had to fly anyway. (Yes, airlines still have
to fly the routes, even with empty planes, because scheduling is so
complex. For example, the plane in Atlanta might need to fly to Boston
so that it can be used on the Boston-Washington route later in the next day.)
Now these holiday fares weren't true standby fares, but the concept
was similar. Since most flights these days fly at 85-95% of capacity,
one of these days an airline is going to get the bright idea of
reinstating standby fares in one variation or another. For example,
some airlines now sell discount flight coupon booklets to senior
citizens; the coupons may be used for standby travel. And of course,
US air force personnel can fly standby on some US air force planes on
a space available basis for dirt cheap prices, but with no amenities
(and maybe no real seat either, but strapped to webbing on the wall).


If you are flying standby one way or another, here's some advice:

   -  Make sure you get to the gate EARLY. If several people are
      flying standby, you want to make sure that your name is first on
      the list.  Note that connecting passengers, bumped passengers,
      etc., get priority over local boarding standbys. 

   -  Days which are bad for getting bumped are usually good days for 
      standby seats. Don't fly standby on the day before Thanksgiving
      or the Sunday after, you won't get a seat. On Thanksgiving day
      itself, you're likely to find a seat.

   -  On really busy days it might pay to show up early for the
      *first* flight of the day, since standbys who don't make it can
      "roll over" to the next flight. 

;;; ********************************
;;; Getting "Bumped" ***************
;;; ********************************

[Note: The comments in this section apply to domestic flights only.
US Department of Transportation rules apply only to flights between
points in the US. Airlines do not need to give any compensation for
international flights, so what, if anything, you get for an
involuntary bump is entirely up to the airline.]

   Airlines tend to overbook their flights in case of no-shows.
Occasionally this will mean that more people show up with confirmed
reservations than there are seats on the plane. (Or if the flight is a
particularly full one, it may exceed the weight limit even with empty
seats.) The airline will ask if there's anyone willing to be bumped
from the flight in exchange for compensation (e.g., USAir will give
you a free round-trip ticket anywhere in North America). The airline will then
put you on the next available flight to your destination, along with
your free ticket. Vouchers are typically valid for only a year from
date of issue. 

   So another way to reduce the cost of flying is to purchase a
confirmed reservation for 8-9 am or 5-6 pm on a weekday. These are the
times most businessmen fly (trying to make early morning meetings or
to get home for dinner in the evening), and hence when the airline is
most likely to be overbooked. Airlines are also likely to be
overbooked on Sunday nights and the beginning and end of holidays,
since that is when non-businessmen typically fly. Receiving a free
roundtrip ticket effectively cuts your air travel costs in half. And
if you get bumped while using a previous free bump ticket, it gets
even cheaper.

   If you have a confirmed reservation, and you notice the flight
is overbooked but first class is underbooked and you don't necessarily
want to be bumped, try being the last person on line. If you are lucky
the coach and business class will be full, and they will have to
upgrade you to first class at no charge.  (Also, having a pre-issued
boarding pass will decrease your chances of an involuntary bump.) This
is risky, though, because you might wind up being bumped anyway, so
only do it if you don't care whether you'll be bumped.

   It always pays to volunteer to be bumped, even if the flight
isn't overbooked. If the airline needs adjacent seating for a family,
they will sometimes bump you into first class if you are in a row by
yourself. 

   If you definitely want to be bumped, volunteer when you check
in and again at the gate. This will give you priority if there are
only a few bumps. 
   
   Good days to get bumped include: Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Sunday
after; couple days before and after Christmas; ditto with New Years.
Friday afternoons, evenings, and Sunday afternoons and evenings also
bump a lot.

   If the airline still has plenty of coach seats a day or so
before the flight, it is unlikely that they will bump.

   Here's what some airlines usually give volunteers:
      Delta, USAir:  Open roundtrip
        (Delta requires reservations three days before flight time on
        bump tickets.)

      United: Travel voucher in increments of $100 based on how long you have
      to wait for your next flight (e.g., 2 hour wait is $200), up to
      a maximum of $300. You can also ask for a food voucher.

      Continental: domestic roundtrip ticket.

      American, America West, Southwest, Northwest:  $$ off another
      ticket (usually $150 to $300; Northwest generally around $300;
      American has been known to go as high as $1000.)
      Dollar-denominated vouchers are not subject to tax, so they
      stretch further. Amounts depend on the degree of overbooking of
      the flight. United sometimes will also issue a
      dollar-denominated voucher. 

      United bumps more than average, Delta less. 

      Air Canada offers $150 cash or $300 in travel vouchers.

Most bump tickets (vouchers) are non-transferable, so you must use
them yourself.

If you get bumped or your flight is canceled and need to stay at a
hotel overnight, hotels near the airport will often give you
a substantial discount if you ask for it (50% discount is not unheard
of). Ask for the "Distressed Passenger Rate". Airlines also have
overnight kits they can give you. 

If airline delays cause you extra expense, the airlines may be willing
to help you out. For example, if the airline delay caused you to miss
the cheap bus shuttle service to downtown, the airline may be willing
to pay the difference between cab fare and shuttle fare. But in
general, there aren't any policies for compensation (e.g., meals, hotel,
etc.) that must be given to bumped and delayed passengers. Some
airlines are very nice and will give you food coupons if you ask, some
won't. 

Under Department of Transportation rules, an involuntarily bumped
traveler who is delayed more than one hour but less than two on a
domestic flight is entitled to $200 or 100 percent of the one-way
fare, whichever is less (the airline must also honor the original
ticket).  For delays longer than two hours, the compensation doubles.
Airlines can offer you a travel voucher (for a free domestic
round-trip ticket) in lieu of cash, but must give you the cash if
that's what you want. Airlines like bumped volunteers because free
travel costs them less than the cash compensation they're required to
offer involuntarily bumped passengers. (If the involuntarily bumped
passengers are put on a flight which brings them to their destination
within an hour of the original flight time, the airline has met its
requirement.) Anything more is strictly the policy of the airline,
which is stated in its Conditions of Carriage statement. (To obtain
this statement, get it either from your travel agent or by writing to
the customer affairs office of your airline. Be sure to ask for the
full copy of the conditions; otherwise they'll give you just a three
page summary of the limitations of liability sections.) Note that
these rules do NOT apply to delayed passengers in general, just to
bumped passengers.

There are no rules governing compensation for volunteers -- airlines
can offer as little or as much as it takes to bid you off the flight.
   Delta restricts reservations using volunteer bumped vouchers 
   to two days in advance.

Re-booking: Most volunteers are routinely booked on another flight
within a few hours, but re-routing isn't a legal requirement. Before
giving up your seat, ask when the next flight leaves, whether you'll
have a confirmed or standby reservation and (if the flight is with
another carrier) whether you'll have to pay additional fare.
Negotiating: Most airline managers can escalate compensation offers in
an attempt to get enough volunteers. So you might get a better deal by
simply asking for one. American Airlines, which has the lowest rate of
involuntary bumpees in the industry, tends to be the most generous
with compensation for volunteers.

;;; ********************************
;;; Upgrading to First Class *******
;;; ********************************

The main method of getting first class seating without paying the
exorbitant fares is to belong to a frequent flyer program like TWA's
program, where gold and silver members get unlimited free upgrades to
first class on a space available basis. Some airlines, like USAir,
sell booklets of upgrade certificates, at an average cost of $15 per
certificate. Of course, with both programs, you won't always be able
to get first class seating.

The other method is to fly on an overbooked flight where first class
is underbooked. If you have a confirmed reservation, the airline will
usually prefer to upgrade your ticket over bumping you.

Even though American gold upgrade stickers have an expiration date,
American ticket agents rarely turn someone down because they tried to
use expired upgrade stickers. The same goes for similar programs at
other airlines. (It doesn't hurt to try.)

;;; ********************************
;;; Missed Connections *************
;;; ********************************

If you ever miss a connection because your plane was late and the
lines at the service desk are very long (e.g., everybody else on that
flight needs rebooking), call the airline's 800 number. Sometimes
they'll let you rebook because of a missed connection over the phone.
You may still have to pick up the flight coupon at the service desk
(though sometimes you'll be able to get it at the gate), but at least
you'll make the next flight. If you wait on the line, you may not make
the next flight if everybody in front of you is also waiting for the
next flight, or the next flight leaves in a few minutes.

Depending on the airline and the airport, you may be able to be
rebooked on a flight by going directly to the gate. Some airlines will
force you to go to the service desk. (For example, TWA in JFK requires
that all changes go through the service desk.)

If the flight you want to be rebooked on is "full", it may pay to
ask the agents whether upgrading to first class will make a
difference. It'll cost you, but it may save you from being stuck in
the airport for a few hours.

When buying a ticket with a connection, allow enough time to get from
one gate to the next at the connecting airport. The airline computers
have an estimate of the minimum time required to make a connection,
but this isn't always accurate, especially if the gates are at
opposite ends of the airport, or you're seated at the tail of the
plane. With the new on-time rules, airlines are reluctant to hold
flights for passengers coming from connecting flights that are late.
If you're carrying your own baggage, have kids, walk slowly, or want
to take a pit stop at the bathroom, allow yourself extra time.  Ask
your travel agent what other flights are available that leave the
connecting city a little later. 

;;; ********************************
;;; Getting There Faster ***********
;;; ********************************

On the flip side of the coin, airline reservation systems use a
minimum connection time of 45 minutes. They won't let you make a
reservation for a shorter connection time. You can get around this by
buying two separate pairs of round-trip tickets to/from the
connection, or by booking different legs on different airlines, but if
you happen to miss the connection, the airline is under no obligation
to rebook you on a later flight.

However, if you travel light enough that you can carry on all your
luggage, and you know the connecting airport, trimming the connection
time can get you to your destination faster. If you get to the
connecting airport on time or early, you might try going to the gate
of the earlier flight to your destination, and ask to be put on. If
the flight isn't full, they'll probably let you board.

;;; ********************************
;;; Buying tickets through classifieds 
;;; ********************************

Many people, when they can't use their nonrefundable ticket (or the
return leg of a round trip ticket), try to sell their tickets through
classified advertisements. This can be a source of cheap air tickets.
However, you'll be traveling under someone else's name, and the
airlines frown on this practice. If they catch you doing this, you'll
be forced to pay full fare for the return flight, and the airline will
cancel all your frequent traveler miles and all the frequent flyer
miles of the person who originally bought the ticket. They may also
terminate your membership in their frequent flyer program. (Most
airlines only check IDs on full flights or on fares that require a
special ID, such as a student ID. But more are checking IDs on
randomly selected tickets in an effort to discourage this practice.
And of course, one should never purchase such a ticket for
international travel, since they always check your travel documents
when you check in for the flight.) If the airplane should crash and
you die, the airline won't have your real name (which can affect life
insurance policies), and this is just plain unethical.  But given that
the airline pricing strategies try to game the consumer market, some
consumers feel they are entitled to game the system right back. I
neither advise nor condone using this practice as a means of obtaining
cheap air travel.

Northwest prints the following warning on the inside flap of the
ticket jacket: 

  "Photo identification is required for all passengers.  Boarding may
   be denied and ticket confiscated if passenger's identification does
   not match the name on the ticket."


;;; ********************************
;;; Sympathy Fares, Emergencies ****
;;; ********************************
   
   If you have to go to a funeral, most airlines will give you
50% off of the discounted rate, at very short notice. They call this
the sympathy fare. Similarly for a medical emergency. For example,
Continental will waive advance purchase requirements for cheap fares
for an emergency. This is their bereavement rate for people who have
to attend funerals. Other airlines that do this are United and USAir
("compassionate fare"). American gives 50% off of the non-discounted
rate, and will ask you for the name, address and phone number of the
funeral home. This is a tradition carried over from the "funeral fare"
of the railroad days. Airlines do this because it is simply good PR,
and doesn't cost them all that much. Some airlines will only allow
immediate relatives to get a sympathy fare.

[As of 4/30/93, American and United offered 17% discount on
unrestricted coach, USAir 50%.]

   In any case you have to ask and sometimes be persistent as these are
nonstandard and not widely publicized policies. Many low level airline
workers are not aware of them or do not have the authority to allow them.

   United "Rule 120" describes the rules governing sympathy fares.


;;; ********************************
;;; Refunds ************************
;;; ********************************

   In the same vein, many airlines will refund a ticket, even a
nonrefundable one, for good cause. Medical emergencies, jury duty, and
a death in the family generally qualify as a good cause for not using
a ticket.  Some sort of proof must be provided (death certiicate, note
from doctor), and it is completely up to the airline as to whether or
not the particular instance warrants a refund. Some airlines may issue
a new ticket or provide a flight credit voucher instead of offering a
refund.

   A useful trick for normal circumstances: When they ask for
your name for printing on the ticket, use your first initial instead
of your full first name. (Many airlines now require your full first
name, even if you purchase the ticket through a travel agent.) Thus if
you can't use your "non-transferrable non-refundable" ticket, your
spouse or some other member of your family might be able to.

   Another trick is to have your travel agent talk to the
airline, assuming you used him to purchase the ticket. Sometimes they
will be able to swing a deal.

   Nontransferable tickets may still be useable by other people
in your organization, if the address listed on the ticket was your
business address.

   Unused nonrefundable tickets can often be applied as a credit
toward another nonrefundable ticket of equal or higher value on the
same airline, less a small reticketing fee of $25 to $35. You'll also
have to pay any difference in the fares, and you can do this for up to one
year after the date of purchase. So if you bought a non-refundable
ticket and decided to not use it, don't throw it away. If you only
used part of the ticket (e.g., the originating flight but not the
return), you probably can't do this; these policies are for completely
unused tickets.

   Normally a reservation will cancel out automatically if you
don't purchase a ticket within 24 hours. However, if you ask the
airline to invoice you, usually this timeout is extended to 10 days to
allow enough time for the invoice to reach you. You can still pay the
invoice using a credit card. If you don't pay the invoice, the
reservation cancels out at the end of the 10 day period. I was once
able to get the 10 day period extended, but that was because the
airline had transposed digits in my zip code, causing the invoice to
arrive after the 10 day period had expired.

;;; ********************************
;;; Advance Purchase Fares *********
;;; ********************************

   Typically, tickets must be purchased 4, 7, 14, 21, or 30 days
in advance of the departure date. All require confirmed reservations.
Seats are always limited. Most do not permit changes/cancellations,
and those that do will usually charge you.
   
   Some require a roundtrip ticket, though there are some that
give lower rates for one-way tickets. Most do not permit open-jaw
travel (most require circle-trip for excursion fares). Some permit
stopovers, and may or may not charge you for the privilege (typically
$15-30 per stopover). Fares are often seasonal.

   For those that have a minimum and maximum stay period (e.g.,
stay over the weekend, must return 150 days after departure), the day
of departure is not included as part of the minimum and maximum stay period.

   Children's rates are usually discounted against the applicable
fare. (Some airlines now apply children's discounts against the
highest fare only.) As usual, children must carry proof of age.

   Note that fares are almost always not applicable to/from
intermediate points. This means a ticket from Boston to Chicago
passing through Pittsburgh could be cheaper than a ticket from Boston
to Pittsburgh! But, of course, you can get off at Pittsburgh so long
as you don't have checked bags nor have subsequent legs on the same
ticket.


;;; ********************************
;;; Travel Agents ******************
;;; ********************************

   It pays to use a travel agent only if you know a *good* one. A
good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can
save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may
not find out such information, since they will only quote you the
rates for the times you ask. So if you're going to use a travel agent,
make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search
through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for
you. A travel agent who just punches your data into the computer and
tells you the prices is no better than the airline's 800 number. A
good travel agent can probably save you about 10-15%.
[Actually, if the airline goes bankrupt between ticket purchase and
flight time, and you bought your ticket from a travel agent, you may
be able to get a refund, especially from some of the larger agencies.
If the airlines goes bankrupt within 10 days of the purchase of the
ticket, the agency may not have paid the airline yet (they are allowed
10 days to do so), so you can ask them for a refund. Better yet, buy
your airtickets with a credit card, and the federal credit protection
act will allow you to get a refund from your credit card company.]

   Note that some travel agencies try to funnel all their business to
a specific airline, because the more tickets they sell to a single
airline, the more money they get. Airlines have incentive programs to
encourage this practice. The travel agent may also know how to look up
fares on only one airline.  This means that your travel agent may be
checking the fares on a single airline, instead of hunting around for
the best fare from several airlines. This is especially true for
travel agencies near airports that are dominated by one carrier. Your
best bet may be to call several airlines before you go to your travel
agent, doing the research on your own, or to tell the travel agent to
check fares on two or three specific airlines. (Don't tell them to
check on all airlines -- nobody is going to do that much work just for
a $20 commission.)

   Also, airlines sometimes sell bulk tickets to large travel
agencies at bargain basement prices if they think they cannot fill the
seats. So depending on the travel agency, you might be able to get a
really good deal. Travel agents sometimes get complimentary tickets
(e.g., one free ticket for every 25 sold), which they can sell as they
wish. (These are called "Promotional Tickets" and are for standby travel.)

   But then again, travel agents get a commission on air tickets
and hotels. The commission is a fixed percentage of the fare (if you
order direct from the airline, the airline pockets the difference). So
the agent can earn more money by selling you a more expensive ticket.
So be cautious when using a travel agent. Look over the agent's
shoulder and see if they're overlooking a really cheap flight.

   Since discount flights have restrictions on day of week and
flight times, make sure that you let the travel agent know that you
are flexible and will change a day either way if that will save you money.

   Airport ticket agents tend to be better informed than the
people at the toll-free reservation number, since they often have to
deal with special situations (missed connections, bumped people, etc.)
that require really knowing the reservation system's ins and outs.

   But beware. Airport ticket agents are not beyond lying. 


;;; ********************************
;;; Pets ***************************
;;; ********************************

   If you are travelling with a dog or cat, you must say so when you
make your reservation. All airlines will allow at most one dog in the
presurized portion of the cabin (to prevent barking fights). The dog
must be in a travel cage which fits under the seat in front of you and
sedated. (If the dog is small, try to get a cage which fits under the
seat, so you can keep watch on the pet. Otherwise, the dog will travel
in the pet area of the baggage section, and you won't see the dog
until the flight is over. The pet area is pressurized but may not be
heated/cooled. Get nonstop flights since the pet area can get pretty
hot while on the ground.) Only one cat per carrier except for kittens.
Some airlines will charg7Path: planet!isdnlin.mtsu.edu!darwin.sura.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!news.duke.edu!godot.cc.duq.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!casaba.srv.cs.cmu.edu!mkant
From: mkant+@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Kantrowitz)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets 1/2 [Monthly posting]
Message-ID: <airfare-1.text_773136010@cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 2 Jul 1994 08:00:32 GMT
Expires: 13 Aug 1994 08:00:10 GMT
Reply-To: mkant@cs.cmu.edu
Followup-To: poster
Distribution: world
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, School of Computer Science
Lines: 1526
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
Supersedes: <airfare-1.text_770544015@cs.cmu.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: a90's (or perhaps even 80's). AA won't carry a pet if the temperatureis less than 45F (enforcement of this rule is uneven). UA says theywon't handle pets when it is -10F. US says they always handle petsexcept on certain commuter flights.   US allows you to bring your pet out to the gate and have itboarded just before you get on the plane. AA sometimes will, butusually won't, allow this.   Many airlines require that the dog be given a tranquilizer suppliedby your vet.The following is what the airlines charge (1-way) for a pet which fitsunder the seat in front of you, as of August 1, 1992.    $30   Alaska   $45   Delta, Northwest, USAir   $50   American, America West, Continental, TWA, United;;; ********************************;;; Lost Baggage *******************;;; ********************************The domestic baggage liability limit is a minimum of $1250.00 perpassenger.  Some airlines may provide greater limits forchecked/unchecked baggage.  For international flights, the baggageliability limit is approximately $9.07 per pound ($20 per kilogram)for checked baggage and $400 per passenger for unchecked baggage. Aminimum waiting period of one week is required before baggage can bedeclared lost.Airlines will not reimburse for currency, photographic or electronicequipment (e.g., cameras, stereos, VCRs, camcorders, CD players,telephones, etc.), rare and expensive jewelry or artistic works, ormedication, unless prior arrangements were made (e.g., excessvaluation insurance was purchased). Some credit cards will cover theseitems if the tickets were purchased with the card.Most lost baggage doesn't disappear to the same black hole that eatssocks from your laundry, but eventually makes its way to regionalwarehouses owned by the airlines. If the airline can't identify theowner, they sell it at auction, just like the post office's lostletter department does. There are even stores that specialize inbuying the lost baggage, sorting the contents, and selling themerchandise and clothing that's in good condition.;;; ********************************;;; Baggage Limits *****************;;; ********************************Checked baggage weight/size/number limits vary depending on the airline,the class of fare, and the country of origin. Typically one is limitedto 2 pieces of checked baggage (excluding luggage carriers), each ofwhich has a total length + width + height less than 60" (or 72") andweighs less than 70 pounds (32 kg).Unchecked baggage is usually limited to 2 bags, which must fit underthe seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment. Purses,cameras, coats, and similar items are usually excluded from the limit.Garment bags are also often excluded, especially for first classcustomers. Sometimes the limit will be reduced to 1 bag, especially onvery full flights.Oversize articles (e.g., skis, bicycles, moose heads) must be checked.If you do have excess baggage, it is cheaper to pay the excess baggagecharges than to ship it by air freight. Rates airlines charge forexcess baggage vary considerably, so it pays to call around beforepurchasing a ticket.Baggage limit rules are enforced very unevenly, particularly onflights which aren't very full.;;; ********************************;;; Bicycles ***********************;;; ********************************Most airlines charge about $45 one way to ship a bike. If you belongto the League of American Wheelmen ($25 annual membership fee, call1-800-288-BIKE (1-800-288-2453) for info), you can get free bikepasses on America West, Northwest, TWA, and USAir if you book yourtickets through the Sports National Reservation Center, the LAW'stravel agency.;;; ********************************;;; Hub Cities *********************;;; ********************************   Try to avoid hub cities. For example, since USAir's hub isPittsburgh, they have a virtual monopoly on flights to PGH, so ifyou're so unlucky as to be flying to Pittsburgh, the rates are not cheap.Occasionally you may be able to take a flight which makes a stop orconnection at Pittsburgh, and walk off the plane in Pittsburgh (i.e.,a ticket from Boston to Cleveland on a plane which makes a stop inPittsburgh might be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh onthe same plane). This only works when you can carry on all of yourbaggage. (Or if your connecting flight is more than two hours afteryour flight arrives or on a different plane, you can usually arrangeto claim your baggage at the hub and recheck it yourself. 8*) Severalairlines are currently being investigated by the justice departmentfor anti-trust violations based on their dominating the airports attheir hubs.   Here's a list of airline hub cities. I've asterisked thosethat I'm sure are monopolized by that airline. # indicates the mainhub of the airline.   Alaska Airlines (AS): Anchorage (ANC)#, SEA   America West (HP): Phoenix (PHX)#, Las Vega$ (LAS), Columbus OH   American Airlines (AA): Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW)#, Raleigh/Durham (RDU)*,       SJC*, SJU, ORD, BNA,   Continental Airlines (CO): Newark (EWR)#, Cleveland (CLE)*, IAH, DEN, MSY   Delta Airlines (DL): Atlanta (ATL)*#, Salt Lake City (SLC)*, DFW, CVG, LAX,      ORL, JFK and FRA (Frankfurt, FRG).   Midwest Express (YX): MKE   Northwest Airlines (NW): Minneaplois (MSP)#, Milwaukee (MKE)*,       DTW#, Memphis (MEM)#, BOS, NRT, Tokyo.    Southwest Airlines (WN): Chicago (MDW), St. Louis (STL), Dallas Love (DAL),Houston Hobby (HOU), PHX, ABQ   TWA (TW): St. Louis (STL)*#, New York (JFK), Paris (ORY or CDG)   USAir (US): Pittsburgh (PIT)*#, Philadelphia (PHL), Charlotte (CLT)*,       Baltimore (BWI)*, LAX, SFO, SYR, IND   United Airlines (UA): Chicago#, DEN, Washington Dulles (IAD), SEA, SFO,       Raleigh, Tokyo, LHR (London Heathrow)Airport Abbreviations and Hubs:ABQ Albuquerque, NM           WNANC Anchorage, AK             ASATL Atlanta, GA               DLBNA Nashville, TN             AABOS Boston, MA                NWBWI Baltimore, MD             USCLE Cleveland, OH             COCLT Charlotte, NC             USCVG Cincinatti, OH            DLDAL Dallas (Love Field), TX   WNDEN Denver, CO                CO UADFW Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX      AA DLDTW Detroit, MI               NWEWR Newark, NJ                COHOU Houston (Hobby), TX       WNIAD Washington (Dulles), DC   UAIAH Houston (Intercontinental), TX   COIND Indianapolis, IN          USJFK New York (Kennedy), NY    PA TWLAS Las Vega$                 HPLAX Los Angeles               DL USMEM Memphis, TN               NWMIA Miami, FL                 PAMKE Milwaukee, WI             NW YXMSP Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN  NWMSY New Orleans, LA           COORD Chicago, IL               AA UAMCO Orlando, FL               DLPHL Philadelphia, PA          USPHX Phoenix, AZ               HP WNPIT Pittsburgh, PA            USRDU Raleigh/Durham, NC        AASEA Seattle, WA               AS UASFO San Francisco, CA         UA USSJC San Jose, CA              AASJU San Juan, PR              AASLC Salt Lake City, UT        DLSTL St. Louis, MO             TWSYR Syracuse, NY              USAA   American AirlinesAS   Alaska AirlinesCO   Continental AirlinesDL   Delta AirlinesHP   America West AirlinesPA   Pan American World AirwaysTW   Trans World AirlinesUA   United AirlinesUS   U S AirWN   Southwest AirlinesYX   Midwest Express;;; *EOF*