the airlines you fly most often. Or visit Websites that aggregate fare and rate information,” such as Smarter Living (www.smarterliving.com). As a free service to registrants, Smarter Living collates airline specials departing from your desired gateway and e-mails a report to you weekly. You then book through the chosen carrier.
If you find a great deal, says McCoy, act fast. “Fares can change quickly,” he points out. McCoy says the best time to surf for travel is between midnight and 2 a.m. “That’s when airlines update their systems and put back discounted seats that were reserved but canceled.”
|
How online travel agencies measure up |
||||||
|
AmEx www.american |
Biztravel www.biz |
Expedia http://expedia. |
Internet Travel Network www.itn.net |
Preview Travel www.preview |
Travelocity |
|
| Speed |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
| User Friendliness |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
| Selection of Airline Carriers |
3 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| Quality of Extra Options* |
3 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
| *Extra options include providing destination information, special tracking services, travel tips, etc. Rating: 1-5, 5 being the best |
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Additional Online Travel Tips
- Get a recommendation from a friend.
- Save time by writing down your travel specifications before you go online.
- Limit searches to airlines you’re most likely to fly.
- Instead of plugging in one day and time, compare several itineraries for the best deal.
- Pay close attention to computer prompts.
- Before plugging in credit card information, carefully read restrictions.
- If possible, e-mail questions to the service and wait for a response before you book.
- Keep receipts, records and a printed itinerary. Travel with a copy.
