Author: Suzanne Bradley

At the moment, it’s easy to see how some people would be worried about vacation costs this year. Travel is too expensive for many people because of the economy and threats of layoffs. However, there are still cheap travel destinations if you are willing to do your homework. The bulk of your vacation cost will probably go towards your flight and your hotel stay. So, finding a cheap flight and taking advantage of other options can greatly reduce the cost of your vacation. Here are the top five cheap flight destinations that you should consider:

New York City and Other Big Cities

You can often find cheap flights to New York City and other big cities because they are home to large airports. When you fly into a large airport, you have more airline options, which can lower the price. Big cities can be a lot of fun, but are not usually high on the list for tourist destinations, since people are more likely to want to head to the beach or mountains for vacation. As an added bonus, that means that other activities in the cities are also less expensive. Most big cities even have government-sponsored museums, parks, and zoos which are free or under $10 for admission.

Florida or Southern California

The price of your flight often depends on your point of origin. One thing that is almost always a sure bet, though, is that it will typically be cheaper to stay in the United States than to travel abroad. If you live in the eastern half of the country, Florida is a natural choice. You can find flights into Orlando and Miami for just $100 to $200 if you are leaving from a larger northern airport. In the west, southern California is a great destination for the same reason. If you live in the center of the United States, check both Florida and California prices. Also, don’t forget that visiting the gulf of Texas is also an option.

Canada

If you absolutely just want to experience a different country, Canada is a great option. Staying near the United States and not having to cross an ocean helps keep the price of the flight down as low as possible. Canada is also not a huge tourism center, so prices for flights are naturally lower than, for example, Hawaii. Keep in mind that travelling can still get pricey once you arrive at your destination with the current exchange rate, so budget accordingly. However, with the money you’ll save on a flight, it could be worth it. You won’t find warm, sunny beaches in Canada, but you will find some great wilderness resorts, and there are a number of cities that are fun to visit, such as Toronto.

The Caribbean

Believe it or not, the prices for plane tickets to the Caribbean are actually fairly affordable. Although this is a tourist hotspot, the sheer number of flights going into and out of these airports drives the price down. When you work with your travel agent, you can also often get a lower price because they get discounts for selling a certain number of flights on one airline – and flights are easy to book to the Caribbean. There aren’t as many tourists flying to, for example, Italy on the other hand, so they aren’t likely to get a discount on that airline. You can save even more money in general by choosing to fly to Puerto Rico, since it is still a territory of the United States.

Mexico

Some vacationers have been shying away from Mexico recently. However, if you stick to tourist hot spots and use a little discretion, you can be very safe in this country. Flights into Mexico are inexpensive for the same reasons that flights into Canada are inexpensive, you are staying near the United States and you don’t have to cross an ocean. You’ll still pay more for a flight to Mexico than most domestic flights, but if you shop around for good deals, you should be able to travel fairly inexpensively.

Flying will always be expensive, no matter how much price comparison you do to different destinations. There are a few things you can do to keep the price as low as possible, wherever your destination may be. First, be flexible with your dates. Flights are usually more expensive on weekend and near holidays. You can also add more layovers to your flight or take nighttime flights to save money. Finally, when you book your flight, try not to plan activities that you have to rush to as soon as you land. That way, if there is an overbooking problem, you can volunteer to take a later flight. If you do that, most airlines will refund your ticket and give you an additional free flight to use in the future.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/top-five-cheap-flight-destinations-868419.html

About the Author

Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about vacations and the travel industry in general, often discussing vacation tips such as finding cheap flights.

Author: Brian Jenkins

Stand by flying has changes in recent years. In the past, standby tickets were available that allowed you to fly much cheaper, as long as you were willing to risk sitting at the airport for an extended period of time. Now, these standby tickets are no longer available, but flying standby still has its benefits. When you make reservations, you most likely choose the most convenient and the least expensive flight from your preferred airport to your destination. However, after making your reservation, others may have cancelled, businesses could have released blocks of tickets, or someone could have not shown up to fly. An airline dislikes flying with empty seats and the airline will do everything it can to fill these empty seats. You can benefit from this by taking an earlier flight by flying standby.

To fly standby you must already have a ticket for a flight, and you can only fly to the same destination as your current ticket, typically on the same route, if there are layovers. If you want to fly standby, head to the ticket counter as soon as you arrive at the airport, since standbys are typically on a first come, first serve basis. Once you are on the list, do not leave the area. The agent will not hold your spot and it will be lost if your name is called and you are not present.

The first rule of flying standby is to pack lightly. When an airline makes the decision to put people on an earlier flight, they often do so at the last minute. If you have bags to check, or have already checked bags for a different flight, your chances of flying standby are reduced significantly. Therefore, to increase your odds of flying standby, pack only what you can carry on.

If you are curious about flying standby, and would like to try it, call the airline several hours before your scheduled flight and ask if there are any open seats on earlier flights. If there are a few extra seats available, head to the airport since you cannot be placed on standby over the phone.

An important consideration when flying standby is what happens in the case of connecting flights. If you standby and board a plane four hours before your confirmed reservation, you will arrive early at the next airport, but if you are connecting, there is no guarantee that the connecting airport will have openings on their flights. You may end up waiting at that airport until your originally ticketed flight arrives. One of the best scenarios for flying standby is when you are able to convert your confirmed ticket with layovers to a standby, same price, ticket that is non-stop. If the flight has layovers, head directly to the ticket desk when you land, and ask to be placed on the standby list for the connecting flight.

Increase your success of flying standby

There are a variety of ways to increase your success of flying standby. If you are traveling by yourself, your chances of success are greater than if you are traveling with your family. This makes sense, as there is a much greater chance of finding one empty seat than finding four empty seats. Because of the decrease in the odds of flying standby, it does not make sense to fly standby with children. To successfully fly standby, you need to arrive early at the airport, and spend a good deal of time waiting around. This is too much to ask for children right before climbing on board an airplane.

Take time to consider the time of year as well. If you are traveling on a holiday weekend or on the edge of bad weather, flights are probably overbooked already, and showing up early will not be very beneficial. Airlines give first choice on standby flights to those who have been bumped from another flight, so showing up early will not put you at the head of the line.

Flying standby is a great way to take advantage of cheap plane tickets as long as you are willing to be flexible. Cheap tickets, for late night arrivals, are easy to find. Once you buy your ticket, pack lightly, and on the day of your flight head to the airport early, or call ahead and see if there are any empty seats on flights heading to the same destination. Using this method, assuming that you are not traveling at a busy time of the week, midweek is best, you are very likely to standby on an earlier flight, and arrive at your destination at a reasonable hour.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/tips-for-successfully-flying-standby-563788.html

About the Author

Brian Jenkins is a freelance writer who writes about topics and tips involving the travel industry and special deals, often discussing specific subjects such as cheap flights.