TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE

1 – Plan and book in advance AND use the same airline roundtrip. When doing these two things, the difference can be anywhere from 10-60%. If you need to make changes after ticket issuance, the fees are generally lower than the unrestricted airfare would have been. If you don’t have the advance purchase, at least use the same airline in both directions to help control airfare costs.

2 – Inquire about consolidated airfares. We have contracts with major airlines to many international and some domestic destinations. There are restrictions, such as minimum stays, but the savings can be worth it.

3 – Book hotels through your travel agent. They can have access to negotiated and corporate rates, which can translate into big savings for you.

4 –Need both air and hotel arrangements? If your stay is at least two nights at your destination, then booking a ‘vacation package’ often can result in a significantly lower rates. You can have car rental and/or hotel included in the package and in certain cases may not need to stay over a Saturday night to take advantage of these programs.

5 – When renting a car, re-fill the tank prior to returning the car. Most car rental companies charge outrageous amounts to refill the gas tank, sometimes to the tune of 50% higher per gallon than the local pumps.

6 – Accept non-refundable fares. Even though they are not refundable, if you need to change your reservation and incur fees for doing so, it can be less expensive than paying a full, non-restrictive fare.

7 – When sending e-mail correspondance, compose your e-mails before plugging into the hotel’s dataline. Hotels charge for all local calls and in some cases ‘800’ numbers are often subject to surcharges. This way you can have everything ready to send prior to dial up.

AIRLINE AND FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS

When it comes to airlines and their frequent flyer programs, how does one take advantage of membership? We have several suggestions to assist you, the traveler, to maximize your benefits.

CHOOSE YOUR PROGRAM

1 –Join one of the three major programs, Star (United & friends), One world (American & friends), or the new DL-CO-NW. Dividing our travel between the programs just limits your chances of reaching elite status.

2 – Choose your program on the basis of which specific airline combinations will suit you best. A program is only as good as its primary carrier you came in on, as that program determines your perks and how you qualify for free tickets, upgrades, etc.

3 – Check out the domestic-international hookups.. International airlines are seeking alliances with partners who can feed their routes; you, as the traveler, should think the same way and aim for elite status on a domestic carrier aligned with the international airlines most suited to you and your travels. That way all mileage and perks earned will go into the same bag.

DON’T GET TAKEN

When on an airline website, the choice of an ‘restricted’ or ‘unrestricted’ Business Class fare is usually there. For those business travelers who know that your plans change frequently will want the convenience and flexibility an ‘unrestricted’ ticket offers. But if your original travel qualifies for a lower business fare, and you book the fare with restrictions, you can often save big money if your plans don’t change.

If you do have a change in plans, you can simply apply the unrestricted ticket’s value toward a new ticket, plus the ‘fare difference’, which would have been paid anyway. If your business does go as planned, and you bought the higher unrestricted fare, you would be out the potential savings difference. If your plans do change midway, with a ‘restricted’ fare, in many cases you have not lost a thing (a penalty MAY apply, but usually not more than $100-$300 – potentially viewed as hedging your bet – against big savings).

The top 10 Reasons to book with Artisan Travel today:

Artisan Travel does the job to ensure your travel goes smoothly, so you don’t have to.

1 – We have great relationship with the airlines and can negotiate deals that you cannot find elsewhere. We offer rates that are 60% off retail rates

2 – We can get you on the priority wait list on flights.

3 – We offer cancellation for "any reason" insurance

4 – You can earn FULL MILEAGE

5 – Most of our Tickets are Changeable for a fee

6 – Last minute booking? We can book your travel arrangements.

7 – We are available for emergency problems and flight changes. We are within reach in case you need last minute service. We are always available via phone and email. We are not a one man show and do not work from home. Our staff is always here to assist you.

8 – We act as your advocate in dispute and problem resolution with the airlines.

9 – We pro-actively monitor your flights and tell you if better itineraries or fares come along.

10 – We, negotiate with airlines to make rates available on flights that are otherwise sold out

Other Reasons To Book Travel With Artisan Travel:

Artisan Travel has been in the travel industry for over 10 years. Our customers are served by an international staff. Artisan Travel is a licensed and bonded travel agency with Errors and Omission insurance. We are not a start-up company; we hold Iatan and other Travel Industry required endorsements. Artisan Travel does have a CST number, which is required by California Law. This means that if you purchase your itinerary within California you are fully covered. Once you pay for your trip, we put your money in a trust account as required by law. Your funds are then forwarded directly to the airline. Many agencies don’t do this.

Happy Travels,

Artisan Travel

Article provided by Travel Insider

Copyright 2002 by David M Rowell.