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Your
airline travel can be fun, economical, and made a
lot easier with a little advance planning. To help
consumers learn more about their various options,
rights and responsibilities as an airline passenger,
here are a few Tips on Airline Travel.
How to Get the Lowest Air Fare
1. You can search on one or more of the many low-fare
Web sites that will allow you to comparison shop.
But to have a travel agents involvement in organizing
your trip can always be help full and trouble free.
As you will always have an agent to discuss your problems
and provide the remedies if something goes wrong.
2. Check with several travel agents; not all agents
will have access to the same prices.
3. Do not grind the travel agent too much for discount
as you may lose some important services. Be reasonable.
4. Always remember that you must get what you pay
for.
5. Get your tickets early, since there may be a limited
number of lower priced seats. Many airlines require
advance booking of at least two to four weeks in order
to get the largest discounts. Be sure to check for
any limitations or restrictions that may apply on
an advanced booking should you need to change your
plans.
6. Determine exactly what the price covers, particularly
when purchasing a travel package. For example, does
the package include taxes, surcharges, airfare, hotel,
or mileage charges for a rental car? Notice whether
the ticket you are buying has particular restrictions
that affect its use and the cost, if booking changes
are necessary. For example, is it non-refundable?
7. Be wary of extremely low prices that seem too good
to be true. They probably are. Remember that an advertised
price may not always be available or may have numerous
restrictions and limitations that offset the discount.
8. Always carry Passport/visa and valid ID's for international
travel, and only ID's for domestic travel.
9. It's highly advisable to have an insurance "trip
cancellation and health coverage" policy or even
a simple "health coverage" plan before embarking
on a trip. It costs very little but is a source of
tremendous peace of mind.
Travel Agents
Travel agents promote and sell transportation and
related services including travel packages. They can
be of assistance in planning your trip and often have
knowledge of the area you wish to visit. However,
the price you pay for your flight may be sometimes
slightly higher than the online Electronic tickets.
Unexpected Delays
Airlines do not guarantee their schedule. Bad weather,
air traffic delays and mechanical difficulties are
beyond an airline's control. Nevertheless the airlines
do attempt to help stranded passengers when schedules
are not met. If a flight is canceled, an airline will
attempt to place passengers on its next available
flight. The airline may also attempt to place the
passenger on another airline when necessary.
Travel Industry Council of Ontario (T.I.C.O)
This organization will mediate complaints against
member travel companies. To see if an organization
is a member, contact: TICO, 2700 Matheson Blvd.E.,
Suite 402,West Tower. Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4V9.
Phone: (905) 624 6241. URL: www.tico.on.ca
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