CHEAP FLIGHT FARE

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There’s more to a good flight than a cheap fare
As travelers start thinking about winging off to summer vacations, many could learn a few things from expert fliers to ensure they get the best value for their money when booking flights.

Price and flight schedules are clearly the primary factors for fliers when booking flights, and the Web has an abundance of resources to compare airfares and flight availability. Individual airline websites as well as online flight booking, such as http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com can give you a good idea of what’s available and at what price. More and more people are going to look at this, because the airlines are realizing that they can market more than price and schedule. One secret is to remember to try to enjoy the traveling portion of your trip, not only the destination, said Patrick Smith, a commercial pilot and author of “Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.”

Airline reputation. Customer satisfaction surveys show some discount airlines score highest. That might seem counterintuitive, but rankings are fairly consistent year to year. You must find flights on http://www.cheap-flight-4u.com

Change fees. If your plans are iffy, you might consider an airline that charges a lower fee to change your flight. The best is Southwest, which charges nothing, while the big network carriers recently raised their change fees to $200.

Gadget amenities. Power ports and USB ports in seats can be helpful to recharge a computer, tablet or smartphone, which often double as personal onboard entertainment systems. Once your device power is drained, it’s decidedly less entertaining.

In-flight entertainment. Keeping yourself and children occupied  sometimes distracted from an uncomfortable seat  can be key. In-seat video can help, with movies and even live television on some flights.

Book early flights. Flight delays typically increase through the day. It’s often no more costly to choose earlier flights, which can reduce stress  bettering your chances for on-time takeoff and to land in time for connecting flights.

Connections. Nonstop flights are ideal, but if you book a flight with a connection, do yourself a favor and allow sufficient time, generally an hour or more, to make the connection. That’s especially true in the summer, which is more prone to thunderstorms in many areas, Smith said. Leaving extra connection time often won’t cost any more and can reduce stress. Be aware that flights with tight connections might appear at the top of booking search results.

Airports. Research your connecting airport to determine how easy it will be to make your connection, especially looking for whether you will need to navigate to a different terminal. Terminal maps are available at airport websites.

If you want the most experienced flight crew, they generally are found on the bigger planes, not the regional jets, which despite having a big-airline paint job are actually operated by contractors.