ExpertFlyer Blog

Six Tips for Holiday Air Travel

Traveling by air these days is rarely fun. Traveling during the holidays can be an outright hassle. But, why not take some tips from the road warriors who travel all the time and have mastered the art of air travel with minimal pain. Here are six holiday travel tips that will make this holiday season's travel woes a little less complicated and much more enjoyable.

Now is the time for a mileage run

Many of ExpertFlyer's subscribers use the service to plan "mileage runs" or basically flying for the sole purpose of earning miles to gain elite status for the next year.  Now that many airlines such as American and United are offering double elite-qualifying miles, your mileage run dollar will take you even farther now.  Scott McCartney, a travel reporter for the Wall Street Journal talks about this and other changes in the elite landscape in his latest "The Middle Seat" column.

Reduction in business travel gives more opportunities to use miles

As we've seen a reduction in the amount of business travel in recent months, we've also seen an increase in the amount of promotions as airlines try to fill the vacant seats.  Not only are there more discounted promotional fares for markets and times that would almost exclusively been limited to high priced business travel fares, but there has also been an increase in the availability of award and upgrade seats on several major airlines. 

For example, the United Airlines Fly to Europe award ticket promotion where you can get an Economy Saver Award for 40,000 miles instead of the normal 55,000.  Also Air France is promoting 25,000 mile round trip economy and 45,000 mile round trip business award tickets from the US to Europe, something that is normally all but unheard of.

Of course ExpertFlyer will let you search for and create Flight Alerts for Air France awards to help you snag these special deals.  Happy travels!

Travel Tip - 5 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Airline Ticket

Availability of a vast array of airline ticket prices is one that is perplexing to most airline travelers. Only a handful of people who control the complex formulas that go into the science and art of Revenue Management inside the caverns of today's airlines understand it. To both the seasoned and occasional traveler alike, getting the best value in an airfare is the elusive dream that is difficult to consistently achieve.

However, there are some time proven axioms that one can follow to put the odds on your side in helping you to reduce the cost of your air travel. Read our 5 tips here.

Travel Tip - 7 Steps to Successfully Getting Your Bag Onboard

With the ever-increasing trend towards airlines charging to check even one bag it is tempting to carry onboard any and all bags for your flight. But, the airlines are keenly aware of your desire to avoid the fees and are on the lookout for passengers who want to stuff as much into carry-on baggage. Here are some simple steps you can take to packing a bag for carry-on and still stay within the airline rules.  View the full article here.