Since airfare prices have gone through the roof this year, I'm curious about what other options are out there. Somebody mentioned something to me ages ago about flying "standby", where you can show up at the airport and try to snag any unreserved seats on a flight for a really low price.
I always thought it would be so much fun to tell the person at the ticket counter that I wanted to get on a standby flight and when they asked where to tell them I don't care.
Wouldn't it be fun to see where you ended up?
If you live close to a big airport you can try flying courier.
Another tip is to sign up for newsletters from airlines, especially those that have a lot of flights out of your local airport or to a destination you are interested in. This way you know of special deals.
Educate yourself on the best time to fly to certain destinations. I for example know that it is possible to get a return flight from Europe to South East Asia in April/May/June for half the normal price if you check the right websites.
The days of flying standby are long gone - most flights today go out full or near full due to internet booking and the reduction in capacity. If you show up at an airport you will probably be charged the full unrestricted economy fare - you will be SHOCKED at the asking price!
I always thought it would be so much fun to tell the person at the ticket counter that I wanted to get on a standby flight and when they asked where to tell them I don't care.
Wouldn't it be fun to see where you ended up?
i like this too.
In many European countries there is the company L'Tur. They are a specialist in Last-Minute-Deals, flights as well as package deals.
While it is pointless going to the airport you can usually go to their website and find a bargain flight that is leaving in less than 24, 48 or 72 hours. You book online with a creditcard, print out the tickets, then start packing your stuff and race to the airport. You don't have a lot of choice, the destinations are very very limited and often the flight is from an airport that is difficult or impossible to get to for you in the time that is left.
But L'Tur is the only place where you can find such flights as Brussels-Cancun for 200 EUR return when the regular price is something like 1100 EUR. Or Frankfurt to LA, regular price around 650 EUR for 350 EUR and Munich to Singapore for 350 EUR roundtrip when the regular price is around 700 EUR.
Essentially they sell seats in planes and open places in package holiday deals at a discount that would not be used otherwise.
0 Response to "Flying Standby?"
Post a Comment