With airline travel
increasing in record numbers, more people are
experiencing the frustration of understanding
the airlines industry language, and leaving
them feeling that they need an interpreter for
the travel information they're receiving from
the airline industry! It seems that air
companies think that every individual that
flies should have to understand all that travel
Jargon they place on their flight reservations,
and maybe it's about time we figure out what
they're talking about, because it's costing you
money and valuable time!
Once you learn all the airlines travel terms,
you won't be dependent on your local travel
agent anymore, and he/she won't be able to
collect all the wonderful service fees from you
for being your traveling interpreter.
The price of your travel flight is based on
many intricate components that the airlines
reservations department implement, not to
purposely confuse you, but to formulate their
airfares and determine what they need to charge
each passenger for all flights taken.
Now if you already know most of these airlines
flight terms, then that's ok. However, there
are many people that are new to traveling, and
are now beginning to use online air suppliers
to capitalize on the great deals they offer.
But when you're making that reservation, you
want to understand why the flight you selected
is so cheap, and what are the reasons for the
low pricing.
Misunderstanding in Airline Terms can cost
you more money!
Most of the airlines service terms you will
come across will play a big factor on whether
you pay an expensive price for you ticket, or
getting the discounted travel deals you're
looking for in the first place. I will explain
the most common industry terms that many people
get confused about:
Nonstop versus Direct or Through
Service: Don't get this one confused,
because many airline companies don't explain
this properly. Nonstop means exactly that, and
most travelers want these flights, so they
book-up quickly. You fly from your origin and
land at your desired destination without any
stops in between.
Direct or Through Service: This can get
a little confusing to many individuals. The
aircraft even though is en route directly to
your destination, it may be making some routine
stops on the way, and all passengers must
remain on the plane at that time. There are
many times when you print your ticket that it
will not list the cities that it will be
landing in, so it is always wise to investigate
a little further, and see how long the stop is
going to be in each individual city.
Connecting Flight: When you're on this
type of service flight, now this is treated
differently than the other services above. With
this type of flight the plane travels from one
city to another, however, the passengers must
change aircrafts at some point between the
origin city and the destination city.
On-line Connections: This is when you
change an aircraft but continue to fly with the
same carrier. So if you're flying form Los
Angeles to New York on American Airlines. If
you make a stop for example in Denver, you will
change planes at that airport, but with the
same American Airline carrier.
Interline Connection: This is when you
as a passenger changes airplanes, but instead
of boarding the same company plane you will be
on a different airline. For this example,
you're flying from Seattle, Washington en route
to San Antonio, Texas. If you were on a United
flight, you will have a stop in a city
in-between your origin and destination, and let
say you have to get on an American carrier to
continue your journey. The main reason for this
is that the particular airline company may not
be flying into certain cities due to particular
business reasons, so then they share with
competing airline business companies.
Open Jaw: No it's not when you see the
price of your ticket and your jaw drops. This
trip is one in which you depart out of one
city, and later return from another city. For
example: you fly from San Diego, California to
New York City, and then return back home from
the city of Boston back to San Diego. This can
dramatically increase your airline ticket, so
if you're looking to visit a family member in
another city that you arrived in, and then
depart out of another city where your families
live, then carefully check and make sure you
understand this term.
Consolidators: A consolidator can be
your friend if you understand how they work.
Simply put, they purchase tickets from an
airline at a rate less than the tariff, with
the intention of reselling the tickets to
either you the public or travel agencies. They
buy tickets in bulk from air carrier companies,
and therefore offer substantial savings. If you
happen to be wondering what a tariff is, it's
basically set pricing, rules, and regulations
all put in place by authorized organizations in
the airline industry.
Lets talk types of Fares! If you're searching
for fares online, you will come across a list
of different terminologies for your ticket, and
it will reflect on the price you end up paying.
The airlines distinguish certain fare prices by
the terms normal or restricted.
Normal Fares: A normal fare is first
class, business class, and economy. These have
no restrictions such as advanced reservation
requirements or minimum stay stipulations. Such
flights are valid for one year from the date of
the first flight and can be extended if not
used within that period.
Restricted Excursion and Discounted
Fares: These have certain restrictions, and
that is why they are cheaper to purchase.
They're sold with a number of conditions
attached, which most require advanced
reservations, and there is normally a minimum
and sometimes a maximum stay requirement.
Travel dates are pre-determined, and any
changes in most cases are subject to a penalty,
or at times you can't make any changes at all!
Airlines limit the number of seats at these
fares to encourage travelers to book early.
With an understanding how the air travel
industry communicates, and how they determine a
flight schedule and pricing, you will
eventually be able to speak their language,
prevent air lingo confusion, and obtain the
best flight itinerary and price with this new
knowledge!
About the Author
About the author:
William Lezubski (Accredited Cruise Counsellor
(ACC), and Certified Travel Counsellor(CTC) -
William is the owner and author of "Discount
Caribbean Vacations Web Site" available at
www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com
A great source for Cheap Flights to the
Caribbean!
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