75 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
75 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
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Let the Airline Pick Up the Tab
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How can you fly from point A to point B without
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ever opening your wallet? You've got to know your way
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around an airline.
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The easiest way to fly free is to get yourself
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bumped.
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Airlines typically overbook their flights by 10%
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to 30%, knowing that a certain number of paying
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passengers will not show up for one reason or another.
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Sometimes, though, their calculations are off, and
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they're faced with 200 seats and 205 passengers, five
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of whom are likely to become very annoyed unless
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something is done in a hurry.
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That's where you come in. You made a reservation
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on that flight, because you knew it was very
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overbooked. And you are standing at the end of the
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check-in line, observing airline officials as they
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realize their predicament. So, you step out of line,
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find an airline representative, and offer to be bumped
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from the flight. You're doing the airline a favor --
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and in return, it will do you the favor of allowing you
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to fly to your destination free on the next plane out.
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What's more, the airline will put cash in your pocket
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for your trouble. (The amount varies, depending on the
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airline and the circumstances.)
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The frequent flyer story
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Many airlines offer frequent flyer programs that
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allow passengers to accumulate points every time they
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take a trip with that airline, and then redeem them in
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the form of free tickets to selected destinations. You
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have to fly a lot of miles to win any free trips, but
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for the business traveler, this is an easy way to
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arrange free travel.
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The main problem with Frequent Flyer programs is
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that they change their rules or become discontinued
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altogether faster than you can say, "I'd like a round-
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trip ticket to Cabos San Lucas, please." The best way
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to get up-to-date information is to contact the
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airlines themselves.
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If you know you won't travel enough in any given
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year to accumulate enough points as a Frequent Flyer to
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earn a free trip, you can still take advantage of
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Frequent Flyer miles. Coupon brokers buy these
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Frequent Flyer awards and resell them to the public at
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very low prices. Coupons are especially good deals if
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you want to fly first or business class or if you will
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be flying a very long distance. Generally, you must
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wait five to six weeks to get the coupon issued in your
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name.
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But you must be careful when dealing with coupon
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brokers. Airlines are not fond of what coupon brokers
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are doing and are on the lookout for tickets purchased
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from them. For the past several years, airlines have
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been confiscating tickets issued by coupon brokers and
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leaving the ticket buyers stranded at boarding gates
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all over the world.
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It is not illegal for coupon brokers to operate in
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most countries, but it is illegal in some. It is,
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however, against the airlines' rules in all countries,
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which prohibit the sale of Frequent Flyer coupons.
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But if you're willing to take the risks, you will
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be rewarded with a very cheap airline ticket. You will
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usually find coupon brokers advertising in the travel
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classified advertising of major Sunday newspapers
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around the world.
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