The Travel Professor
Join me on a journey across the broad spectrum of interesting travel topics. We’ll discuss destinations domestic and abroad, some familiar and some off the beaten path. We take a look at suppliers like cruise lines, air carriers and tour operators and find their bargains and special offerings. Got questions? Email thetravelprofessor@gmail.com.

Friday, May 11, 2007

"Novice" air travel planner mistake # 1

In my “Destination Europe” class the other day a student proudly & loudly proclaimed that he’d found a non-stop flight from Columbus OH to Glasgow Scotland. Fine was my reply followed with let’s take a closer look at your research.

His printed flight data listed arrival & departure times and cities in bold print. Only upon closer examination of the very small print did we discover that he had to change planes in Newark NJ plus there was a 10 hour lay over.

He made a common mistake that many novice planners make. He took the first line of flight availability that showed on his computer.

We scrolled down the screen and not only found a better connection but a substantially lower air fare.

The point here is don’t always assume that the 1st information displayed is the best schedule and/or fare. Scroll down the page, go to the next screen and read the fine print.

Still having doubts about if you’ve located the best deal? Then contact your local travel agent and have them search and book your flights. There is a pretty good chance that they save you money and a lot of time.