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Travel for Cheap

2,230 bytes added, 18:00, May 2, 2008
Airlines
[[Category:How-To]]
===Intro===
This is the best time in your life to travel! You have time and...little money. But with a little creativity and a lot of dedication, you can get anywhere you want, even [http://www.williamsrecord.com/wr/?view=article&section=features&id=8806 around the world] for minimum greenbacks! Look below for how-to:
===Airlines===
Everyone has heard about the big airlines; Continental, American, Delta. They have hundreds of destinations around the world, and tout their comfort and service. But what do college students care about comfort! Where ever you are going, check for Low Cost Carriers (LCC). These are airlines specifically in the business to cut costs and compete on price. The most famous recently is in Europe, [http://ryanair.com Ryanair]. But we have some here in the US as well::[http://usairways.com US Airways]:[http://jetblue.com JetBlue]:[http://virginamerica.com Virgin American]:[http://southwest.com Southwest]
:Skybus (now bankrupt)
:[http://allegiantair.com Allegiant Air]:[http://frontierairlines.com Frontier Airlines]:[http://www.flyglobespan.com/ Fly Globespan] (Canadian)
Look online for more!
===Searching for and Acquiring Cheap Tickets===
Many people have heard about ticket search engines like Cheaptickets.com, Orbitz, and [http://www.kayak.com Kayak] (only the last one is hyperlinked because the others suck). But if you are truly committed to saving money, you have to do more than simply search on these sites. Here is the three step process:
:(1) Look at ticket prices for your destination and dates on [http://www.kayak.com Kayak.com]. If you sign up with them you can see prices for up to 3 days before and after the date you choose. This is a good idea. Take note of all the airlines that have reasonable prices. Also note if the ticket is being sold by the airlines website or by another search engine (like Orbitz or Vayama). Avoid buying off these websites if possible.
:Search around and find a good deal. The best are those that expire soon. $50 is an average saving, and taking less is not really worth the risk. Contact the poster and arrange payment through [http://www.paypal.com Paypal], but be careful. Some people may offer to book the ticket for you and then you pay them. This explanation requires a whole other article.
:(5) Enjoy your flight ===Or...=== use [http://airhitch.org Airhitch] or a like program. Airhitch gets you across the Atlantic for under $300, though you have to be flexible. Basically fills the role of what used to be standby for flights (although airline worker family members can still fly standby, but for a bit cheaper). '''Warning:''' Airhitch requires you to show up at the airport without knowing if you are actually going to fly that day or not. The reviews are not very positive, but if you do/did it explain the process here===Accommodations=== Eating and sleeping are the most costly activities on any trip (looking around is free). Basically there are two types of places to sleep; the ones you pay for, and the ones you don't. And that was not meant to imply anything. '''Free Accommodations'''Use [http://couchsurfing.com CouchSurfing]. Here is a New York Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/garden/20couch.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&adxnnl=0&adxnnlx=1190317784-KA5NK40MLdhcRNohQsoxhg article] about it. You sign up, get a few references from your friends that are already [[couchsurfers]], and then search the place you want to go. Europe seems to be a particularly great place to Couchsurf. The advantages are:You sleep for free:You meet people who can show you around.:Sometimes, you end up good friends with the people you stay with '''Paid Accomodations'''Well, there is not much to share here. Everyone knows how to book an hotel. Lets just say, definitions of sleeping accommodations vary from country to country. For example, in South America a hostel has rooms with two beds, maybe private bathrooms, and a laid back, "backpacker" atmosphere. In Europe and the United States, a hostel means you stay in a room with six bunk beds and there are no facilities. In Puerto Rico a hostel means a room with mirrors on three sides and the ceiling, a double bed without sheets, and posters for condoms, alcohol, and breakfast. You get the picture.
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