| International travel is an expensive and | | | | can be a time consuming and tedious process, |
| time-consuming exercise. Many of us go on | | | | online booking sites may not be the right |
| international trips either for business or | | | | option if you have a few twists in your trip. |
| work related trips, to visit families, for | | | | And both these options may not give you |
| studies in foreign countries or just for a | | | | access to the promotional and discount fares. |
| vacation. Here are some tips to make this | | | | The best bet will be to call a travel agent |
| travel pleasant and easy on you and your | | | | and let them do the job for you. |
| pockets. | | | | |
| | | | Travel agents are a good source to get great |
| Planning your trip: | | | | deals. They can help you in finding deals |
| | | | with more than one airline and can offer |
| Plan your trip well in advance, if possible. | | | | tickets for discounted prices. They have |
| This presents you an opportunity to get | | | | access to almost all airlines and have the |
| better air ticket deals. Airfares for | | | | expertise to search for the cheapest tickets |
| international travels are seasonal. There are | | | | in the market. Travel agents are a great |
| three main seasons: Low, Shoulder and Peak. | | | | source of information. Do not hesitate to ask |
| Traveling in peak season is always the most | | | | them questions. They can provide valuable |
| expensive. If your trip is not time bound, | | | | tips on how you can save money. Travel agents |
| plan to travel in the low season to get | | | | deal with more than one traveler at a time |
| cheapest and low airfares. For travel in peak | | | | and hence may not be able to give you the |
| season, shop for deals well in advance. This | | | | details in the first call. Give them your |
| assures you good price, your choice of | | | | trip details and give them some time and they |
| airlines and your choice of dates. If | | | | can come up with really good deals for you. |
| possible, keep the travel dates flexible, as | | | | Travel agents are easy to spot as many of |
| that would help you in getting lower fares. | | | | them have websites. A travel agency with |
| There is a notion that you can get cheap air | | | | excellent customer service is an asset. |
| tickets if you wait till the last minute. | | | | Travel sites like Travel World Services, Low |
| This is not necessarily true and during the | | | | Fare Always etc. offer personalized |
| peak season, you may run the risk of not | | | | over-the-phone services on travel to various |
| getting a seat on any airlines at all. | | | | destinations across the world. |
| | | | |
| There are many ways on how you can save | | | | There are several travel agencies around the |
| money. Many airlines have different fares for | | | | world. However, it is important that you |
| weekday and weekend travel. If you are | | | | choose the right travel agency, which offers |
| planning to break your journey midway, some | | | | the best customer service at the cost of a |
| airlines offer free stopovers while others | | | | few additional dollars. This is better than |
| charge a fee. Sometimes, direct / non-stop | | | | booking the ticket online or offline through |
| flights are expensive than the ones with one | | | | a travel agency who may offer really cheap |
| or more stops. Less known airlines can offer | | | | deal but may end up not delivering you the |
| hard to resist deals. You can either call | | | | ticket or not confirming your seats. |
| individual airlines to get their air fares | | | | |
| and then compare or search on travel | | | | So the first step to planning your next |
| websites, which offer online booking | | | | international trip is to get yourself a |
| facilities. While calling individual airlines | | | | really good travel agent. |