| A critical part of the travel budget is transportation and | | | | So what is to stop the frugal traveler from getting off |
| this often includes airfare. The frugal traveler does | | | | early, at the destination he or she really wants to visit? |
| more than keep an eye out on the internet for | | | | A few things... Luggage will be sent to the ticketed |
| discounted flights. He or she looks for more creative | | | | destination so this trick is for carry on only passengers. |
| ways to stretch the travel dollars. | | | | Also the flyer must remember that the return ticket |
| Using Free Stop Overs | | | | should start at his or her real destination. |
| When the hubby and I traveled to Australia the first | | | | Getting Bumped |
| time, we flew Air New Zealand. Why? Because the | | | | For the flexible, easy going traveler, being bumped for |
| airline offered a free stop over in their hub in New | | | | a flight is like winning the travel lottery. There is usually |
| Zealand. We had never seen the country and were | | | | compensation plus you're allowing someone else, who |
| planning to tour it anyway. This way, we didn't have to | | | | really needs to, to get to his or her destination on time. |
| pay for airfare to and from. | | | | Travelers knowing the rules know the compensation |
| The second time, we traveled to Australia, we flew Air | | | | offered (check the carriers website), know the next |
| Tahiti Nui. This airline offered, you guessed it, a free | | | | flights out (be wary of carriers with once a week |
| stop over in Tahiti on the way to or back. Another | | | | flights), and can weigh that against the pain of |
| place we always wanted to visit. | | | | disrupted plans. The hubby and I always decide before |
| Hidden Cities | | | | arriving at the airport (early so we have a boarding |
| Free stop overs are a benefit openly offered by some | | | | pass to give up) whether or not it's worth it. That way |
| airlines. Hidden cities are not only unadvertised but are | | | | we can be the first to offer up our seats. |
| actively discouraged by the airlines. However they can | | | | There are ways to increase the chance of being |
| be great savings for the frugal traveler. | | | | bumped, the simplest being booking an already quite full |
| An example of this is a trip from New York City to | | | | flight (usually a flight later on in the day). |
| Las Vegas. Sometimes a flight from New York City to | | | | Air travel doesn't have to blow a travel budget. With |
| Los Angeles is less expensive, even though this same | | | | some monitoring of discount sites and using some |
| flight stops in Las Vegas to pick up more passengers. | | | | creativity, the frugal traveler can receive more for less. |