| BOOK ONLINE AND SAVE | | | | another persons card to purchase the flights. |
| There are so many ways to book your holiday now | | | | Take note of the rules of the airfare regarding date |
| days and with almost all airlines, hotels and tour | | | | changes. All airfares have fare rules. This means if |
| operators now on the internet, everyone can easily | | | | you have to change the date for any reason you |
| book their dream holiday from the comfort of their | | | | may be charged. Discounted fares and budget airline |
| own home. | | | | fares are very restrictive or non changeable and non |
| Although booking online is easy and convenient, it is | | | | refundable. Change fees are normally free or have a |
| subject to many risks also. Do you really understand | | | | fee depending on the airfare purchased. Most will |
| what you are booking, what you need to do? Do | | | | charge you a fare difference if the cheap booking |
| you know what visa may be needed to enter a | | | | class you paid for is not available and you may have |
| country or how to get that visa? What about flights? | | | | to upgrade the airfare. Doing a date change can be a |
| Do you know the rules if you need to change your | | | | costly exercise and there is not point arguing with |
| flight, do you understand what a point to point airline | | | | the airline as its all in the fine print that you agreed on |
| is or what a minimum connection is. | | | | when you brought the flight. So, READ ALL THE |
| Don't be left stranded at the airport, watching your | | | | FINE PRINT!!! |
| plane take off without you, do it right first time and | | | | CONNECTIONS: |
| save yourself money. | | | | As I mentioned many budget airlines are point to |
| TIPS FOR BOOKING ONLINE: | | | | point carriers. So if you intend to only transit through |
| Plan your itinerary: | | | | a city, make sure you allow enough time to catch |
| Before you start looking at airlines, hotels and tours | | | | your next flight. Don't cut it too close as all it takes is |
| make sure your type up your own itinerary. Pretty | | | | one small delay and your buying a new ticket if you |
| basic stuff and not brain surgery, but it is a basic | | | | miss your flight. Check what the minimum connection |
| thing that needs to be done correctly. | | | | time is at each airport. |
| Start with your leaving date, and work out where | | | | If you think and hour or 2 is enough time to catch |
| you want to go, and what you want to do there and | | | | our next flight, think again!!! |
| plan it from point A to B, then point B to C etc. I will | | | | When you land into an international airport and |
| give you an idea of how the holiday will look and if | | | | connect to a domestic flight within that country, you |
| your ideas are realistic or not. Allow enough time to | | | | must allow enough time to clear customs and |
| do things a relaxing pace and include a rest day here | | | | immigration, collect your luggage, catch a bus or walk |
| and there. Filling each day may seem like a good idea, | | | | to the domestic terminal and re-check in for your |
| but after 24hours in a plane, do you really want to | | | | next flight. |
| do that tour early the next morning while your | | | | Allow at least 3 hours in most airports, even more if |
| jetlagged? | | | | your arriving the chaos of LAX, NY or Heathrow. |
| Visas: | | | | They are huge airports and easy to get lost in, and |
| This is where your holiday can fall apart before you | | | | can be the difference of catching your flight or not. |
| even take off. Airlines will not even let you on the | | | | Remember that airlines close off their check in |
| plane if you don't have a visa for a country where | | | | counters 45minutes to an hour before the plane |
| one is needed. | | | | actually takes off and if your even a minute after |
| Did you know, that to enter the USA you now need | | | | that, your not getting on that flight, so leave enough |
| to apply for your visa waiver BEFORE you go? That's | | | | time to do everything that needs to be done. |
| right, you used to get it on arrival in the US but now | | | | Booking your hotel: |
| you have to do it online. Can you imagine flying all the | | | | One of the best online booking sites is It has a huge |
| way to the US with the family, only to be put back | | | | amount of hotels on its site and you can access |
| on the next plane home because you did not know | | | | them all on the one site and look at the hotel too. It |
| you needed to get a visa waiver. You would not | | | | saves a lot of time scrolling through all the hotel sites |
| believe how common it is. | | | | and gives great rates too. Join the club and earn |
| Research the country you are going to and find out | | | | rewards each time you book. |
| about visas. | | | | Make sure you check out the hotel in different |
| Booking your flight: | | | | review sites and see what others have to say. Don't |
| So you know where you want to go and are ready | | | | book a hotel just based on price. It could be cheap |
| to book online. It is relatively easy to book through | | | | because its miles from anywhere, in a bad area or |
| airline websites but some things to remember are: | | | | not near any public transport. Also make sure you |
| LOW COST CARRIERS: | | | | choose the correct room type for the amount of |
| Cheap flights, great!!! But, all budget airlines regard | | | | people that going. Hotels give a maximum people per |
| themselves as point to point carriers. What is a point | | | | room advise for a reason. Often its fire regulations, |
| to point carrier you ask? It simply means that they | | | | or the room is only able to fit X amount of people. |
| will fly from point A to point B. EG: Gold Coast to | | | | Don't think that you can sneak in that extra child |
| Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia X). If you are flying on to | | | | because normally they wont let you. Even if you do |
| London, you then have to book your flight from | | | | sneak the kid in, you may well find the room is hardly |
| Kuala Lumpur to London separately. | | | | big enough for you all anyway. |
| This means, if your flight arriving into KL is delayed | | | | Rooms in the UK and Europe are notoriously small |
| and you miss your flight to London, they are in no | | | | and poky, so make sure you look into it before you |
| way responsible to put you on the next flight. You | | | | book. Can you imagine being crammed in like sardines |
| will have to buy a whole new ticket. So if you are | | | | for 7 days because you wanted to save a few |
| booking budget airlines, keep that in mind and allow | | | | bucks!! |
| enough time between flight. On this example I would | | | | I hope this information helps you booking your next |
| stop in KL for a day or 2. Its a great city and | | | | holiday over the internet. Just remember that when |
| accommodation is cheap, and its a destination worth | | | | booking online, most things will be instant purchase so |
| at least a few days. While on the subject of Budget | | | | check all the fine print, check about visa's and check |
| airlines, be wary of your luggage allowance as they | | | | that you leave enough time for everything. If |
| charge for every kg over the allowance. | | | | anything does go wrong, you have no one to fall |
| Remember that you need to pay for everything on | | | | back on, its all up to you, and you have yourself to |
| board, food drinks movies and even the blanket and | | | | blame. |
| pillows. Most give the option to prepay for everything | | | | If you book with a Travel Agent, sure, you may pay |
| online and I recommend you do as it will save you in | | | | more, but you will get expert advise, visa information |
| the future. | | | | and a well of information and experience to draw on. |
| OTHER AIRLINES: | | | | If anything does go wrong you have more chance |
| One thing which catches a lot of people out when | | | | for compensation as they can throw some weight |
| booking online is the form of payment. If you pay | | | | behind the complaint. |
| with a credit card, make sure it is yours. A lot of | | | | Shop around though, get prices from the internet to |
| airlines will ask to see the credit card you used to | | | | show the agent and get them to do a better price. |
| pay for the flight. If you used a credit card that is | | | | Always take comprehensive travel insurance, you |
| not yours, they will probably not let you fly. Make | | | | never know what might happen before or during |
| sure you read the fine print when using a credit card | | | | your holiday. |
| that has your name on it, or that you can use | | | | |