Points to keep in mind while going for student airfare

Most students lack sufficient funds to travel. Recognizing this need, the travel industry has created a new form of airfare -- student airfare. This airfare is meant to meet the needs of students who want to travel for studies abroad or to universities that are located at distant places. The airfare is also useful for students who are doing research or want to visit their homes during vacation time.

The airlines were the first to extend this facility to the students, who could show their identity card and buy a cheaper ticket. However, this fare is not always less than the discounted fares that airlines offer to the general public. It therefore makes sense for students to visit the websites of airlines and compare the student tickets with discounted tickets.

The students can also visit specialized student sites like Student Universe or STA and buy specially discounted tickets through them. Sites like STA and Travel Cuts also have offline facilities, and students can call them to get the lowest airfare. However, all these sites insist on verification.

There are some travel sites that use search engines that display the best student airfares. These are useful sites to visit because they also display the normal discounts being offered by airlines. Very often, domestic discounts are higher than student discounts.

The students also need to be flexible about their travel plans if they want to get the best deal. They must book their tickets early, ideally on those days when the traffic is low. They can find these days by using the search feature on travel sites.

Another strategy should be to fly the cheaper airlines. Students don’t need special comforts, and should not be fussy about facilities. They should also not mind using smaller airports if theses are not too far from their colleges. This will help them cut their traveling cost considerably.

It’s not difficult to get the Best Price Airfare

Today it is not difficult to find the best price airfare. All that you need is some patience and the ability to search the net. You should also be willing to spend some time on the net, and be flexible in your schedule.

The best is to book the trip in advance. You will find that it costs less to buy a ticket 14 days in advance than three days in advance. Of course, if you have an emergency then you have to depend on last minute fares. Some airlines keep a few seats aside to meet such needs. But you cannot always get them. So, last minute fares should be your last option.

Another way to get a good deal is to fly during the middle of the week. These flights are relatively less booked than weekend flights. Similarly, flights that take off very early in the morning or during the middle of the day have lower occupancy rates. It therefore makes sense to use one of these flights.

You should register yourself with sites that mail information on the availability of lowest priced tickets. This saves you the trouble of doing the search yourself. You get to know the best airfare available on your travel route, and travel days.

You always have the option of visiting the large travel sites on the net. Most of these sites have entered into deals with airlines and provide special discounts on several sectors. You will have to visit several sites to get the best discount because these discounts vary from site to site.

Otherwise, you can visit those travel sites that use a robot to find out the best fares available on the net. These sites do the searching for you once you have indicated your travel date and destination.

Finally, you should not forget the airline sites. Several airlines release cheaper tickets on their sites, especially on those flights that are running empty. You need to keep track of these tickets by visiting the airline sites regularly.