How to avail student discount airfare

Most students are on a budget, and need to find a fare that suits them most. This is where the student discount airfare comes in so useful. These tickets can be bought directly from airlines, through travel sites or sites specializing in student travel.

If you are a student you should log onto sites like Student Universe. This site requires proof of identity and insists that all buyers provide their school or college e-mail so that their credentials can be verified. Once this is done the site offers students big discounts.

You can also call sites like STA or Travel Cuts. These sites not only make online bookings but also do offline bookings. However, to make use of their facilities a student needs to buy an International Student Identity Card.

A third place to check student airfares is travel sites like Orbitz. These sites not only provide discounted student airfares but also provide good deals on domestic airfare. You may end up finding a regular deal where you may save more than on a normal student ticket.

The same holds true of airline sites, which put up cheap air tickets for sale. You can buy them and save more money than you would save from a discounted student ticket.

As a student, you should plan your travel early, especially if you know your vacation dates. This gives you the advantage of buying a ticket at a lower price because most airlines and travel agencies provide discounts on tickets that are booked well in advance.

You should also be a little flexible in deciding your travel dates. Often, you will find that tickets bought during the weekdays are cheaper as compared to those bought on weekends.

You can do all this if you plan your travel early. The students, who wait till the last date to make a booking, very rarely succeed in getting big discounts.

Make full use of student travel airfare

There are several ways to get a good deal on student travel airfare. The best way is to plan early. This gives you the advantage to pick up the discounted tickets first. You may even get a real low price if you happen to select an off season date.

But that is not always possible because student vacations invariably are the peak travel periods. That is the time when families get a chance to travel together.

However, this is no reason to loose heart. There are several sites that specialize in student travel. The foremost of these are Student Universe, STA and Travel Cuts. You can make use of these sites to find the best rates once you fulfill the basic registration facilities.

In the case of Student Universe you are required to provide your college e-mail which the site uses for verification while in the case of STA and Travel Cuts you are required to buy an International Student Identity Card.

Travel sites like Orbitz also specialize in student travel, and offer special rates to students buying air tickets from their site. These sites also provide one more advantage. They offer general discounted fares that are open to students too. So, you have an advantage to select a fare that suits your budget more.

The discounts are even better when it comes to international travel by students. Most airlines and travel sites offer bigger discounts to students than to the general traveler. They are also more accommodating when it comes to changing dates, charge a lower cancellation fee, and allow you to hold onto your open ticket longer.

It therefore makes sense to do some legwork before buying your ticket. You must visit both student and airline sites and also travel sites that provide student tickets. If you do this early then you stand to save several hundred dollars.