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.

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.