If last week's Labor Day weekend is the criteria, then the nation's airlines
aren't in all that bad a shape. But, if you traveled at any other time this
summer, you know that's not the case.
However, United, the world's largest airline, has reached a new agreement
with their pilots. United's facing a pilot-shortage right now and all
summer-long, its current employees have been refusing to work overtime. That
means the airline was stuck canceling thousands of flights a month and
passengers were left holding the bag. This agreement will let United come up
with a more dependable schedule for customers.
Well, usually when a airline gets through a major problem, it will try
something to win you back. In the past that meant big fare sales. But I
called Terry Trippler, the resident travel guru for OneTravel.com, and he
told me those days are gone.
By the way, One Travel.com was named the best discount booker by Yahoo
Internet Life.
Now, if you can loosen your grip on your frequent flyer card, there are a
few hints for beating the system and getting good fares. But like most
things in life, it ain't easy. We asked Joel Leach, the author of "Airfare
Secrets Exposed." Joel told us that if you want to beat the big boys, you've
got to be savvy, and pitting travel agents against each other and against
the Internet is the best way to do it.
Another way to see the world, maybe even circumnavigate it, is by boat. But
booking a cruise through an agent, or even online, can be very expensive.
For the last minute traveler, however, a number of cruise auction sites have
sprung up on the web, where you can find good deals on even several week
trips.
However, if you're adventurous, and I mean really adventurous, there is
another way to travel around the world for no money at all. This isn't for
everybody. You have to be willing to work, but for people like writer and
traveler John Bowe, the sacrifices are well worth the experience. John was
traveling the world and he found himself in Brazil with no money and no way
to get back to the states. That's when he remembered a story he heard about
trading hard labor for the right of passage. Listen to him tell this tale.
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Savvy Resources
For airfare deals, check:
For cruise deals and auctions, check:
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