Agent Corner

As you consider booking your next association travel flights, it may be helpful to keep in mind several key factors that affect flight pricing.  These “fare factors” can drastically alter flight pricing, and a savvy traveler understands how to utilize each of them to achieve the best value in travel.

1.Rate Negotiation – One of the most effective ways to get an affordable flight is by having a travel agent book it for you.  Travel agencies have relationships with airlines that enable them to get better deals, and ATC has several close relationships with major air carriers that can yield extensive savings to association clients.

2.Destination --- Larger markets will obviously have more flights going into them, so flight prices will be more competitive than the smaller ones.  In order to achieve maximum savings when flying to Scranton, Pennsylvania, for example, it might be best to purchase tickets to Newark, New Jersey and make a commute.  Fares to Newark will likely be less expensive than those to the smaller Scranton market, and a flexible traveler can achieve tremendous savings by slightly adjusting his travel destination.

3.Length of stay/advanced purchase – Often, you can get a noticeably lower rate by planning a stay at your destination over a Saturday night and purchasing your excursion fare 7, 14, 21, or 30 days in advance.

4.Carriers – The airline industry is a very competitive marketplace, and a wise traveler is willing to utilize a multiplicity of air carriers in order to get the best price.  Loyalty to one airline will earn you a number of frequent flier miles, but it probably will cost you the lowest fares     sometimes.

5.Number of stops or connections on a route – In general, non-stop flights from one destination to another are generally more expensive than fares for air-service that makes a stop or connection.  If time is not a large constraint, a wise traveler should be willing to make a connection in order to get the best fares.

6.Capacity Control – Airlines limit the seating on the most popular flight times, and they                specifically limit the number of seats that they sell at a discount.  If a traveler is willing to take a          flight that is at a less convenient time during the day, he may find it easier to obtain a discounted fare.

The important lesson that these fare factors teach the traveler is the importance of flexibility.  If a traveler desires the best rates, he should be willing to adjust his travel plans slightly to get the best air fare rates.  These strategies can yield the most cost-effective and efficient travel benefits.