| The best place to buy cheap international plane | | | | opportunities for flights on or near the same date. |
| tickets is online. We've tried travel agencies and they | | | | Otherwise, your travel partner can pay full fare on |
| can't compete with the discount ticket websites. You | | | | the same flight. You also can usually only bring |
| can search google ("cheap airfare South America", for | | | | carry-on luggage, since the point is for the shipping |
| example), or go straight to one of the well-known | | | | company to use your checked luggage allowance. |
| sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, | | | | Really Cheap Courier Flights |
| Hotwire or Priceline. | | | | Sometimes air couriers fly internationally for free, and |
| I just did a quick search for the cheapest airfare | | | | almost always very cheap. It is a matter of how |
| from Tucson, Arizona, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, | | | | badly the company needs you and how flexible you |
| using the five sites mentioned. They ranged from | | | | can be (can you fly to Paris on Friday?). In general air |
| $1221 down to $873, and there were fares as high | | | | courier opportunities are becoming rarer, due to the |
| as $3728. Hotwire happened to have the cheapest, | | | | recent heavier regulation of international flights. There |
| but they were the worst of the five when I | | | | still are opportunities for cheap tickets, though. You |
| searched for a domestic flight earlier. You cannot say | | | | can find out more at The Air Courier Association |
| which service will find the cheapest international plane | | | | Website ( The ACA can also help you get really |
| tickets from week to week. My number one | | | | cheap plane tickets by way of airline ticket |
| money-saving tip is to always check several websites | | | | wholesalers, discounters, last minute specials, and |
| when shopping for inexpensive flights. | | | | stand-by travel. |
| My Accidental $1000 Discovery | | | | More Tips On Cheap International Plane Tickets |
| Before going to Ecuador, I searched several websites | | | | When searching for fares using the discount |
| that deal in cheap international plane tickets. The | | | | websites, try several different departure and return |
| cheapest airfare from Traverse City, Michigan to | | | | dates if you can. The difference of a day or two can |
| Quito, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami | | | | save you a lot. There is little logic to airfare pricing, so |
| to Quito, and it was only $400. Airfare from | | | | don't try too hard to figure it out. Just be aware that |
| Traverse City to Miami was $300. Book two | | | | if you leave on Friday instead of Wednesday (or |
| separate flights and save more than $1000! The | | | | vice-versa), you may save $100. |
| discount sites aren't set up to check in this way | | | | Check the boxes that say "any time" for departure |
| (yet), so you have to do this on your own. | | | | and "2 or more connecting flights". Even if you aren't |
| If your first flight is late and you miss the second, | | | | sure that you want to leave at midnight, see what |
| you may not get a refund, but it is still cheaper | | | | your options are-the savings might change your mind. |
| (every time I checked) to just book a flight to Miami | | | | Whenever the search criteria allow you choices, take |
| and catch a flight to Quito without a reservation, | | | | the ones that are the least restrictive for the airlines. |
| thus avoiding this problem. This strategy is best for | | | | Again, if the savings aren't enough, you can always |
| those in towns without international airports. If you | | | | book first class, direct flights, or whatever you |
| live in Miami, you already have cheap international | | | | prefer. |
| airfare. | | | | Buying your plane tickets at least a week in advance |
| Courier Flights | | | | is usually cheaper. Also, there can be a dramatic |
| As an air courier, you can get really cheap | | | | difference (but not always) if your trip is over thirty |
| international plane tickets. Courier companies ship | | | | days. You may want to cut it from 32 days to 30 to |
| material in the luggage space of an aircraft passenger | | | | save hundreds of dollars on your fare. Play with the |
| because it can be quicker, cheaper, and more reliable | | | | dates on one of the websites mentioned. You never |
| than sending the shipment unaccompanied, since | | | | know what you might discover. |
| checked luggage bypasses many of the typical | | | | Want To Go Really Cheap? |
| customs delays. The courier company begins by | | | | You can take a bus to a major city, if you don't live |
| purchasing airfare, and then they resell the plane | | | | in one, and then take an international flight from |
| tickets to you. In exchange for your luggage space, | | | | there to save quite a bit of money. My wife and I |
| they give you a discount on the airfare. | | | | recently went to Ecuador for six weeks. The |
| An Example Of A Courier Flight | | | | cheapest discount website plane tickets we could |
| I saved over $150 on my plane tickets this way | | | | find were $3400 for the two of us. By taking a bus |
| when I went to Ecuador the first time. I had to walk | | | | to Miami ($352 round-trip for 2), then flying from |
| several suitcases of car parts through customs, but | | | | there to Quito ($622 round-trip for 2), we saved |
| there was a representative of the courier company | | | | over $2400 - even after the taxi fare from the bus |
| on either end, and I did get to look inside the | | | | station to the airport. That's a lot of money to us, |
| luggage, so I knew what I was carrying. I had to | | | | certainly worth an extra day-and-a-half on a bus. |
| carry a plane propeller on the return trip, but it wasn't | | | | (The whole six weeks cost less than $2500.) |
| too much trouble, and made a good story. | | | | The bottom line is that if you spend a few minutes |
| Limitations To Courier Travel | | | | or an hour to do some research, you might save |
| You generally can only be an air courier if you travel | | | | hundreds of dollars. Good luck and happy travels. |
| alone. Once in a while, a courier company will have | | | | |