Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Cutting The Cost Of Air Travel For Kids

Thursday, February 28th, 2008
by Molli Rathstone

One of the biggest costs of traveling with kids is paying for their flights. Furthermore, it isn’t always easy to pay the full prices of airline tickets. For this reason, it’s important to find children’s airline tickets at discount prices.

Travel agents can arrange for children’s flights. They buy blocks of tickets at a greatly reduced rate. Then they sell them to individuals at a price that is a markup for them, but quite a discount for you. This way, you can get tickets for the whole family, kids included.

Wholesale clubs, such as Sam’s Club and Costco have sometimes offered good discounts on airline tickets. If you check into this, don’t buy until you explore other options as well. These are sometimes good ticket prices and sometimes they are not.

Calling the airline directly can sometimes get you a discount. This is especially true if the travel is of an emergency nature. If there is a death in the family, the airline might offer discounted tickets for grieving families.

Another way airlines can help you is to set up your child with recurring flights. These may be useful for regular visits to relatives such as non-custodial parents. The advantage of setting these up in a series is that the deal often comes with deep discounts.

Southwest Airlines offers savings on children’s flights. The best way to arrange these is to speak to the Southwest Airlines reservations desk directly. These fares may not be available on the airline’s website.

Southwest has infant fares for babies from fourteen days to under two years. If they sit on a lap, they can ride for free. If they’re in a safety seat, they will get the special infant rate.

Infants, as well as all children, must be verified as to age. This is done by Southwest’s procedures involving identification. There are child’s fares for children of the ages of two to eleven. Older children, of the ages of twelve through twenty-one, qualify for the reduced youth rate.

There are also special deals to be found on the internet. As a matter of fact, Southwest offers deals such as one where kids fly for five dollars with a Disneyland resort package. Some vacation sites offer discounts to kids of up to fifty percent off for destinations such as Hawaii and Mexico. It’s just a matter of looking up discount travel for kids.

Some travel companies offer rebates. Watch for these, as you can get back as much as $250 on a child’s travel to certain cities. It all depends on the program available. It also varies with the retail price of your child’s ticket.

Travel search sites on the internet can provide an easy way to find discount tickets. The usual sites are those such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline, to name a few. These offer different deals for kids and others on airline tickets.

Other sites, which may turn out to be even better, compare all the airfares for a given itinerary. You are given the options from cheapest to the most expensive. American Airlines often runs specials to get themselves on the top of this list for CheapTickets.

Air travel is always expensive. Bringing kids on a vacation simply adds more seats to be paid for. If their seats can be had for a discounted rate, the vacation or visit can take on more importance than the flight.

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Cheap Tickets To Unusual Places

Thursday, February 28th, 2008
by Molli Rathstone

Children love to be in on the secret, don’t they? Whenever there is something different or uncommon they want to be the first to tell their friends about it. If you can, it’s fun to take time in your vacation to stop at some unusual spots.

Often you don’t even know of any such places to find out about. There is a website sponsored by Theme Parks Online. This site lists theme parks in all the states. If you click on the links you get all kinds of information about each park.

Some of this information details the attractions at the park. Some of it is about park hours and seasons. The information you might find most interesting is the facts about discounts.

For instance, Legoland, in California, is a park with a unique theme. The site explains what the park is all about and what attractions are available. Then, it gives ticket information.

Children always pay less than adults. Adults with AAA cards can get a discount of ten dollars per person per day for their group. The second day or subsequent days are always cheaper than the first day. Look for deals like this at any park.

Hershey’s Park is a place that most people have heard of but fewer people have actually seen. Its theme, unusual for a park, is candy. If you look at the Theme Parks Online website, you will find deals for this park as well.

If you want to get more information, you can go to the Pennsylvania Visitor’s Center, or their tourism bureau to find out more. You can often find unpublished specials by going straight to the source and calling Hershey’s Park itself.

Ordinarily, children go to Hershey’s Park for about half the price as adults. Note, however, that they consider kids to be only those of the ages of three to eight. A nine year old, to them, is an adult.

Branson, Missouri is becoming more popular with many people, especially the older ones. There are things for kids to do there as well. Silver Dollar City is one of these activities.

Silver Dollar City is a combination of amusements. There are demonstrations of all sorts of folk art. There is glass blowing, rope making, and candle dipping, for example. Kids may find these displays fascinating.

They will certainly have fun at the other part of the park. This offers the thrill of the modern amusement park type rides. There are also two other parks in Branson that partner with Silver Dollar City to host a City Hopper Pass.

Kids’ tickets generally cost about ten dollars less than adults’. However, there are discounts to be had by going online. There are also coupons that can be printed. You can print and buy your tickets online as well for further savings.

The supply of novelty theme parks is not quite endless. There are plenty of them, though. The best way to find out about them is to listen to people who have been to them. Then, look for discounted tickets to make your kids’ adventures a little more affordable.

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Vacationing In Mexico While On A Budget

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
by Bobbie McKee

If are planning a trip to Mexico, but you have a budget in mind, then you will be glad to know that visiting Mexico while on a budget is possible. There are many ways to save money through package deals, low-cost airfare, discount accommodations, dining out, and traveling within the country.

Mexico is known for its beautiful beaches, rich culture, and fabulous cruises. Even while on a budget, these activities can all be enjoyed during your visit. So no matter what your financial situation is, you will be pleased to discover that planning a vacation to Mexico is affordable for just about anyone.

Saving on airfare is the first way to begin planning a vacation to Mexico while on a budget. There are many different packages available. With the help of the internet, finding a great deal is often simple and easy. Depending on your location, you may also be surprised to discover that your own local travel agent may have vacation packages that include airfare, as well as your accommodations.

Accommodations are a necessity when visiting Mexico. If you are staying with friends or family then you will automatically save money. However, if you need to make arrangements for your housing, then you may find that a package deal is most beneficial to those on a budget. There are other means of inexpensive housing, such as camping, but if you are looking for a hotel environment, then look for one with a package deal. A travel package can save you a considerable amount of money, so shop around and find the best deals that fit your needs.

Restaurants and eating out can be expensive, especially in trendy nightclubs and other famous resorts. However, if you are traveling to Mexico on a budget, you can spend wisely and eat delicious foods while remaining on your budget. You can take advantage of the many outdoor street markets and save. The food is great, delicious, and a true taste of Mexican culture; not to mention, it is also easy on your pocketbook.

Shopping in grocery stores is another way to save money while visiting Mexico. By eating the local produce, you will save money and have more to enjoy for your other vacation expenses. It is important to note that you should treat any fruit and produce that you buy as food that requires care. Make sure to peel and wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them and practice safe handling instructions for all food.

Transportation is another area where you can save money and remain within your targeted financial plan. Mexico buses are a very cheap way to travel. If you need information regarding bus schedules, times, and whether or not you will need a ticket, check with locals during your stay. However, as a safety precaution, you are encouraged not to ride in any taxis that haven’t been prearranged through either the airport or your resort.

When it comes to transportation, you can also save money by taking a bus, rather than an airplane, into Mexico. Some major bus lines, such as Greyhound, will take you straight into Mexico. This is an affordable way to save money and plan your vacation as well.

Planning a Mexico vacation on a budget may seem difficult to do, but you may soon realize that there is a lot of assistance available. With careful planning, and sticking to your budget, you can enjoy a wonderful vacation in Mexico.

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