Have you ever had the experience of going to the gate only to find it empty of passengers? There's something strange about the way airport communicate with those in search of planes. In theory, there are speakers located at strategic points about each terminal and, no matter where you sit or stand, you will always be able to hear each announcement perfectly. Indeed, when you pay attention, you can always hear calls for other flights. Yet when it comes to your own, there's a strange disconnection as if the message suddenly enters a parallel dimension and fails to reach your ears.

You then find yourself in completely the wrong place and you can't find you where you should be as no-one is around. When you do finally track down where you should be, have you noticed how everyone gets asked to board the plane before you? That means you get to your seat to find the the space in the overhead compartments up and down your aisle has been taken up.

When you are finally in your seat with baggage stowed, you realize you're not yet in the air. You'll be pleased to know there are federal regulations that limit the time you can be held in the plane on the ground. For domestic flights at the larger airports, you have to be offered release after three hours. The airline is also to ensure you have enough to drink and the toilet arrangements are adequate. There are fines for both US and foreign airlines if they leave your international flight on the tarmac for more than four hours. In theory, this makes it more economic for the plane to take off than go back to the terminal.

Let's say you're now in the air. Have you noticed it's difficult to get anything to eat or drink unless you pay? It's well known food has never been great but, in the days before pricing got less than transparent, you used to get one of those trays with something edible on it as a part of the ticket price.  Permission to have a seat on the plane is the only value a ticket has these days for the airlines.

Remember, never ever say anything that could be interpreted as insulting about the airline or any of its staff. Even more important, never joke about terrorism. Indeed, until you get in the air, it's probably safer not to talk to anyone about anything connected with flying. Paranoia is everywhere and, if you're considered a threat to security, an air marshal is likely to arrest you and drag you off the plane to a holding cell.

You would have you own private jet and people around you would bow and scrape as you walked towards your plane whenever you needed it in a perfect world where you had a piece of the American Dream. Until that day dawns, you're in the cheap flights with the rest of us and pathetically grateful because, if you were thinking about using the train as a substitute, it would take you more than fifty hours on the California Zephyr to get from Chicago to San Francisco. No matter how comfortable the train, even a cheap flight may be more convenient.
Read More......

It is not surprising that car rental companies are experiencing an increase in popularity. Local drivers are responsible for this boost in demand for rental services. Rentals offer tangible benefits for local drivers who are seeking alternatives to the expense of gas-guzzling vehicles that have costly price tags, require ongoing maintenance, and are parked more than they are driven.

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring a rental is cheaper than paying for a taxi or using public transportation when available.  And if you share the cost of a rental, your personal expenses drop even further.  Many companies offer discounts to local drivers as an added incentive to use their services over other transportation options. Rental rates that are based on mileage can be particularly cost-effective for local drivers.

Reliable Transportation

In recent years there has been an increase in public transportation use among young people. Now they are turning to rentals so they are not tied to a public transport schedule. A group of friends or coworkers may go in together to share the cost of a rental.  They do not have to worry about a car payment or maintenance.  And they save on gas expenses by sharing the costs between them.

Convenient

Hiring a rental is more convenient than relying on taxi services.  You do not have to wait to be picked up.  You can just get in the car and drive to your destination.  It is common for travelers to rent transportation once they reach their city of destination.  They prefer to be in control in their travel schedule rather than depending on people they do not know.

Public Image

Local professionals use rentals to present a more sophisticated image to prospective clients. You may be picking them up from the airport or meeting them at a restaurant.  Whatever the case, you want to manage how they view you and the type of vehicle you drive says a lot about you.

Environmental Concerns

Sharing the expenses of a rental car basically reduces the need for additional cars on the road.  Many car rental companies include eco-friendly vehicles as well as hybrids in their fleet.  You can have a real impact on the environment by using rentals rather than purchasing your own vehicle.

It is anticipated that car rental companies will continue to grow in popularity, especially in cities and high-growth urban areas.  See if this is a money-saving option for you.

Read More......

Increasingly tight budgets are forcing travelers to look for cheap air tickets. This is true for individuals who travel for leisure and want to spend less on tickets so they have cash once they reach their destination. Businesses that routinely pay for employees to travel also need to pay less for airfare. Corporate budgets have been reduced in recent years because of the economy. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to make sure you save money on your airline tickets.

Plan Ahead

Although there are times when you have to make arrangements last minute you should always try to plan ahead. Otherwise, you should be able to buy tickets in advance so you get great prices. Try to fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays whenever possible. Even if you get to your destination early, you will have saved significant money. Putting in a little bit of time to save a lot of money is, for most people, a tradeoff that is worthwhile.

Monitor Airfares

There are two ways to do this. You can sign up for electronic newsletters or mobile alerts so you know when new offers, coupons, and discounts are available for your review. In particular, you want to be able to tell when prices increase or decrease so you can plan accordingly. Airlines offer this information directly or, if you prefer, you can sign-up for this service through any site that provides ticket information from multiple airlines.

Do Not Wait

Don't wait to see if the next deal you get is the best one, take a good deal as soon as you find it. There will always be a better deal. The problem is at some point prices on cheap air tickets will increase again and you may miss your opportunity to save money. It is not always obvious when airlines will increase airfare. Looking at getting a last minute deal is usually the only time when you should wait.

Look for Refunds

If you have already purchased your ticket but you notice the final price of comparable low cost air tickets on your flight is much lower, contact the airline and ask for a refund of the difference. Most will honor your request. You may have to do this in person at the ticket counter. You can call the airline directly to find out what their refund policy is or you can check their website for information.
Read More......

Drivers are always looking for good deals and affordable rates. Rental rates often seem somewhat mysterious. Car rental companies calculate rates using a myriad of different factors. The more you know about the different rate factors, the better prepared you are to negotiate with your current rental agency or simply find a new one that offers more competitive rates.

Reservation Fees

You will be assessed a fee when you reserve your rental.  If you are unable to follow-through on your reservation, you may still be required to pay this fee which will be charged to the credit card you used to make the reservation.  Some agencies drop the fee if you honor your reservation while others add it to your bill.

Rental Fees

Each rental company calculates their fees differently.  Some base rates on distance traveled while other rental vehicles by the hour.  Fuel expenses may or may not be included in the fee structure.  If you plan to drive in areas deemed to be high-risk by the rental agency, you will have higher rates.

Taxes and Surcharges

Added to your rental fees, these can be the hardest to understand. You may have multiple taxes depending on the particular rental agency as well as its location.  Many counter representative cannot explain the surcharges fully even if they are asked for clarification. Do not accept a vague response. If they do not know why a particular charge is included, ask them to remove it.

Rental Insurance Costs

Not all renters buy the additional insurance offered by car rental companies.  Those that do will have that added to their rental cost.  Not everyone needs to purchase rental insurance. If you already have this included in your regular car insurance policy, it is not necessary to also purchase it from the rental agency.

Vehicle Damage Fees

What happens if you are involved in an accident while driving a rental car?  Who is responsible for the damages?  If you are responsible for the car being  damaged or stolen it can cost you so this is something you have to know before you sign the rental contract.

Discounts

These are the last to be applied during the rate calculation.  You might get discounts because you belong to AAA or another membership organization.  Special offers may be given by car rental companies during slow rental times to encourage drivers to rent from them.
Read More......

Major car rental agencies tend to have an international presence and high brand visibility that is a result of their decades of service. They have branches around the globe and often offer franchise opportunities. All of these well-known brands coordinate international rentals through online services that allow renters to comparison shop before booking a rental.

Hertz

Hertz is the largest global car rental agency with nearly 10,000 branches in over 145 countries around the world. It is also the oldest, having been established in the United States in 1918. One of the most interesting aspects of Hertz is its "Fun Collection" which allows people to rent racing and high-end sports cars. These cars are available at select airport-based Hertz rental agencies. Hertz also has a "Green Collection" for environmentally-conscious renters. These include hybrids and electric vehicles.

Avis Rent A Car

As the second largest car rental agency in the world, it has a major presence in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Avis is often associated with airports because they are a major provider of car rentals for travelers, both business and leisure, who pick up their cars at the airport. In addition, the company opened the very first airport-based car rental agency.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Enterprise is part of the largest car rental network that currently exists in the world. The network includes Alamo Rent A Car, National Car Rental, and Europacar. Enterprise was established in 1957. With nearly 7,000 locations in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany, it has a strong international presence.

Alamo Rent A Car

Alamo is now owned by the Enterprise Holdings, the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, but it still operates as an independent cheap car rental business. It was established in 1974 and was the first car rental company to offer unlimited free mileage to its customers who were primarily leisure travelers. It currently has more than 1,000 branches in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, Africa, and throughout the

Asian-Pacific area. Travelers can take advantage of nearly 160 self-serve kiosks across the United States. Approximately 15 million drivers use their services annually.

National Car Rental

Along with Alamo, National Rental is a member of the Enterprise family. It was established in 1954 and now has over 3,000 branches in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asian-Pacific, Europe, Australia, and Africa. They were the first car rental company to offer one-way car rentals, flat rates, and a frequent-renter program to customers. In addition to daily specials and regular discounts, customers benefit from larger agencies because they typically offer lower base rates. Customers who want cheap car rental rates prefer top international rental agencies.
Read More......

Should we expect cheaper air tickets?

Twenty and more years ago the airlines investing and profit return were reasonably straightforward. Air travel was the accepted way to move long distances, whether for business or pleasure. Only a small percentage of the population were prepared to drive long distances. Following 9/11the 11th september, the need to maintain a high level of security has forced airports and airlines into major changes. Many of these changes have created difficulties and reduced the number of people prepared to fly. With rising gas prices, it has become not so affordable to leave home and fly a longer distance for holidays. Recognizing the problem, the US has been holding a number of consultations with interested parties including Airlines for America, the trade association representing the airlines. The need is to promote travel and tourism without sacrificing safety and security.

As to international travel, the US market has already lost a significant volume of business from the countries that used to be able to visit on their own passports without a visa. Now advance notice of an intention to travel to the US must be given and, upon arrival, people are fingerprinted, retina scans are taken and, from their point of view, they are treated as little better than criminals or terrorists. No countries treat American citizens in this way. Tens of thousands of potential tourists are therefore voting with their feet and refusing the visit America. Why should this matter? In 2011, only 60 million people visited America. Nevertheless, they spent spent about $135 billion and paid for about 7 million jobs in the hotel, food and beverage, and retail markets.

Adding domestic travel, the industry contributed about $1 trillion to spending. The American government has therefore committed itself to speed up the visa application process and to make the Visa Waiver Program more welcoming, and accepted the need for there to be equal treatment between countries. This means employing far more staff and upgrading the computer systems to allow passengers to be processed more quickly.

The government is also reviewing the current security systems in the purely domestic travel, sometimes making the procedures execssive... In particular, they consider some parts of the process highly intrusive. Again, this is all a question of balance, looking for a compromise that will respect a legitimate desire for privacy against the need to prevent terrorists from interfering with flights. With so great a contribution being made to national consumption, both state and federal authorities have to consider how best to bring more people back to air travel. This is not just a case of offering cheap tickets. People have been driven away by some very poor PR and it will take a serious effort by all interested parties to restore trust and confidence. This is not to say cheap air tickets is not able to help. Indeed, the low-cost, discount airlines have proved there is a real market for budget travel. But even there, problems arise with a lack of transparency on prices. Everyone needs to work together to boost air travel's appeal.

Read More......

It was the potential conflict with Syria that has forced a air tickets price rise. Should Israel attack and Syria retaliate against tanker traffic, the world would quickly find itself short of fuel. The International Air Transport Association, the trade association representing airlines, has predicted its members will struggle to break even in 2012. Some of the European airlines are looking at record losses with two already insolvent: Spanair based in Barcelona and Malev based in Hungary. The problem is that fuel represents about one third of operating costs. When you add in the cost of servicing the debt on buying the airplanes and paying the staff, there's very little left. With many tickets sold forward, sudden rises in fuel prices may mean the planes flying at a loss when the passengers actually turn up. Running an airline you have to be prepared to any changes in political cklimate in regions where your oil suppliers are situated.

There are 2 other factors able to affect ticket costs. The first is the double dip recession threat. As many of the European countries are finding life very difficult and, if economic conditions worsen, people will cut back on non-essential travel. If passenger numbers fall, bankruptcy for more airlines will follow close behind. The only relatively bright prospect on the horizon is the strength of air cargo. It has been steady for the last two years even though the world markets have been trading well below their best. Then, this is the European move to impose a carbon tax on air travel. This is going to drive up ticket prices for anyone flying into or out of Europe, i.e. it's payable simply because the airplane lands in Europe. With no sign of a global solution to the problem of how to protect the environment, this unilateral tax rise by Europe has angered the rest of the world.

All this means airlines are not going to survive unless two things happen. The first is that peace returns to the oil producing parts of the world. The second is that outside costs like airport fees and carbon tax charges are kept to an absolute minimum. Anything that deters people from flying puts profits are risk. If the unions will not cooperate in reducing the rates of pay, ticket prices must rise. This further drives passengers away and the cycle into insolvency edges closer. The only way we get cheap air tickets back is by seeing an expansion in the number of low-cost discount carriers, and a general return of confidence from customers. Without there being real demand for seats and losses looming, legacy airlines cannot afford to discount seat prices. All that does is make the losses bigger. Lower prices can only come when historical costs are reduced. That's why so many airlines are trying to cut pension obligations. These legacies from the boom years are a major drag on profits. So, your best chance to buy cheap air tickets is the airlines's victory in their fights with government regulators and unions protecting pension rights.

Read More......