View from the 23rd Row

First must thank everyone for the birthday wishes - it was so nice and made me feel loved and special. It couldn't have come at a better time! Perhaps for once my birthday horoscope was correct, "You are one of the most lucky and fortunate individuals born under your sign."

And now back to regularly scheduled programming...

Random Kath got her passport a few days ago and is contemplating her first trip abroad. This got me thinking about making summer travel plans. One of the big things I've learned from years of air-traveling, is plan ahead. Timing is everything in buying an air ticket.

Thinking of going to Europe for the summer, buy now! All the carriers will be having sales soon, they want those planes filled before the season even hits.

Where to go to find these sales - either hit the carrier's websites directly or I find Expedia and Travelocity give great deals (plus they let you compare prices). Not finding the price you want, continue checking weekly or even daily if possible, a sale could hit at any time! Keep in mind some carriers don't use these sites (Noteably Southwest). But know this, you will get your cheapest deals on-line - airlines want to do away with telephone reservations.

Also think outside the box, for example, going to London? British Airways might have the fare for $550 from Washington DC but Icelandic Air could have it for $500 out of Baltimore - that's $50 you can spend on yourself. It's all about playing around and looking. That is the beauty of the internet - you can quickly search and find fares. (Also when looking at sales, add another $100 to the listed "sale" price, cause that is what you will pay in taxes and fees!)

One last thing - sign up for as many airline's e-alerts as you can. These weekly newsletters give you a heads-up on sales, future routes (where there are always introductory low prices) and last minute deals. Sometimes you can find a real gem in these notices and it costs you nothing!

Happy hunting!