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The festive season is the time to celebrate, the time to get together with family and friends. It is also the time to enjoy the day without having to drive to work or sitting in front of the computer. The festive season is the time to cherish love by spending the time with your loved ones wherever they are. Thus, for many of us who might live faraway from home sweet home or have a tight schedule, getting a cheap airline ticket to go home and celebrate such moments would be relieving.

Generally, if you would like to travel cheap any time, buying your tickets earlier would be one of the best way to avoid last minute price hikes.Finding a cheap airline ticket during the festive season could be a hard task if you do not know how and when can you get them as celebrations and holidays are usually the time when prices go up high. Therefore, planning your journeys properly before travelling would enable you to purchase your tickets earlier and preferably on off peak dates.

Some airlines provide discount for buying tickets two weeks prior from your departure. But buying them on peak period might lead to a different result as ticket prices during this time are normally far higher than usual times. Peak periods usually begin a week or at least three days before the celebrations and could last some days after it. For example the week of Christmas until the New Year is the peak of the season.

So the best way to avoid expensive travelling costs would be booking an earlier date for your airline tickets and a later one for return, off the peak times. If you can’t afford to stay and travel too early and return a bit too late, you should always book your flights earlier and grab seasonal offers usually promoted by airline companies during these festivities.

A noteworthy information about travelling during peak times not if you wish to do so;public transportation are hardly available and some services simply go on holiday especially on the day of the celebration itself. Therefore, even if you can afford the price, this is just not the most suitable time to get yourself anywhere.

You can usually get interesting seasonal festive offers during all major celebrations such as Christmas, New Year and Easter. Not forgetting other tribute celebrations like Mother’s and Father’s Day. These offers are usually available mostly from low fare airlines companies which offer affordable prices and great discounts from time to time all year round.

Ahmad writes regularly on several websites including his Dirt Cheap Airline Tickets site where he shares tips on finding cheap airline tickets online and offline. Don’t forget to visit his site at http://airlinetickets-dirtcheap.com

Summer is almost here and millions of air travelers will be hitting the airports for vacation. The one question passengers are most concerned about is how can I breeze though airport security screening.

My first tip is know ahead of time if you are one of the lucky ones selected for secondary screening, even before you arrive at the airport. You do this by printing out your boarding pass from home the night before. If you are successful in printing one out, then you are not selected by the airlines for secondary screening. If you are unsuccessful in printing your boarding pass, then you are selected by the airlines for secondary screening and you must check in at the ticket counter.

Always remain CALM and be prepared to undergo a bag search, hand-wand and a pat-down. Do the following to make the screening process easy for you:

1. Wear clothes that have no metal, including underwire bras. Underwire bras will alarm when the screener uses the hand-held metal-detector.

2. Don’t wear baggy pants, dresses or skirts. There is an additional required procedure when screeners are wanding you called, “the step forward method” for those who wear skirts or pants. This is to assure that a passenger is not hiding a weapon or prohibited item.

3. Wear slip-on shoes. It is required for all passengers to take off their shoes. Ask the screener to check your feet and return your shoes after walking through the walk-through metal detector.

4. Place underwear and lingerie in plastic zip-top bags to avoid contamination from screener’s gloves when they riffle through your bag. This applies to both checked and carry-on baggage.

5. Pack your carry-on as light as possible. The fewer items for the screener to check; the faster you get out of secondary screening. Remember your 3-1-1 rule- 3 ounces of liquids, gels or creams, 1 zip-top plastic bag and 1 bag per person. Place your plastic 3-1-1 bag at the top so you can take it out and declare it at security checkpoint.

6. Pack ALL personal bedroom toys in your checked baggage. My ancedotes include a story about how a vibrator shutdown an airport checkpoint for 45 minutes.

7. Know your prohibited items for carry-on baggage.

8. Use TSA approved luggage locks for your checked baggage. This way you can drop and go and TSA will be able to unlock and relock your bag without you being there.

9. Always carry the proper identification for you and any child traveling with you. A birth certificate or social security card would be proper identification for minors. This also applies to your child’s friend when traveling with you. You may always refer to the airlines for changes for identification.

10. Arrive 2 hours early. This will allow ample time for you to get through secondary screening. Remember that power outages, security breaches, weapons scare and long lines, even for secondary screening is a reality.

Be prepared and be armed with valuable infomation.

A bonus tip is don’t dress in overalls and this applies to children too. Overalls will automatically put you in secondary screening.

Happy and Safe Travels!

Natalia Ippolito, a former airport screener and author of: I MIGHT AS WELL BE NAKED: How to Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On.

Receive her FREE Tip of The Week, Sample Chapter Ultimate Packing List or Unknown Violations and Fines Report at http://www.airportbook.com

Everyone has budgets to deal with these days, so when it comes to travel expenses the cheaper you can do the better. Remember, it’s the destination that counts when traveling. I could care less what kind of crappy airline food I get served during my trip. Chances are it’s not going to be that good, I’ll just sleep through the meal, and save my self the gastronomical torture. So, no since pay for an overpriced plane ticket, when I know I can find cheap ones somewhere.

Cheap airline tickets are becoming a bit of a rarity these days, as the greedy fuel mongers are squeezing every last dollar they can, out of those barrels of crude oil. That’s not to say you can’t find good deals. What it does say, is your going to have to look a little harder, be a bit more patient, and make some compromises along the way. In the end, you feel better about what you pay, and the value you get for your vacation dollar.

One little item you may want to be aware of is, how airlines are being about their pricing offers. In an attempt to cut out more travel agents, and travel web sites, several airlines only make the best prices available to customers on their own private websites. Which means buying tickets from Expedia or Travelocity will cost you more than buying directly from the airlines sites. While this may make sense from an airlines perspective, it’s not so great for the customer. It means you have to spend time checking several airline websites, instead of seeing a good comparison of prices all in one place. Definitely more time consuming.

Of the bigger airlines, Southwest remains pretty competitive. It would be worthwhile checking their web site directly for any seat deals.

Don’t assume anything, when buying tickets. For instance, sometimes it’s cheap buying two one way tickets then one return ticket. I know, it doesn’t make much sense, but this is airline ticket pricing were talking about here. Sometimes you just have to experiment, and try different things to get the best price.

The bottom line here is, you want to do your homework. Compare airlines, with comparison travel websites. You can even take that a bit further, and compare the comparison sites. Are there better deals on Travelocity than Expedia, or vice versa? Even, when you’ve found the best price on a comparison site, be sure to check out the specific airlines website. Sometimes you’ll get even lower prices there. If that doesn’t work, you can actually call the airlines. If your having problems navigating the travel sites, sometimes a real person is the best answer to cheaper tickets.

If you like find out where the cheapest airline tickets are, visit http://foolishmumbles.com/DirtCheapAirlineTickets/

Everybody wants to get a deal, and pay less money than the next guy. It doesn’t matter if its airline tickets or a great price for lunch. While the advertisers keep tempting us with great prices, quite often you have to pay careful attention to make sure your getting value for your money. What with gas prices being so crazy these days, airlines have resorted to extra hidden charges to stay profitable. While extra charges may be necessary, hiding the from or misinforming the air traveller is not.

The lesson here being, if your looking for cheap plane tickets, make sure your looking at all the costs and fees. It’s almost getting as bad as the cell phone industry, where the initial advertised offer looks like an amazing deal, but the final price is often far more than you expected. The bottom line here, is do your due diligence and make sure you understand all the terms and conditions before breaking out your credit card.

The good news these days, is that you still can get some pretty good deals on tickets. It can take a bit more work then it used to, but the final payoff is in your favor. It used to be, you just called a travel agent, and let them do all the digging for you. If your travel agent was good, you got pretty good value for your money.

Now, with the ability to bypass a travel agent, you can save even more money. There is however, the added expense of your time do the travel agents job. Fortunately, the internet makes this pretty easy. With all the travel aggregators like Expedia, your can quickly compare prices and get some pretty good ticket / hotel / resort / car rental deals.

The other nice thing about arranging your own travel plans, is your more likely to get exactly what you want. Your far more committed to planning the perfect trip for you than any travel agent could be. Even the very good ones. They only have so much time they can spend with each client, to make their business a profitable one. You on the other hand can spend all the time you want.

If you can be a little flexible with your travel plans, your bound to find some cheaper flights. As well, if your not too picky about the in flight extras, you’ll find some of the discount airlines can be very affordable. Keep your eyes open, their are even some auction travel sites that can help in your quest.

If you like to see the absolutely best deals on airline tickets, be sure to visit http://foolishmumbles.com/DirtCheapAirlineTickets/

Many folks these days, seem to go with the common assumption, that if you fly somewhere, it’s going to cost big bucks. Hundreds or even over a thousand dollars. If your buying tickets for more than one person, those dollars can quickly add up. Well, it’s true that some passengers will spend that much money, you don’t have to.

There are a number of strategies you can employ to get cheaper airline tickets, you just need to understand how the system works.

If your planning on flying during the busier times of the year, then you really need to plan ahead. Those last minute bargains really don’t come into play during peak flying times. I’m talking like Christmas, and the week of March break. Get your tickets at least four to six months ahead of these periods.

Sometimes however, the opposite strategy may work as well. There are still last minute deals for cheap tickets available. The keyword for you here is flexibility. The more flexible you can be about dates, and specific destinations, the better you can do here. Retirement folks and those with extend vacations periods like teachers can easily take advantage of these offers.

The internet is a god send for cheap ticket searchers. Never in our history has there been so many easy was as a consumer to find great deals. You can compare flights and vacation pacakages like Travelocity and Expedia. You also gut out an extra middle man, since you are essentially your own travel agent. The nice part, is you don’t have to worry about someone else messing up your travel itinerary . And charging you for it.

4. Knowing When to Buy

It can be easy to track the rising and falling prices of airline fares but actually knowing when to buy is tricky. A great resource for those flying in the United States is Farecast, which provides fare predictions for over 75 cities. All you have to do is enter your itinerary information and Farecast will tell you whether to buy now or wait it out, depending on which way the fare is predicted to rise or fall.

Another important way to know when to buy is by keeping in mind that many airlines put out fare sales each week on Tuesday and Wednesday. So if you can book on those days you have a better chance of snagging a good deal.

Search out the smaller discounter airlines. They’re the no frills airlines. You may not get fancy food, drinks, and silverware on your flights, but you will have more money to spend once you get there. Talk with friends or family, and check out any of the travel forums and groups online. You’ll get plenty of advice from those places. Be sure to check out all the facts throughly, don’t just believe everything you hear.

If you like to more information on finding really cheap airline tickets, be sure to visit http://foolishmumbles.com/DirtCheapAirlineTickets/

The most popular country for Europeans who take overseas holidays is Spain - by a mile - but a Spanish airline has surprised many by opening a new route to holiday competitor Malta - which is riding the crest of a tourism wave after some years in the doldrums.

Vueling, a Spanish low cost airline, started flying to Malta three times a week from early April, with the route of Spain’s capital Madrid to Malta’s Luqa Airport.

The Spanish airline was set up just four years ago and already has 24 aircraft in her fleet, and before the announcement of the new Malta service flies to nearly sixty different destinations, and passenger traffic grew an impressive 75 per cent year on year to November 2007, when it carried nearly half a million passeners in that month alone.

Current destinations for the airline include internal Spanish flights to Alicante, serving the Costa Blanca region, and Malaga for the Costa del Sol - both ideal to escape from the city for a golfing or sailing break, or just to spend some time on the beach. With low prices a weekend break is affordable and easy for those working and living in the Spanish capital.

Less surprising in the routes the airline flies to are Nice in the South of France, Milan in Italy, which allows easy access to the Swiss Alps - and Venice, ideal for a romantic couple of days away.

Choosing Malta as a destination for Spanish tourists is a clear example of how Malta is successfully diversifying from her main holiday trade from the UK, which has formed the vast majority of her tourists in recent decades. Allowing low cost airlines to fly to the island’s Luqa Airport has boosted the Malta holidays and hotel trade tremendously in the last two years.

New official figures show that last year’s all important summer season was the best in six years for Malta for tourist arruvals, reversing the decline in fortunes for the Mediterranean island.

The good news for Malta is that despite the increase in the number of tourists arriving on the island via low cost flights, the occupancy levels of hotels has increased across the accommodation range from basic to 5 star, showing that Malta can appeal to all.

Further good news for Malta came from the figures for hotels and holidays with the news that while the number of arrivals from her traditional UK market rose by eleven per cent, the number of people from Germany visiting Malta increased by a third in 2007, adding strength to the holidays industry that has been reliant on tourism from one country in the past, and even Spanish tourists now visiting the island.

Both Germany and the UK have seen new low cost flight operators sucessfully applying to fly to Malta, and the increase in tourism can largely be put down to them, but with Spanish and Scandanavian airlines taking an interest Malta could see a real cosmopolitan mix arrive for a holiday this year, further diversifying the mix of European tourists the island welcomes for their holidays.

YourMalta.com has details of flights and holidays at http://www.yourmalta.com/airport

Many Britons enjoy hopping on a flight to Tenerife at some point during the holiday season.

For those who enjoy a more frequent holiday or even the occasional weekend getaway, there is good news. Low-cost airlines are now planning flights to neighbouring Canary island Lanzarote.

Airlines like easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, Hapag-Lloyd Express, Niki and Sterling promise to provide more flights at lower cost to the Canary Islands. Lanzarote is already a favourite destination for many Brits. Cheaper airfares makes it even more attractive.

March saw the beginning of the new flight schedules. Gatwick airport now offers three flights on Thursdays and one each on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Previously, some of the lower-priced airlines had refused flights to Lanzarote, claiming the four-hour flight time wasn’t compatible with their business model. Upon closer examination, it would be beneficial to the airlines, as well as businesses on the island, to have lower-cost travel options.

Lanzarote offers many great attractions for visitors of all ages. The Guinate Tropical Park and Penguin Paradise near Haria offers a very unique array of wildlife. The penguin enclosure, Penguin Paradise is a spectacle in itself. The underwater viewing pool gives visitors the unique experience of seeing the behaviour of penguins while under water. It is simply amazing to see how these incredible birds behave in their natural habitat.

Penguins are only one species of many wildlife featured at the park - several species of birds, animals, fish and reptiles call Guinate Tropical Park and Penguin Paradise home. In addition to the wildlife enclosures, the park offers a children’s play area and parrot show.

After visiting the park, be sure to visit nearby Famara Cliffs. From the cliffs, which are 400 meters above sea level, you’ll have a spectacular view of Alegranza, Montana Clara and La Graciosa.

Lower-cost airfare tickets will allow even more tourists to visit Lanzarote and view all of its wonders. Lanzarote is an island filled with culture, lore and legend. Its rugged inland landscapes provide a stark contrast against the outer beaches and coves. Lanzarote sees about 300 days of sunshine per year, making it a perfect sunny getaway at any time of the year. Cheaper airfares only add to the appeal of jetting off to Lanzarote for a weekend visit.

The Cave of Los Verdes is one of the most famous caves on the island. It is part of the Atlantida cave system. The caves were formed about 3,000 years ago during the eruptions of the Corona Volcano.

The cave’s tunnel is over 6 km long with another almost 2 km under the sea. It is the longest volcanic tunnel in the world. The lowest part of the cave is used as a concert hall, a very impressive sight to behold. An inexpensive flight to Lanzarote just to catch a concert in The Cave of Los Verdes would be time and money well-spent. And while you’re there, enjoy some relaxation on the beaches as well.

Although more inexpensive and frequent flights are offered to Lanzarote, Tenerife is announcing the grand opening of the largest water park in Europe.

Siam Park is a Thai themed water park that costs more than 52 million euros to build. Aside from several water based rides, the park offers roller coasters for adrenaline junkies and a children’s area for the younger visitors. Those who love a relaxing beach vacation have quite the choice to make this holiday season.

More information for Lanzarote can be found at http://www.yourlanzarote.net