See-through containers – Pack your food in transparent plastic containers – like the kind you get from takeaways – so it’s much easier for security staff to see what you’ve brought with you. This way, you won’t need to spend much time opening up all the containers, then repacking them into your bags again.

No liquids – Bring an empty water-bottle with you, and fill it up once you’ve passed the security checkpoints, to save the hassle and expense of having to throw away a full bottle, and then buying a new one. Try to avoid bringing dips with you, as they may be thrown away too, and soups are a definite no-no!

Finger food – Bring along hassle-free food that can be easily eaten straight from the container. Baby carrots, pre-cut fruits (e.g apples or pears), grapes, rice crackers, nuts and granola bars are all healthy, yet fuss free, and you’re left with hardly any mess to clean up after the meal. Sandwiches are great too – cut them into halves or quarters to make it easier for little hands. Cutting your food into bite-sizes pieces also mean you won’t need any cutlery.

No smell – Be considerate to your fellow passengers – after all, you’ll need to share a very tight space with them for the next several hours. Try to refrain from packing foods that may smell strongly or linger in the air for ages. So, no garlic or blue cheese, and try to pop a couple of breath mints after your meal so you won’t smell like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Do you have other tips on how to pack food for flights? If so, we’d love to hear from you, please leave a comment!
uk travel news

Istiklal Caddesi
This lengthy pedestrian avenue (about two miles long) is where you’ll find the hub of Istanbul’s commercial culture. Bars, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, cinemas and markets range from the hip and expensive, to everyday and affordable. Take a stroll in the morning for a quiet perspective, or join the throngs as the sun begins to set.

Turkish tea and coffee
Caffeine is available on every corner in Istanbul so throw out your one-a-day rule and indulge in copious amounts of freshly brewed tea and coffee. The Turkish like their tea strong and served in small glass cups with plenty of sugar. Expect the coffee in espresso cups with a thick, undrinkable coffee base about a centimetre thick.

Pera Palas
This original 1890s hotel has had a complete makeover in honour of the city’s new title and will reopen in April. The grand Pera Palas was known as the hotel of choice for Orient-Express passengers and once counted Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemmingway and Alfred Hitchcock as guests. www.perapalas.com

Cemberlitas Bath
Where better to enjoy a Turkish hamam than in the country of its origin. This steamy institute was built in the late 1500s and continues to accommodate both men and woman looking for a hot dip. Cemberlitas Square on Divanyolu Street. www.cemberlitashamami.com.

It’s worth bearing in mind that long-haul flights are set to offer the best bang for your buck this year, so let your imagination run wild and think far and wide. Meanwhile, the eurofree zone continues to surge in popularity as the pound wobbles, and travellers appear enticed by adventurous holidays of discovery rather than beach-bound lounging.

With these trends firmly on our radar, we’ve come up with the top five must visit destinations for 2010. Just see below for inspiration.

Lebanon
Lebanon hasn’t had an easy time of it over the last couple of decades, but somehow, despite the odds, it remains one of the Middle East’s most exciting destinations. Since Israel’s 2006 attack on Beirut and its suburbs, the country has bounced back, rebuilding infrastructure, creating new roads and opening spectacular hotels. Head to the capital (only four hours away from the UK) for a taster of the indomitable Lebanese spirit and to party hard with Beirut’s beautiful people. Elsewhere, there are ski slopes, historical sites, ancient mosques and gorgeous landscapes.

Cuba
Since Fidel Castro stepped down as leader in 2008 the country has seen its political stance against capitalism relaxed. Couple this with Obama’s more amiable approach to the Caribbean hot spot, and you have a Cuba that is ever more enticing to tourists. If Cuba’s vintage cars, humble tourism infrastructure and laid back, friendly reputation appeals, this year might be your last chance to enjoy it – expect the Hummers, luxury resorts and American tourists to roll in soon.

South Africa
With the FIFA World Cup taking place in South Africa this year, the country is braced for a mass influx of tourists. Sure, flight prices will be up, and hotels hard to book, but the atmosphere will be unbeatable! If football really doesn’t interest you, avoid the month of June and travel either in early spring, or late autumn. This way, you’ll get the best of the improved hotels, restaurants, events and lively atmosphere without the hullabaloo.

Egypt
Egypt enjoyed something of a boom in 2009 as cash strapped holiday makers looked for destinations beyond the eurozone. Expect this to continue for Egypt (as well as Morocco, Tunisia and much of Eastern Europe) well into 2010. Take advantage of stellar package holiday deals, bargain flight prices and perennial sunshine.

Dubai
The reports of Dubai’s fall from financial grace may be raging on, but the Arab Emirate continues its flashy assault with the world’s tallest building, the world’s biggest theme park and an ex-pat paradise of plush bars and fancy hotels. Its spirit may not have broken, but flight prices are certainly crashing. It’s also a good time to score good deals at hotels and good value package deals. If Dubai doesn’t appeal, try its neighbour Abu Dhabi – a country that is currently hawking its wares (stunning desert landscapes, impressive heritage and welcoming people) and is definitely not short on cash. essentialtravel

Even our patience, however, can be tested by airport security.  You wait for an hour just to have the pleasure of removing every item of clothing, being roughed up by an over-zealous frisking, and then have to re-pack your own carry-on baggage.  Delays are likely to become even more severe now that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the ‘Christmas Day Bomber’, has demonstrated that it is still possible to smuggle explosives onto an aircraft.

Yet, for every worrying case of lapsed security like this – a situation that President Obama has branded “totally unacceptable” – let us not forget the many positive instances where security teams are performing excellent work.  They are, after all, up against some inventive minds, as these examples demonstrate:

Flipping Disaster
In June 2005, Melbourne customs officials became suspicious when they heard “flipping” noises coming from underneath the skirt of a female traveller.  An examination revealed that the Australian woman was trying to import banned tropical marine life, and had strapped water-filled bags containing 51 fish onto a homemade apron under her clothes.

Snakes on a Plane
No, not the awful Samuel L. Jackson movie.  In Stockholm, Swedish customs officers arrested a woman who had tried to smuggle 75 live snakes in her bra.  The officers were alerted when the woman kept scratching her chest. essential travel

CRUISE SHIP
Having sailed a few warm up trips, Oasis Of The Seas will take its maiden voyage on December 5 when punters will be able to explore 20 floors of entertainment and accommodation. The boat has seven neighbourhoods with a central park (yes, complete with trees and flowers), various pools, a theatre, more than a dozen cafes and restaurants, a mall, spa, full size basket ball court, chapel for weddings, rock climbing walls… well, you get the idea.

GOLF COURSE
Some may argue this 860 mile long golf course in the Australian outback isn’t actually a proper golf course. Its fairways are pretty non existent and seven of its 11 holes are actually borrowed from other courses on route. The idea is to journey from Ceduna in the south of Oz to Kalgoorie in the west (or the other way around), jumping in the car every time you complete a tee. Be warned, you may well come across dingoes, snakes, spiders and scorpions – think of it as golf safari!

HOTEL
You’d be right in thinking Las Vegas is the place to go for mammoth hotel resorts – it lays claim to 15 of the world’s 20 biggest hotels – but the first prize actually goes to a hotel in Malaysia. First World Hotel in Genting Highlands has more than 6000 rooms and comes complete with an indoor theme park, cinema, casino and shopping centre.

THEME PARK
Not yet complete, Dubailand is set to be the world’s biggest theme park made up of several adjoining areas. Dubai has made space (three billion square feet to be exact) for a water park, dinosaur theme park (in partnership with the Natural History Museum in the UK), a Sports City featuring various stadiums and the largest shopping centre in the world. Expect the grand opening some time in 2012.
essentialtravel

Be Flexible with Your Travel Plans
Airlines prices tickets differently depending on the day of the week, time of year, and nearest holiday.  If you are not flexible in the dates you want to fly, you will never be able to get in on the bottom and find a cheap flight. Airline ticket prices fluctuate wildly. Even the difference of a day can mean the difference of hundreds of dollars. It’s always cheaper to fly during the middle of the week than on a weekend since most people travel on the weekends and airlines hike their prices. If you fly after a major holiday, prices are also a bit cheaper. Early morning or late night flights are also cheaper because few people want to fly on them. Be flexible in your plans and you will find more cheap flights. A day can be a world of difference. Remember too that prices drop during the weekdays so it is better to book mid week.

Fly into Secondary Airports
Every major city in the world has a smaller, secondary airport. This airport is typically further from the city center and a bit smaller. Budget airlines usually use these airports because of cheaper operational costs. Cheaper costs mean cheaper tickets. It is why Southwest never flies into a major airport. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States does not have many of these carriers. You will find a plethora in Europe and Asia though. Don’t expect any perks on these airlines- you are simply buying space on the plane. No food, drink, pillow, or peanuts.  But for what they lack in service they make up for in cheap tickets. If your destination has a secondary airport, consider flying on one of these discount carriers for a cheaper ticke.t

Fly Alternative Routes
Besides being flexible with your travel dates, you should also be flexible in how you get to your destination. Sometimes it is cheaper to go to Madrid and  then take a cheap flight to Rome than flying directly into Rome. There are so many budget airlines that it is often better to use them as a connecting flight. Direct flights always cost more so try to add some stops into your ticket to help bring the cost down. Also consider working various airlines and special offers. Mix and match can help save you a lot of money. However, doing this is not easy and requires a bit more work and research.  If you have a really tight budget, the work will yield some cheaper flights though.

Search an Airline’s Foreign Website
You may not know it but you can book on an airlines foreign counterpart. If you have a strong currency, book on a weaker currency’s airline page. For example, we have found cheaper tickets searching the NZ version of Air New Zealand’s website than by searching our local version. The same goes for tickets to and from Europe cheaper. By searching the Canadian version of the British Airways website, we got cheaper tickets to London.This method may work best if your currency is doing well but you could still probably save some money even if the currencies are the same because of taxes and fees.

If You are a Student, Get Your Discount!
If you are a student, you’ll find that there are many discounts available to you. You can find flexible student airline tickets, discount cards, cheaper train tickets, and much more. All you need is a student ID. A great place to find cheap flights is to use STA Travel. They specialize in student travel and can usually find some great deals for students.

Sign Up for a Rewards Program
Airline rewards programs are a great way to get free flights, free upgrades, and free companion tickets. If you aren’t a frequent flier, it will take a long time to get points but if you are a frequent flier, you should sign up for a rewards program so you can get freebies. For the infrequent flier, consider a general rewards credit card that you can redeem for a free flight.

Sign up for Airline Newsletters
Stay informed of all the recent flight promotions and deals by signing up to a few airline or industry newsletters. You never know when a 24 hr fire sale might occur and you’ll want to be right there when it does. Often these newsletters are the only way to hear about these deals. It only takes a few clicks and you can delete the newsletters when you aren’t interested in flying.

The London Eye

The idea of the London Eye was pioneered by an architect couple, David Marks and Julia Barfield. The couple envisioned the idea of a ferris wheel where people could sit and enjoy a beautiful view of London. The London Eye project was financially funded by the British Airways and the Tussauds Group. Today it is fully owned by Merlin Entertainments Group which is the parent company to the Tussauds Group. The official name of this magnificent structure is Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Other valuable contributions for constructing the London Eye came from the construction management company, Mace; Steelwork contractor, Hollandia; Consulting engineers Tony Gee & Partners who designed the foundation works, and marine works designers, Beckett Rankine. Hundreds of people from 5 different countries worked on this marvelous structure for 7 years till it was finally erected. The London Eye had its formal opening ceremony on 31st December, 1999 at the hands of then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, but was made open to the public only in March, 2000.

Interesting Facts About the London Eye

• The London Eye (previously known as the Millennium Wheel) was one of the structures built in Britain to celebrate the new Millennium. The other structure was the Millennium Dome.
• On a clear sunny day, a person inside the London Eye can see up to a distance of 40 km, as far as the Windsor Castle.
• The London Eye is the most popularly visited paid attraction in all of Great Britain. It is said that the London Eye is visited by an average of around 3 – 3.5 million visitors each year. You can also read more on facts about Great Britain.
• The official capacity of each of the 32 capsules in the London Eye is 25 persons. This means that the London Eye can carry a whopping 800 people in every revolution.
• The London Eye revolves at a stately speed of 0.9 km per hour. And takes 30 minutes for one ride. The passengers can get off and climb on to the London Eye without stopping the wheel.
• The total weight of the wheel is estimated to be around 2100 tonnes, with each capsule weighing 10 tonnes.
• The circumference of the London Eye is 424 m and if straightened and held upright, it would be almost 1.75 times taller than the tallest building in the United Kingdom! Even without being unraveled, the current height of the London Eye is 135 m making it the fourth tallest structure in London.
• One of the London Eye facts for kids is that the movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, released in 2007 featured the London Eye in its opening sequence.
• The spindle that holds the wheel, and the hub rotating around the spindle weighs about 330 tonnes, which is 20 times the weight of the Big Ben.
• Another most interesting London Eye fact is that, since February 2004, it is kept open on Valentine’s Day even at night, so that couples can enjoy a romantic ride and a lovely view of London.

So this was all about the London Eye facts. The London Eye is a great experience and one that you wouldn’t want to miss on your next trip to the city!

Costa Verde Resort , Costa Rica

At first glance it seems as though this 1965 Boeing 727 has been taken over by the jungle. But step inside the fuselage and you’ll find a sophisticated teak-panelled hideaway with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette and a balcony overlooking the stunning coastline of Manuel Antonio National Park. The resort also boasts the El Avion restaurant bar, housed in a Fairchild C-123 cargo plane.

Costa Verde Resort, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (00 506 2777 0584; costaverde.com). The suite starts at US$452 (301), room only.

Aviator Hotel, Hampshire

Designed by Ken McCulloch (the man behind the Malmaison chain) and owned by TAG Aviation, the propeller-shaped Aviator Hotel overlooks Farnborough airfield in Hampshire. The rooms and suites hint at air travel without being plane-spotterish, so there are framed black-and-white photos of vintage aircraft and cushions embroidered with propeller motifs. The design is sleek and chic, aimed at the private jet-set that take off and land outside. There’s a modern-European restaurant, Sky Bar and deli, too.

Aviator Hotel, Farnborough Road, Farnborough, Hampshire (01252 555890; aviatorfarnborough.co.uk). Doubles start at 190, room only.

Winvian, US

Fifteen architects have created a collection of unique lodgings at this 113-acre Connecticut resort. Set against the rural Litchfield Hills, Winvian’s cottages range from Library to Music, Industry and Maritime, with an inside-out campsite and a curious-looking barn, which houses a restored US Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter. The chopper now serves as the suite’s living room, with a sofa, flat-screen television and flight deck; the bedroom and bathroom are outside in the “hangar”. There’s also a spa with a log-burning fire and an acclaimed restaurant.

Winvian, 155 Alain White Road, Morris, Connecticut, US (00 1 860 567 9600; winvian. com). Double rooms start at $923 (615), including breakfast.

Airplane Suite, Netherlands

This Ilyushin-18, a Soviet propellor plane well past its fly-by date, has been turned into one luxurious suite. Previous to that, it saw active service in the old East Germany, and was also used as a restaurant. It’s now kitted out with a sauna and whirlpool bath.

Aircraft Suite, Teuge, Gelderland, Netherlands (00 31 6 19 388 603; hotelsuites.nl). The suite starts at 350, including breakfast.

The Plane Motel, New Zealand

Woodlyn Park on the North Island is home to a collection of quirky accommodation, from a Hobbit Motel to this Bristol freighter, which last flew in the Vietnam War. It has an intact cockpit and four modest suites.

The Plane Motel, Otorohanga, New Zealand (00 64 7 878 6666; woodlynpark.co.nz). Doubles from NZ$160 (70), room only.

Jumbo Hostel, Sweden

This 747 was turned into a design hostel earlier this year. It has been converted to accommodate 72 beds arranged in dorm and private rooms, plus a penthouse suite in the cockpit complete with dials and runway views.

Jumbo Hostel, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden (00 46 8 593 60 400; jumbohostel.com). Dorm beds start at SK350 (30) room only. A deluxe double costs SK1,650 (144).
independent.co.uk

However, competitors Travelocity and Expedia launched their applications earlier this year so Priceline looks like it’s coming late to the game. Not so, said Priceline.com spokesman Brian Ek, who said most of online travel agency competitors are supplying  ”reskins” of their Web sites, or simply the Web site with a slightly different look. Ek says that Priceline did the same thing until its latest launch on Oct. 26.

However, how much profit can be gained from such applications are difficult to measure (and Priceline refused to tell me.) One company executive told me that usage rates and booking travel are still pretty low. That makes it hard to figure out if companies are doing this primarily to make money in the future or show they can match or beat the competition in technology. I’m voting for the latter. Who wants to be known as the old grandma in online travel?

“It’s still very early in the game for mobile applications,” Ek told BNET. “No one knows how long it will be for these to catch on. So for now, it builds experience in the mobile space of what works and what doesn’t, and it’s a nifty little tool for customers on the road.”

Orbitz.com spokesman Brian Hoyt said that his company still hasn’t joined in the iPhone application craze, but instead relies on its mobile phone tools it launched in 2006. Hoyt said that the company may release its application in 2010.

“Just because you don’t have an app on the iPhone doesn’t mean you missed out on the market,” he said. “We’re still trying to find that killer app that gains higher adoption.

Bnet.

Back in the Middle Ages of air travel, airlines used to publish their rates in telephone-book-sized compendiums updated every few weeks, and your trusty travel agent would actually get on the phone to reserve your seat. Nowadays, fares change as often as the weather in New England. The good news? Ever-evolving technology now lets airlines sell unused seats at the last minute at a variety of venues, producing some of the cheapest prices ever. The bad news? With a glut of information out there, finding these fares can be a bewildering, confusing, and downright frustrating experience.

“There is no magic formula for always finding the cheapest fares,” says Terrance Zepke, author of the Encyclopedia of Cheap Travel. “Comparison shopping is the name of the game.” But don’t take that to mean you should spend more time hunting for your vacation airfare than you’ll actually spend on vacation. We won’t lie to you; the world of inexpensive airfares is dog-eat-dog. But follow these efficient steps, learn some simple tricks, and with a little bit of luck, you will excel in sniffing out the best online airfare deals.

SIX STEPS TO CHEAP TICKETS
#1: FIGURE OUT THE BEST TIME TO BUY
Your first step to airfare success is to determine the best time to buy your tickets. If you absolutely must get home to Mom for Thanksgiving—or to Courchevel before Lance passes through—the age-old advice still holds true: Buy your tickets at least three weeks in advance.

“I think most airline sources would agree that anything outside 21 days before takeoff is considered an advance-purchase ticket,” says Brian Ek of Priceline.com. “Airlines are different, but generally, once you hit 15 days before the flight, the price begins to go up, then it goes up again at the seven-day mark. So if you want a retail ticket, buy it at least 21 days out for the best price.” Consider buying retail and buying early for vacation destinations during popular seasons or during high-traffic holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and spring break in March.

However, if your trip to Whistler can wait a weekend or Mom doesn’t mind you arriving on Thanksgiving day rather than the day before, consider changing your strategy. Timing when you fly is just as important as when you buy. Though airfares can be fickle and inconsistent, cheaper flights are typically available on weekdays, as opposed to weekends, and during non-rush hours. If you can’t avoid major holidays, like Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, national long-weekend holidays, and spring break periods in March, a good rule of thumb is to try to travel when everyone else doesn’t want to. Think Christmas Eve or day, Thanksgiving day or a week ahead of time. Besides, flying on a holiday is typically more relaxed—the airports and planes are usually less crowded, and the “we’re all in this together” atmosphere can lend to an easy-going travel experience.

#2: UNLEASH THE SEARCH ENGINES
You know where you want to go and when. Mouse in hand, you approach the glaring, daunting screen of your computer. Task number one: Do a drive-by of the big search engines like Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, and Cheaptickets. Consider this as a fact-finding mission: a survey of these sites will give you a good idea on the average going rate for a retail ticket.

These search engines also offer a variety of search flexibility. Orbitz and Travelocity both allow you to search multiple dates—or even whole months—so you can compare rates and plan on traveling on the least expensive day.

Also keep in mind that ticket prices can vary drastically by airport. If you’re flying out of Boston, try Providence. San Francisco? Think Oakland. How about Charlotte? Consider Greensboro. Cheaptickets and Travelocity both have tools for searching multiple airports to come up with the best rate based on proximity, while Orbitz will automatically search all airports associated with a particular destination (for example, searches for Washington, D.C., yields results on Reagan, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington airports).

#3: ON TO THE AGGREGATORS
A new breed of search engine has cropped up in the past few years: the aggregator site. Sites like Qixo, Kayak, and SideStep search a whole flock of search engines as well as airline sites themselves. Why go the extra step? Many of the budget airlines that have great inexpensive fares, like Southwest, don’t do business with consolidators like Travelocity, so by searching only those sites, you’re missing half the market. Our favorite is Mobissimo, which on multiple comparisons brought up the lowest fares most quickly.

#4: GO DIRECTLY TO AIRLINE WEBSITES
You’ve found the cheapest dates and the best airport, and now you think you’ve found the cheapest fare. Not so fast—you’ve got one more step. If you’ve found a great deal on an America West flight, check out America West’s website. Why? You’ll often find a better deal directly from the airline. And even if price is the same, buying directly from the airline will save you the search engine’s booking fee—usually around $5—and you’ll have a better chance at changing tickets or refunding your money if something goes wrong. Finally, some airlines guarantee the lowest rates from their own websites, backed up with special offers for those who find cheaper fares elsewhere.

That said, if you found an eye-popping deal on a search engine that utilizes multiple carriers, take it—the hassle of pricing individual flights in a multiple-leg, multiple-carrier itinerary will drive you batty, to say nothing of accidentally landing in New York’s JFK Airport when you fly out of La Guardia in 15 minutes.

#5: PERUSE THE BUDGET AIRLINES’ WEBSITES
To go the extra mile, quickly eyeball the budget airlines’ websites that fly out of the airports nearest you. Often, their rates manage to fly, so to speak, under the radar of the major search engines, so it can pay to target them directly. On a recent check, Airtran posted $76 fares between Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale, Southwest had fares for $99 or less from more than 30 cities, and JetBlue had fares from numerous cities starting at $39. Frontier, Independence Air, Spirit, and ATA also post web deals. Many of these low-cost airlines also have weekly or monthly newsletters that announce web-only deals, which is a great way to keep abreast of new deals.

#6: TRY BIDDING ON A PRICE
If you still haven’t found an airfare that fits within your budget, try bidding. Yes, Priceline.com is still alive and kicking. In fact, the site now offers retail tickets in addition to the name-your-price game. But there are a few other players out there, like SkyAuction.com, which also posts deals and takes bids eBay-style.

Determining a bid that’s low but not impossible is a fine art elucidated only by date and destination. Aim too low and you’re wasting your time, aim too high and…well, you know. To start, take the lowest price from the industry-standard search engines (step #2) and the aggregators (#3), knock off 15 to 20 percent, and, using the same search criteria, go from there. Keep in mind, each bidding site likely has its own quirks and tricks. To put more than luck on your side, check out Biddingfortravel.com for additional tips on playing the auction game.

Hotwire.com offers a slight twist on the typical bidding game. Rather than asking you to bid, you enter in your trip info and they generate a deeply discounted clearance price, which is often the best deal going. The catch? All you get is the price of the flight—you don’t see the flight schedule or what airline (or airlines) you’re flying until after purchasing the ticket. For people with flexible schedules, this is a manageable hassle, but if you need to put in a half-day before flying off to the Caribbean, Hotwire.com can be gamble.

LET THE EXPERTS DO THE WORK FOR YOU
Along with the other billion (or so it seems) travel-deal websites out there, there is a unique species that monitors the search engines and airline sites and highlights the best deals. SmarterTravel.com continually updates postings on the most outrageous plane ticket, hotel, car, and cruise sales, and has a team of editors that post travel-tip articles for these ever-changing times. Bestfares.com has a search engine and keeps excellent tabs on fare wars between airlines, such as when a particular city might be the center of downward-spiraling fares for a limited period of time.

Some sites, like adventure-centric GORPtravel.com, also specialize in a particular niche of travel, offering package trips that take care of all the details. Costs vary widely, and in some cases airfare isn’t included in the quoted price, but the expertise afforded by working with industry leaders could offer the assurance you need to make your vacation stress free.

THE LOWDOWN ON COURIER FLIGHTS
So many budget travelers have discovered the air courier trick that flights to Sydney for a quarter and a smile are more fiction than fact. However, there is still a nice load of mind-bogglingly cheap ones—provided you’re willing to make a few trade-offs. Here’s the deal: By law, all baggage on commercial flights must be accompanied by a passenger. For many companies, sending goods on commercial flights with a passenger is far faster than shipping, so they look for passengers willing to fly on short notice, with great flexibility, and with no personal baggage other than carry-ons. The upshot as a courier is that all you really have to do is pack frugally, sit on a plane, carry the customs papers, and hook up with the appropriate contacts at the airport, and you’ll get great fares: Think Amsterdam for $125 or Bangkok for $275. Membership to the Air Courier Association or the International Association of Air Travel Couriers costs about $50 and gets you access to detailed information on the courier life and daily flight options. But keep in mind: flexibility is key—if you’re aching for a two-week break from a grueling nine-to-five gig that can’t be left at a moment’s notice, courier flights probably won’t work. But if you’ve got some flex in your schedule, it’s a great way to save cash and see the world.

LAST-MINUTE SEATS FOR SALE
Airtech targets a similarly flexible demographic as courier agencies, but puts passengers on empty or standby seats at the last minute. If you’re flexible with your dates and destinations, you can get pretty sweet deals, like a flight to Europe for about $200. First, buy a FlightPass for travel between certain regions, say the U.S. and Europe, with a departure window of two to four days. When a flight comes up to your preferred destination, you’ll get a call. If it fits you desires and interests, you head to the airport and redeem your pass for the tickets. Think of it as the budget traveler’s way of flying on standby. One intrepid traveler used Airtech to get home to Greece for the 2004 Olympics. She got the call—a flight to Amsterdam from Washington, D.C., for around $200—and headed out that afternoon. After a leisurely day in the Netherlands, she hopped a train south to Athens and reached her destination for half of what it would’ve cost had she flown direct. Plus she got to go to Amsterdam. But if you need to be in a certain city at a certain time, Airtech ain’t for you.

SMALL-SCALE AND CHARTER AIRLINES
Small-scale airlines and some charter services often offer specially scheduled or seasonal flights to high-traffic destinations for low rates. USA 3000 Airlines flies from Midwest and Northeast cities to vacation destinations in Florida, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico for fares 20 to 60 percent cheaper than major carriers’ fares, depending on the city. Sun Country Airlines is another small carrier based in Minnesota with flights to more than 40 domestic, Caribbean, and Mexican destinations. Especially at the last minute, rates can be significantly cheaper than those of Northwest, Sun Country’s biggest competitor. When purchasing tickets, be aware of restrictions on refunds and rescheduling after missed connections with other carriers. To find small carriers, look up a full list of airlines that service your local airport.

ROUND-THE-WORLD TICKETS
Long to follow in Magellan’s footsteps? Do not buy a slew of disparate tickets around the world. You can save thousands of dollars for your on-the-ground travels by purchasing a round-the-world ticket. Several companies, like Airtreks and Air Brokers International can help arrange complicated global itineraries, sometimes for discounted prices. Also try the airlines directly for their latest fares. The One World Alliance, a group of eight airlines, including American, British Airways, and Qantas, offers around-the-world tickets with up to 20 segments (geo-specific regions of travel). SkyTeam, an alliance of nine airlines, including Continental, Delta, Air France, and KLM, offers round-the-world fares with over 650 stops to choose from.

AIR PASSES
Okay, so you’re not planning on circumnavigating the earth anytime soon, but how about a little continental perambulation? There are plenty of smaller-scale deals with specific airlines and alliances that can save you tons on intra-continental travel. For example, the Star Alliance, a group of 16 airlines, including United, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, and Air Canada, offers discounted air passes for Europe, North America, Asia, and the South Pacific, among others. Passengers buy between three and ten coupons starting at $65 each, which are then redeemable for single-segment flights between any of the alliance’s destinations in the given region. Similar deals are also available within certain countries, with deals on international airfare and a set number of intra-country flights. For example, Qantas, in association with Tourism Australia, currently offers international airfare and three domestic flights for prices starting at $999, far cheaper than any other DIY pricing available. The best way to track down packages like this is to check the websites of the national airlines or the country’s tourism website, easily accessible via Google.