It’s not just the element of risk that should guide your choices in booking air travel. The price difference between a meh flying experience and an outstanding flying experience may be negligible.
Do you know what to look out for before you book and pay for your air ticket in order to have the best possible flying experience? Are you aware of all the options available to you?
Of course, I recommend using a travel agent because we specialise in booking air travel, but not all travel agents are equal so here are some tips to booking airfare like a pro:
1- Aircrafts
Find out what aircraft the airline is likely to use on your particular routing especially on a long-haul flight. Airlines spend millions on acquiring newer aircrafts and upgrading their technology. Newer aircrafts are likely to give you a much better flying experience.
Even the most frugal of travellers should pay attention to air quality. Newer aircrafts have stronger and more efficient air filtration systems, which comes in handy when you are sitting on a plane for 11 hours breathing recycled air.
The popular A380 is an example of a newer aircraft; and is used by the likes of Air France, British Airways and Emirates on many of their routes from South Africa. The windows are larger than on most planes, which allows in more natural light, and you will notice that it’s a lot quieter onboard too due to its noise dampening technologies. This plane’s LED technology sets mood lighting to whatever time of day it is, so you don’t get rudely woken up with bright light when it’s time for breakfast.
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2 – Legroom
Now let’s discuss the all important leg room. The pitch of your seat refers to the the distance between any one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. This can differ depending on the aircraft and how many seats the airline has decided to squeeze into the cabin.
Leg room is important to most travellers and the easiest way to compare airline legroom is to use www.seatguru.com. This website gives you information on most aircraft seat maps and even gives you seat reviews to help you choose the best seats.
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3- Pre-seating
Pre-seating is especially important when travelling with children to ensure the family is guaranteed to be seated together. Airlines will do their utmost best to accommodate everyone’s requests but, lets face it – someone has to sit in the middle and, in most cases when it comes to prefered seating, its first come first serve.
Many airlines have jumped on the money-making bandwagon and are charging for the “luxury” of pre-booking a seat number. Pre-seating is not often highlighted at the time of booking but rather as an additional service, and you may only realise it is chargeable after you have already booked.
Recently a client of mine opted to forgo paying the R900 to pre-seat on his return international flights and, even though I checked him in exactly 24 hours in advance to try secure him a good seat, it seemed most of the passengers took the decision to prepay for theirs and he was unable to get the aisle seat he wanted.
Find out if you can pre-seat for free before booking the ticket or incorporate the pre-seating costs into your price, should this be important to you. You may think you have taken the cheaper option – but end up paying more in the long run.
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4- Entertainment
You should be able to get information on the entertainment offered onboard your chosen airline before making a booking by perusing their website.
Good entertainment includes the best choice and quality of movies including the latest blockbuster releases, TV programmes, music and games as well as availability and functionality of onboard wifi.
Emirates airlines has 2,500 channels of entertainment, including the latest blockbuster movies, award-winning television box sets, live TV, music and computer games – it’s no wonder that this prestigious airline has won the World’s Best Inflight Entertainment award for 13 years in a row.
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5 – Luggage Allowance
If you are travelling to a destination with the intention of shopping up a storm, make sure you have adequate free luggage allowance to bring home your spoils. Each airline has its own rules with regards to the amount of free luggage you are allowed and some don’t give you any at all. You may find you have saved money on the airfare only to pay more money on excess baggage fees.
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6 – The Battle of the Premier Classes
For those of us who are privileged enough to be able to fly in Premium, Business or First Class, make sure you do your homework before purchasing your ticket. On some airlines, business class will include nothing more than a leather seat and some extra leg room. Ímagine your disappointment – especially if you were expecting a glass of bubbly and a seat with a built in back massager. Other airlines offer you a seat which converts into a fully flat bed, or better yet your own private suite to enjoy wearing your complimentary luxury jammies. The newer aircrafts offer the use of an onboard shower and private sky bar as well as an eight course tasting menu.
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Should you want an expert to handle your travel arrangements, contact the Escape Artist today.
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