Snagging the Best Seats on any Airline Flight

Snagging the Best Seats on any Airline Flight - 

it's a Devious Science, you Know

It used to be that all you needed to do to get a good seat on an airplane would be to show up at the airport an extra 15 minutes in advance; now in an age of absolute air travel commodification, scoring a great seat is becoming quite a feat - complete with requirements in deviousness and talent if you need to get anywhere.



Airlines are running their flights packed closer to full capacity more often than ever before and every one of those people on those flights would rather have had an emergency exit seat for better legroom or an aisle seat for more freedom. However there are possible seats to covet too if you know where to look.




A 737 airliner for example, is somewhat ovoid in shape - it bulges out in the center along its length; and the window seats on the rows that famm at the center, lengthwise, of the plane, have the most shoulder room. More and more, people buying seats on an airline flight appear to prefer the airlines' own booking sites, or booking websites that will offer them the facility of putting down dibs on a seat in advance.




And ever since the airlines began to notice that there was real value that passengers attached to certain kinds of seats, they've begun to charge for them; and not a day too soon to some passengers, who really would like those special seats, no matter what.

To most people taking an airline flight is hard enough on their poor nerves without having to be jammed into a middle seat or one that won't recline. If there's a way, they'll pay.

The trouble is, there are dozens of different kinds of airliner out there, and each airline company will configure each model of plane differently. And there are different policies they use to number seats and assign them.

With the exception of a few holdouts, most airlines will absolutely allow you to select a seat when you buy a ticket. They give you a diagram of the whole plane with pictures of seats that are empty at the moment; you can look up seat information online, find out which the best seats are for the most leg room and reclining pitch, and put your name down when you buy.

Major travel booking websites allow you to pick your seat as soon as you get started with the purchase process; but it will only work if you buy a ticket before the airline flight in question is somewhat full. Airlines will only allow advance seat reservations until the plane is half-full to maintain a bit of seating flexibility when they need it. But all the foresight in the world won't really help in certain cases; sometimes, an airline will switch airplane models for a specific flight, for reasons like delays and interruptions from maintenance schedules.

You may have to actually check back even after you make your seat selection, to make sure that they haven't decided to sign you up to a game of musical chairs. That's not your only reason to keep looking in either. Seats can open up all of a sudden after you make your booking. This can happen when a frequent flyer in coach gets a free upgrade,and frees up his original assigned seat.

Economy travel mindset can save the day.

Economy travel is the way to go for your 2014 travel plans:

Here's how...

During the 20..10's , the economy was booming, jobs were plentiful and most of us weren't paying strict attention to what we spent on our holiday plans. Today, of course, is a different story. Now the situation has reversed to the point where many of us are saying, “What holiday?”

Fortunately, the economy travel mindset can save the day. Yes, you can still have a great holiday if you know how to plan your travel with just a few tricks of the trade. Here, we've got some pointers on how to travel economically and in style.

Your first step consists of doing a little research online. Just as you're keeping a close eye on your wallet, hotels and restaurants are hungry for your business. This means prices are coming down. Even the airlines are offering some great deals, particularly if you book well in advance. The big-name, one-stop shopping travel sites can be a convenient way to put together an economy travel package. It's certainly worth checking them out for their best price deal to your destination. However, here's a little known travel secret: the “independent” traveller who puts together his own itinerary can share hundreds of dollars in travel costs with just a little extra effort.

Here's how this strategy works. If you're traveling by air, Google 'cheap airfares your-destination'. This allows you to zero in on sites that specialize in travel to your region of interest. You'll find that such sites often have listings at backpacker prices which just may beat the prices quoted at the big-name sites. Sign up for a subscription to their free newsletters to get their latest finds delivered right to your in-box. If you're traveling by car, consider renting a vehicle that gets great mileage – be careful the driving time and petrol costs don't outweigh the cost of the rental in comparison to local charter flights or bus tours.

For accommodations, check out some of the exclusively hotel-oriented sites, which provide photos and contact information for hundreds of hotels in your destination area. Not only will you find unusual, boutique type accommodations not listed on the big-name sites, but when you call and book direct, you'll save a substantial amount of money.

Use the same economy travel strategy to locate restaurants before you leave home. Use a search string such as 'Italian restaurants your-destination' (or whatever cuisine strikes your fancy). These restaurant directories include reviews from other travellers which help you find the great restaurants suited to your taste.

Think of the types of activities you'll want to include in your holiday plan. Whether you're looking for walking tours, museums, theatre, shopping or nature walks, you'll find resources online. This aspect of the economy travel plan saves both time and money, because you'll have dates and times as well as prices (sometimes at discounted prices) on hand before you ever leave home.

Although it requires a bit of your time organising your own itinerary with this travel strategy, you'll have fun doing it and you'll save a lot of money. You'll have a customized holiday plan you know you'll enjoy, with maximum value.

Economy travel makes good sense. Bon voyage!

Australian Aircraft Charter Services
- why complicate things when it can be simple.