| The best place to buy cheap international plane tickets | | | | You generally can only be an air courier if you travel |
| is online. We've tried travel agencies and they can't | | | | alone. Once in a while, a courier company will have |
| compete with the discount ticket websites. You can | | | | opportunities for flights on or near the same date. |
| search google ("cheap airfare South America", for | | | | Otherwise, your travel partner can pay full fare on the |
| example), or go straight to one of the well-known sites, | | | | same flight. You also can usually only bring carry-on |
| like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or | | | | luggage, since the point is for the shipping company to |
| Priceline. | | | | use your checked luggage allowance. |
| I just did a quick search for the cheapest airfare from | | | | Really Cheap Courier Flights |
| Tucson, Arizona, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, using the | | | | Sometimes air couriers fly internationally for free, and |
| five sites mentioned. They ranged from $1221 down to | | | | almost always very cheap. It is a matter of how badly |
| $873, and there were fares as high as $3728. Hotwire | | | | the company needs you and how flexible you can be |
| happened to have the cheapest, but they were the | | | | (can you fly to Paris on Friday?). In general air courier |
| worst of the five when I searched for a domestic flight | | | | opportunities are becoming rarer, due to the recent |
| earlier. You cannot say which service will find the | | | | heavier regulation of international flights. There still are |
| cheapest international plane tickets from week to | | | | opportunities for cheap tickets, though. You can find |
| week. My number one money-saving tip is to always | | | | out more at The Air Courier Association Website ( |
| check several websites when shopping for | | | | The ACA can also help you get really cheap plane |
| inexpensive flights. | | | | tickets by way of airline ticket wholesalers, discounters, |
| My Accidental $1000 Discovery | | | | last minute specials, and stand-by travel. |
| Before going to Ecuador, I searched several websites | | | | More Tips On Cheap International Plane Tickets |
| that deal in cheap international plane tickets. The | | | | When searching for fares using the discount websites, |
| cheapest airfare from Traverse City, Michigan to | | | | try several different departure and return dates if you |
| Quito, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to | | | | can. The difference of a day or two can save you a |
| Quito, and it was only $400. Airfare from Traverse | | | | lot. There is little logic to airfare pricing, so don't try too |
| City to Miami was $300. Book two separate flights | | | | hard to figure it out. Just be aware that if you leave on |
| and save more than $1000! The discount sites aren't | | | | Friday instead of Wednesday (or vice-versa), you |
| set up to check in this way (yet), so you have to do | | | | may save $100. |
| this on your own. | | | | Check the boxes that say "any time" for departure |
| If your first flight is late and you miss the second, you | | | | and "2 or more connecting flights". Even if you aren't |
| may not get a refund, but it is still cheaper (every time I | | | | sure that you want to leave at midnight, see what your |
| checked) to just book a flight to Miami and catch a | | | | options are-the savings might change your mind. |
| flight to Quito without a reservation, thus avoiding this | | | | Whenever the search criteria allow you choices, take |
| problem. This strategy is best for those in towns | | | | the ones that are the least restrictive for the airlines. |
| without international airports. If you live in Miami, you | | | | Again, if the savings aren't enough, you can always |
| already have cheap international airfare. | | | | book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer. |
| Courier Flights | | | | Buying your plane tickets at least a week in advance |
| As an air courier, you can get really cheap international | | | | is usually cheaper. Also, there can be a dramatic |
| plane tickets. Courier companies ship material in the | | | | difference (but not always) if your trip is over thirty |
| luggage space of an aircraft passenger because it | | | | days. You may want to cut it from 32 days to 30 to |
| can be quicker, cheaper, and more reliable than | | | | save hundreds of dollars on your fare. Play with the |
| sending the shipment unaccompanied, since checked | | | | dates on one of the websites mentioned. You never |
| luggage bypasses many of the typical customs delays. | | | | know what you might discover. |
| The courier company begins by purchasing airfare, and | | | | Want To Go Really Cheap? |
| then they resell the plane tickets to you. In exchange | | | | You can take a bus to a major city, if you don't live in |
| for your luggage space, they give you a discount on | | | | one, and then take an international flight from there to |
| the airfare. | | | | save quite a bit of money. My wife and I recently went |
| An Example Of A Courier Flight | | | | to Ecuador for six weeks. The cheapest discount |
| I saved over $150 on my plane tickets this way when I | | | | website plane tickets we could find were $3400 for |
| went to Ecuador the first time. I had to walk several | | | | the two of us. By taking a bus to Miami ($352 |
| suitcases of car parts through customs, but there was | | | | round-trip for 2), then flying from there to Quito ($622 |
| a representative of the courier company on either end, | | | | round-trip for 2), we saved over $2400 - even after |
| and I did get to look inside the luggage, so I knew what | | | | the taxi fare from the bus station to the airport. That's |
| I was carrying. I had to carry a plane propeller on the | | | | a lot of money to us, certainly worth an extra |
| return trip, but it wasn't too much trouble, and made a | | | | day-and-a-half on a bus. (The whole six weeks cost |
| good story. | | | | less than $2500. |
| Limitations To Courier Travel | | | | |