Flight-booking Secrets that Save You Cash
Wouldn't it be nice if someone would tell us the secrets to getting the good deals? On Easy Does It with Ereka Vetrini, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg exposes flight-booking secrets the airlines don't want you to know about this holiday season.
Greenberg notes that everybody makes the same mistake when it comes to searching for deals-starting with an online search. "You go right to the Internet because you think all the available inventory is on the web. Guess what? Not even close," he explains. All the inventory that's on the web, Greenberg says, is the inventory that the travel providers have chosen to make available. Instead, he tells Ereka Vetrini, travelers should pick up the phone and speak directly to the airlines so that they can negotiate the best deal possible.
Related: The best time to book flights
As for the best time to make those calls? Greenberg says that's between midnight and 2:00 a.m. in the time zone in which your airline is based. And he says that once you are speaking to someone, you should always be flexible about the details of your trip because that may lead you to be told about some great discounted fares you otherwise might not have known existed.
Related: The best day to book your holiday flight and other insider travel tips
In addition, Greenberg explains that "secret flights" do exist, adding that "they're the best deals going." He suggests that travelers look at less-obvious airlines, such as Korean Airlines for a flight to Brazil or Air Tahiti for a flight to Paris. These airlines may begin their flights in their home countries, but they'll make a stop in the United States and then take you where you need to go. "Airfares are usually less, service is better, and they're not crowded flights," Greenberg explains.
As for great deals during the holiday season for those who simply want to get away, Greenberg notes, "the best time to go for Christmas is the week after. It's called the 'dead week." If you fly at this off-peak time, he adds, "you'll save money, there'll be no lines, better service, and you'll own any country you want. It's open."
Watch more Easy Does It videos:
Viewers share their secret cleaning tips!
Take the hassle out of preparing for house guests
Is work-life balance really possible?
