Dont assume because you are a savvy traveler and only makereservations after a careful review of available cheap traveloptions, including cheapfares, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages thatyou have to be ready to accept uncomfortable economy class seats.
The following are strategies on how to fly in greatercomfort, according to George Hobica:
-
Do notagree to pay for premium economy seats if when you go to select your seat thewebsite indicates that only the more expensive premium economy seats areavailable. If you would like a seatassignment before arriving at the airport, call the airline directly. Usually 24 hours prior to departure airlinesrelease additional seats for assignment. Also, if all of the cheap seats are assigned, than you should be ableto get a premium economy seat when you check in with the airline at the airportat no additional expense.
-
Do notassume that business and first class seats are beyond your means because theycost as much as 10 times coach seats. Often there are non-refundable business and first class tickets thatcost only modestly more than economy tickets and often for the same price asrefundable coach fares.
-
Checkthe website seatguru so that you can be better informed how to select a moredesirable seat. All seats are not thesame. Seatguru informs users which planetypes, airlines, and seats might have more legroom or be otherwise morecomfortable.
-
Remember,whenever possible, fly JetBlue if you want maximum legroom in economyclass. JetBlues A320/A321 planes haveseat rows spaced at least 33 to 34 inches apart in coach vs. 31 to 32 inches onmany airlines, and JetBlues even more space seats range from 37 to 41 inchesapart.
-
Redeemfrequent flier miles to upgrade your seat vs. on an inexpensive economy classticket. Upgrades on the cheapest economyclass tickets to business or first can often be had for 15,000 miles each wayon American and United. Think aboutredeeming 25,000 points on a $250 coach ticket, or 15,000 miles upgrading a$139 coach fare to a $2,500 business class fare.
-
Earnmore miles by applying for airline affiliated credit cards that offer 40,000(or more) bonus miles just for applying, and then check the bonus mile offerson airlines shopping malls before buying anything online.
-
Youare more likely to find the middle seat open if you fly on a Tuesday orWednesday which are the days fewer people fly. An additional bonus is that tickets tend to be cheaper on those days.
-
Selectflights on newer planes even though they usually do not provide morelegroom. The attraction of new planes isthat they tend to have better in-flight entertainment, better power portoptions, and other benefits. Americansjust launched A321 is much nicer than its old 767 aircraft.
-
If youfly often via United, look into its Economy Plus annual subscription. $499 provides subscribers unlimited domesticupgrades to Uniteds extra legroom seating whenever it is available at the timethe reservation is made. An additional$200 provides access to Economy Plus on Uniteds global routes.
-
Sometimesit is preferable to pay for advance seat assignments on select airlines. For example, British Airways only allowseconomy class passengers, who do not pay extra, to request specific seatassignment 24 hours before departure. Insuch cases, passengers who do not pay for an earlier seat assignment tend toget stuck in the worst seats remaining on a plane.
www.cheapfares.com