People are often better versed as to how to find cheap traveldeals, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discount travel packages, and cheap vacation packages, thanof travel facts not openly shared by travel providers.
The following are some of these facts identified by SmarterTraveler:
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Airlinesestimated arrival times are padded to improve their on-time arrivalstatistics. It is common to see a planetake off late only to make up the time in the air and arrive onschedule. The average scheduled flighttime in 2012 was longer than it was in 1995 on 93 percent of domestic routes.
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Forall intents and purposes there are only three rental car companies inAmerica. The big three control 94percent of the car rental market resulting in car rental prices being verysimilar from company to company. Whilethere seems to be plenty of different car rental companies to choose from, Avisowns Budget and Zipcar, Hertz owns Dollar and Thrifty, and Enterprise ownsAlamo and National.
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Youare far more likely to fly on an old plane than a new one. The average age of U.S. major airlinesfleets is about 14 years old. Americanand Delta have the oldest planes (16 years on average). Studies have shown that a planes age is morelikely to affect passengers comfort than their safety. Experts believe that most planes can besafely flown at least 25 years so long as they are given proper maintenance.
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Certaincruise lines are harming the environment. At sea, untreated cruise ship waste, including raw sewage, can legallybe dumped directly into the ocean so long as it is at least three miles outfrom shore. Cruise ships emissionsseriously contribute to air pollution. Select cruise ships prioritize managing their sewage and pollution in anenvironmentally positive manner. If theenvironment is important to you, research the eco-policies of your ship beforemaking your reservations.
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Pilotsoften are overworked and underpaid, particularly pilots flying for regionalairlines. Work rules sometimes allow pilots to be onduty for 16 hours without a break. Atypical workday in the life of a regional airline copilot, who makes around$28,000 annually, is to be on duty 12 to 13 hours a day, four days a week, inaddition to often having a long commute to an airport.
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Hotelbeds can be full of germs. Most hotelsdo not change their bedspreads between guests. Experts estimate that the average hotel bedspread might be changed onlyfour times a year. Many hotels do notuse waterproof mattress covers to protect the mattresses from millions of skincells, bodily secretions, bacteria, dust mites, and other allergens that guestsleave behind.
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Flightattendants sometimes purposely extend a flight delay so that the airline willpay overtime, which can be as much as double their hourly pay. Remember it is never smart to accuse a flightattendant of employing this strategy.