How To Avoid An Embarassisng Situations At The Airport Ticket Counter

This is a valuable and important tip for all of our friends who enjoy booking discounted air fares online. It comes from a real life experience I witnessed this past weekend when I was on my way to Minneapolis from Salt Lake City.

 

A man traveling alone booked his airfare through an online travel website. He got a really "good deal" for his round trip flight from Minneapolis to St. George, Utah. Well, he was headed back to Minneapolis and decided to take an earlier flight out of St. George to Salt Lake City. He paid $50 for the earlier flight and thought he would be able to get on the next connecting flight to Minneapolis, which happened to be the same flight I was on. What he didn't realize and understand was that he still had to complete his itinerary that he got a "good deal" for. Just getting to Salt Lake City earlier did not mean quick passage to Minneapolis.  He had to take the flight that he had originally booked from Salt Lake City to Denver and then to Minneapolis. As he argued for a seat on my flight, it was obvious that he didn't understand the terms under which he booked his "good deal". I did not envy the ticket agent as he verified the information with the ticket agent in St. George and then proceeded to patiently and articulately reiterate the terms of the fare.

 

All this to say, please be sure that when you are booking your "good deal" online that you understand the terms of the fare. It may mean that the "good deal" makes 2 stops before you arrive at your final destination. It may mean that you will have time consuming layovers. It may also mean that deviating from the itinerary will require additional money to make the change. So, evaluate your options carefully. How a "good deal" is measured is dependent on your personal values and your priorities. Time more than money, or money more than time? Good value does not always mean the lower number wins.

 

With the numerous types of airfares and the different restrictions that come with it, it can be headache to decipher. If you're not sure, call your travel agent. That call may be the difference in avoiding an embarassing situation at the airport ticket counter.

 

Safe travels!