Wednesday May 2, 2001

Tips from the Travel Detective

Cramped cabins, measly meals, shoddy service, and those dreaded delays. While we wait for a passenger's bill of rights to be enforced, there are ways you can beat the airlines at their own game. Get great deals, great seats, without a lot of hassle.

Extra's travel detective, Peter Greenberg, says fare wars make Wednesday the best day to buy your ticket. But the time of day may not be so convenient. A minute after midnight Wednesday morning is the exact time computers eliminate higher fares.

And when you've got an agent on the phone, don't tell them when you want to fly. Ask them to punch up every published fare on your route. That way you can make your schedule fit the cheapest fare. Greenberg says, "So you end up backing into the fare that you want to pay as opposed to stepping up to the fare that they want you to pay."

Tips on picking out the perfect seat

Virtually every aircraft in the air has secret coach seats that the airlines will never tell you about. These seats can actually be better that business-class or even first-class seats, in terms of comfort, privacy, or ease of movement. Airlines hold back the secret seats until they absolutely have to sell them - or until you walk up and ask for one! -- courtesy of The Travel Detective by Peter Greenberg

And don't let the airlines sell you on those convenient e-tickets, they can be your ticket to trouble down the road. Greenberg says, "The problem with the e-ticket is you've got nothing to bargain with, nothing to trade. With a paper ticket, now you've got some power."

Power to turn your old-fashioned paper ticket into a seat on another airline if your flight is cancelled or delayed. You can't do that with an e-ticket.

No cash for first class? No problem. Greenberg says there are secret seats for every airplane. Yes, secret coach seats. He says the seats behind the exit rows generally have more leg room plus easy access to exits and bathrooms.

Where you sit can also effect when and what you eat. Airlines always serve food either front to back or back to front. If you're going be one of the last served, ask the flight attendant to save the meal you want before ever getting on board.

So think twice before taking off, you may actually enjoy the ride.