Booking cheap plane tickets when you travel with children

Before you book anything, make sure you have all the "bits of paper". That means the passport if you're flying internationally. The rules about passports for children are in a state of flux as the new biometric or e-passports come into use. The original system used to add children to their parent's passports but, increasingly, countries are requiring children to carry their own passports with data in machine readable form.

There are also different rules about how often to update the photographs to keep pace with changes in appearance as your children age. Because the airlines are fined if they bring people to a country without the right documentation, you can expect to be turned away at the airport if your documents are not in order. So check the destination countries to see what is required to enter their territory, and check your own government to see what is required to come back home. The fear of terrorism has forced many changes and you need to be up-to-date. Flying domestically, you may need proof of the children's ages and, if one parent is traveling alone, it can be a good idea to carry a letter of authority from the other parent.

With all the paperwork done and the tickets bought, you now need to plan the flight. How much are you allowed to carry on board? Now work out what you need for the children. Making allowances for the rules about taking liquids on board, find out whether you can take bottled water or sodas and snacks. What meals will be served on board, and will they be suitable for your children? How are you going to keep them entertained? The longer the flight, the worse the problem. You will need diapers for the young and possibly a change of clothing for older children just in case they vomit over everything. Think of all the worst case scenarios and take what you can within the weight limit.

Then it is off to the airport and a date with destiny. Family holidays are great fun once you arrive. One final thought - some budget airlines with cheap plane tickets have hidden charges if you do not check in online. Some also charge for transport within the airport to get from the terminal to the plane. The fact that the plane tickets may be cheap gives the airlines an incentive to find other things to charge for. Make sure you have read all the small print and carry enough cash or credit cards to pay as you go. That said, cheap plane tickets may not give the best experience, but they are the means to get you to the end destination and a good holiday. Enjoy!

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Some useful tips on cheap airfares

Buy tickets at the last moment

In contrast to the first tip, there are also situations when it's cost-wise to wait until the last minute. Airlines can offer a very low price for tickets on the flights which are not fully booked, and they will evidently do it in a few minutes before departure. So if you can deal with stress or aren't in a very strict schedule you might consider this option, because the deals are often great and you can manage to travel quite cheap to popular destinations.

Flexibility is key to success

In case you are in an area with more than one airport near you might consider checking airfares at all of them. Sometimes the price will be lower in one airport than another. Also try shifting your departure dates: adjusting it even by a few days can result in a significant price drop. You may find the best days for departure are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, though this may vary from country to country.

Ask for a refund if the prices drop

Some companies will offer refunds in case you purchase a ticket and the price goes down after that. Although you won't find this in advertisements, so you'll have to ask the airline representatives about possible refunds. Not all companies offer such options, but it never hurts to simply ask.

Consider your options

You may be attracted by the first offer you see but don't rush to go with it. Quite often you can get even better prices when you shop around a little. Check with the most popular online air ticket providers and aggregators to check airfares to your destination. Sometimes you won't find a suitable price but you can sign up for e-mail notifications at most sites to get alerts whenever the prices drop to the desired level. Sometimes it is worth waiting a bit to get a more advantageous offer, unless you're in a hurry.

Air passes

With the scope of promoting tourism and travel activities within the region authorities in some countries offer travel passes, which provide great prices to tourists. In case you're planning an extensive travel within one country or a region you might want to check whether there are air passes available there. For example when traveling to Australia you may use the Aussie AirPass, while there are similar offers for traveling throughout the Asia. You can even get great offers in case your trips are even bigger with around-the-world solutions from different companies.

Check for discount flights

You might also check for discount flights and special offers in case you're traveling with children, students or senior citizens. Different companies have different policies regarding discount flights, however there are numerous sites on the web where you can find great discount travel solutions. Just take some time to look through the offers and you might find exactly what you need.

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What to look for in a package deal

If you want to avoid most of the more extreme conditions, it is better to find a consolidator. These businesses buy air tickets in bulk and so get substantial discounts. They act as wholesalers and prefer dealing with the trade rather than customers direct. However, some will sell scheduled tickets direct at big discounts on more liberal terms. As always, do not deal blindly with firms you find over the internet. These are big ticket purchases so you should get some independent verification that the business has been around for a reasonable period of time and appears to be solvent before dealing with it. The theory says that the more business to give in one deal, the greater the overall savings you get. But you need to test the market before you do the deal. Get guideline prices for rentals and insurance before you start. When you contact the consolidator, find out which hotels they offer and what room rates they quote. Never be aggressive. Always be pleasant and calm when pressing for a good deal. Goodwill on both sides gets the best price.

Summing up, the trick is not to see cheap airline tickets on their own. See them as part of a package. If you went to the agent for the airline ticket, the insurance company for a policy, a rental agency for the car and the hotel for a room, you have four chances to lose out on the deal. Putting them together gives you the best chance of a maximum discount so long as you know what the guideline prices are to improve on. Cheap airline tickets are available without too many restrictions if you play the negotiating game well so don't wait anymore, book your airfares online.

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