Flying will be your fastest and easiest method of transport when travelling, but it will also swallow up a lot of your budget, especially for round the world trips. Its important to look around for the best air fares, you can save money. Here we will look at how to get the best deals for flights, a few tips on how to save money by being flexible and how to construct a round the world route (and complement it will overland sections).
Get Quotes!
Firstly with any type of flights, don't just go to your local travel agent and book - look around at different travel agents, and also look online (See recommended links below). Putting a little effort in here will be worth it as you will get the best deal, saving money here means there is more to spend while you are away!
Student? Under 26? - Discounts!
Its also important to be aware of the discounts that airlines offer for students and anyone under 26. STA Travel normally alert you to this more than other travel agents. You would normally have to pay a small fee (£7) for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), or a International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) to prove the fact you are a student or under 26 - this then allows the travel agent to offer you certain air fares at discounted prices.
Coming soon to independent journey - Discount Cards Feature...
Round The World Tickets
When round the world tickets are involved, there are several different tickets available - the major airlines get together to form alliances to help offer such tickets. We will be covering round the world tickets in detail soon here on independentjourney.com so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime check out recommended links below for the different types of round the world tickets. Again, get plenty of quotes when it comes to round the world tickets, you may find that some travel agents are willing to undercut a quote from another company, especially when you are willing to spend such a big amount of money (£800+) on a ticket. You don't get if you don't ask!
Can You Be Flexible?
If you are flexible about when to leave, you could again save money. With every form of transport there are peak and off peak periods to travel, if you are willing to set off a few months earlier or later in what would be low season, then you will certainly get it cheaper than travelling during high season. Its certainly something to consider, but don't let saving a bit of extra cash here affect your trip - especially if you were planning to get to places for events, festivals or to catch the best weather.
Use Stopovers Wisely
When planning your round the world route, try to use your limited stopovers wisely. To do this you may wish to include overland sections in your trip meaning you can fly into one city - then travel overland to the airport you will fly out of. This way you have only used one stopover instead of two(flying into one airport and out of another counts as one stopover, not two). For example, you may want to visit Sydney and Cairns in Australia - if you fly into Cairns for a week, then fly to Sydney for a week, then Fly out - that counts as two stopovers. If you decide to travel overland between Cairns and Sydney so you fly into Cairns, then use a bus as overland transport (visiting other places between) to get to Sydney and then fly out - thats one stopover in total. Doing things like this will make your round the world ticket stretch that little further and adding a few overland sectors will enable you to see more of the country you are visiting (see the next section for more information on overland travel).
Independent Journey Recommends.....Websites
Travel Bag - http://www.travelbag.co.uk/
"Flights and round the world travel, including a RTW planner."
STA Travel - http://www.statravel.co.uk/
"Travel agents focusing on independent youth travel."
Student Flights UK - http://www.studentflight.co.uk/
"Part of Flight Centre - focuses on backpackers and gap year travel."
Round The World Flights - http://www.roundtheworldflights.com/
"Part of Global Village Travel Agents, focusing on RTW travel."