If you're a frequent flyer then you have probably figured out a few good ways to get cheap airline tickets. But why strive for cheap tickets when there are ways to get free airline tickets. If you travel often there are a few strategies you can employ that will often result in free air travel.
SCHEDULE YOUR FLIGHT DURING BUSY SCHOOL VACATION WEEKS. Airlines will always over book on these flights. This results in the airlines offering ticketed passengers travel vouchers to give up their seat in exchange for a guaranteed seat on either the next plane or one shortly after. If the next available flight requires an overnight stay the airline will pay for the hotel and give you some meal money. With the struggling economy, airlines are offering fewer flights to help cut back on fuel costs and other expenses. Take advantage of this situation and travel during the busiest travel weeks/common departure dates. The strategy comes in where you don't accept the first ticket voucher offered. Wait out the airlines to see how much they will offer before trading in your seat. A frequent flier friend of mine who uses this strategy to travel, witnessed an airline offering $1500 per person to get enough takers on a flight to Paris. He stated that all of the flights he received free travel vouchers coincided with school vacation weeks.
OPEN AND CLOSE AIRLINE CREDIT CARDS. Almost every airline has a credit card program where you can earn frequent flyer miles for every dollar charged. Some airlines only offer these cards to people in their frequent flyer program so you may have to join their program first. The best strategy here is to open cards with different airlines. Take advantage of the promotional bonus miles just for opening the accounts and then close the accounts before the annual fee kicks in. You can keep certain credit cards a little longer in situations that offer the best bonuses for dollars spent with the card. For example the latest Delta offer includes a free ticket with the purchase of a companion ticket plus 50,000 miles (enough for 2 free tickets within the continental U.S) if you charge $1000 within the first 3 months of receiving the card. Remember to pay off your airline cards in full every month to avoid high interest rates and cancel the card before the annual fee kicks in.
BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL AIR COURIER. This strategy requires some discounted travel initially but once you establish yourself as a reliable courier you will begin to see opportunities for free international travel. Situations will arise where you will be offered free travel if you can fly that evening or the next day. This may not be the most attractive method for people with family responsibilities but for young people who want to see the world, being able to fly on a moments notice can equal to free air travel. For more information on becoming an air courier visit www.courier.org.
