Besides getting time off of whatever you do to pay the bills, it seems that the biggest obstacle to ski travel is getting reasonable airfare. While there isn't too much one can do if you are trying to fly out tomorrow to catch the storm hammering Jackson Hole, if you can plan ahead a bit you have a lot more options. Here are some tips to keep in mind, according to www.travelsecrets.com

Check Fares After Noon on Friday
Some airline industry insiders say fare changes are most often announced on Friday afternoons so that the airline can see how it works through the weekend, when sales volume is lower and the price change is less risky for the airline. Then on Monday, they can decide whether to hold that price or retreat to the higher fare.

Go "Back-to-Back"
This is one airlines hate, but you can love. Try buying two discounted round-trip tickets instead of one unrestricted, but more expensive, ticket. You could save hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Use only half of one itinerary and half of the other and then toss the remaining unused segments. It's called "back-to-back" ticketing, and although airlines insist that it's illegal, legal experts like Thomas Dickerson, author of the book "Travel Law", say it is not. "A back-to-back ticket is not illegal. It may be a breach of contract between the airline and the passenger, but it doesn't violate any state or federal laws," he says.

If you book a back-to-back, don't ask a travel agent to do it and don't try to collect frequent-flier miles. If you give an airline your frequent-flier number, it can track your itinerary much easier. In some instances, travelers have been hit with a penalty at the gate for using a back-to-back ticket.









The Saturday Night Stay Rule
Many of the lowest fares require a Saturday night stay. Many times you can save hundreds of dollars if you stay over a Saturday night. This can more than pay for the extra hotel night(s) and meals. Another tactic is to leave on an overnight flight that departs prior to midnight, Saturday night. The fare rule is usually based on the departure time not the arrival time. In fact, many fares are lower on off peak days and times. These days and times vary according to the airline and the markets, but Friday and Sunday are almost always peak days.

Check Out the Little Guys
Lots of ski towns have much smaller regional airports closer to them than the big metro areas. If there is more than one airport around the city you are traveling from or to, check the prices to/from all of these airports. The smaller airports in an area may not only have lower prices on the major airlines, but they may offer service on some of the smaller, more economical airlines.

Get Committed
While it may be sick to head somewhere and stick around as long as the snow holds up, you will probably find cheaper tix if you decide on your dates firmly. Round trip flights will normally produce lower fares than one way tickets. The exception may be for international full fare Economy Class, Business Class and First Class. In these cases, check both the round trip and one way fares. Because of currency differences, this may result in cheaper prices.

Dust off that University ID
Less than a few years old, Student Universe has made way into the student travel world, often with airfares that beat the giant in the market, STA Travel. This winter, Student Universe is offering great student-only airfares to places like Aspen, Eagle County in Colorado (near Vail and Beaver Creek), Jackson, Wyoming, and several ski destinations in Europe. What are the prices like? Airfares for students are often much less expensive than those available to the general public. Mid-January -- a "down" travel time, but a period when many students have yet to return for the spring semester -- is among the best times to find a ski bargain. If booked through Student Universe, fares such as Milwaukee to Jackson or New Orleans to Eagle start at $260 round-trip. Flights to Europe such as New York to Munich (not far from the ski resorts of Bavaria) start at only $270 for students. Check out www.studentuniverse.com

If discount airfare isn't enough for you, try free airfare. At www.myfreeairfare.com they have a slew of great ideas but here is one that I have used a lot myself...and it has often worked. If you have some extra time and don't mind those down hours in the airport, give this a try. It helps a lot of you bring a book.









Overbooking and Getting "Bumped"?
Overbooking is not illegal, and most airlines overbook their scheduled flights to a certain extent in order to compensate for "no-shows." Passengers are sometimes left behind or "bumped" as a result. When an oversell occurs, the Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines to ask people who aren't in a hurry to give up their seats voluntarily, in exchange for compensation. Those passengers bumped against their will are, with a few exceptions, entitled to compensation.

Virtually all major airlines offer free travel vouchers, rebates or cash compensation. The secret to receiving your free airfare, rebates or cash compensation is to plan ahead for all of your flights. By allowing yourself flexibility in your flight schedule you can be one of the lucky people that receives the free airfare, rebates or cash compensation. On 75% of US domestic flights and almost 100% of international flights seats are continually overbooked. By planning ahead and allowing flexibility with your destinations arrival time you will be rewarded with free travel vouchers, rebates or cash compensation to any destination that airline has service to.

The best way to work this is if you use a travel agent. When you book your flights always ask your travel agent how many seats are already sold on your flight. If the flight is almost full several days ahead of the departure date that flight is a prime candidate to be overbooked. Always ask your travel agent what prime time flights to avoid because of overbooking. They will inform you of the busiest flights. Of course, these are the flights you are looking for.

Always show up for your flight at least 1 1/2 hours ahead of your departure time and check in. Make sure that you sit as close to the flight desk located next to the doors that your flight departs from. Let the flight attendant know that if they are overbooked, you and those flying with you are willing to depart on a latter flight in return for free travel vouchers, rebates or cash compensation (always request free travel vouchers first). The flight that you are on is already paid for and covers your present flight. The travel vouchers that you receive you will use on your next trip or vacation.

If you have connecting flights you will also be able to receive free travel vouchers, rebates or cash compensation from them also. Should you be required to stay overnight to make the next flight the airlines will supply you with hotel accommodations, cab fare or a ride to the hotel, free phone calls and a meal allowance.

So consider this, for a couple hours of your time you will have earned free air travel for your next vacation. The value of the free travel vouchers, rebates or cash compensation can be from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on your destination. Not a bad return for a couple hours of your time and you can repeatedly duplicate your results of free travel vouchers for the rest of your life.

Fly Over The Highways
Sometimes, it's just plain expensive to fly somewhere no matter what you do. In these cases, if you really have to get there to catch the snow, make like a tree and leave...via car. I realize that this option has its drawbacks, namely that it requires a reasonable functioning automobile, but there are a lot of up-sides as well.

First off, cheap airfare often means lots of connections and layovers. Sometimes driving there will be faster. If you have at least one co-pilot, you can cover serious ground to even the farthest destinations just by powering through. God love RedBull and coffee. Also, if you are a group of two or three, gas splits up pretty reasonably. Figure your car gets at least 300 miles to the tank. You do the math. Next, it's pretty rad to have car when you get there. Lots of destinations, like SLC or Jackson pretty much require a car. Staying right at the resort is pretty much out of the question for mere mortals, and otherwise you are looking at a half-hour hitchhike or long bus route. Also, most areas have more than one destination within a reasonable drive. Lastly, if you have a decent sized car, you can crash there in a pinch. More on that in the next edition of this article, Sleeps on the Cheeps...be on the lookout tomorrow.

The premise is simple...the grass is always greener, adventures are what life is all about, and lets face it...you've made those same turns at your home resort about a thousand times. Go jump off someone else's rocks. Start planning right now, or better yet, go right to an airfare site and start looking...in another window of course. Never close Biglines!

Here are some good sites to check out for discount airfare:

WWW.EXPEDIA.COM
WWW.PRICELINE.COM
WWW.QIXO.COM
WWW.AIRLINECONSOLIDATORS.COM

Happy travels!