;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 1 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz

This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The
focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are
also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to
Get Cheap Airtickets".

The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights,
though some information may also apply to international flights.

Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms
and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu.

*** Copyright:

Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved.

This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without
modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed.  It
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents
(e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines,
or other print form) without the prior written permission of the
copyright holder.  Permission is expressly granted for this document
to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.

If this FAQ is reproduced in offline media (e.g., CD-ROM, print form,
etc.), a complimentary copy should be sent to Mark Kantrowitz, School
of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891 USA.

This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty.

*** Recent Changes:

;;; 1.20:
;;; 31-MAY-95 mk    Replaced all the URLs in [4-12] with a pointer to the FAQ's
;;;                 home page, which now includes a substantially greater
;;;                 number of links.
;;; 1.21:
;;; 20-DEC-95 mk    Corrected several London numbers, thanks to Richard Relf.
;;; 19-MAR-96 mk    Info about Jet Train provided by Srivathsan Narasimhan

*** Topics Covered:

Part 1:
  [1-0]  Obtaining the FAQ
  [1-1a] Standard Tricks: Advance Booking Discounts
  [1-1b] Advance Purchase Fares
  [1-2]  Nested/Overlapping Tickets Strategy
  [1-x]  Stopovers and Circle Trips
  [1-3]  Fare Classes
  [1-4]  Classes of Service
  [1-5]  Fare Types

  [1-6]  Special Fare Categories
  [1-7]  Children's Fares
  [1-8]  Clergy Fares
  [1-9]  Military Fares
  [1-10] Senior Citizen Fares
  [1-11] Student/Youth Fares
  [1-12] Family Fares
  [1-13] Conference Fares
  [1-14] Sympathy Fares, Emergency Fares
  [1-15] Refunds

  [1-16] Flying Standby
  [1-17] Getting Bumped
  [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales/Fare Wars
  [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight
  [1-20] Hidden City Fares
  [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket

  [1-22] Discount Airlines

  [1-23] Tour Desks

Part 2 (Travel Agents, Connections, Airports, Baggage):

   Travel Agents:
   [2-1]  Travel Agents
   [2-2]  Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters
   [2-3]  Consolidators
   [2-4]  Couriers
   [2-5]  Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students
   [2-6]  Visit USA
   [2-7]  Free Upgrades to First Class
   [2-8]  Companion Tickets
   [2-9]  Avoiding Travel Scams

   [2-10] Missed Connections
   [2-11] Getting There Faster

   [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier
   [2-13] Hub Cities

   Baggage:
   [2-14] Lost Baggage
   [2-15] Baggage Limits
   [2-16] Pets
   [2-17] Bicycles
   [2-18] Restrictions on Electronics 
   [2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors
   [2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist

Part 3 (Safety & Comfort, Frequent Flyers):

   Travel Safety, Comfort, and Convenience:
   [3-1]  Travel Advisories/Health Information
   [3-2]  Travel Safety
   [3-3]  Air Quality
   [3-4]  Smoke-Free Flights
   [3-4a] Air Pressure Problems (Colds)
   [3-5]  Special Meals
   [3-6]  Jetlag
   [3-7]  Pregnant Passengers
   [3-8]  Tips for Families Flying with Children
   [3-9]  Tips for Business Travelers
   [3-9b] Best Seats
   [3-10] Exchanging Currency

   Frequent Flyers:
   [3-11] Frequent Flyer Programs
   [3-12] Premier FF Membership
   [3-13] Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans
   [3-14] Credit Card Voucher Offers
   [3-15] Telephone Companies
   [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers 

Part 4 (Appendices, Miscellaneous):

   Appendices:
   [4-1]  Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
   [4-2]  Flight Information
   [4-3]  On-line reservation services
   [4-4]  Complaints and Compliments
   [4-5]  Glossary
   [4-6]  Other Sources of Information
   [4-7]  Further Reading
   [4-8]  Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ
   
   Miscellaneous:
   [4-9]  IRS Rules Change
   [4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation
   [4-11] Miscellaneous Notes
   [4-12] World-Wide Web (WWW) Resources

Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly.

*** Notes:

   All dollar ($) amounts in this FAQ are in US dollars.

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