It was my very first time travelling out of the UK and I wanted to see some of Europe. I think this is important so that I can boast to my children that I have seen a bit of the world even though it is just Europe. Step one; it seemed to me was to get as a cheap flight to Europe. The trouble was however in getting my airfares to come down from the high heavens in terms of price. I struggled to rearrange my budget and accommodate the scary costs of the airline tickets and realize my goal of having cheap holidays. I was really running scared and asking myself how on earth I was going to make it out of England and through just two countries with the kind of prices I was seeing. A friend suggested that I focus on getting cheap airline tickets. Really? I wanted to know what part of England I had to stand to get such cheapest flights rain to fall on me. Luckily for me, she is the patient type and took my sarcasm in good faith.
According to her, getting cheap flights is much easier than I imagine. Imagine? I didnt even think it possible. Okay, where do I start from? I wanted to know. She wanted to know if I preferred to travel in premium class. Certainly not. In comfort, yes but except the first class tickets are free, cut that out. Okay, I she advised me to explore the option of travelling via an alternative route. It works this way she explained. I could just fly into Spain and from there to Italy on a low cost airline instead of taking an expensive flight direct into Italy. Hmmmwouldnt have occurred to me in a thousand years. Using cheapest airfare airlines as connecting flights can save a lot of money she added.
She wanted to know where I wanted to visit in Europe. Well, I had Spain, Greece, France and Italy penciled down. Well since I was not looking for cheap flights to Dubai, why not check the foreign websites of the airlines I wish to use for cheaper fares particularly as those countries have currencies weaker than the pound sterling? That way I get to compare flight prices. She had provided another thought that would not occurred to me. She had saved loads of money that way. She simply booked her flight on the foreign counterparts of the country she intended to visit.
Okay, I had a year of school to go right? I answered in the affirmative (as she didnt know, after all we were classmates). Students she informed me, have discounts on airlines and stuff like that. She directed me to STA Travels for more inquiries. She had personally cashed in on this discounts on many occasions by simply tendering her students ID Card. Imagine that! And mine has been just a piece of plastic in my pocket all this while. Wow, now I can compare holidays with my better traveled friends.
Last point she made was to inform me to watch the time I decide to travel. Since I just wanted to travel and get to know places, it was not important that I go in the peak period. Why not just compare cheap flights, go in the off-peak period and get the lower prices? Wow! Did I need any more prompting? Europe, here I come.