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Using Courier Flying for Discount Travel |
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Unless you happen to be wealthy and have a lot of free time,chances are you wish you could fly more often than you currentlycan. Airfare is, of course, the most cost prohibitive element oflong distance travel. Many people find themselves in situationswhere they know someone they could stay with in another city -so accommodations would be free - but there's simply no way ofbeing able to get there affordably. In terms of discount travel,there are some solutions to expensive airfares that are worthlooking into if you are flexible and interested on a short visitrather than a long trip.
One of the cheapest ways you can fly is called courier flying.How this works is: courier companies exist that specialize indelivering relatively small packages quickly - things likeimportant business documents etc. ... and what these companieswant is your baggage allotment on a flight. So they will offerextremely discounted fares in order to get your baggageallotment.
If you sign up for a courier flight, your job will be to show upat the airport with carry on luggage only, meet someone with apackage who will check it onto the plane in your space (youwon't normally have to handle the package), and take the flight.In most cases you are required to take a return flight as wellin a relatively short time (usually a few days, and rarely morethan a month), which is why courier travel is more suitable toquick cross-country visits than long term travel.
Here are some samples of the approximate discounts on returnfares, obtained through a simple internet search: New York toParis, $250; Los Angeles to Sydney, $400. In some cases, if youare on their call list, the courier may become desperate with alast minute flight and offer it for free.
Now, with such extreme discounts, there must be a catch, right?Of course: courier flying would be simply too good to be true itdidn't come with an extreme lack of flexibility. Courier flyingworks by placing yourself on a list to be contacted by thecompanies. You're not likely to receive much notice, and untilyou board the plane, your fate is entirely in the hands of thecourier company: if there is a change or a problem with thepackage, for example, you're out of luck.
More so than other types of discount travel, courier flying isdependant on you being able to establish a repoire with thecompany. If you have been flexible and completed flights for acompany in the past, you may be able to establish a relationshipwhere they call you first to offer a flight, in which caseyou'll have some more options.
Regardless, to engage in courier flying you have to be veryflexible, and although it is one of the most extreme forms ofdiscount travel available, it remains fairly restrictive. Ifyou're interested your best bet is to try one or two courierflights and hope that you can establish a good relationship withthe company.
About the author:
CaribbeanChoice.com is your Gateway to the Caribbean featuring articles,information, travel services, recipes, forums and more. Onelove. One people. All Caribbean. http://www.CaribbeanChoice.com
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