Finding genuine travel deals at the front of the plane

DALLAS, Texas – In an era of tighter yield management of both fares and award redemption, it is getting harder to find genuine travel deals, most especially for travelers at the front of the plane.

DALLAS, Texas – In an era of tighter yield management of both fares and award redemption, it is getting harder to find genuine travel deals, most especially for travelers at the front of the plane. Consolidation within the industry globally has resulted in lower inventory, which is expected to result in premium international air travel continuing to cost more in 2012.

The seats and amenities upfront are getting better with American carriers finally competing with foreign airlines for the wow factor with first and business class perks. Want more of more? Of course you do, but be prepared to pay for it, royally. So, if you need to be in London, Frankfurt, or Seoul next week, how do you source the lowest possible business class pricing while being intelligently advised on the difference between multiple carriersโ€™ amenities, routes, and schedules? For the most part, good luck with that – and expect to pay more for more with little advance purchase time and with very little guidance or insights as to which carrier will deliver the most for your upfront travel buck. Hopefully, you have a relationship with a premium travel specialist, such as Dallas-based, AccessFares. Like a great doctor or attorney, a dedicated premium air travel specialist on speed dial can ensure you travel well, for less.

Unlike placing your money and trust with an online booking engine, old school travel professionals can help navigate the best route to your destination at the lowest pricing and, importantly, are available to help you after purchase if you need assistance. Another major reason to purchase with premium travel specialists is their knowledge of premium air travel’s wide-ranging products and perks. Ever been disappointed to end up in the older-style herringbone seats when you were looking forward to a fully-flat bed? Which carriers provide pajamas, duvet, and turndown service? Which seats are best avoided, and which ones are snagged first? Know before you go is always a good rule of thumb in travel, but again, good luck trying to extract precise, detailed information out of a booking engine or the carriers themselves, even if you reach their offshore call centers.

John George, Managing Partner of AccessFares, doesn’t beat about the bush on where his loyalties reside : “We do not work for the airlines, period. We’re highly skilled at finding our way around the fast-changing, complex fare systems built by the airlines to serve the airlines’ bottom line. We’re here to serve our clients and to ensure they pay bottom dollar for the very best premium travel experience, which in our office starts with the planning of the trip, not just when you turn left onboard an aircraft.”

To test how cost-effective working with a premium travel specialist is, as opposed to starting your premium travel experience with a booking engine, we put AccessFaresโ€™ pricing up against two major third-party Internet booking sites for three popular international routes: JFK to London, San Francisco to Seoul, and Miami to Frankfurt, all in business class. The results are an eye-opener and hard proof that those coveted, hard-to find unpublished fares are the only way to fly. Here is where a premium travel specialist is your best ally to sort through the complex and often maddening published and unpublished fare maze to arrive at intelligent purchasing decisions.

All comparison pricing was sourced on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 11:00 am PST using Orbitz and Travelocity booking engines for travel within seven days, so with very little advance purchase and a seven-night stay, which is the average length of international business travel. All fares are for travel departing January 30, 2012 returning February 7, 2012 and do not include taxes and fees.

ORBITZ

JFK-LON (London)
US$3,300
SFO-ICN (Seoul)
US$3,463
MIA-FRA (Frankfurt)
US$3,480

TRAVELOCITY

JFK-LON (London)
US$3,418
SFO-ICN (Seoul)
US$3,130
MIA-FRA (Frankfurt)
US$3,850

ACCESSFARES

JFK-LON (London)
US$1,515
SFO-ICN (Seoul)
US$3,004
MIA-FRA (Frankfurt)
US$2,715

Beyond price, which clearly can fluctuate widely depending on where and when you choose to purchase your premium air travel tickets, the true value and benefit of working with premium travel professionals is they have your best interest front and center on their computer screens. This fare comparison clearly demonstrates it pays to leave the heavy lifting to professionals who are well versed in navigating complex premium air travel pricing and airlines who want you to pay substantially more than any reasonable person should.

To learn more about AccessFares’ first and business class pricing to any international destination, visit www.AccessFares.com . Or pick up the phone and call them. Remarkably, AccessFares does not have an automated phone system. A real person will say hello to you when you call. Old school for sure, and there is a lot right with that.

AccessFares is North America’s leading resource for premium air travel offering full client services with deeply-discounted first and business class tickets to both travel industry partners and consumers. AccessFares specializes in contracted bulk rates and discounted published air fares. AccessFares is not a mileage broker.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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