Airfare Search Engines are Clearly Different

When Everything Seems Fuzzy

I love the Kayak.com airfare search and have blogged about how good it is on dozens of occasions. When you request information about airfare on Kayak, it quickly searches more than 100 major travel sites as well as all of the airline direct sites. Then it accesses and prices and itineraries on more than 550 airlines in a very smart and sortable display.

Kayak then gives the user a number of airfare booking options like booking directly from the airline by clicking on a direct URL, calling the airline by their tollfree phone number, or even booking via Orbitz or Expedia.

What's not to like about that?

Well..., I do wish that their airfare search results would display in a larger and more readable font.

Firefox users can use the control + + keyboard shortcut to give the font size a boost and I'm sure there is a similar remedy for other browsers. The thing is, it's a a good fix for the actual airfare search results but it makes the images and the other text seem out of proportion.

Eric Hammer just gave a solid review of Zenni Optical so maybe I'll give them a try. Zenni sells basic prescription eyeglasses for 8 bucks a pair and the article says they are top quality. Maybe I need some glasses!

Happy airfare searching folks!

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Airfare Prices Soar on Peak Travel Dates

Avoiding Peak Travel Dates Makes Cents!

One of our top travel tips at airfare-now.com is to find out when peak travel dates are and then avoid them like mad! Peak travel dates have two major problems that can be associated with them: 1) airfare, hotel rooms, and car rentals tend to be more expensive on those dates, and 2) everyone and their brother will be traveling on those dates (hence the name "peak travel dates").

Whenever possible, you should purchase your airfare for a few days before peak travel periods and plan to come back a few days after. By doing this, you can almost always guarantee reductions in airfare prices and all of the other components of your travel budget.

What are the peak travel dates that I should avoid, you ask? It depends on your destination. For Florida airfare (and for most ski resorts too), it's all dates from December-March. For Europe however, it's summer. Peak holiday travel dates are the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, along with December 23, December 26, December 27, January 2, and January 3.

Should I Purchase Travel Insurance?

What Does Travel Insurance Do?

If you question the need for travel insurance, you probably question the need for other types of insurance as well. Whether travel insurance is necessary or not is your call, but I will tell you that it's fairly inexpensive and can be helpful in four specific areas:

1. It can reimburse your travel investment due to a trip cancellation or early termination.
2. It can reimburse you for unexpected travel expenses from lost luggage or departure delays.
3. It covers emergency medical assistance and referrals.
4. It pays for medical assistance when traveling abroad.

Personally, I don't bother with travel insurance because I feel I'm adequately insured in other areas that would duplicate much of that coverage. My medical insurance, for example, knocks down numbers 3 and 4 on the above list and my frequent flyer memberships are very helpful when it comes to lost luggage and flight delays.

My advice is to visit Washington insurance (a NetQuote.com website) and make sure you are adequately covered for auto, life, health insurance, etc. Once those coverages are firmly in place, decide the need for travel insurance on a per trip basis.

Houston Airfare Deals

Houston Texas Airfare Deals Alert

From the unbelievable airfare deal department, I'm right now looking at a one way flight from Detroit to Houston in March for just $49 including fees. I've seen cheap flights to Houston before, but I've never seen $49 from Detroit and especially during the month of March.

March is the month that Houston goes nuts and has their big Houston Rodeo event. It's an exciting month for Houston which is well known for these types of events. Most notable in Rodeo Houston however are the celebrities and concert performances in about evry genre imaginable - Stand-Up Comedy, Country Music, Rock Music, Hip-Hop, even Blues! The rodeo has in fact drawn some of the world’s biggest music legends like Elvis Presley.

This year's performances are over the top with huge acts like The Jonas Brothers, Brooks and Dunn, Tim McGraw, and Brad Paisley to name just a few, and Houston Rodeo concert tickets are selling fast!

Here are some Houston airfare deals in March from Kayak.com:

Detroit, MI to Houston, TX (RT) for $98
Omaha, NE to Houston, TX (RT) for $119
Los Angeles, CA to Houston, TX (RT) for $139
Seattle, WA to Houston, TX (RT) for $149
Honolulu, HI to Houston, TX (RT) for $484

If you ever wanted to see the rodeo in Houston, these airfare deals may finally offer you the chance!

Airfare-Now Recomends All Inclusives for Holiday Travel

Finding Airfare Deals 

The school year is nearing an end and summertime is right around the corner!

With that said, it's once again time to start planning holiday travel and the staff at airfare-now.com is suggesting a fresh look at all-inclusive packages.

Whether you're on a restricted budget or you're simply wanting a more predictable set of expenses, all inclusive holidays can save you money when compared to airfare only or holiday ala carte arrangements. Because the companies offering all inclusives have formed such close ties with airfare vendors, hotels, and tourist attractions, they can usually get you a better rate than if you purchase them separately. Their connections can get you discount airfare along with some terrific savings on other holiday expenses.

It's a win-win!