You are ready to do some traveling, but the old bank account is a bit of a problem. Welcome to charter flights, one of the cheaper ways to see the world. Tip on Upgrading To First Class On Charter Flights As you know, flying anywhere these days is a particularly pricey option. Fuel prices are through the roof and airlines are hurting financially. This does not mean, however, that you have to get stuck with the high price of a flight. Charter flights offer a fairly amusing, but always cheaper alternative. Charter flights are cheap because the airline is usually very small and only flies part time. Obviously, each company is different, but most fall within this definition. The advantage for you, however, is said companies have much smaller overhead than big airlines and their prices reflect it. During the summer, for instance, you can usually get a roundtrip ticket to Europe for anywhere from twenty to fifty percent less than the going rate on major airlines. Given the cheap price and small nature of the company, there are some downsides to flying charter. First, the planes are not exactly new. Second, the company only has a few flights a year, so they pack passengers on. On a fourteen hour flight, a packed, older plane can leave much to desire. Fortunately for you, however, there is a solution. One of the interesting things about most charter flights is they offer first class accommodations. This is interesting because it is hard to imagine exactly who would fit the customer profile. If you have the money to fly first class, you probably are not hunting through the charter flight listings. In fact, few people ever seem to book the first class section. The economy section looks like the mosh pit a concert, but only a few people sit in first class. This situation is a golden opportunity for the savvy traveler. Yep, you can upgrade from economy to first class with little of complexities of a major airline. Oh, I should also mention the upgrade is incredibly cheap. I did it on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles for $50. Best money I ever spent. To get the upgrade, you simply ask for it when checking in for the flight. The charter company is trying to wrestle every buck they can out of the flight, so they are more than happy to give you an upgrade to first class for the flight. I have done this no less than five times and usually pay $100 or so for the upgrade. The most I ever paid was $200, but it was a 20 hour flight back from Asia and I was willing to pay more! If you are looking for a cheap flight, charter airlines offer a potential solution. Where else can you fly first class for less than an economy ticket on a major airline? |
