Thanks to the world financial crisis, lower oil costs and other factors, now is a great time to find cheap flights.

I live in Australia. Just the other day I had an email sent to me with a whole lot of airfares for many destinations around the world. What caught my eye was the cost of a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.

In the past it would always be up around $1500 or more. Now you can fly for just  $955 return, and that is including taxes.

Love New York? Why not visit there? Looking right now at the listed price on Flight Centres website it is $1139 return from Sydney. New York is one of my favourite cities. I am almost tempted to fly over for a visit.

Some more examples of cheap flights are London from $1299. That is crazy when compared to a year ago. It was over $2000 back then. You can pickup a flight to Bangkok for $499 return.

So if you have some cash sitting around that you can afford to spend then what are you waiting for? There really are some great deals on flights.

If you do decided to travel don’t forget to take out travel insurance. This is always something that you think you don’t really need but if you leave home without it you are asking for trouble.

On top of getting travel insurance you should consider travel registration. If you don’t know what that is read up on it from the link above. Basically it means that if there is trouble in the country that you are visiting or if you need to be contacted in an emergency the local diplomatic office can find you.

For me I have top of my list a holiday in Europe. As my wife wants to visit Athens that would be a good starting point. Then across to France and then England.

Whatever you do now is probably the best time to book cheap flights. The financial crisis won’t last forever and also the price for oil is on the way up again.

Where would you most like to visit right now? If you could find a cheap flight where would it take you? Love to read your comments.

Easyjet is one of the largest low cost flight companies in London. It has over 300 routes between 80 European cities. It started business in 1995, and wanted customers to get rid of travel agents to save money.

In July of this year, the company said that they cut out winter flights in an effort to combat rising fuel costs, since they found out that they will probably be facing a 45% drop in their profits. Shares in the company did drop by 6% because of the price of fuel. They have offset a lot of that by increased revenue and cost cutting. They have adopted a smaller winter flying schedule to help defray the rising fuel costs.

They have had to limit the number of flights during times when they wouldn’t make as much money, and put aircraft from less popular places to places that are busier. It operates more than 300 routes from 20 different bases, said that many of the bases are now under review. By being more flexible, by getting rid of unprofitable flying, they are grabbing all opportunities to make a profit and continue to provide Easyjet low cost flights.

The fuel distilled from crude oil used to power aircraft, called Kerosene, now takes up 40% of airline costs. Five years ago, the cost for fuel only took up about 13%. Because the fuel costs continue to rise, 25 carriers have had to stop their services. Carriers who provide low cost flights have not yet fallen victim to the downturn. For now, people are still flying in the low cost sector.

Companies everywhere are cutting out flights, and changing their schedules to help fight off the rise in fuel prices. All airlines are likely to be hit hard this winter, when travel is usually at its lowest point anyway, and adding the fact that the price of everything is rising in relation to the high fuel costs and with the financial crises, most people simply cannot afford to travel. That’s where Easyjet low cost flights can help.

Easy jet’s flights can now be booked entirely online, saving time for the consumer, and money also, since there are no expensive travel agents to consult and pay.

Easyjet and other low cost flights have been bombarded by criticism for there alleged contribution to global warming. Easyjet says that fly newer more energy efficient aircraft than many of their bigger counterparts, and that their point to point services use less fuel than planes that fly to hubs. The critics say that because of their low priced fares, more consumers than ever are flying, and that is leading to increased emissions and to global warming.

If you wanting to do some research before booking your flights then you may be interested in the services provided by Expert Flyer. I came across it after reading some info on the FlyerTalk forum. The information is of more value for people in frequent flyer programs although don’t let this stop you checking it out.

Below is the text from the companies most recent press release.

Popular Website for Business Travelers and Frequent Flyers Allows Premium Subscribers to Access Critical Flight Information Directly from Their Cell Phones

New York, NY – October 26, 2007 – ExpertFlyer.com, the premiere air travel information tool offering complete and efficient ways to access the ever changing details of worldwide air travel information, is introducing ExpertFlyer: Mobile Edition, the fastest and most convenient way for its subscribers to access up-to-the minute flight information about virtually any airline from anywhere in the world.? The new service, available at no additional cost to ExpertFlyer Premium subscribers ($9.99 monthly or $99/annual subscription fee), provides direct access to personalized flight information previously available only through the use of a desktop or laptop computer.? The ability to check saved Flight Queries, Flight Alerts for upgrades and Awards tickets and Seat Maps gives business travelers and frequent flyers using ExpertFlyer.com with a distinct advantage over other travelers searching for the same information.
ExpertFlyer also announced it is adding a new feature to both its new Mobile Edition and “desktop” version for all subscribers (with a starting $4.99/month Basic subscription).? Now, when members search for flight information, they will be able to select their “airport connection” preference that allows them to find flight options with more connections than usual.? This new option is designed for users to see all the possibilities for such things as mileage runs and award and upgrade availability using alternative, non-traditional, routings.

“Our new Mobile Edition empowers our Premium members by allowing them to quickly access the most important travel information they need directly from their ExpertFlyer account to make any last-minute changes or adjustments based on their schedule or special requests,” says Chris Lopinto, co-founder of ExpertFlyer.? “Now, members can check the status of any number of flight information queries on their way to the airport or anywhere else in the world.? This is another way we are providing our members the information they need, when they need it,” Lopinto added.

The Saved Queries feature allows ExpertFlyer members to review — and save — a variety of dates and specific flights to reference later.? This is especially important for business travelers whose schedules are not clearly defined and need to quickly inquire about additional flights to suit their business travel needs.?

Flight Alerts allows members to program up to 20 alerts at any given time and request notification of any matches be sent to three separate email addresses including PDA’s cell phones, and pagers.? Flight Alerts saves hours of frustration and time searching for upgrades or award tickets and gives its members the upper hand at securing any available inventory once they become available.

Seat Maps shows available and occupied seat locations for a particular flight on a particular day for more than 100 different airlines.? The ability to access this information remotely allows ExpertFlyer members to change their assigned seat based on last-minute cancellations or openings provided by the airline.
Editor’s Note:? For interviews or to receive a guest membership for review, please contact Lou Desiderio at 917-627-0912 or at lou@pr-synergy.com

ExpertFlyer.com was conceived and created by an eclectic team consisting of a veteran elite tier frequent flyer, an airline captain and corporate travel manager, and information technology professionals to deliver a 24/7 real time powerful air travel information service.?

The company provides its subscribers and corporate travel managers alike with a complete, concise and efficient way to access the ever changing details of worldwide air travel information.? With the proliferation of online booking services, the scarcity of truly knowledgeable travel agents and the increased desire for frequent flyer awards and elite upgrades, ExpertFlyer provides its members with valuable and otherwise unattainable information to maximize their travel experience at minimal expense.? ExpertFlyer.com, a service of Expert Travel Services, LLC, was designed to meet the needs of the frequent flyer, the airline mileage program “elite tier” passengers, professional travel managers, and the occasional air traveler looking for the best values.

If you have used ExpertFlyer.com I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

In early February we saw one cent airfares for Virgin Blue flights from Sydney to Port Macquarie. They came as the airline launched a new route to Port Macquarie.

Tiger Airways have not gone quite so low, however they are offering bargain priced flights from $9.95. Hurry as they went on sale at 6.00pm on Tuesday 12 February and the sale ends on 13 February. Flights go from Melbourne to Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Gold Coast and several more destinations. The flights are departing from 14 February until October 25, 2008 and include taxes.

Coming up next is a sale of 5000 one way fares on Jet Star for one cent. The fares are to be offered on six routes – Sydney to Gold Coast, Sydney to Melbourne, Melbourne to Hobart, Melbourne to Launceston, Melbourne to Newcastle and Brisbane to Newcastle.

The fares go on sale next week and will be announced via the Jetstar email newsletter. Head over to the site and signup if you are interested in the fares.

It looks like a great time to by looking for a cheap flight in Australia.

The new lost cost airline Tiger Airways has made an impact on the Australian flight ticket prices before they have even commenced services in Australia.

Following the announcement of low cost airfares from Tiger Airways, fellow budget airline Jetstar announced discounted ticket prices for Gold Coast to Melbourne flights next February. The tickets went on sale for the amazing price of $1.

Tiger Airways had earlier announced that a one-way ticket from Melbourne to the Gold Coast will cost $49.95, with the other routes costing $59.95. Tiger Airways is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

The increased competition in the Australian market will be good news for people looking for cheap flights.

Next time you are looking to book your flight to that special destination don’t just settle for any seat. When at the planning stage head on over to SeatGuru. This site has detailed seating plans for many of the planes in service today.

The SeatGuru site has colour coded seating plans. They say on their website when booking your flights you should check the seat availability with the booking engines before you even select them and compare what is available against the seat maps available at SeatGuru. If you are left with nothing but red seats according to SeatGuru you should consider booking an alternative flight.

Valentine’s Day is not far away. You still have time to plan a vacation getaway with that special someone. If you live in the northern states of the USA now is a great time to escape the big chill and head off to a tropical paradise with your partner.

Don’t worry about flowers and chocolates when you can instead take your loved one on a vacation to remember. How does a romantic beach bonfire sound? You can enjoy this in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Just search for a cheap flight and surprise your partner with a valentine’s day vacation. There is nothing like walking hand in hand along a beautiful beach as the colour of the sky magically changes as the sun sets.

If beach vacations are not your style you can opt for a ski lodge complete with log fire to enjoy the company of your valentine. My personal choice would be Lake Louise. If you are looking for a room with a fireplace for that extra touch of romance you could try the Lake Louise Inn. If you want the ultimate in story book romance you can go no further than the Fairmont Chateau, Lake Louise. If you choose this  option look for a cheap flight into Calgary International Airport. You then can take a 184 km (115 mile) bus journey to Lake Louise. I have visited in summer and the scenery is amazinly spectacular, I would love to be there beside the fireplace with my wife enjoying a valentine’s day celebration.

You don’t have long to make this all happen, so act now and head over to the cheapflightscruises.com marketplace and start planning your special vacation for Valentine’s Day in 2007.

This blog is here for you to learn about travel and hopefully contribute your own travel experiences. I look forward to hearing from people all around the world about their favourite travel locations, tips for saving money or tips for finding new and interesting things to do on vacation.

Some of my favourite travel spots include Beijing, China, Hayman Island on the great barrier reef, Paris, London, New York and Fiji. I would also love to hear from you about your favourite destinations.
My most recent travel experiences have just been local holidays in my home country, Australia. My last overseas holiday was to the Shangri La resort in Fiji. I highly recommend this resort. The locals are very friendly and the resort is top notch.

If you are looking around for flights or hotels visit the cheap flights and cruises marketplace. From here there are links to booking sites.

I hope you enjoy your time here.

Rob