***************************************************************
The Right Way to Travel
Edited by Lori Allen in Arlington, VA
September 7, 2007

“The saying ‘Getting there is half the fun’ became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines.” -- Henry J. Tillman

**************************************************************

Today:

*** How a $545 Flight Turned into $840: Six Tips for Booking a Fair Deal and Avoiding Hidden Booking Fees
*** Let Us Refund Your Money on Every Travel Product You Bought From Us in the Past 12 Months, Details Below…
*** Practical Writing Prompt of the Week: Turn Fall Offerings into a Paycheck
*** Reader Feedback: My Article Was Accepted Thanks to Jen’s Advice on Writing Headlines
*** More Opportunities and Resources for Writers

********************

*Advertisement*

**Downloadable** Business of Writing Guide

Learn how to find the best story ideas and places to publish them…how and when to follow up with an editor…what you need to know about buying rights, contracts, and agreements…how to use syndication to increase your exposure and boost your earnings…and more.

All in one easy-to-search downloadable guide; visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/biz/website for details.

********************

Dear Reader,

If you’re like me, you appreciate a good bargain. I’ll spend an hour online (sometimes more) searching for a good deal if it means I can save an extra $15. And I’ll gloat for days if I save more than $30.

(By the way, if I’d have known what I know now about buying round-the-world tickets, I’d have saved between $2,000 and $3,000 on the round-the-world tickets we bought for our honeymoon. I’ll tell you more about that in an upcoming issue.)

What’s bothering me today, however, is how crafty the airlines (and their ticket brokers) are getting at hiding little fees in their ticket prices. It’s harder today than ever before to discern a good deal from an average one. Most good deals aren’t what they seem…

For instance, I just found a great deal on Spirit airlines for my flight from Washington D.C. to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for AWAI’s annual copywriting bootcamp in October. The advertised price is $69 each way. But here’s the end result:

As often is the case, the $69 deal is only good for one segment of my flight. It only applies to travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The other leg of my trip is $109, because I need to fly home on a Sunday.

This is still a good deal though, because $178 (that’s $69 + $109) is better than the $218 flight I found on Delta.com.

But then there are the airport taxes and government fees, as I discovered when I hit the "order" button, which come to an additional $21. That brings my total to $199 -- still cheaper than my $218 quote from Delta.

But then here’s the kicker: Spirit airlines charges $5 for each and every checked bag you carry. That’s $5 each way if you check in online and $10 each way if you check your bag at the airport without first paying the fee online.

This isn’t something they advertise. It’s just something I happen to know because I was on their site the other day checking out the fine print.

So now my original good deal of a ticket from D.C. to Florida for $138 is actually $219 -- if I check just one bag. It's $239 if I check two. And it's a whopping $618 if I check three or more bags (your third checked bag on Sprit is $100 instead of $10). What’s more, on Delta, my snacks would be free. But on Sprit I'm going to pay another $2-$10 per drink and per snack.

My point is: If you want a good deal, be prepared to research the fine print. Here are a few tips that can help…

1. GET TO KNOW YOUR TRAVEL WEBSITE: Some websites like Expedia.com and Travelocity.com quote prices that include extra fees and taxes (the price quoted is the price you’ll get at check-out). Other sites, like Orbitz.com and Cheapticket.com, aren’t so obvious. I just plugged in a flight to Paris from D.C and got a $835 quote from Travelocity and a $545 quote from Orbitz. Look carefully, though, because Orbitz lists the real price ($840) in smaller type below the appealing $545 price.

2. ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT: If it states that prices include all taxes and fees, this should be the final price. If not, double-check the total before you click "buy."

3. BE CAREFUL WITH SITES LIKE KAYAK.COM: Kayak.com is great for comparing prices on sites like Orbitz and Expedia (in fact, it’s my favorite) but they sometimes quote the cheaper (pre-tax) flight and you’ll find that the real price is much higher once you click through.

4. CONSIDER BUYING DIRECTLY FROM THE AIRLINE: You’ll avoid extra booking fees if you order direct from Delta, Continental, American Airlines, etc. What’s more, you can also check out their baggage check policies… food and catering services… entertainment fees… and child carrying fees. Delta now charges an extra 10% for a baby carried on her mother’s lap. And some airlines count strollers and car seats as part of your allowed luggage.

5. WATCH OUT FOR DISCOUNT COUPONS: I recently used a discount companion coupon on Delta that entitled me to a free companion pass on my next Delta flight. The coupon said that I had to call a special number to reserve the flight. I did, and of course the ticket wasn’t valid on most of the discount Delta flights I found online. We did, however, find a reasonably priced ticket, so I booked it. Little did I know, however, that Delta charges $20 per ticket for every ticket ordered over the phone. Of course, it wasn’t my choice to order over the phone (the coupon said I had to) nor did they tell me about this charge when I ordered.

6. ORDER ONLINE: To avoid call-in reservation fees, try not to talk to an agent. It’s almost always cheaper to book online these days.

If you’re joining us in Santa Fe next month for our last travel photography workshop of the year, I hope you’ll put these tips to good use and save yourself a few dollars on your airfare.

You'll find all the details about our upcoming program here. The Early Bird Discount expires on Monday at midnight. Don't wait and pay more. Reserve your place today and save $200:
http://www.thephotographerslife.com/santafe

And don’t forget to scroll down to today’s writing prompt and get your next story ready for publication.

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI's Travel Division

P.S. Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter

***************************

* Highly Recommended*

I'd Like to Refund Your Money on Every Travel Product You Bought From Us in the Past 12 Months

Then give you a $8,025 head start on your new travel career...

...AND send you on a trip that will help you earn an income while you travel the world as a VIP! But your timing is crucial...

Here’s more: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/loy/website

***************************

PRACTICAL WRITING PROMPT OF THE WEEK:

Labor Day has come and gone and the streets are once again filling up with kids on their way to school. You know what this means: Soon the leaves will be falling and autumn will be in full-swing.

This week, spend some time researching fall events in your town. You can focus on one event, or if you know of several enticing things happening nearby, you could look for fodder for a round-up article.

Think: top five things to do this fall in your town.

While larger publications have strict editorial calendars and plan ahead for seasonal articles, you can still pitch your story to small online publications.

If you do write a round-up article, don’t forget to think about your audience. Who are you writing for? What kinds of events would they go to? You don’t want to highlight five festivals that would appeal to families and then throw in something singles would enjoy.

Also, think about where your audience is from. Are you focusing on people in your town or on people traveling from somewhere else? What would they need to know or already know about how your town is laid out, and how to find what they’re looking for?

[Note: If you're a member of ATS's Unlimited Critiques Program, you can upload your article to their critique site once you've written it. And you can expect to receive a helpful critique within 48 hours.

For more information about the Unlimited Critiques Program, visit:
http://www.acceleratedtrainingservices.com/tuc/website]

And remember, you can always send it to Travel Post Monthly: http://travelpostmonthly.com/

***************************
**Advertisement**

TURN YOUR PICTURES INTO CASH

If you can take a simple picture you could make $200 - $2,000 a week taking snap shots in your own backyard... on your family vacations... or anywhere in the world you care to travel.

You don't need fancy equipment. And you don't need to know a thing about photography to get started. Turns out all you need are the few simple secrets behind taking the kinds of photos that sell best. They're easy to learn. And you can make $150... $400... even $800 per sale.

Here's everything you need to know about this fun and lucrative side-business: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/ph2/website

***************************

READER FEEDBACK: Great advice on writing headlines…

“Just as I was reworking an article that I had submitted and had rejected, the column from Jennifer Stevens came out on How (and Why) to Write Headlines to Catch an Editor's Eye on August 18. I applied the technique, using September Danish Days: Vikings Descend on Solvang-Again for an article submitted to TravelingTales.com. I tried an article for them last December but fell short of my goal. Along with a much better rewrite, I believe Jennifer Stevens' advice made a difference. It is up on the site now and they have asked me if I have any more in my "bank" of stories! Thanks for the input. It's always good advice.” -- Sheila Fox Tanksley

****************************

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:

* JOIN US IN SANTA FE: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/santafe

* NEXT TIME YOU TRAVEL--GET THE BEST DEALS AND HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCES
http://www.isecureonline.com/Reports/120SSECU/W120H1AI

* CAN YOU RETIRE AND GET PAID TO TRAVEL?:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sh/website

* BECOME A SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR
http://www.publishachildrensbook.com/fr89

*HOW (AND WHEN) TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN EDITOR: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/biz/website

* CAN YOU WRITE A SIMPLE LETTER?
http://www.thewriterslife.com/fr89

****************************

The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.

(c) 2007 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
memberservices@awaionline.com

To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com