Getting the Best Deals on Cheap Student Air Travel
When looking for cheap student air travel, students will naturally want to find the best deals available. This article offers some hints and tips on getting that killer student air travel discount.
Cheap Student Air Travel Websites
There are a number of websites dedicated specifically to cheap student air travel. The best known is that of the Student Travel Association, but in the last few years, several pretenders have emerged to snap at its heels. For example, Student Universe, founded in 1992, emerged as an online presence in 2000. Student Universe negotiates directly with airlines to provide the best deal for students, and offers renewable energy credits that allow the environmentally conscious air traveler to offset the CO2 emissions from his or her flight by funding renewable energy projects across the USA.
Even the more mainstream travel websites are trying to grab a chunk of the student market. Orbitz now has a deal with Student Universe to provide their deals via a link from its main website. Click on the "Students Only" link in their flight deals section, but be sure to check their other specials as well, as they may be cheaper than even student air fares.
Money Saving Tips for Cheap Student Air Travel
As well as cheap student air fares, there are other ways to save money once you get to your destination. If you are going to Europe, you might want to look into other means of travel besides air when traveling between destinations on a multi-destination trip. Europe is much smaller in area and more densely populated than North America, and buses and trains can often get you between major cities for far less money than flying. Unlike Amtrak and Greyhound in the United States, ground transportation in Europe, particularly Western Europe, is not just reserved for the homeless and drug addicts, and can offer a level of comfort that compares favorably to that of air travel, especially on shorter journeys of 600 miles or less.
You can also save money on accommodation by staying at a youth hostel. Youth hostels offer self-catering accommodation, usually in a dormitory (though private rooms are sometimes available for a fee), at ridiculously cheap prices. The website hostels.com claims to offer details of every youth hostel in the world and it is worth booking accommodation in advance at the hostel of your choice through them, rather than just turning up and risking finding no room at the inn.
Finally, a word about food. You can often find cheap, flavorful food and drink at local markets. It is far better to sample the local fare than waste all your money on overpriced coffee at Starbucks or fast food at McDonalds. Not only do you save $$$, but you'll eat better too, and you'll get to try products that you might not find at home. After all, what's the point of traveling if not to experience something out of the ordinary?
