Air travel is pricey these days thanks to junk fees, but there are some perks you may not know about. Travel experts share some bonuses and services to take advantage of. They remind you to read through your airline’s website to get the most from your flight.
Here are the perks:
- Checked luggage guarantees. Delta and Alaska Airlines both have rules that say if your baggage isn’t on the carousel within 20 minutes of your plane’s arrival, you can get a discount or miles.
- Volunteer to be bumped from overbooked flights. If you volunteer to give up your seat on a full plane, you get a voucher for a future flight. You can negotiate to get as much as the last person that volunteers and possibly get a higher-value voucher.
- Tell the airline about a special occasion. You may get a treat or freebie. Let them know ahead of the flight.
- Monitor your flight price. This is a perk before you buy your ticket and afterward. Set flight alerts on platforms like Skyscanner, Kayak, and Google for up until you head to the airport, if your flight price goes down, ask them to honor the new price.
- Request items on the plane. On long-haul flights, there are plenty of amenities that you can ask for. Among them are sleeping masks, pillows, slipper socks, and blankets. There may also be items to keep your kids occupied and food and drinks. Just ask.
- Join the loyalty program. There are perks and advantages.
- Fly at quieter times. This could earn you a free seat upgrade.
- Be extra nice. It gets you far!
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