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For many people, the connotation of flying economy class sends shivers down the spine.  Economy class may be the step daughter of the airline industry; however it is responsible for the majority of travelers and for most people is perfectly fine and quite comfortable.

For most people, it isn’t worth paying hundreds of dollars more to have a better meal or a leather seat.  Many people who fly economy wouldn’t be able to fly unless the fares are low enough and although economy class is usually seen as sub par, it is mainly a gimmick so that people pay a lot extra for some extra refinements.

Economy class does have its low points though, it usually has the least amount of room and this should definitely be a consideration if you are extra tall or weigh a lot.  Most seats in economy class are usually the least comfortable and covered in cloth. However, if you are only flying for a few hours, it should be more than fine.  There are plenty of chairs in most people’s living rooms less comfortable than economy airline seating.

If you are looking for a great airline fare and aren’t that choosy on amenities, economy class is usually a great way to fly.
 

First class is where airlines try to give their passengers the best in service, seating and amenities.  First class seating usually consists of extra wide seats made from the best leather or materials, lots of leg room, top quality gourmet food, excellent wines and liquors and plenty of service for passengers that  require assistance or just want to enjoy a flight.

First class is usually two to three times the amount of a standard airline fare, but for many people that either fly for business or are on a special once in a lifetime trip is well worth the monetary value for the level of service that they receive.

Everything in first class is done to satisfy the passenger.  You can enjoy a gourmet meal developed by a leading chef and eat it with real silverware and dinnerware.  You also have a choice of fine wines and top shelf liquors.

Comfort is taken to a new level, with some first class seats being able to fully recline, like a bed for extra long trips.  There is usually plenty of entertainment available such as satellite TV, music and magazines.  Service is usually at a much higher ratio than economy or even business class.  If you have the resources or are on a once in a lifetime trip, it definitely pays to fly first class.
 

For most seasoned travelers a good level of service and comfort at a decent price is business class.  Business class is a great way to get more amenities at a price that won’t break your individual or companies budget.  It is also a great way for airlines to reward their loyal passengers without giving them truly expensive fares away.  Here are some tips on business class.

Business class is exactly what it states; it is mainly used for passengers that are traveling for business.  If you are a family with children, business class is definitely not for you, you will probably disturb the majority of passengers working on the flight.  Business class is usually quiet, has comfortable amenities so that people can get work done, read, write emails, etc.  Usually business class seating is wider and has more leg room.  Also most business class seating does not have any middle seats, so everyone is comfortable.

Food and amenities are also at a higher level than economy.  Expect better food, more comfortable pillows and linens and a more insulated feeling than in economy class. For most business class passengers, they have either paid a premium or have been rewarded by the airline; it is safe to say that business class is usually well worth the extra cost to many of these frequent fliers.
 

Besides the right price and flight destination, there is a lot that goes into choosing the right airline.  While most people that fly often know how to determine the right airline, if you fly seldom or not at all, here are some tips on choosing the right airline.

First, think of the services that matter most to you.  For some people, it is extra leg room, especially if you are tall.  For others it is good food or extras such as satellite TV. Some travelers sometimes pick an airline based on the reward programs that they belong to.

Another way to choose an airline is to do some research on a few airlines that fit your budget and routes.  For business travelers that fly often, choosing the right airline can mean the difference between being well rested or annoyed at the quality of service.  While some business travelers don’t have the choice of choosing their own airline, many entrepreneurs do and should choose wisely.

Some of the more popular airlines are low cost airlines, but don’t let their cheap fares fool you.  They are just as safe and service oriented as full price airlines.  Some low cost airlines even have extras that regular airline don’t have, such as leather seats, video games and satellite TV.

One of the major selling points today for airports is their airline lounges.  Airports for some business travelers end up being destinations in themselves. Many road warriors spend plenty of time in airline lounges and even hold meetings at them to cut costs in time and money.  Here are some tips on airline lounges.

Some airports have lounges dedicated to one airline; however, many airports now host companies that have airline lounges throughout many different popular airport routes, for instance, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston.

Airline lounges usually have plenty of business services that make being at an airport, similar to being at the office.  You can easily hook into a wifi hotspot, have access to fax machines, printers and in some cases entire copy shops.  There are also plenty of desk space and even meeting rooms so that you can put on a presentation or talk with others in a business environment.

Airline lounges usually either charge by the day or for a yearly membership.  Rates vary, but you can expect to be charged about $30 and up for use of the facilities for a day.  For many road warriors, a lounge is a great way to get work done, instead of kill time in an airport corridor.

One of the most frustrating and annoying aspects of purchasing airfare and traveling are the extra fees.  Today, there are many extra fees that invariably hike up the prices of most travel services.  If you are looking to avoid excessive fees, here are some tips.

Some of the more common fees are those for extra baggage, baggage that is over a set amount of weight, canceling tickets, upgrading or downgrading tickets, changing the name on a ticket, and changing the date on a ticket. 

If you are planning on traveling, before you purchase your tickets, make sure you read the fine print; this can usually alert you to the airlines procedures and fee schedule.  You can find out ahead of time, how much certain upgrades or changes to your tickets will cost.

If you don’t travel light, make sure you find out the fees for extra baggage or for going over a certain weight.  With increases in fuel prices, many airlines are adding a mandatory fee for extra bags and over the weight limit items.  You can pay over $100 in some circumstances to add an extra bag to storage.  If you want to avoid extra fees, make sure you plan ahead and either call or visit the airlines website.

If you are a frequent flier and would like to save on your airfare purchases, or if you don’t fly often and would like to fly for free, one of the ways to accomplish this goal is by being a member in an air travel rewards program.

You can either sign up for a rewards program through an airline that you use, or many credit cards have programs associated with their cards that can earn you free miles and essentially a free trip if you use your card enough.  Most travel rewards programs are free to join and some of them are great ways to earn miles and trips.  Before you sign up, read the fine print, you might find that the way you buy airline tickets or the way that you use your credit card is not in line with rewards points. 

If you want to find the best rewards programs, you should definitively go online and visit the many forums dedicated to air travel rewards programs. You can learn a lot about the best programs and the worst programs being offered.  You can also hear about special offers that can make it easier for you to earn miles or points so that you can earn free travel, upgrades or significant savings.
 

If you are planning on traveling this year and Europe is a top destination that you would like to visit, you should definitely look into traveling by train. Traveling by train is incredibly popular in Europe and is an excellent and convenient way to get from one major city to another. You can easily travel around the entire continent of Europe by rail, here are some tips. If you are planning on traveling to Europe, rail is possibly the best way to see more than one city. You can reach almost any destination by train in Europe and for the most part, traveling by train is very affordable. For travelers, you can buy two specific types of passes, one type of pass allows you to travel as much as you would like for a set amount of time. For instance, you can enjoy unlimited travel on a train for three days, five days, one week or even two weeks. This is great for people that are not sure where they want to travel once they land in Europe. The other type of ticket is a set amount of trips. For instance, you can purchase a card to take a train ride from London to Paris and that would count as one trip, you can buy 5, 10 or more trips.

If you are planning on traveling this year or are just interested in possible destinations the next time you decide to travel, you should know about the many travel resources available. Travel resources make it extremely easy to find information that is informative and that adds to your travels, here are some tips. Online Resources There are plenty of online resources for finding great things to see and do when traveling. If you are looking for super deals for flying, cruises, renting cars and hotels, you should also check out the internet. The internet is a great place to compare and contrast dozens or more offers at the same time. You can save a lot and learn a lot about different destinations. Guide Books Travel guide books are better than ever and they give users some of the best information available. If you are looking to travel, definitely get your hands on a travel guide book. There are usually a few different types of guide books for the many types of travelers, for instance, college and young adult travelers, family vacationers and mature travelers. If you are looking to travel in the near future, definitely check out the above travel resources.