Until recently I was unaware of the fact that airlines offer discounts to college students in certain circumstances. This is obviously very useful for most college students who like to or need to fly frequently as it can save a lot of money. In this article I will provide details on how the program works so if this sounds like something that can be useful to you or someone you know read on.
Many airlines offer students the option to travel at a discount rate just for being in college. This however is only the case in certain circumstances, for example if there are extra seats left over on the plane after everyone else has bought their ticket. The way this works is the student is placed on a standby list for the selected date and trip, if there are extra spots available for that flight the student can travel on that flight with a significantly cheaper ticket. However if there are no more spots the student will have to wait for the next available flight until a seat is found. This may sound a bit tiresome and annoying but after all it is a price that must be paid in order to fly for less. Considering the fact that most college students are not exactly financially secure, most of the time the price is worth the hassle for most.
The biggest downside to this method however is the fact that it cannot be utilized if a student is traveling on a strict time based schedule as seats might not be available on the spot and sometimes a day or two of waiting is required. The alternative method is simply trying to find a good deal on tickets with set dates in advance so time will not be an issue.
If a student is considering this method there are some things that need to be checked in advance however in order to avoid problems later. First of all every airline that offers this service has different policies and regulations so make sure to check each one to avoid unpleasant surprises later on. Another important detail that is mandatory for anyone using discount air fare is checking the prices of each airline in order to find the best price. Also be aware that some airlines will only offer the service for international trips or only for domestic ones so make sure to check that as well.
Another issue to consider is the use of frequent flyer miles with the discount program, check if the frequent flyer program can be used with the student discount program. It may be more beneficial to travel with a regular priced ticket if you travel often in order to gain more frequent flyer miles. In the end it may save you more money than using the student discount program.
Lastly also check the airline’s policies concerning the amount of luggage allowed per seat when using their student discount program. This may be a deal breaker as some airlines may not allow a large amount of luggage on board the plane if the student has bought a discount ticket. In the end this method can be very beneficial but only in the correct circumstances. So anyone interested in using the student discount rates should do some research on the airline they intend to use to make sure everything goes as planned the time for the trip arrives.
