Seminars

 
The Decoding Air Travel Seminars are one-day sessions for frequent travelers and businesses interested in substantial savings and improved comfort and convenience while flying. They offer hands-on, real-time and real-life booking exercises — it doesn’t matter whether you are an individual or a group of friends or co-workers.
 
Individual rate: $500
Group rate (up to 15 people): $5,000
The instructor’s travel expenses outside Washington, D.C., are additional.
For questions or to book a session, please contact us.

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Session 1
AIRFARE INTRICACIES, BOOKING SECRETS & STRATEGIC TRAVEL PLANNING

The Science of Air Travel
How is the fare “sausage” made? Accessing raw airline data. What is an airline tariff? Valid travel days and dates. Blackout dates and surcharges. Penalties for voluntary changes. One-way and round-trip fares.

U.S. Domestic Fares
Cheapest days to book and to fly. Why fare wars are a traveler’s dream. UP fares — Economy or First Class? Standby and same-day confirmed changes. Stopovers and “legal connections.” Transfers and “legal routing.”

International Fares
International taxes, fees and surcharges. International airline tariffs. Valid travel dates and days of the week. Valid flights and carriers. Transfers and “legal routing.” Stopovers and “legal connections.” Changing and canceling a ticket.

Flight Inventory
U.S. domestic flight inventory. Inventory management basics. International flight inventory. “Single” and “married” flights segments.

The Kralev Method
Identifying the lowest fare on the tariff. Is the fare practical and convenient. Can we meet the fare’s conditions? Finding booking-class availability. Matching tariff and inventory data. Real-life application of the Kralev Method.

Outsmarting the System
Beware of “code-share” flights. Fake “direct” flights. False fare advertising. How airlines overcharge customers. When fares jump on you for no reason. Unreliable airline websites. Airfare mistakes.

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Session 2
MASTERING THE FREQUENT-FLIER GAME AND FLYING IN LUXURY

Frequent-Flier Programs
Choosing the best program for you. Earning flight miles. Strategies for maximizing miles. Earning miles without flying. Revenue-based programs. The airline loyalty business. The power of customer feedback.

Global Airline Alliances
Why alliances are good for travelers. Star Alliance. Oneworld. SkyTeam. Round-the-world fares.

Elite Airline Status
Is airline promiscuity cheaper than loyalty? Lowest elite tier. Middle elite tier. Top elite tier. Revenue-based elite tiers. Buying and matching elite status. Maximizing elite benefits.

Seat Upgrades
U.S. domestic upgrades. International upgrades. Operational upgrades. Cash upgrades. Upgrade strategies. Preserving upgrades in case of rebooking.

Airline Award Tickets
How much clout do your miles have? Accessing award inventory. Award-booking strategies. “Tweaking” flight inventory. Airline award fees. United StarNet blocking. Schedule changes on award tickets.