Plan in Advance - this will help to ensure that the widest selection of classes and fare types are available.

Book in Advance - cheap APEX fares always need to be issued in advance, typically 7 or 14 ahead of the date of travel. Seats can be held provisionally and then released at a later date, though for APEX fares the price can only be guaranteed for one day.

Consider Flexibility Requirements - although there are going to be times when full flexibility is required, generally speaking the more restricted the fare the lower it is. Travelling off-peak and flying every sector with the same airline often helps to keep the price down. The very lowest fares tend to be non-cancellable, non-changeable and non-refundable.

Alternative Routings - if a traveller is willing to fly indirect, via a hub city, e.g., Amsterdam, Paris, cheaper fares can often be sourced. This is particularly true for long-haul trips.

Saturday Night Stay - if this can be incorporated into an itinerary, cheap APEX fares can be offered. One rather creative way of achieving this, even where there is no Saturday night, is through 'back-to-back' ticketing. Our Travel Consultants will be able to advise on this.

Consolidated Fares - these can be considered as an alternative to published fares particularly for long haul destinations, but only when heavy restrictions are acceptable.

Direct Sell Carriers - fares offered by these carriers can be considered as an alternative to scheduled airline fares for short haul European destinations. Be aware that seats with these carriers cannot normally be held, even provisionally, and like consolidated fares they are generally subject to heavy restrictions.

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