Bypass Non-competitive Airfares: Think Outside the Box and Save Big!

College freshman Rachel Keatley could not wait for winter break to make her first trip home. As her mom, neither could I. We knew non-competitive airfares from Grand Rapids, Michigan, (near Rachel's school) to Philadelphia were too expensive for her to fly home often.

Despite early online shopping to beat holiday fares, I was staring at a $450 price tag due to soaring oil prices. Fellow students were not driving our way, so sharing a ride was out. So was a 20-hour, high-priced train ride. To get Rachel home it was time to think outside the box, so that dollars would add up for me, not the airlines.

THINK BIGGER CITY

AMTRAK's station three blocks from Rachel's dorm got me thinking. Checking AMTRAK's web site (www.amtrak.com), I found Rachel could roll into Chicago's Union Station (www.chicagounionstation.com).

THINK PROMOTION CODES, DISCOUNTS

Checking train fares and schedules, I saw a box for "promotion code," which AMTRAK does not freely offer on its web site. Searching Google.com by typing "AMTRAK+promo codes," I found a reliable coupon and promotional code web site (www.RetailMeNot.com) . Percentage-off codes were clearly explained for different train lines, including Pere Marquette, Rachel's line. I plugged in the code on AMTRAK's site and Rachel's AAA membership number (www.AAA.com) to shave 30 percent off the original fare.

THINK VALUE

Which Chicago airport should Rachel fly from? O'Hare or Midway? Travel search engine Kayak.com lists all carriers' flights and fares, except Southwest Airlines', and showed O'Hare's prices were cheaper. But, this airport is farther from Union Station and much larger for my first-time flying-alone daughter to navigate. I checked Southwest.com and found it services Midway, and offered the lowest price of all Chicago fares. Southwest added value with its no-baggage fee for the first checked bag, thus avoiding baggage fees up to $25 one way.

THINK PUBLIC TRANSIT

Cab fare in Chicago is hefty, so I googled "Union Station+Midway Airport+how to get" to find a cheaper way to the airport. Up popped a great web site (www.FlyChicago.com) featuring O'Hare and Midway Airports with Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) maps. Orange Line trains run to Midway. I searched "Chicago Transit Authority+Orange Line+maps" and found CTA's URL, (www.transitchicago.com) Clicking on the RTA (Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority) System Map that I enlarged to read, I found the Orange Line runs close to Union Station. To lower Rachel's anxiety level, she wanted to know exactly how to get from Union Station to the Orange Line. Again, I searched "Union Station+Orange Line+how to get to" and found step-by-step directions, “From Union Station to Midway,” www.mrl.ucsb.edu/yopopov /directions/mdw-us.html), travel time and fare: $2. Score!

THINK CONNECT THE DOTS

I copied these directions with an airport diagram from FlyChicago.com to give Rachel a visual of Midway. Rachel followed the instructions, found her way home, and gained confidence in traveling alone by connecting the dots. In bypassing a non-competitive airfare through online searches and connecting the dots, I had $110 extra to spend on Christmas presents.