The fastest, most convenient way to travel to Coastal Florida is by air. At least eight major commercial airlines fly to Florida's coastal cities on regularly scheduled flights. Though these airline serve 100 cities in Florida, many of their flights fly into five major coastal airports — Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

To keep down the cost of air travel, fly midweek. Prices can rise considerably if you fly over a weekend. Because competition in the Florida market is so keen, airlines like AirTran and JetBlue often have three-day “sales” when they offer super-discounted rates. The same roundtrip flight from Philadelphia to Jacksonville, for example, booked without benefit of the sale price may be over $200. By taking advantage of the sale, you could fly for half that. It also pays to book in advance. And booking your flight on the airline's Web site or on travel sales sites like Orbitz.com and Expedia.com can save you even more. At certain times of the year, some airlines offer special discounts, allowing you to travel for less. Roundtrip flights to Miami cost, including taxes, approximately $315 from New York, $279 from Chicago, $580 from LA, $593 from Dallas, on various airlines.

Excursion or discount fares come with restrictions. The more restrictive they are, the less they cost. In most cases, you must book your flight between seven and thirty days in advance, depending on the fare. And you must pay for your ticket at the time of booking. You may also have to stay at your destination for, say, no less than seven and no more than thirty days. Lastly, you can't change your plans without paying an extra fee, often between $50 and $100. So you can't decide at the last minute to get a few more days at the beach without paying more for the privilege.

Today, airlines often overbook flights to make sure the maximum number of passengers fills a plane and to compensate for no-shows. If everyone with a reservation does appear, there aren't going to be enough seats. So the airline will ask for volunteers who'll agree to give up their reservation in exchange for some sort of compensation and a seat on the next available flight. To protect yourself as best you can against getting bumped, arrive at the airport an hour ahead of the regular time, or two hours or more ahead for a domestic flight.

You'll most likely be given an electronic ticket or e-ticket by the airline, especially if you book your flight online. If the airline cancels your flight, you cannot exchange your e-ticket for a flight on another airline — only those holding paper tickets can do that. And very few people have paper tickets today, so you can see the potential problem.

Luggage

The invention of lightweight wheeled luggage drastically changed how people travel with their bags. According to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), you may take only one bag on the plane plus a small personal bag or purse. And, yes, the airplane manufacturers complied by designing overhead bins that can handle relatively large pieces. But that doesn't mean that you have to disregard the best perk of flying — letting someone else take care of your bag while you travel. When you fly, take only what you need and check your bags, except perhaps a small one for the plane with some emergency items like a toothbrush, toothpaste, a change of underwear, and some reading material. Carrying a bag that's too hard to lift into the overhead bin causes delays in loading and unloading the plane. If you plan to travel with a bike, golf clubs, or other sports equipment, be sure to check with your airline beforehand. Though it will have procedures for handling such baggage, you may have to pay a special charge for it.

If your luggage doesn't arrive in baggage claim after your flight or if it's damaged, report the problem immediately to the airline loss and damage desk. Some airlines require you do this within four hours after the arrival of your flight or they disclaim liability for missing or damaged luggage. After you receive a claim check for your lost or damaged luggage, hold onto it until you receive your bag. The airline is responsible for recovering lost luggage or must reimburse you for up to $750 for the loss. However, airlines today won't repair or replace a bag unless it's severely damaged, claiming that it's normal wear and tear.

Booking Through a Carrier

If you're planning on booking a flight or a travel package through a specific airline, you may want to contact that airline directly, either through their 800 number or through their Web site:

Table 4-1

Directory of U.S. Airlines Serving Florida

Booking Through the Web

Many airlines now offer special fares through their Web sites, which aren't available otherwise. These fares and promotions change frequently, so you need to check back regularly and be ready to book your flights when you find a good fare. When searching for flights and fares, be flexible. The more flexible you are, the better your chance of finding a really good fare.

Begin your search at one of the three all-purpose travel sites — Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, and Orbitz.com. Here, you not only can search for the lowest airfare, but for deals in hotels and car rentals. But they don't represent all airlines, so you may be missing out on a better deal. Also, they each charge a fee when you book a flight, hotel, or car rental. A site like Cheapflights.com scans various booking sites and gives you results from them. After this you can go directly to an airline's site to see if it can match the low fare you found elsewhere. By booking your flight directly with the airline, you'll save the booking charge. You'll find a comprehensive list of links for all U.S. airlines at www.travelpage.com. Be aware that in this day of more electronic, less human contact, some airlines actually charge a fee if you call their 800 number to book a flight.

Booking Through a Travel Agency

It used to be that you could book an entire trip for free with a travel agent. Today, many charge a fee for this service because airlines and hotels have cut or eliminated the commissions the agents used to get. Nevertheless, the fee may be worth it for a travel agent to search out the best airfares, flights, hotel packages, and so on. Not only will you probably get good value for your dollar, but you'll save time, too. And that can be important if you live a time-crunched lifestyle. When you meet with the agent, know where you want to go in Coastal Florida and what you want to do there. Let the agent find the best airfare or package for you. And be honest about how much you want to spend. Don't waste their time fishing for information. The important thing to remember when using the services of a travel agent is to get referrals from friends about agents they've used. Otherwise, you're entrusting your vacation pleasures and dollars to a stranger.

Packaged Trips

Travel packages, generally priced per person, offer you the best way to save money on the cost of travel to Florida. Some include only flights and hotel accommodations, while others may include car rentals or sightseeing options. Packages to South Florida's beach resorts offer the best value during the winter season from mid-December through mid-April. However, you may find off-season packages to be downright bargains.

Read the details of the tour package carefully. Package prices are usually for the lowest price at which it can be offered, but this price may be available during off-season only, during midweek, at the least expensive hotel, or in such limited numbers that it's sold out at once. Also, all prices are based on double occupancy and apply to the city of departure, which may or may not be your hometown.