Finding Airline Deals - Random Post

    As summer approaches, I have been scouring the web trying to find the cheapest tickets for some of the travel I plan to do. My travel bug does not exactly match with my college budget, so finding the cheapest flights has become kind of a game for me. Who knew flights to Australia and Japan were so expensive?! Some of my favorite ways of doing this are looking at sites like Expedia, which search a variety of airlines to find the best option for your budget, schedule, and airline preferences (if you are trying to acquire miles). Unfortunately, the obvious tradeoff I have found with the less expensive flights is convenience and comfort. Less expensive flights often means more stopovers and fewer in-flight amenities.
    While many of my fellow travelers, particularly some of my classmates in WBB, find the actual commuting as much a part of the travel experience as being in a new place, I do not mind giving up some of the luxuries for a better deal. At one time, when my family lived as expats in Hong Kong, we often enjoyed lounge access and business class seats on premier airlines like Cathay Pacific where you felt as if your flight experience rivaled a spa getaway. Now, I will only buy guest passes to airport lounges on long layovers or if I absolutely need to take a shower. However, the draw of the quiet lounge, a buffet of food, and an open bar are sometimes hard to pass up during an exhausting day of travel. Instead of relying on the stately benefits of an airline lounge or a more expensive airline, I try to prepare in other ways to entertain myself during a layover and during a flight. Besides attempting to sleep, I ensure that my laptop is loaded up with all of my favorite movies and TV shows and that I have an engaging book with me. What are some of the ways that you keep yourself entertained when traveling? How important are additional services and amenities to you in an airport or on a flight?