As far as home-based business opportunities go, Global Travel Int’l. seems to stand on solid ground. The company was co-founded by its current chairman Randy Warren over 15 years ago and its reported annual income now exceeds $125 million. The internet business opportunity offered by this company is a merger of the travel agency business with online booking. With its tempting “free trial” offer and much touted opportunity to make money from a home-based business, many people are curious and want to know if this is the real deal.

When you sign up with Global Travel International, you are actually providing a lead generation service. As a member, you receive your own website where potential customers can log in to book their tickets. You refer customers to Global Travel Int’l. for booking and you make money from the commissions off every ticket booked through you.

As a Global Travel International travel agent, you enjoy discounts on air fare, hotels and car rentals. Many of those who join Global Travel business do so for this benefit and do not take part in sales. However, this membership discount might not be recognized in many establishments and you won’t get the discount you expect.

Global Travel International reviews made by individuals who have actually tried this business opportunity assert that airline ticket sales only account for a small percentage in commissions. The main selling points are vacation deals, cruises and group bookings. This is where you find opportunities for big commissions.

If you consider all the above points, you would say that this business is on the up and up. But why is it that some individuals and reviews claim that Global Travel International is a scam?

Complaints are rampart that this company indulges in misleading advertising to get people to sign up. According to some reviews, they advertise a free trial period and then hit you with a one-time activation fee of $49.95 even before you agree to a membership. This fee is non-refundable and they charge you with this even if their terms and conditions imply that the activation fee is only applicable once you agree to a membership.

If you do not return the information package within the free trial period, you will be charged a monthly membership fee of $29.95 for one whole year. They do have this information buried deep in the fine print, but very few people read this part in the terms and conditions. And the worst part is that you are forced to pay the activation fee of $49.95 during the free trial period and not when you actually sign up for membership.

A reputable company should not have to resort to devious practices and misleading advertising to persuade customers to join. You may think Global Travel holds the key to financial success, but many are complaining about some of their unethical practices. The general consensus is that you should invest your time and money in a more worthwhile and trusted home-based business opportunity.

So you are in the market for cheap airline tickets, but not sure where to start and how to find the best travel deals. The reality is that in order to find the cheapest flight fares and schedules you need to know when and where to look and how to search. Yes, it is that easy, and all you need to know is several tricks. First of all, do you need a domestic or an international travel ticket?

Domestic Air Travel

These can be US domestic flight or flights within Europe, or within any country or other continent. If you are looking great flight deals, you need to know WHERE to look for low airfares. If you are looking for flights within the US, you may contact local US airlines or travel agencies or look up flights on the online travel search engine. Airlines compete among each other and they can give great flight deals (just know WHEN to look). Travel agencies might also find you great deals. Here is the truth… lately several airlines and several large and well known travel agencies started having some issues and several airline banned those huge agencies from selling their airline tickets. Therefore, small and specialized agencies still do have very good contracts with major airlines of the world. So, my advise is to look who has the best flight deal, not at the size of the agency or the popularity. At the end of the day, it matters how much you pay for the ticket and that you have a confirmed seat.

Most smaller travel agencies have online only booking so they can save YOU money by eliminating staff salaries. Most of the time travel agencies use the same fares as airlines offer (unless negotiated better rates), but usually with 0 commission. Since agencies need to survive, they are forced to add a small service fee on the top of the ticket price. If you do not mind that, call your travel agent or best of all go online and check flights yourself. If you are traveling within Europe, you might want to contact a travel agent or search online travel agents’ websites first. In Europe local travel agencies and agencies outside Europe that specialize in international travel will have low fares because they use very low so called consolidator fares. This is nothing else, but negotiated contracts with airlines to sell special very low priced airline tickets.

International Travel

Whether you live in the US or other country, you travel internationally if you leave your country of residence. What concerns transatlantic, transpacific or other between countries international travel, your best bet is a travel agency. The consolidators will offer you the best fare deals and will find you the best schedules. Depending on personal preferences, some might prefer talking to a travel agent, while others would want to do their own fare search online at their own pace. There is no right or wrong choice here. As long as you find a flight and a fare that works for you, you succeed. HOW to find a travel agency or a good travel website Always work with the travel agent or travel website that specializes in your travel destination or region. For example, if you need to fly from the US to Europe, search for ‘flights to Europe’ or so. Usually online search will give you best results. Check several websites or call several travel agents and compare the deals.

NOTE, you might know lots of huge agencies like Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. They might seem attractive to you because they are big and well known. But they will not always give you the best flight, hotel or cruise deals. They might be good for US domestic travel, but not always for international travel.

HOW and WHEN to search for best fares: Where you need a flight, hotel or a cruise, you need to know how to find the best fares and when to look for those. Let’s say that you found a travel agent or travel website that specialized in your travel destination.

Flight travel deals are out there, but not many travel industry insiders are offering them up, without you first asking about them. So, if you want to get the best flight travel deals, you are going to have to do some research on your own. This article will go a long way toward helping get you started in that direction. The following basic tips are available to anyone (i.e., they don’t require “insider connections” to achieve good results).

1) Book in advance. So basic and well known, I almost feel guilty offering it as a tip. Nonetheless, it can save you big money. Reserve your flight a month in advance, optimize your discount. Reserve your flight the week before, expect to pay premium prices.

2) Don’t fly during regular business hours. Airline flight is a supply-and-demand business. If you insist on flying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. - when available seats are at their minimum - then plan on paying higher prices. Flying “the red-eye” – when LOTS of seats are available – can greatly lower the cost of your ticket.

3) Check the prices for flying out of/into an alternate airport. Sometimes, you’ll get a better deal by driving to a larger, metropolitan area, rather than insisting on a flight departing from your local “community” airport. On the other hand, Los Angelenos, for example, know that driving to one of the smaller airports – NOT known as LAX – can save them mucho dinero.

4) Ask the airline to adjust the price of your ticket to reflect the current price they are charging - IF, that is, prices have gone down since you booked your ticket. Few people do this – or even KNOW about this – but the airlines will adjust the price if you ask them to. Just don’t expect them to do it without your prompting them first.

5) Don’t park your car at the airport, if possible. Parking fees amass quickly – and might even offset all of the savings you managed to get through your other money-saving efforts. I once took a trip to Hawaii when I was fresh out of high-school (about 30 years ago…gulp!), and upon returning to Denver after two weeks, the cost of parking the car for all of that time came to over $100, leaving the four of us who went on the trip arriving home with nothing but coins in our pockets and fumes in the gas tank by the time we completed our 300-mile car ride home from the airport. Obviously, not parking at the airport isn’t always an option. So, at the very least, consider the cost of parking your car in your budgeting plans.

6) Try to fly “off-season.” Granted, flying to Hawaii for the Christmas holiday sounds very appealing when your home is under several feet of snow, but flying there in the summer can be much cheaper. I, for one, found Hawaii in July to be very enjoyable – especially with that extra cash for Mai-Tais on the beach.

7) Check into package deals. Sometimes you can save a lot of money by purchasing a package deal, where you buy your flight, your motel room, and possibly even a rental car all in one “package deal.” You might even get some extras thrown in, like a luau (in Hawaii), or a Broadway show (in New York City).

Bulk discounts. Sometimes organizations or communities arrange trips for their members, saving each individual some cash in the deal. Senior communities commonly do this with trips to Las Vegas, for example.

9) Check with the aggregators. These outfits – aggregators – will compare multiple airlines and travel agencies, at once – finding you the best deal from all the places they dig around into. Of course, an aggregator can’t possibly check ALL travel outlets, so try a few aggregators, and then try going directly through the airline that the aggregators deemed cheapest. You may find that the “going direct” to the airline of your choosing might reap better discounts for you, through frequent-flier programs, and such – not to mention allowing you to bypass the travel agency fees (minimal though they are).

There you have it, follow the above tips and you’ll be well on your way to getting yourself a flight travel deal. But for some truly awesome money-savings tips, check out my website, [http://flight-travel-deals.com] for more travel-related tips – including the insider secrets provided by a former travel industry insider! You’ll also have access to an aggregator that – at the click of a button – will check more than 30 different hotel discount websites to help you get the best deal for your next hotel room, anywhere in the world. You’ll also find insider secrets for car rental, hotel rental and even a guide to help you prepare for airport security – saving you the annoyance of having to leave behind items that the airlines won’t allow on board!

A vacation comes as a stress-buster, but choosing a right destination for holidaying is a tough ask. International Holidays are always a great benefit as it offers you a chance to witness the diverse lifestyles and cultures across the globe. It provides an entirely new meaning to life and can even compel you to make a yearly international tour. A trip abroad can also fit into your budget depending on the prevailing foreign exchange rate. The current technology has made the booking process for such vacations really easy. Based on your plans and budget, you can choose the right holiday destinations.

These days, people may be reluctant to go for International Holidays, keeping in mind the bad shape of the economy and their budget. You need not worry in this regard as it is quite possible that the rates may be lowered by the airlines to keep their business moving, thus making the rates fall within your budget. If this does not satisfy you, you always have another option. You can opt for special promotional packages offered by some airline or the other, which may not be available in the future. So, make hay while the sun shines!

International Holidays are a source of fun and joy. You can visit a number of locations ranging from the Caribbean beaches to the exquisite and beautiful cities of France, Rome, Paris, etc. It provides you with the happiness of experiencing something new. Moreover, in the present times, travelling is less time consuming and more reliable and efficient than what it was earlier. You can also listen to music or watch TV or movies while traveling. Some airlines also allow you to follow the path of travel through the use of satellites.

The fun and joy doubles when you share it with your family. International Holidays with your family gives you a chance to spend more quality time with them. You can save a lot of money by planning the vacation as early as possible. You can book your tickets at those periods when the airfare is relatively low.

You could avoid a lot of costs if you book your ticket online. It is advisable to book international hotels from the local hotel agencies than to opt for services from the foreign agencies. To avoid expensive phone bills while travelling abroad, it is wise to purchase a phone card. If you have a GSM phone service, you can also unlock it to avail the services in the new country you are touring.

Before we jump let me point out that I not going to cover the typical surface travel tips. Instead we are going cover the principle travel tips and discover what mind set is needed to gain the best experience wherever you go. Some of these travel tips will be hard for you to apply but after 8 years of traveling the world I have found these 5 travel tips to become a motto and guideline for me. I hope that you take them in and really consider them the next time you take off to gain more experiences.

Travel Tips #1 – Be open and don’t plan everything out:

“Do it with the locals.” This is a huge travel tip to follow when traveling. You can never beat the knowledge of a local and I would highly suggest to avoid sitting at your computer and trying to figure everything out. The KEY is to get a few travel tips about the area. The next step is to myspace or facebook some locals down there and ask them what’s cool and if you could meet up for a day or two to have some local fun with them. Most locals will love this opportunity and the experiences you have from that are priceless. I still remember a time in the Brazil where I did this and ended up in some tribe in the Amazon being taught Capawara by a Capawara Master. I could have never planned that from a desktop.

Travel Tips #2 – Immerse yourself in the culture:

Everyday you should be trying something new but more importantly you should constantly be stepping out of your comfort zone. One of the best travel tips I can give you is this “Give yourself all the experiences you can h.” Experiences are directly relate to your personality and ultimately the quality of life you are going to have. Here’s some interesting information. When you’re out of your comfort zone you fall into what’s called the state of dissonance. The body and minds goal is to become comfortable again so as it starts to eliminate the state of dissonance and creates comfort again. When this process happens the body mind and expands, personality grows, lessons are learned and you can now handle more situations in life. Next time you travel try not to create a home away from home and instead let whereever you are at impact you.

Travel Tips #3 – Chose your travel companions wisely:

This travel tip is an all encompassing principle in life. It has become apparent in these last few years of traveling that the quality of life and our fulfillment and happiness is greatly effect by the support and relationships around us. I have seen to many travelers take off on a journey with someone that shares the same dream to travel but completely different lifestyle and it ruining the trip for them. The sad part is you find these people in amazing place completely involved in this drama scene instead of being involved in the beauty and culture. The moment this became apparent was 3 years ago in Costa Rica. I was sitting on the beach in a surf town named Montezuma. The sun was beginning to set and it was one of those perfect conditions for a beautiful one.

While sitting there a hostel roommate sat down next to me and after a few questions about his travel he began to release all of this built up baggage he was holding in about his travel companion. While sitting there watching this beautiful sun set I realized he had no clue it was happening. The truth is not everyone is a good travel companion for you but when you do travel with the right one your traveling and experiences are going to be 100 times better.

Travel Tips #4 – Tie up any loss ends and disconnect from your life at home:

Technology was supposed to give us freedom and instead it has started to control us. Most people can’t go more then three days with out checking email or their personal site, 5 minutes with out responding to a text message and a few days with out checking in with their peeps. The point to catch here is where ever you are physically at in life is REALITY. Anything that’s in not present such as home, old friends, family, old lifestyles is a memory and more importantly only a thought. There is a famous quote I love to reflect on:

“You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.” ~Jan Glidewell

This is a very important principle in life and travel. You have a certain amount of energy a day, you can either place that energy on a thought in your head or you can place it on the experiences in the present. Where you consistently place your energy will determine who you are and how much fulfillment you get out of life.

Travel Tips #5 – Focus more on the experience then a trophy picture to show your friends:

This travel tip ties into travel tip #4. What I always find fascinating is the amount of people that go out traveling just to take pictures and show them off to their friends back home. Pictures are great for reflection and to keep your memory bank full of good moments and they are not good when it turns into competition and distractions from the moment.