The flights are often made to and from secondary airports (you should always check)
	Flight prices often do not include in-flight refreshments/food
	There is often no numbered seat allocation
	Instead of receiving a physical ticket with coupons you may receive either a receipt valid for travel, or an 'e-ticket' (this is simply emailed to you)
	Cheapest fares are fixed and changes are non-refundable.
	You will tend to get the best prices when you book online

BUMPED
This can be good or bad! A bump, if you're lucky can mean a bump up, or upgrade to business or first class. However, being bumped usually means you will be unable fly on the flight your ticket was for as it has been oversold. It is always safest to check in early to avoid this.

CANCELLATION CHARGES
Most fares sold carry with them penalties if you wish to cancel your journey. Cancellation fees can be up to 100% of the total ticket cost. It is therefore always advisable to ensure you have travel insurance that covers all eventualities.

CONSOLIDATORS
Airlines often sell blocks of seats to consolidators who then sell these on to the public at discounted prices. The airlines do not want to be seen to be discounting tickets themselves and therefore use these wholesale agents on their behalf. These tickets are normally restrictive in that a number of rules will apply such as a minimum and maximum stay, the inclusion of a Saturday night stopover etc., no changes etc.. You should therefore ensure that any ticket you purchase is the correct ticket for yourself.

CHECK-IN
All airlines request their passengers to check-in well before the scheduled departure time. Usual check in times are: worldwide flights - 2 hours. Short-haul - 1 hour.

CLASS of TRAVEL
The dates of First and Economy only are now over! Many of the airlines are now reducing their rates for luxury travel, and even creating new classes.
Here is a breakdown:

Economy:
We all know this one. All scheduled flights provide you with a meal and a drink for no charge. Comfort varies dramatically from airline to airline. More and more of the airlines, such as Cathay Pacific and Emirates, have installed television sets in the back of the seats on all long-haul flights.

Premium Economy: 
This new class introduced by a number of airlines, such as Virgin, and EVA Air. The logic behind the new class is to provide passengers with a slightly bigger seat with increased legroom in a smaller, and more exclusive cabin.

Business Class:
The jump here is quite spectacular. The first benefit is that you can check in later at a dedicated desk (avoiding the queues). You can then relax in the comfort of the airline's lounge where you will find complimentary drinks, snacks, newspapers and quiet. There's no rushing or queuing to board your flight.
Your flight seat will usually be a cradle that reclines to a virtually horizontal position, which has legroom up to 60". The in-flight staff are dedicated to your cabin, and when you arrive your luggage will be amongst the first off the carousel.

First:
Travelling first is a luxury few can afford. Most airlines now offer a totally exclusive first class lounge and when you fly you are treated to more space, high quality food and attentive service.

CONFIRMATION
It is normally your responsibility to confirm your flight, before your outbound and inbound journeys. Confirmation is best done directly with the airline 72 hours in advance of the flight time. This is particularly important with your return journey where failure to reconfirm can result in the in-validation of your ticket. Some airlines do not require you do this procedure, but it never hurts to contact whoever your flying with; in case of delays, time changes etc.

DIRECT, INDIRECT and NON-STOP FLIGHTS
Non-stop Flights
This is the quickest and most desirable of flights - A to B, simple.

Direct
A direct flight may stop en-route to your chosen destination. The main advantage here is that you are less likely to lose your bags!

Indirect
These flights mean leaving your plane at some stage during your trip either whilst your plane re-fuels or you change planes entirely. Often you will find that these should be the cheapest flights but research well as many hours waiting around an airport may not be your idea of fun.
Indirect flights are normally operated by a foreign airline, for example flying with Air France to Mexico from London would mean a change of aircraft in Paris.

DISCOUNTED TICKETS
Most agents have cheaper air-tickets than published airline fares. A disadvantage with many of these tickets is that you are restricted to certain dates and times for travel. However, doing some research will often pay off as different agents may have better relationships with different airlines.
Sometime airlines sell discounted tickets as promotional deals or special offers - however, these are also likely to be subject to certain conditions.

FULL FARES
Buying a full fare ticket from an airline or an agent will be expensive. However, it offers the advantage that you can change flight times, reroute or cancel for no, or little charge. These types of tickets are very popular with business users.

LOST OR DAMAGED TICKETS
Scheduled airline tickets are deemed as cash and should you loose your ticket it is likely that you will need to purchase a further ticket to travel. A refund is only likely through insurance or if the ticket in found.

MULTI-LEG OR COMPLEX ITINERARY TICKETS
These are air-tickets that fly not just from A to B but go via a number of other destinations. For example, you may want to fly to New York to stay for a few days, fly on to Los Angeles, where you stay for 3 weeks before spending a week in Mexico City and flying back to London.
You can book these tickets on-line but there are a lot of factors involved in getting the best price. The more complex the journey then the more your plans may change en-route - some agents have offices around the world making it easier to make changes to your itinerary.

NO SHOWS
Arriving late, or missing your flight, for whatever reason, can prove disastrous. Discounted fares cannot usually be rebooked, and even if it can, it may involve a financial penalty. If you have valid travel insurance you may be covered for a missed departure. This will be dependent on the nature of your policy.

OPEN JAW
This is a return ticket that allows you to return from different points.
For example, flying from London to Washington but returning Los Angeles - London. The distance between the two points is a surface sector, and must be arranged by the passenger at his/her own expense.

OPEN RETURN
A return ticket with no specified date for return travel. This is booked with the airline, and usually involves an administration fee. However, it is very important to check when the ticket is valid until. If you have passed the validity date, the ticket is useless.

OVERSELLING
It is the job of an airline to make their planes as full as possible. It is a fact of life that as many as 10% of passengers fail to show. Airlines can compensate for this by 'overselling' seats on planes. This tactic is very effective, but when everyone does show, the flight can become 'oversold'. Rather obviously passengers arriving late are the first to be 'bumped'! So the lesson is…don't be late.

STAND-BY
This is a service where you wait at the airport until the next seat becomes available on your chosen route.
Stand-by tickets used to be a cheap way to travel, sad to say those days are over. Nowadays stand-by applies more to employees of airlines who can use up available seats very cheaply.

ROUND-THE-WORLD FARES
Round the world tickets are multi-leg tickets that take you around the world. Most tickets are usually fully flexible and valid for one year. Round the world tickets are great value for money, and allow you ease of travel. However, it is very important you understand the fare rules. Cheaper tickets can be less flexible - making changes may result in heavily penalties. It is really worth doing some research.

TRAVEL VALIDITY
Tickets are only ever valid for up to as maximum of 1 year. Discounted tickets can be valid for much shorter periods. Always check the small-print.