Ticket and Flying Glossary

APEX

Advance Purchase EXcursion. This is the standard discount ticket available from airlines and most regular travel agents. Depending on the airline, these tickets require a seven to thirty day advance purchase, a minimum stay of usually seven days, and a maximum stay of thirty or sixty days, sometimes longer. Round trip is required, and fees are usually charged for date changes or cancellation.

 

Open jaw

A ticket which allows you to fly into one city and return from another. For example, you might fly into London, travel Europe by train, and then return to the U.S. from Athens. Open-jaw tickets usually cost more than a regular return ticket from one city, but convenience makes up for that. Not every travel agent or airline sells open-jaw tickets for a reasonable price, but some budget agencies specialize in them.

 

Open return

A round-trip ticket which allows you to make the return flight at any time--providing there is space--during the period the ticket is valid.

 

One-year ticket

This Cadillac of tickets is generally a full-fare that allows changes and cancellations without penalty for up to one-year. It should also be fully-refundable. While you usually cannot get a discounted one-year ticket directly from the airline or most mom-and-pop travel agents, they are sometimes available from bucket shops.

 

One-way ticket

Usually costs more than half of a round-trip, but sometimes the same or even twice as much. The great risk with one-ways is the return may be astronomically priced or unavailable when you desperately need it. Nevertheless this is my preferred ticket (when cheap enough) since I like the feeling of being uncommitted to place and date, and because my travel is mostly limited by money, not time.

 

Confirmations

For international flights, but especially those originating outside the United States, call the airline to confirm your reservation at least 72 hours before the flight regardless of what your ticket says. Otherwise your seat may be given to someone's cousin on the waiting list.

 

Bucket shops

Experience tells the airlines that a certain number of seats are going to be empty on certain flights, so they discount that space--sometimes heavily--to travel agencies variously known as bucket shops, consolidators, and discounters. These agencies mostly serve individuals who are only going to fly cheaply or not at all. This maximizes airline revenue by forcing customers of regular travel agencies to pay non-discounted prices. Some regular travel agents may be able to get discounted tickets from wholesalers.

 

Wholesalers

A middle-man who handles discounted tickets between airlines and bucket shops.

 

Newspapers

One of the best ways to find discounted tickets is to check the Sunday travel sections of major newspapers, such as (for the U.S.) The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, and Miami Herald. (The latter three are good for flights to Latin America.) USA Today, The L.A. Weekly, and The Village Voice also have bucket shop advertisements. Some agencies clearly label one-way and round-trip fares, while others list "half-round-trip" to make prices seem lower.

Exotic Zimbabwe

Despite the political and economic turmoil, Zimbabwe continues to remain Africa's cherished paradise.This landlocked nation, situated in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers is not only a beautiful safari destination, but is a home to the famous Victoria Falls.

Tourists can never go wrong while booking their holidays to Zimbabwe as it offers a slice of every tourist attraction in the country of 12,619,600 inhabitants.

For adventure seekers, Victoria Falls rapids on the Zambezi offer daring white water rafting and riverboarding activities. What's more, bungee jumpers scream their lungs out with excitement down 111 metres off the Victoria Falls bridge.

Mid-July to mid-February is the most exciting time to enjoy this adventure sport as the water levels during these months are low.

Victoria Falls also provides easy access to the Hwange National Park. Situated in the northwestern corner of the country, adjoining Botswana's Makgadikgadi and Chobe ecosystem, it is the country's biggest and oldest game reserve.

Hwange National Park, which is only a two-hour drive from the Victoria Falls is home to more than 108 mammal species. These species include 19 large herbivores and eight large carnivores.

The park also boasts of over 400 species of birds, including 50 different types of raptor and herds of elephant that often visit the park for food.

Tourists willing to explore the historic side of Zimbabwe can visit the Khami Ruins, Zimbabwe,

Dhlo-Dhlo and Naletale.

Khami Ruins are located 22 kilometres west of Bulawayo, capital of the province of Matabeleland North.

Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, its terraces and passages are not only the finest examples of

back filled stone structures, a small museum situated near the site has on display some 100,000 years  old artefacts and relics.

Include banana in your daily diet

Have a banana daily! Bananas contain potassium that is vital for heart and kidney function and also helps speed up your metabolism. It also aids in reducing high blood pressure.

Take a look at the benefits of this fruit, which is one of the most famous common fruits amongst people of every age.

1. Blood pressure regulation: Banana contains high amount of potassium and low levels of salt. This combination helps in regulating the blood pressure. It reduces the risk of heart related diseases.