Types

• When choosing travel options, students can negotiate prices in several ways. If you have a preferred airline, you might try calling an agent with your proposed itinerary and asking about any student or youth discounts. Airlines will rarely offer this information without being asked. Students may also search for the best prices on travel on student travel sites, or visit a travel agency in person.
  
  

Identification

• Some of the most popular student travel agencies are STA Travel and Student Universe. STA travel offers low-cost travel to students and travelers under the age of 26. Both Student Universe and STA Travel offer flights, trips, travel insurance, and hostel booking. While Student Universe is only a web presence, STA Travel has storefront travel agencies where travelers can stop in to book trips or receive more information.
  
  

Significance

• In addition to discounts on flight and hostel prices, students are eligible for a variety of other travel discounts. The International Student Identity Card (ISIC), for example, allows students discounts on food, travel, travel books, tours and a variety of other items and services. The ISIC is particularly useful in Europe, as it is a UK-based operation. In many countries, a student will be eligible for rail discounts of as much as half, which saves on train travel.
  
  

Considerations

• Just because a travel company bills itself as offering student travel, do not assume that it will offer you the lowest prices. Starting with one of these companies is an excellent option, but be sure to look around on websites like Kayak and Expedia to see if you can get a lower fare for the same price. Also consider searching with flexible dates, which Kayak allows if you complete a short registration form. To get the best prices for travel, search for alternate cities nearby; sometimes, the drop in ticket price is significantly more than the cost of transportation to a different airport.
  
  

Warning

• When booking student travel, beware of prices that seem too good to be true. For airfare, the initial price quoted can often be without tax; as international travel taxes can be quite high, the final ticket price is significantly more. Before booking a trip, be sure to understand what additional fees you may be responsible for, and do not hand over your credit card number before you understand all of the terms and conditions.