When it comes to making a domestic airline reservation, it seems as if the policies and procedures are ever-changing. From the amount of baggage one is allowed to carry, to the cost of traveling with a pet or even the price of changing the outbound portion of your ticket, you must stay on top of the latest news and trends to ensure that your business gets the best travel experience for your money.

So take some time to locate the latest news and trends in the commercial airline industry. Here are some quality links that will help you stay on top of the latest press releases to hit the industry.

1. Visit websites that cover the latest news on how to make a domestic airline reservation.

2. Locate associations that cover or govern domestic airline travel, including the domestic airline reservation process.

3. Go to the commercial carrier websites for the latest information on booking a domestic airline reservation.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate websites that release news articles on making a domestic airline reservation

There are many reputable websites which release articles regarding domestic airline travel. Some of these articles are written by in-house reporters, while others are a collection of press releases from the domestic airline companies located in one place for your convenience. Also, some websites are strictly reporting websites, while others allow you book travel as well.

I recommend: Cheap Flights.com offers a news section. It should be noted that in some browsers you must scroll to the bottom of the page to view the news articles. Business Travel News is also another quality resource.

Find aviation associations that release news on the latest domestic airline reservation policies

When it comes to locating the latest domestic airline reservation news and trends, it's wise to check out the Federal Aviation Administration website as well as other association websites. The FAA governs many of the domestic reservation policies and procedures that the airline companies must follow. This agency often releases news on its website first before passing it along to the commercial airline carriers.

I recommend: Visit the website for the Federal Aviation Administration, the governing body over domestic travel in the United States. Check the "Highlights" section of the home page for updated headlines, and go to "News and Updates" for full stories. The Air Transport Association has a news section on its website as well.

Visit the websites of commercial carriers for latest domestic airline reservation news and trends

When it comes to locating the latest news and information on making a domestic airline reservation, go to the commercial carrier that you are interested in flying with. Most commercial carriers have a press release or news section on their websites where you can find information on everything from travel delays, to new booking policies, to the latest deals they are offering.

I recommend: Visit the website for Virgin America and check the "News and Alerts" tab located at the bottom of the home page. Also visit the website for Southwest, with a press release section that offers the latest carrier and industry news.

Domestic airfare information is readily available through a number of sources--so readily available, in fact, that booking domestic air travel can be frustrating and time consuming. Whether you're sending employees from site to site or conducting your own business travel, it pays dividends in time, money and peace of mind to choose the method of booking travel that best suits your domestic airline reservation.

While domestic air travel does not carry with it the inherent headaches of customs paperwork or visa and passport requirements that international travel does, it still pays to do it right the first time. Doing things right starts as soon as you begin booking your tickets. Before you start, decide what's most important to you:

1. The personal touch? You should use a travel agent to book your company travel.

2. Making your own choices? You can use a virtual travel agent to book company travel.

3. Taking advantages of memberships or air miles? You could be your own travel agent.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Let someone else book your domestic air plane travel ticket

If you're willing to pay a few extra fees, you can let a travel agent handle the entire headache for you and book your domestic travel air fares. Once you've found a great agent that works well for you, don't let him go.

I recommend: You may be entitled to a travel agent's services and not even know it. If you're a member of a service organization like AAA, they offer travel agency assistance as a membership perk. Willett Travel offers a specialty in corporate travel.

Book a domestic airfare ticket when it suits you

If you want complete control over your own travel reservations, consider using aggregate travel sites that let you select your ideal itinerary, then find an airline that fits it.

I recommend: Aggregate internet travel websites like Mobissimo and CheapOair let you search for flights according to factors like flight times, schedule, seating class and number of stopovers. They often offer opportunities to purchase package deals on hotel and car reservations. Mobissimo also lets you see and select low fares that other clients have recently found.

Get your domestic air plane travel information directly from the source

Sometimes purchasing directly from the vendor--in this case airlines--gives benefits in terms of convenience or even cost. Consider joining a membership program or frequent flier program, and using the miles or rewards you accumulate for personal or business travel.

I recommend: Delta and American Airlines both offer reservations, flight planning and frequent flier services through their websites. If you're having trouble booking the flights directly, you can also call the reservation desk for assistance during business hours.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget trip insurance. Some travel agents may offer this as an additional service, as do aggregate travel websites. If you're purchasing directly through an airline or before you buy trip insurance from another source, check with your business credit card to see if it might offer automatic insurance when you use it to pay for the purchase of your domestic airfare ticket.

Domestic airline reservations are a huge part of any company travel website. From negotiating the lowest fare, to arranging last minute travel, making or changing domestic airline reservations is a regularly occurring process for many businesses.

Take the time to learn about some of the terms you'll come across when making domestic airline reservations so that you get the best prices and terms on your tickets. Here are some of those terms along with some informational links to help get you started.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Group travel

Group travel, in terms of domestic airline reservations, refers to a large number of people traveling along the same itinerary. Many domestic airlines define this as 10 or more passengers. Additional discounts are usually given to group travel bookings.

I recommend: Check out the website for Delta, a domestic airline carrier, for an example of a group travel policy.

Online flight check-in

Online flight check-in is a service that many domestic airline carriers offer. It allows the passenger to check in for a flight and print their boarding pass so they can head straight to security upon arrival. The traveler may only bring carry-on luggage. Online flight check-in is popular for business travelers who are taking quick business trips around the country.

I recommend: Visit the website for American Airlines for more information and examples on how online flight check-in usually works.

E-ticket, e-ticket kiosk

An e-ticket is a form of ticket commonly given when purchasing a domestic airline reservation. The ticket confirmation number is emailed to the passenger. The passenger prints out that page as a precaution. When they arrive to the airport, the traveler simply inputs a credit card into a kiosk and their travel itinerary pops up. At this point, they have now checked in for the flight using their 'e-ticket' and a boarding pass is printed.

I recommend: Go to the website for Southwest, another domestic airline carrier for additional information about how the e-ticket process works.

Corporate travel rewards

Corporate travel rewards are incentive based programs that many domestic airline carriers participate in. In exchange for booking domestic reservations and flying a particular company's airline, reward points may be amassed and traded in for free travel. These reward points can usually be built by many travelers working for the same company. It is imperative that when booking the reservation that the corporate travel reward or frequent flier number is given.

I recommend: Check out the website for Jet Blue for an example of their corporate travel program and the additional rewards companies can receive when making domestic airline reservations.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is a protective policy purchased by the customer, which allows them to cancel or change their trip reservation without penalty. This usually costs an additional fee and must be purchased when the domestic airline reservation is made.

I recommend: Visit the website for the United airlines to see an example of what travel insurance covers when making domestic airline reservations.

Nearby airports

Nearby airports refers to a feature that many domestic airline reservation services utilize, where the passenger may search airports that are close to the primary airport or location the passenger is searching. For instance, a traveler headed to New York might search the near by airports found in New Jersey, the New York Metro area and beyond. This can result in cheaper fares or better traveling times depending on the passenger's need.

I recommend: Go to the website for Continental Airlines for more information on how reservations are made by searching nearby airports.