Booking Your Flight Right
Hello Friend. Welcome back! I’m happy you’re here! Let’s talk about booking flights.
Photo by Sonia Nadales
Most of us don't tend to hop on a plane every other week to get to work. That is usually reserved for pilots, cabin attendants, and perhaps a fancy company executive. (Not sure on that last one since I've never been one of those.) But it was something I was doing for a couple of years as a contractor for cruise ships and it became apparent that there was a technique for having a smooth flight plan and executing it with as little headache as possible. (Without using a travel agent.) So, here are some tips for booking your flight that may make your next vacation run more smoothly.
It starts with a bit of research.
You know where you want to go, now you just have to get there. You will want to check if the place you have chosen to visit has multiple airports within a moderate commute to your destination. If so, you may have more options available to you. So always check and see the recommended airports and ground transportation available at the destination. I recommend doing all of this before you even make a flight reservation. You don’t want to fly somewhere just to find out the taxis charge an arm and a leg and the less expensive shuttle is online reservation only. Figuring out how you’re going to get from the airport to your destination will help you determine which airport suits you the best. Once you’ve decided on that, then it's time to look up flights.
Example of the date and price grid from Google. Prices reflect LAX to HND for late Sept/early Oct. 2023
Usually, my method is to research first and see who is offering the best deals. I usually rely on a Google search for this as it gives me all of the available airlines, prices, and trends. If your travel dates are flexible you may be able to wiggle your flying day to a cheaper rate. You can see this if you click on Google’s date grid link. (Example shown above) It will show you all of the lowest rates found for the week with departure date along the top and return date along the side. Looking at this gives me an idea of which airlines are offering lower rates and when. Looking at this helps me select which airline I want to use for my particular trip. I do have some personal guidelines that I follow when I select an itinerary. Some rules that I like to follow are:
1. Don’t mix airlines.
If you’ve got a long trip with multiple connections, you could be taking a huge risk by mixing and matching your airlines looking for the cheapest possible expense. I once had a job give me an itinerary that forced me not only to change airlines, but to change airports. (Washington D.C. I’m looking at you for this one.) I had to collect my checked luggage and hop in an uber and drive 30 minutes from Dulles International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as part of a connection. Fortunately, I had about 2 hours to do it but with waiting for luggage, waiting for the uber, and repeating the check in and security process again at the next airport, the 2 hours went by in a flash. So make sure you check the itineraries.
2. Cheaper isn’t always worth it.
Getting to know your airline is key to an easier travel experience. As anyone can tell you, not all airlines are the same and you get what you pay for. Budget airlines are fine if all you've got is a backpack under seat bag and you just want to get away for a weekend, but I wouldn't suggest that route if you're planning your next family vacation or an international trip. I would recommend starting with one of the mid range airlines such as Delta, American, or United. With these type of airlines you are usually able to reserve your seat, order food or snacks in advance and track your luggage. Personally, I find the luggage tracking to be worth the expense since it gives me a little more peace of mind about my belongings and a paper trail of accountability from the airline. I also use a Bluetooth tracking tile inside of my luggage as well to keep on top of it.
3. Connection times matter.
I would suggest a minimum of 2 hours for domestic connections and likely 3 or more hours for international connections. Airports are all built differently and the layouts are expanding all the time. 2 hours might seem like a long time but it may take the entire 2 hours you built into your plan to deplane, change terminals on a shuttle or tram and locate your next gate. There may be a restroom break squeezed into that time as well and then when you finally make it up to your gate, your flight is already boarding since flights always board at least 30 minutes before takeoff.
4. Book directly through the airline.
I know there are a lot of 3rd party websites that will pull together the least expensive flight options and create a flight plan to try and save you the most money. It's always very tempting to go this route, but you also take on a lot of risk when you use these 3rd party companies. If anything goes wrong, and let’s face it, something always goes wrong, then that 3rd party company is now your first point of contact when there is a problem. You cannot get help through the airline or hotel themselves because they will tell you that you must go through your 3rd party provider to receive help or a refund etc… I prefer to cut out the middleman and work directly with the airline or hotel that I am booking. Often they match the pricing seen on those 3rd party sites and apps and you can get more options shown for your itinerary or your stay because you booked directly. It’s also easier to manage rewards programs by doing everything directly as well. There are exceptions to the rule but more often than not I prefer having that direct line of communication.
5. Pick your seats as soon as possible.
This is pretty streamlined now through the airlines when you make your booking. However if you are flying international, your itinerary may include flying on a partner airline. Some of the major partnerships you might see include Star Alliance, Oneworld, and Sky Team. Don’t worry if you see that you are one of these partnership flights. It is still as good as flying with your direct airline. However when it comes to reserving and paying for your seat on the flight, you will need to visit that airline’s own website and pull up your reservation through them to reserve a seat. Your original reservation may show an additional code that is associated with that partner airline. In some cases you will need to use that secondary reservation code instead of the original one to pull up your flights. Doing this extra step helps me pick what I need early on and possibly reserve a meal as well. International flights will also prompt you to upload your travel documents and information before your flight too.
6. Expect additional fees.
Even after all of that research for the best rate you can find for your flight, expect a few hundred dollars more in additional fees. Between taxes, seat fees, processing fees, and pre-paying for luggage and meals, that total is going to jump significantly. So brace yourself and try not to get sticker shock. (Easier said than done, I know. I struggle too with this one.) But if you keep that in mind when you are shopping around for the best price you’ll be able to prepare your budget for that extra hit without feeling blindsided by it.
There you have it. Some of my best tips and mental notes for booking a flight that doesn’t make you feel crazy the next time you travel. I like to do this kind of leg work up front to help me feel more at ease during my travels since I’m already running at a higher anxiety level than usual on my travel day.
If you found this helpful or have any additional thoughts or tips on booking flights, leave a comment or contact me via email, Instagram, or facebook! And if you like this blog and want to help with the domain fees, click on the donate button and buy me a coffee! (Or as many of you know, I actually drink tea.) Thank you and see you in the next post!
