Booking Flights 101: Finding the Best Flights for the Right Price
Alright y’all! Now, that everyone is a professional at booking flights. We are going to discuss booking the best flights for the right price. There are some gems that I want to share, so get your pen and paper ready!
In 2019, the hassle of finding the cheapest flight has been largely reduced because there are multiple websites and apps readily available to cater to travel necessities. Here are a few that I use regularly when creating travel plans:
You may also consider large travel platforms like Expedia and following the social media pages of websites like The Flight Deal.
The four websites that I mentioned above are fantastic for quick searches for the cheapest flights at that very moment. You can compare the deals and book the flights that are the most suitable to your plans. Once you enter the flight date(s), departure and arrival city, these search engines will collect data from various airlines to return results of numerous flights and their respective prices from lowest to highest. You just saved time and a lot of stress because all of the hard work was done for you!
In addition to all of the results that are now at your finger tips, these websites allow you to easily track flight prices and receive alerts when the prices decrease or increase. Some of them also provide metrics for the prices of the same flight over the past couple of months, weeks, days, and sometimes even hours! After a while, you will notice patterns that will help with the booking process.
For example, there are well known best practices regarding when to make your reservations. From experience and what I have been told, it is best to book flights at least two weeks in advance. As you start creeping towards the two week mark, you may see prices going down, but after that, prices jump dramatically. Also, I suggest booking flights early on a Tuesday morning and avoid booking between Friday and Sunday.
Here are a few things that are very important to note when using these websites:
The airline you use to depart from your original city, during a round trip, may not be the same airline that you use to return. The same may also be true, if you have a layover and a connecting flight.
ex: You can depart Dallas (DFW) and arrive in Houston (IAH) by flying with American Airlines and return to Dallas from Houston by flying with United Airlines
DFW -> IAH IAH -> DFW
American Airlines United Airlines
OR if you have a layover, you can depart Dallas flying with American Airlines to Houston, while flying on your same day connecting flight from Houston to your final destination Miami (MIA) flying with Delta Airlines.
DFW -> IAH ->layover -> IAH -> MIA
American Airlines Delta Airlines
In the case that you have a connecting flight to your final destination with a different airline than your original departing airline, you should be careful about traveling with check-in luggage to ensure it does not get lost.
This is especially of concern, when booking through websites like Skiplagged. This website includes ‘hidden cities’ in it’s search results. This is why the rates are often lower than what you find anywhere else. According to Skiplagged, a hidden city is a flight where you get off at the layover rather than the final destination.
Let’s say that we want to fly from Dallas (DFW) to our final destination in Houston (IAH)
ex: DFW -> IAH -> MIA = $225
Skiplagged will show the part of the flight that is relevant to your trip. The expectation is that you will make one reservation for both flights, which is $225, but you will not board the second flight. This may seem counterintuitive, but there are times when booking a flight with a layover is cheaper than booking a direct flight.
ex: hidden city (DFW -> IAH) - (IAH ->MIA) = $225
final destination
This may be the cheapest option, but you have to consider what booking this flight means for your luggage. In this case, do NOT check bag(s)! If you do, your luggage will be waiting for you at the baggage claim in Miami (MIA) and you will be nice and bagless in Houston (IAH). I would suggest only booking a flight like this, if you are able to pack light with a carry-on and a personal item (backpack or large purse).
If you are joining the trip on the second part of the connection, which in the example above is IAH -> MIA, then checking your bag(s) is fine. They will end up at the same destination as you and you can enjoy your trip in peace.
Out of all of the websites, I prefer Skiplagged. Despite having to think about hidden cities and what that means for your luggage, it often times provides the lowest rates. Skiplagged does charge a user fee, if you book through their website, but you can easily avoid that by going to the airline’s website, searching the flight provided by Skiplagged, and booking directly through the airline. Google Flights is the more user friendly option, so I would suggest that for beginners.
I have to mention that certain airlines, including Southwest, do not participate in travel search engines. Therefore, if you want to fly using Southwest, you have to go to their website for prices and booking.
Lastly, there are many companies that offer flight discounts. You may want to check out discounts that may be offered by your employer, hotel, business memberships, financial institutions and credit card company.
Are you ready to book your next trip, after reading this? I sure am! Leave a comment letting me know where you want to travel next.
Happy Traveling!
- T
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