Sorting out flights is an enjoyable process for some people and for others like me, it is a chore. Perhaps that is because of the paradox of choice and I’m afraid I’ll make the wrong decision because there are simply too many options to choose from. I have now whittled it down to a few sites I check initially and then make a decision. Because of the way I travel, I am not always looking for the cheapest flight and will often go with a higher priced ticket because the quality of travel is better and I know I won’t have an issues with my large luggage.
Long term travellers can also be more flexible with travel times and I don’t mind a few hours here and there at airports because I can work or just people watch! It’s not like I only have a week for my trip and need to leave on Saturday, get there as fast as possible and return the next Saturday. Flying via airline hubs often works out better because there are more flights. Likewise, if you are flying to a large city, see if there are other, smaller airports instead of the main one which will be busier and usually costs the airlines more to land at and is reflected in the ticket prices.
Airlines
As with hotels, it pays to check out the individual airline websites. Not all the airlines appear on the sites like Expedia so you will need to invest time with the individual airlines. Many of them are frustrating and you will just have to deal with it and know which ones show the final price including all taxes and surcharges and which ones don’t. These sites are also the only definitive authority on luggage restrictions.
Travel Agents
The old fashioned way to book trips. Wander in to a bricks and mortar shop and speak to a travel agent. This is a dying breed although they do have a time and place. At the time of writing this, my latest trip (seven countries over nine months) was booked using a travel agent. I just ended up bogged down with information and in the end it was easier to sit down with an agent for a couple of hours and sort it all out. We easily compared a round the world fare with individual fares, avoided certain airlines, checked visa information and more. Of course I am paying for this, although not as much as I would charge if providing the service.
Therefore, don’t write them off because there are benefits. One good one is a plain English version of the charges for charging bookings. I know in advance what the cost will be and I can do it directly with the airlines. I’ve heard more than a few horror stories of people who have booked with an online consolidator and their whole trip was cancelled when all they wanted to do was change one sector.
Travel Websites
There are a plethora of websites dedicated to helping the traveller make their bookings. About the only advice I can offer is to look through a few of them and find the one you like to use. Kayak is one I try very early in the search as it gives a good quick indication of volume of flights and approximate costs. I then expand the search to other websites to confirm the information. Perhaps it is just me, however, some are just difficult to use. Skyscanner is a popular one, I just don’t like it. Vayama is all right for international flights in addition to the usual hotels, rental cars and packages.
The online sites like Expedia, work well for package deals and I use them when I want a few days at a place, need a flight, basic hotel and perhaps a car. Just remember to check the prices individually a the airline, hotel and car rental place just to make sure the discount is really a discount.
Therefore, the best advice is to be aware of each method and know when to use each one.
