Flights – booking tips and tricks
In this article
Booking flights can be exciting, although often takes much more time than you expect.
Whether you’re an aviation geek or a nervous flyer, getting from A to B by plane is often the most efficient (or only) way.
Where do you want to fly to
This might feel like it is blindingly obvious, right?
Let’s say you are going to New York City (USA), or Krabi (Thailand), or Vienna (Austria).
For each of these examples, there are alternative options for locations to fly to.
The alternative airports can be very appealing from a cost and logistical perspective.
Or, it could be that these alternatives also have the distinction of potentially better arrival times for flights, greater availability of flights.
Lastly, and paradoxically, the alternative airport can actually get you to your destination quicker than the obvious airport option.
To further illustrate the three examples above:
Example one – multiple airports in a location
New York City (USA) – the two main airports serving NYC are John F. Kennedy airport (JFK) and La Guardia (LGA).
Both out to the East of Manhattan, away from the city.
JFK in particular takes at least an hour to get into Manhattan by taxi, car, bus, or subway (which is a hassle of itself).
LGA is a bit more convenient, being on the North side of Queens (East of Manhattan island).
You can usually get into Manhattan in around 30-45 minutes from LGA.
Now, consider the alternative option Newark (EWR).
This airport is located across the Hudson river in the West, in New Jersey.
You can get a train from Newark airport into New York Penn Station (not to be confused with New Jersey Penn Station!) in 27 minutes.
Alternatively, you can get a bus to the New York Port Authority bus terminal (next to Times Square) in 45-60 minutes.
Depending on your destination in New York City, the “alternative” airport may actually get you door-to-door in a shorter space of time.
Example two – a nearby airport
Krabi (Thailand) – this gorgeous beach and rock-climbing destination has an airport (KBV).
Unfortunately, the airport is located around 30 minutes from the beach resorts and areas that tourists congregate.
Due to its seasonal appeal, there are limited flight options to Krabi, and mostly with low-cost carriers.
However, if you fly into Phuket, suddenly a vast number of additional flight options are now available.
This is because Phuket is a much bigger airport and destination.
Very affordable taxi transfers to Krabi can be booked at Phuket airport itself (or in advance).
A comfortable two-hour ride later you’ll arrive at your destination on a beach in Krabi.
This can allow you to arrive at a time that’s more convenient (such as late Friday evening).
Example three – a nearby airport in a different country
Vienna (Austria) – the Austrian capital has its own airport (VIE), which takes 16 minutes by train to get into the city centre.
Some airlines, particularly low-cost European airlines, advertise “Vienna” as a destination.
The reality is that they actually fly into Bratislava airport (BTS) in neighbouring European Union country Slovakia.
There is a transfer time from Bratislava airport to Vienna of 80 minutes by bus.
This alternative option could be a boon for you as flights into Vienna can often be more expensive.
For this to work however, you’ll need to have the right visa (or passport) to be able to enter EU countries.
Alternative airports for flights
The above three examples are to promote the idea of thinking more laterally about what travel options suit you best.
So, how can you discover these alternate routes?
A great place to start is by looking at a map of the area, and search for nearby airports.
Check out the Wiki page for cities with multiple airports too.
Each airport will have its IATA three-digit code, which can be plugged into flight aggregators or airline websites.
Some of the better aggregators will also give you a “search nearby” option to expand the number of potential airports that you can fly into.
Flight stopovers
What is a stopover?
A stopover (or layover) can come about for a few different reasons.
Sometimes, you won’t even have any choice in the matter.
For example, there are no direct flights between your departure and destination locations.
Perhaps the airline you’ve chosen has a hub location somewhere between where you’re starting and finishing.
Or, your start and / or end locations are lower-trafficked and therefore less flight options.
A stopover could even be as simple as a “direct” service which means that it can stop along your route.
Only “non-stop” flights go from A to B with no stopovers; a nuance that most people outside of the airline industry are not aware of.
What happens during a stopover?
A stopover can be as simple as having to sit in your seat while the departing passengers get off and new passengers board.
This is an approach for domestic flights, particularly if re-fueling isn’t required.
More often in these situations, all passengers will be required to disembark the plane.
You’ll then re-board when the plane is ready to depart for its next destination.
Alternatively, a stopover can be a long wait in an airport departure gate (or lounge) before your next flight.
International stopovers
Several national carriers advertise flight options that include stopovers in their country.
This often includes access to a tourist visa if you’d like to spend the day exploring a new city.
This can be a fantastic way to expand your itinerary to take in another city along the way.
It’s also excellent for relieving the boredom of the airport and stretching your legs.
You could even have accommodation included in the deal, so you’ll have a chance to shower and get some sleep.
To get these types of fares, you’ll usually need to book your flights through the airline’s website.
Flight aggregators
Similar to other aggregators, flight aggregators are an indispensable resource for finding the best flight opportunities.
This includes finding the best departure and / or arrival times, cost, and airline or airline group (One World, Star Alliance, Sky Team, etc).
For straightforward travel arrangements, these are the best place to start, even if you’re loyal to one airline (or airline group).
The points below can also apply to travel agents.
The downsides to these services can include the following challenges:
Open-jaw tickets
This expression relates to a trip that involves flying into one airport, and flying home from another.
An example of this could be a trip to London (United Kingdom) that arrives at London Heathrow (LHR) and then departs from London Gatwick (LGW).
In this specific example, you can search for the IATA area term “LON” which includes all six London airports.
However, other smaller locations don’t have the same option.
Open-jaw tickets can also involve return flights from a different city in the same country.
An example of this could be flying into Sydney (Australia) and departing again from Melbourne.
An open-jaw is a little different to a one-way ticket, in that the ticket conditions can make the ticket cheaper than two one-ways.
Checked baggage allowance
It can sometimes be difficult to determine whether a flight sold through an aggregator includes checked baggage.
Even then, it can be unclear what the checked baggage allowance may be with the ticket.
This is particularly true with low-cost airlines that charge for every element of the flight experience.
Some aggregators are better at flagging the baggage information that’s required, however don’t always count on it.
Assume no baggage allowance if it isn’t made clear.
“Fly-by-night” flight aggregators
If the price is “too good to be true”, then chances are that the flight price is too good to be true.
Stick to the major aggregators to avoid disappointment.
Another challenge is that some smaller aggregators will claim that they’ve secured the ticket at a certain price.
Several days later, they come back and inform you that the flight ticket had been sold out at that price point.
Or worse, that the flight is fully booked.
They will then take their time in refunding you your money.
Meanwhile, you’ve lost time in finding the right fare, and you’re back at square one again.
And then potentially having to chase the aggregator for your refund.
Changes to flights
If you need to cancel a flight, or change flight timing, aggregators can introduce change costs over and above what the airline charges.
Or worse, they can make it impossible to make a change.
Alternatively, you have extenuating circumstances for a need to change (e.g. bout of adult chicken pox, broken limb, etc).
Airlines can often be sympathetic to your plight and arrange a change for what was otherwise a “non-refundable” fare.
Aggregators, not so much…
When things go wrong for flight bookings
Flight delay and / or cancellation is statistically inevitable the more often that you travel.
This can range from a small inconvenience, to potentially large costs involved in getting to or from your destination.
As a rule-of-thumb, you get what you pay for with airline service.
(In theory), the more you pay (including class of travel), the better the service should be.
For flights purchased through aggregators, airline customer service often pushes you back to the aggregator to get help / support when things go wrong.
As per the “you get what you pay for” concept, aggregators can vary in the level of support you’ll receive.
When flight aggregators work out well
Having read all of the above points, you may be wondering why even bother with aggregators?!
The reality is that most of the time, there are no hiccups.
Aggregators will allow you to save yourself a bit of money, and you will be able to shop for the best option that suits your travel needs.
When using the airline directly is best for flights
It’s recommended to use the airline’s website directly in some circumstances.
This is important if you’re flying at a time when there is a higher than average likelihood of flight disruption.
This includes:
- Wintertime across the United States and Canada (particularly the East coast), the United Kingdom, and Northern Europe, when snow can be forecast or expected.
- Possible airline / airport strikes that could impact flights.
- Christmas / holiday periods at the pointy-end, as a single issue has a cascade effect.
Reward flights
A reward ticket is one purchased using Frequent Flyer (FF) points, or other similar means.
A whole book can be written on this topic, including effective strategies for collecting, using, and transferring points between programs.
A simple tip is FF points are fantastic to use for one-way tickets, often making them much more affordable.
Checked baggage for flights
There are times that you’ll need to travel with checked baggage.
Or, you’ve overpacked and you’ll need to purchase additional baggage beyond your existing allowance.
In either case, make sure you add this to your itinerary before checking-in online.
Airlines love to charge a premium for last-minute decisions, and your checked baggage needs are usually predictable.
A suggestion for flights where you’re required to choose between checked baggage weights, go big.
Opt for the size that is the next one up from what you think you need (e.g. 20kg instead of 15kg).
Tip
Paying a little extra money avoids the stress of packing to keep your weight just within the limit.
Key takeaways
Getting the most out of your flight booking experience is a bit of a cottage industry.
Thinking laterally about your plans helps when coming up with the optimal set of flight options.
If you are unsure about your itinerary, or a risk of change to your plan, opt for booking directly with an airline.
