Finding the Right Sites to Book Your Flights
When it comes to travelling one of the most difficult parts of the process is the actual planning. More specifically, it is trying the cheapest and quickest way to get to one’s destination. While prices have risen since the end of Covid there are still places to find deals if you know where to look. Below are some of the sites that I have found helpful which may also aid your search for finding the best prices on flights.
One of the first places most people go is Google Flights because it is easy to use and quickly gives you suggestions and prices for when you want to fly. However, what is really great about Google Flights is the map function where you can see the various airports in the same country that you may not have though of and may in turn be a cheaper option. For example, with this map tool you may find that the cheapest way to get to Europe is through Paris rather than London during the week you were thinking.
One of the biggest drawbacks with Google flights is the fact that many times when you follow through with the prices listed you will see what was once great prices turn into a couple thousand dollars. In reality that price usually exists somewhere, its just that Google may not tell you where.
On the occasion you can find a deal on Expedia however, it is not like it used to be. One of the nice things that I found about Expedia is the ability to plan multiple legs of a journey yet this is possible now on nearly every other site for the past five years or so. Overall, it can be another place to check for deals but should not be used as a go-to site.
Now this site is something I discovered just in the last year planning for my previous excursion in January. Kiwi operates very similar to Expedia however they offer more deals than Expedia and find cheaper prices in exchange for some extra legwork on layovers. What this looks like in reality is picking up any checked baggage and then checking back in at a layover airport and continuing the journey. If spending an extra hour going through the customs in exchange for saving a couple hundred dollars does not faze you, then Kiwi might be helpful for finding some different deals.
Kiwi also makes use of a lot of budget airlines and most of your best deals will arise from a string of budget airline trips. While this is fine if your travelling light, a lot of these airlines will charge for carry-on and other items so keep that in mind when determining whether you actually found yourself a deal. Thankfully though, Kiwi does have better filters than flights like Expedia and Google Flights to check for these things and include luggage in the requirements for finding you a flight.
Airlines
While it may not seem like because all these deal-based websites exist, booking directly with the airline your flying with still ends up being the best and cheapest option in the majority of cases. In some cases, you may find deals that are not advertised elsewhere and if you check the airline sites for each carrier along your route you may find that one airline will charge you less for the trip than the airline earlier in your route.
For example, booking my current trip to Romania I came across Scandinavian Airlines. I found the cheapest way to get to Europe ended up being through them and it saved me approximately $200.00 booking through their website rather than Air Canada even though 1) The first leg of the journey is via Air Canada and 2) Both airlines exist in the same alliance. Hence why it’s important to check carrier sites along the way.
3 Strategies
For Booking
1) Use Google Flights to figure out what cheap options you have
Use it to first determine how much it will cost and what carriers and flights are involved. Do not book via their process, it will most likely cost you more.
2) Use the deal sites to figure out if there’s deals or discounts around the time you’re travelling.
When you cross-reference that with Google you should be able to confirm whether your looking at something that’s legitimately a deal or just trying to lure you in.
3) Always check the carrier first
Most deals are already present on the carrier’s site but they don’t advertise it as such. In reality, it may just be a cheaper time of year to fly and its reflected in the prices. This is also a reminder to check the site of each carrier along your journey. If there’s no luck, then move on to check the other various websites.
I hope this guide helps you plan and book your next trip. While it may seem overwhelming to figure out flights, remembering these few strategies can hopefully equip you filter through everything that is out there to help you plan your trip.