Essential Guide to Flight Booking Like a Pro

Forget the FOMO-inducing flight deals that vanish faster than a free croissant sample. We’ve all seen them: unbelievably low prices tempting you to book a trip before your time off is approved. But hold on to your passport, travel adventurer! This essential guide to flight booking like a pro empowers you to conquer the flight booking game. Go forth and navigate your airfare comparisons, like a pro. 

This guide is your weapon against misleading prices and uncomfortable flights. We’ll equip you with the knowledge to research effectively, compare wisely, and book the flight that perfectly matches your needs. And budget. No more sacrificing comfort for a few bucks! Get ready to embrace informed booking, and experience travel the way it’s meant to be: stress-free and awesome.

Many of us have restrictions that will limit what flights we can take. If you’ve ever heard someone say they found a really cheap flight to a popular destination you can bet that it comes at a cost. Long fights, multiple stops, limited luggage allowance, or no legroom can be the cost of a cheap flight. The purpose of this guide is to help you navigate searching and comparing, and in some cases, this may help you get a better deal on the flight you want to take.

Hop To A Section

• Searching for flights
• Consider not taking a round-trip flight
• Credit card perks
• Airline status
• Book directly with the airline
• Pricing; when to search and how to compare
• When to book the perfect match
• Price reductions after you book
• Apps to use when you fly

1. Start Smart

An essential guide to flight booking has to start with, well how to start your search!

Compare, compare, compare! Use Google Flights, Skyscanner, Going.com etc. to scan different routes, airports, and airlines. Flexible? Keep reading to learn how to find the cheapest days to fly (bye-bye, peak season!).

Destination undecided? Let Google Flights’ map show you where your wanderlust can take you based on airfare!

• Search ‘Google Flights’ in your web browser and select the first option that comes up.
• Then enter the departure airport (the airport you think you will fly out of). 
• DO NOT enter where you are going or your travel dates.
• Click on the map or the ‘explore’ option. Next, you will see starting prices for other cities. You can drag the map around to see roundtrip flight prices from your departure airport to others around the world. 
• Go to the space on the left where you put in your destination. Click on the calendar that says 1-week trip in the next 6 months.
• Choose the month you want to travel in. Then select travel for a weekend, 1 week, or 2 weeks. 
• Then go over to the map and drag it around to get an idea of where to go. You can click on that price/city that you see to learn more about what flight options and airlines are available. 
• Then go directly to the airline website to book the flight. Keep in mind that what you are seeing on Google Flights will show the least expensive option. This often excludes the price of upgraded seats or additional luggage but is a great starting point. Even if you aren’t planning to travel light and sit in economy seats.
  

Bonus tip: use the TravelArrow extension on your Chrome browser to easily compare Google Flights, SkyScanner, and Kyak to make sure you are finding the best deal.

Google Flights search where you are flying from

Not sure where to go or what to do? Check out the perfect Italian itinerary and our city guides on what to do while in Italy.

2. Consider Not Taking a Round Trip Flight

We’re not saying leave and don’t come back. We’re saying make the most of your trip by looking at multi-city flights, extended layovers, and even hidden cities. 

• Multi-city flights are a good way to start your trip in one place and end it in another place. You can use the same airline for the main part of your travel and go to multiple cities without having to return to the one you started in. This option should be in the same place as where you select a round trip. Leverage other forms of travel in between, be adventurous. Rent a car or take the train, a bus, or a ferry. Often times you will find low-cost airlines in your destination that don’t pop up in your initial search and you can book those separately. 
• Extended layovers could give you an extra day and night in a city you hadn’t thought of visiting before. I did a solo trip to Rome and had a 21-hour layover in Copenhagen. I went into the city explored and stayed the night before my next flight took off. And now I have a new destination on my list for an extended trip in the future. 
• Hidden cities. We’re not talking about the lost city of Atlantis here. You’ve probably noticed that flying direct often costs more than multiple legs to the same destination. Why? High demand. You can use a website like Skiplagged to find flights that go through your destination (or home) city with a different final destination. Book that flight but don’t check your luggage to the final destination. Double-check with the airline to be sure you can do that (for example if your plans change). 
• A little more on what to expect with smaller airlines in Europe. While you will find smaller airlines almost anywhere you go outside of your home country, we are familiar with the European/UK ones. What we have found is that the initial prices are much lower, but so are the amenities. In many cases, you have to pay for all of your luggage (not to shock you but this could even include your purse- a small personal item). You will have to pay an additional fee for your seat, yes you read that right. You will see the base price of the ticket and then build on it just like buying a laptop. You’ll choose the flexibility of the ticket, the seat type and location, and what bags you want to bring to check or carry on. Then you can see your total. Sometimes this is still cheaper than major airlines and other times it’s not. 

Some popular airlines in Europe and the UK are Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Vueling, Eurowings, Norwegian Air, and Wizz Air. Note that these airlines are notorious for delayed flights, delayed or lost luggage, and terrible customer service. That said, the worst that’s happened to us is two separate 3-hour delays but it mostly worked out. *if you are going to smaller and off-the-beaten-path cities, these airlines (or other small airlines) might be your only option.

3. Credit Card Perks

 If you don’t have an airline credit card you may still have travel benefits through your card.

• Check your card’s travel offers! Transfer points to booking partners or airlines for maximum mileage magic.
• If they don’t have booking partners or don’t allow you to transfer points don’t give up. They may still have some good flight options or perks if you book through them so dig into your benefits.

4. Airline Status

• Loyalty pays off! Enjoy free baggage or upgrades if you have airline status.
  • Consider these benefits when comparing with other airlines. Sometimes they make a difference, but other times the price of the flight isn’t worth the perks.
  • If that airline doesn’t fly where you are going try booking with one of their partner airlines. But use your preferred airlines’ loyalty membership to continue accruing points/miles. AND still enjoy perks like priority boarding, free checked luggage, and the priority line at security or customs!
  • Getting status with an airline that is part of the Star Alliance network can pay off when you travel internationally as well. We’ve received free checked luggage, express security, and boarding lines with the Saphire One World status. Consider this when you choose which loyalty member number to use when you travel.

5. Book Directly with The Airline

• Smoother sailing! Easier re-booking and better service in case of hiccups.
  • Is the price you found through your credit card booking platform better than the airline? Then book through your credit card travel options. Be wary of 3rd party travel booking as things get messy if you have a missed, delayed, or canceled flight. 

6. Pricing; Know Your Search Enemy

The second part of an essential guide to flight booking like a pro is booking and securing the flight you found.

• Don’t be fooled by low base prices! Factor in baggage, cancellation, and seat selection fees. Compare carefully! Sometimes, a slightly more expensive flight includes these fees, saving you money in the long run.
• Don’t pass a good deal because it’s not Tuesday. There is a rumor that the best day to book a flight is a Tuesday, some believe this but there is no proof. If you see a good deal and think you’ll wait for a better one you might miss a good deal altogether. 
• Don’t search too early or too often. This may be a myth and as you search the internet for tips you will find arguments for or against this. Some say that if you search too often the airlines start to show you higher prices. Here are a few tips if you want to do what you can to avoid airlines tracking your search.
• Don’t start searching until you are ready to book. If you search often you may see price changes and panic. 
• Use an incognito web browser and clear your search history and cookies. If you’re on a Google Chrome browser you can right-click the icon and select ‘new incognito window’. Go to your browser’s settings to clear your cookies and search history. 
• Use a VPN. If you are on a VPN and you can set the location to be somewhere else you may find better prices. Some say the price you see can be based on your location, therefore if you live in a higher-cost-of-living area, with higher demand you may see a higher price. 
• Search in the currency of your destination (if your credit card offers a decent exchange rate, we know Chase does. Have your bank convert currency for you). Paying in your destination currency could save you a little in the long run.
• Don’t search social media pages for the destination until you book. Possibly a myth. This is somewhat counterproductive to the idea of getting inspiration. Some believe that if you are searching destinations while you are also searching flights you may see higher prices, however, we have not found proof of this.

7. Book The Perfect Match.

The second part of an essential guide to flight booking like a pro is booking and securing the flight you found.

Choose the flight that fits your budget and needs, not just the cheapest. Comfort matters!

Departure and Arrivals Screen [stock photo by Josh Winters]

• There is some truth to cheaper days to travel, but like anything it’s all subjective. While it is often cheaper to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday this is not always the case. In truth, more people travel for business on Mondays and most travel for pleasure on the weekends, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday to be in lower demand and have lower prices. Airlines know if there is a holiday, event, or other reason for high demand to travel to your destination or out of your home airport. If you can travel mid-week or off of peak season you’ll find less expensive flights most of the time. 
• Hidden Fees– we’ve all heard of these and they are the fees you don’t see until you get further into the booking process. Don’t compare the initial prices you see. Sometimes, a slightly more expensive flight includes these fees, saving you money in the long run. It’s important to compare apples to apples so make sure to go through the full checkout process (stopping before payment) to compare prices. Consider the perks, seats, luggage, and change allowances (whether you can change the date, time, or location of the flight may factor into the price). 
• Always compare the time you have to change planes, just because they let you book flights that land and depart 40 minutes apart doesn’t mean you are capable of making your connection. Sometimes it’s worth it to have extra time to spread your legs and get something to eat while you’re on the ground. Even if it means getting to your destination later.

8. Price Drop Detectives

What kind of essential guide to flight booking would this be, if you didn’t know how to capitalize on deals after you booked?

• Booked a refundable ticket? Set price alerts! If it drops, cancel and rebook for savings!
  • You can set price alerts with the websites you did your initial research on to compare airfares.
• Remember, this might require booking the new flight separately and requesting a refund for the original.
  • If you have the purchasing power to do this it’s better because refunds can take some time to process. That better price could disappear while you are waiting for your refund. A good credit card will give you that purchase power.
• Follow the social media pages of various airlines. On occasion, the airline will announce low ticket prices via social media. Stay in the know and act fast.

9. Appy Travel

• Download MyTSA and MPC (My Passport Control) apps: Breeze through security and simplify international arrival.
• Countdown app: Keep the excitement brewing with a fun trip countdown!
• TripIt: Keep your travel docs all in one place! This app organizes everything for easy access and often gives flight change updates faster.
• Our resources page has a plethora of other apps that you may find useful in your travel planning and travels.

We hope this essential guide to flight booking like a pro has given you the confidence to book a flight. Go forth and fly wherever your wanderlust takes you.

***An important note about credit cards: credit cards are not effective if you are using them to make purchases that you can’t afford. We recommend only making purchases that you can pay off before the statement is due. This will avoid credit card fees that ultimately increase the price of your purchase. We are not financial advisors. We recommend that you talk to someone if you are unsure about your spending habits and having a credit card.

-XO, The Twins

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