Do you know how to book a flight?
You do eh? Alright, how many flights take off each year? Got ya! It’s a tough stat to know for certain but a quick Google search will tell you at least 15 million. Fifteen MILLION!?! That’s insane.
With air travel becoming more accessible every year as people learn how to book a flight, there are also more myths all the time about the right and wrongs ways to go about doing it. In this post, rather than focus on the nitty gritty of the best flight booking methods, let’s focus on tackling five of the myths around how to book a flight.
1. “Direct Flights Are The Best”
Sure they might be faster and you don’t have to worry about switching planes but there are many benefits to connecting flights. Of course there’s always the chance they might be cheaper than direct flights. However if you are a member of a frequent flyer program that accumulates points based on distance traveled, a connecting flight may fly further than a direct one. This could mean more points for you and a free flight sooner!
2. “Fly From Major Airports”
Most big cities will have a main ‘major’ airport. JFK in New York City, Pearson in Toronto, Heathrow in London. Before you book, do some research to see if your departure or arrival city has a secondary airport. Though they may be farther from the city center and sometimes trickier to get to, flying via these airports may be cheaper.
3. “A Travel Agent Knows Best”
Travel agencies can be great. They can suggest better routes, the best times to fly and even the hottest destination this year. While they of course know how to book a flight, they don’t always find you the cheapest one.
Hop online instead! The web is a ticket booking service at your fingers tips. Using websites like Kayak and Skyscanner you basically become the travel agent. By cross checking, you can often find and book cheaper flights than your travel agent could!
4. “Stick To An Airline Alliance”
If you are a very frequent flyer (or flying on the company credit card) then staying dedicated to a single airline alliance can pay off. Tons of points, business class, elite status, express checkin – the list goes on. But for those you travel by plane less frequently it’s not usually worth it to pay extra just so you can get the miles. If you are paying an extra $200 to book a flight for $50 worth of points you’ve pretty much fallen for their ploy! Instead get a membership for all the airline alliances. OneWorld, StarAlliance, you name it! That way you can get points with whatever the cheapest flight is. Sure it might take you a while to get that cheap flight, but at least you wont lose money on it!
5. “Booking a Flight Is Complicated”
Likely one of the biggest myths about how to book a flight is that it’s complicated. The reality is that it’s easy. Hop online, search for where you want to go and on the dates you’d prefer to travel – stay flexible – and then just book it. As long as you have the money and a passport (enter your passport info perfectly folks) you are good to go!
Although these are only five of the myths about how to book a flight, keeping in mind that they are in fact myths will not only save you money but make the process a little less stressful!
What myths have you heard about How To Book A Flight? Leave your tips in the comments below!
