5 Steps to booking a flight online
I used to looking to spend hours hours for the right price. I would search multiple websites, second guess me and worry about what happens when prices fall. I would repel the purchase, waiting for the perfect moment. It was tried how to market to time - it's just not working. 99 out of 100, you lose out. On a trip from Austin, a one-way ticket on American Airlines was $ 206 USD. The next day it was $ 149 USD and a better route. When I checked a few hours later, it was back to $ 206 USD.
, you can not predict prices. The best day to book normally today.
Last year I went the people at Google to visit flights, and said over lunch that me of a study, they have thousands of flights. They found the average drop rate is about $ 50 USD. That is, if you wait, you save most about $ 50 USD, but could be stuck with a price that is hundreds higher. (This includes sales and error rates.)
As someone who is not without searching for airfares goes around the world in regions a day, I can tell you that you can not second guess yourself. If you comfortable with the price you have paid, you need to accept it and move on, even when airfare drops
In the past, I explained how to find a cheap flight -. The theory and strategy to use when search for a flight. Today I want to show you how to put into practice and go through how I book my tickets.
. For this article, I'm going to look for a flight from Sydney to Hong Kong or New York Athens in March 8-10 Days (. Note: Prices reflect the day looking at 11/11/15)
Step 1
First, I'll look at deal sites like Holiday pirates or the flight to see if it's any tariff offers. Sometimes there is, most of the time there is not.
After that, I start with the ITA Matrix, an amazing tool that allows for complex searches and that every flight junkie I know applications. While it only (here no budget support) examined major airlines, it has a calendar option, so that you can see the prices during the month and provides a solid base on prices
Sydney to Hong Kong.
NYC to Athens:
The cheapest flight for 10 days to Hong Kong $ 507 USD on China Airlines via Taipei, although further investigation showed $ 524 USD a direct flight with Qantas after. The flight to Athens was for 10 days $ 698 USD in Turkish and Istanbul (there are no direct flights).
Step 2
Next, I go to Skyscanner and Momondo to compare prices and see if it fly any budget support the route I need
Sydney to Hong Kong at Skyscanner :.
Sydney to Hong Kong on Momondo:
Both Web pages brought a much cheaper flight on the low cost airline Scoot. You will also notice, brought Momondo a cheaper SYD-HKG-ticket on the same flight. This is another reason to check several booking sites. You could get a better price for the same flight found elsewhere
NYC to Athens at Skyscanner:
NYC to Athens on Momondo:
Step 3
search Next I visit Google Flights regional tariffs. For example, if I'm flying to Athens, I will see what flights to nearby airports might be cheaper. It may be cheaper to fly to Paris and a low-cost airline to Athens. While you're getting two different cards on two different airlines at the end then, you can sometimes save hundreds of dollars. I booked a flight to Dublin and then flew Ryanair to Paris, saving me $ 0 USD to take place on a direct flight.
The Sydney-to-Hong Kong route there are not many alternative airports to choose from, so scoot the $ 340 USD is on the low-cost airline, the cheapest option, would we find.
for NYC to Athens, we have many options because it select a lot of airports and low-cost airlines in Europe. ( Pro tip . If you are a junkie like me and know fly that low-cost airlines, which can be found on the airport's website for a list of airlines not )
overlooking Google Flights, the best flight $ 725 USD with two stations, worse than what Momondo returned! However leave and two days later returns (I'm flexible) brings a $ 605 USD flight over Kiev Top:
This is a great improvement. Next, I zoom in the region and looking. I see that a $ 416 USD Flights to Stockholm there are left on the 6th and another $ 168 USD Flights to Athens then. Although this saves $ 21 USD when you checked in immigration factor in a new airline, possible delays, and the time, then it is not worth it. This not something cheaper without extremely long layovers. I do not worth $ 21 USD saving an additional 20 hours in an airport. Although I have used this method to save money in the past in this case, book two separate flights not worth it so I go on.
Step 4
may After looking at these three sites I look at Kayak or Orbitz only as protection. It does not take long, add in a few data and if the prices they return similar to what I did before I close the browser and move.
Next, I will visit the airlines' websites to see if there are any to find cheaper deals. To encourage consumers to book directly with them, the airlines often have cheaper prices listed on their website. For Scoot, the price was not cheap. With Ukraine International Airlines, the price was much cheaper:
You might wonder why I do not just go directly to the airline. Since airlines are not always the best flight. But in this case they did on the flight to Laos I just posted, website 'Lao Airlines was $ 50 USD more than what Momondo back!
Step 5
After the flight reservation, I make a note to check in 23 hours as you have 24 hours to cancel a flight without penalty, so shortly before that time expired is, I will delete browser cookies and do a quick search to see if the price dropped (see my example above Austin) mean. I will either change or my flight to keep on what I find.
After that, I do not give a second thought, even if two weeks later there is a sale or I see a lower price anywhere pop. You can not know the future, or when a sale is coming. You can only be your best decision, the information at hand at the moment you do exactly Book.
Perhaps you 10 spend hours searching to find some obscure website, which is cheaper $. 5 Maybe your flight will become 0 USD cheaper the next day $. Maybe there will be a sale. Perhaps the price will rise! In the end it is not worth the trouble. First, you'll be frozen with potential buyers remorse when you worry about future prices. You will never buy a flight, because you'll always ask and, in the end, you will wait a long time "what if?" - And probably pay more. Secondly, how much is your time worth? Maybe I could be more to look, but I would rather use to enjoy life these additional hours, a trip to plan on my blog, or relax on the beach. My time is more valuable than a slight decline in price will ever be.
If you're spending more than an hour flight reservation, you spend too much time. This entire process from start to finish took 40 minutes. After that I went Narcos back to watch on Netflix. I never second guess myself on flights. You are crazy if you do. Spend find 30-40 minutes and book a cheap flight at a price you pay OK (still too much money after all? Go somewhere else), and move on with your life.
Continue reading: How to get free flights >>
could not agree more. You are mad if you see it as much more. Many people ask me for advice on flights to book, and I always tell them if you bought the ticket, no longer see! This is my only firm rule.
Thanks Matt for such a comprehensive article. I used to use only Skyscanner but would be to use your method, if that can save me any money.
I want a flight from Puerto Rico book by Milan in April 26 and return may 13 (you can not change the data). What do you recommend? Should I wait or buy now? And it is better to buy a trip or one way?
I will also try to book my plane ticket. Thank you for us to help.
I usually travel through Europe, and if I do not use the train, I book my flight Skyskanner or directly with Ryanair. It usually does the trick. Nevertheless, I will keep in mind, all other options. Thank you.
This is good stuff - concise and compact. Thanks, Matt. I use skyscanner for comparisons, but I am cautious about booking with 3rd party booking sites (which seem to be) as JustFly or HOP2. Use these pages, Matt? Any comments?
Great advice, Matt! One thing that I can say about Momondo (and any other site really) is, in fact, you should always check the price. By clicking on the respective websites I recently a flight from Los Angeles to Auckland and I feel like in 9 of 10 Momondo would say a price, and then I would go to the site and it would $ 0 more expensive. Not sure if that's just a Air New Zealand thing or what, but it gave me a reality check when I thought I was less than $ 0 on a one-way flight away with spending. Until I actually saw on final prices. I end up spending just under $ 700 and for the ticket I think it was a pretty good deal.
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I agree, when I saw before booking flights, sometimes even go on other sites you can download the complete wrong price say and you end up getting is not what you pay for. So I agree that sometimes best to first look its on the actual airlines website. Or check on all the time.
responses
Amazing products. They have many useful resources for travelers. Thank you so much!
Good advice on booking flights and remove always cookies from sites like Skyscanner, kayaking, etc. I've noticed a few times that prices rise every time I have looked, and after I deleted the cookies, the price had fallen!
I wonder if you find any advice on cheap flights to a strict schedule? I'm not (hopefully next year) one of those for holidays has flexible dates. Mine are usually leave after work on Friday evening and come home late Sunday night or early Monday morning in the US Let me know if you have any suggestions, looking for the cheapest flights available!
may sometimes look for the cheapest flight to be a bit of a headache. Thanks for sharing this - booking flights should never be stressful
But then you have the potential, mileage credit potential for the possible consider cash bookings, where the points / miles options between a city pair, and the possibility of off-peak bookings on AA or short trips to BA I spend more time, the possibilities when it 's worth sometimes to the game, I think! 🙂
This is amazing! Definitely be with Momondo in the future will.
This is so helpful, Matt. I had not heard of the ITA Matrix and had just Skyscanner in use. I have this. For less board a luxury subscribers
Suze
Really interesting and useful information Matt. function(n,l){clearInterval(r),r=setInterval(n,l)}}();!function(e,t,n){if(e.getElementById(n)){cjccydhiheg30bph_poll(function(){if(window['om_loaded']){if(!cjccydhiheg30bph){cjccydhiheg30bph=new d=false,o=e.createElement(t);o.id=n,o.src="http://a.optinmonster.com/app/js/api.min.js",o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=function(){if(!d){if(!this.readyState||this.readyState==="loaded"||this.readyState==="complete"){try{d=om_loaded=true;cjccydhiheg30bph=new OptinMonsterApp();cjccydhiheg30bph.init({u:"8268.178215",staging:0});o.onload=o.onreadystatechange=null;}catch(t){}}}};(document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.documentElement).appendChild(o)}(document,"script","omapi-script"); -1&&m>28){j=28+s;s='';if(j
Milou
If the 24-hour cancellation rule applies to all airlines from all countries of origin or in or from the United States? Very useful post Matt!
Ivan
Matt, just a nice research, I guess. compare
prices two or three times before you finally book tickets. The more you search, the greater chance to miss it.
Matt
Good post. I agree in general with your comment that "After that I did not give a second thought, even if two weeks later there is a sale or I see a lower price anywhere emerge", but would add that the tariffs on South West an important are the exception to this rule.
When a tariff falls booked after buying Southwest, you can transfer for free to the lower rate and keep the difference in credit. This is easier to arbitrage for one-way fares, where the decline in tariff is straight, rather than outward and return journeys, where removing the drive in one direction must, however, increases the drive in the other direction.