Okay, so I’ve been planning this big trip, you know, the kind where you hop around a few different places? It’s exciting, but figuring out the flights can be a real headache. I used to just book separate flights, but that’s a pain and usually ends up costing more. So, I decided to finally learn how to use those flight search engines for multi-city trips. Here’s how it went down:
Figuring Out the “Multi-City” Option
First, I picked my favorite flight search engine. Most of the big ones, have a “multi-city” or “multi-stop” option, usually right there on the homepage, next to “round trip” and “one way.” It might be a little link or a separate tab, look closely!
I needed click that. Seriously, that was step one, find the right button.
Planning My Route
Before I even started typing in destinations, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down my ideal route. This is important! I wanted to go from: Home City –> City A –> City B –> City C –> Back Home. Write your own.
Entering My Destinations and Dates
The multi-city search usually gives you a bunch of blank spaces for each leg of your journey.
- First line: I put in my departure city (where I live) and my first destination (City A). I picked the date I wanted to leave.
- Second line: I put City A as the departure and City B as the destination. I chose the date I wanted to leave City A.
- And so on… I kept adding lines until I had the whole route entered. The last line was City C back to my home city.
Getting the dates right took a little fiddling. I played around with different departure dates for each leg to see if I could get better prices.
Checking Out Different Airlines
Some search engines let you specify which airlines you prefer. I don’t have strong preferences, so I usually leave it open to see all the options. But if you’re loyal to a particular airline, this is where you’d select it.
Browsing and Comparing Results
Then, I hit the “search” button! The search engine churned for a bit, and then – bam! – a whole list of flight combinations. This is where the real work began. I spent a good chunk of time comparing:
- Total price: Obviously!
- Layover times: I didn’t want to be stuck in an airport for 12 hours.
- Total travel time: Sometimes a slightly longer flight overall is worth it for shorter layovers.
- Airlines: Some I like better than others.
Choosing and Booking
Finally, I found an itinerary that looked pretty good – decent price, reasonable layovers. I clicked through, double-checked all the details (dates, times, baggage allowances, etc.!), and booked it. Make sure to keep your record.
The Results
Honestly, it took a little patience, but it was way easier than booking separate flights. And I’m pretty sure I saved some money, too. I even used the calendar view on some search engines to see if shifting my travel dates by a day or two would make a difference. Next time you’re planning a complex trip, definitely give the multi-city search a try!
