Alright, let me walk you through how I actually tackle comparing flight tickets online. It’s become a bit of a habit, something I do pretty methodically whenever I need to fly.
Getting Started: The Basics
First off, I nail down the essentials. Where am I flying from and to? What are the exact dates? Let’s imagine I needed to get from Denver to Seattle around the middle of next month. Okay, got that clear in my head.
Next, I open up my web browser. I learned a long time ago not to rely on just one single website. That’s just lazy and you often miss out. So, I typically open several tabs at once. My usual suspects are:
- Google Flights: I almost always start here. It scans a ton of airlines and gives a good overview quickly.
- Skyscanner: Another big player. Sometimes it finds combinations or budget airlines that others don’t show as prominently.
- Kayak: Similar to Skyscanner, good for another data point. It pulls from lots of sources.
- Maybe an airline’s own site: If I’m loyal to a specific airline or have points, like with United or Delta, I’ll open their site directly too. Sometimes they have deals you won’t find elsewhere.
The Actual Comparison Process
Okay, so I’ve got my websites open. Now, I carefully enter the same information into each one: Denver (DEN) to Seattle (SEA), and those specific dates I decided on. You have to use the exact same details everywhere, otherwise, you’re not comparing the same thing.
Naturally, the first thing that catches my eye is the price listed on each site. Those big numbers. But I don’t just grab the lowest number and run. Experience taught me that’s often misleading.
Here’s the stuff I dig into, the nitty-gritty details:
- What’s included? Seriously. Does that cheap price include a carry-on bag? Or even a checked bag? Many budget fares now charge extra for carry-ons that go in the overhead bin. Those fees can really bite you. I always look for the baggage allowance details before getting excited about a low price.
- Flight times are crucial. A flight landing at midnight might be cheap, but then I need transport late at night. An crack-of-dawn departure means getting up ridiculously early. I check the departure and arrival times to see if they actually work for my real-world schedule.
- Layovers, oh the layovers. Is it a direct flight? If not, how many stops? Where? And critically, how long is the layover? A super short connection (under an hour) makes me nervous about missing the next flight. A really long layover wastes my time. I usually filter results to show only non-stop or one-stop flights unless the savings are massive for multiple stops.
- Which airline is it? Some budget airlines have terrible reputations for delays or customer service. Sometimes, I’m willing to pay a little extra, maybe $30 or $40 more, to fly with an airline I know is generally reliable.
- The real final price. Some websites are sneaky and only show the full cost, including all taxes and mandatory fees, right at the very end of the booking process. I always click through until I see that final, total number I’ll actually be charged.
Making the Final Decision
So now I have a clearer picture. Website A might have the lowest initial price, but add baggage fees, and it’s suddenly not the cheapest. Website B might be slightly more expensive but includes a bag and has better timings. The direct airline website might match Website B’s price, and booking direct can sometimes feel safer if issues come up later.
Quite often, I’ll find a flight I like on Google Flights or Kayak, note down the airline and flight number, and then go straight to that airline’s own website. I compare the price there. Sometimes it’s identical, occasionally it’s cheaper, and booking direct can make managing the booking (like seat selection or changes) simpler down the line. Less chance of finger-pointing between a third-party site and the airline if something goes wrong.
This whole process might take me 20 minutes, maybe half an hour. It involves clicking around, checking details, maybe jotting down a few notes. But doing this methodical check across a few key websites, focusing on the total package (price, bags, times, airline quality), feels like the most reliable way I’ve found to get a decent flight without nasty surprises. It’s just my practical routine, built up over many trips.
