Okay, so I’ve been trying to snag some cheaper flights for my upcoming trip, and I wanted to share my process of using online booking tools. It’s not rocket science, but I figured I’d walk you through what I did.
Started with Some Basic Searching
First, I just started poking around. I opened up a few of the big-name travel sites. You know, the usual suspects.
I played around with the dates, being as flexible as I could. Moving my departure and return by even a day or two made a surprisingly big difference in some cases.
Diving into Flight Comparison Sites
Next, I hit up some of those flight comparison websites. These are great because they pull in prices from a bunch of different sources.
- Flexibility is Key: I made sure to check the “flexible dates” option if it was available. This showed me a calendar or chart with prices across a whole month.
- Nearby Airports: I also ticked the box to include nearby airports. Sometimes flying into or out of a smaller airport a bit further away can save some serious cash.
- Filtering: I used the filters to narrow down my options. I usually set a maximum number of stops (I’m not a fan of endless layovers) and sometimes I’ll specify preferred airlines if I have any.
- Setting up Price alerts: I really like to Use price alerts.I put a price alert to see the price moving.
Checking Airline Websites Directly
After getting a good sense of the price range from the comparison sites, I went straight to the websites of the airlines that had the best deals.
Sometimes, you’ll find that the airline’s own website has a slightly better price or more flexible booking options. It’s always worth a quick look.
The Results?
Well, by doing all this, I managed to find a flight that was significantly cheaper than my initial searches. It took a bit of time and clicking around, but honestly, it was worth it to save the money. I played with dates, looked at different airports, and compared, compared, compared. That’s really the key!
