17 the worst things you can do when booking a flight

Avoid the stress of the airport with these expert travel tips.


You finally arrived at your door and you are looking forward toboard the plane For long-awaited holidays, now that many Covid-19 travel restrictions have been relaxed. At this moment, you realize that you risk missing your connection because you have chosen a short stopover, or you have to pay a ton for your luggage hand since you did not read the end of the end of airplane. These are just some of the most common mistakes (still from! Crucial) people do during the organization of flights. But, do not worry, we are here to help you. Below we have rounded up the best tips on how to avoid stressful booking gaffes.

1
Do not look at hidden fees.

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Of course, that the spirit or Frontier, Ryanair, or any other airline discount ticket might look like a devil of a case, but if you take into account additional costs, these seemingly cheap rates could end up back just as much, if not more than a complete flight flight. Of$ 5 to $ 16 It costs to reserve a place on the border at € 55 Check-in charge at the airport billed by Ryanair, many cheap carriers of ridiculous fees hidden in their fine impression.

Spirit is one of the worst guilty like a baggage hand luggage on packs aMore $ 29 to $ 65 by leg. Even some traditional carriers, such as United, do not include air bags on their basic Economie basic tickets. Thus, the passengers who come to the door with a normal-size hand luggage must pay a$ 25 Handling fee.

2
Do not buy bulk group tickets.

group of young adults sitting in airport
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Airlines often sellseparate tariff classes at different prices. For example, if you are looking for four tickets, and there is only one seat on the left in the lowest rate class, most sites display only the highest price class for four tickets. "Try to look at one at a time, in case places are limited to the sale," suggest the experts deal withTravelzoo. "In this way, you are assured that at least a game, if not all, of your tickets, have been purchased for the lowest price. »

3
Do not forget to search for visas first.

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At the moment, US citizens have access without visa to 174 countries and can obtain a visa on arrival for many other countries like Indonesia, Ethiopia, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal and Rwanda. But this is not the case everywhere, some countries have a long process to get a visa that could get in the way of last minute flight offers. "Although much of Europe is accessible for American citizens without visa,Travelers interested in Russia Must submit to a long and expensive visa application process ", saysTravel + Leisure.

Pro Tip: Get the Scoop before booking by checkingALLIED PASSPORT A guide for the visa requirements of each country.

4
Do not let your passport expire.

woman holding us passport
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Even if your passport will be valid for the duration of your trip, some nations will not leave you if you are approaching its expiry date. "Many countries, including Belgium, Thailand, China, Ecuador, and more, need three to six months of passport validity at the entrance-even if you have a valid passport, you could be stopped at customs, and it could compromise your trip, "Smartertravel EditorShannon McMahon RecountCNBC.

The time of time to renew an adult passport is six to eight weeks if you want to pay the standard fee of $ 110, or you can recover it in about eight days if you pay aextra $ 60 And go directly to a passport agency. Really a lack of time? You can receive as soon as 24 hours if you are ready to pay a $ 449 exorbitant amount toFedex And another $ 170 in the state department, as well as shipping costs during the night.

5
Do not underestimate the power of flexible pricing.

man in airport looking at his flight details
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Sometimes you have plans together and need to fly to a specific airport for a day. However, if your travel plans are flexible, you could save you a lot of money. Travelers who can swing a mid-week or a Trek to smaller airports may be able to pick up some serious business.

According toHopper, Domestic Flyers ready from Wednesday and the return on a Thursday could save about $ 45 per ticket. And open research at other airports can help you get even more money. TheGuy points of JT GENTER Saved more than $ 500 flying Hong Kong from Houston rather than from his native city of Austin. "If you useGoogle Flights To search for your route, it will automatically check airports near the savings, and some online travel agencies (OTA) also have the opportunity to search close to airports "Did he. It can not hurt the check box and see if you can save a package by making your player at the airport a little longer ".

6
Do not reserve outside the "Sweet Spot".

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We might think that the reservation of a super early ticket or notationa vacant seatAt the last minute could lead to serious offers. Moved that is rarely, if always the case. Depending on the travel bloggerMatt Nomadic"There is a soft place when airlines start either down or increase depending on demand. »

Pro Tip: The best time to find an agreement is six to eight weeks before departure for hollow periods or trip-season of the shoulder and about three months for travel during the more desirable period of the year.

7
Do not skip your favorite traveler number.

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If you havepassed through the hassle and paid the money forTSA Precheck, Do not forget to enter your known Traveler of your reservation from Get-Go. If added too late, you might miss on PRECHECK for the flight and be stuck in a terrible slutty safety line.

8
Do not skip your frequent traveler number.

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You pay for the ticket, you could also get credit. Even short flights add over time and can help extend the expiration date of your miles in many programs. Moreover, if you happen to betravel with someone Who has some kind of status, both you could get an upgrade, access to the show, or other fun benefits.

9
Do not buy aircraft travel insurance.

man sleeping at the boarding gate
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You might be tempted to bifurcate aboveAdditional fees For flight insurance at the time of departure, especially if you go to the airports known to have a lot of delays (looking at Chicago O'Hare). But it's not worth if you already secretly conferred through your credit card. According toThe guy of pointsSome Citi credit cards such as prestige and chase Sapphire favorite will cover travelers up to $ 500 for long time.

10
Do not neglect the experience in flight.

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While you certainly feel on the way, little travelers think thein flight experience When booking a ticket. Is it really if you have exceeded overheadjack or little on site for the legs of a two-hour trip? Probably not. But on a long-haul flight or redeye, an uncomfortable plan could have a really impact the first days of your getaway. BrowseSeatguru At no seat compare (ie Place for Legs), video types, Wi-Fi, and other equipment when weovering business.

11
Do not enter a different version of your name than what is indicated on your passport.

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It's easy to miss out how you indicated your first name about your passport or if you have updated to your new married name (or after divorce). And for overseas airlines, the order of names and first names can be different from US carriers. This time arrived at the journalistDanielle Bernabe by making aInternational reservation. "I noticed after I could not find my flight," she says. "When I called to understand all that, they wanted to charge $ 1,000 [because they said] they should cancel and reread the flight. Fortunately, when Bernabe stands at the recording counter on the day of his flight by pretending that she did not notice the error, the ticket agent corrected the embarkation card "without sninning," she says .

12
Do not confuse destination names.

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Writer TravelLauren MoWery of Husband once arrived in Canada, walked outside the terminal with his bag and received a call from his colleague who was supposed to be picked up. When the husband said he was out with his bag, the colleague asked, "Wait, that Saint John do you fly to? He turned out, he booked a flight to Saint John, Newfoundland, instead of Saint John, New Brunswick, turning it one day behind the site.

If you want an idea ofHow often does this happenTry Googler "Sydney, Australia + Sydney, Nova Scotia." More than one confused tourist eventually visited Canada instead of Australia. It is so easy to confuse places with the same name like Portland, Maine (PWM) and Portland, Oregon (PDX).

13
Do not click on the erroneous dates.

man frustrated for wrong flight details
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When you are in the heat to mark a lot or stressedThe reservation of a tripIt is easy to rush through the purchase process without dual verification of the date and, yes, this is another mistake This writer has known first (on more than once!). It's easy to "jul" for "June", click on the same day another week of the pop-up calendar or is confused by the method of another country of the date of the date, the month and The year. And be careful early in the morning or late departures in the night; It's easy for confused flights who leave or arrive after midnight.

14
Do not let a good deal you pass.

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Let's say you spotted what looks like a deadly New York City rate in Madrid, but you have not confirmed if your travel friend can make the trip. If you have checked the price against other sites and you are open to go anyway, book the Darn ticket. According to peopleWatch dogYou have a full day to cancel or make changes, but you must read the fine print if you cross an OTA: "If you book a better rate immediately after, you can take advantage of the 24-hour maintenance policies that Allows you to cancel your reservation without penalty. "

15
Do not reserve a connection too tight.

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While you do not want to travel longer than necessary, cut it too close could make the trip super stressful or worse, you can miss your connection together. An hour may seem like a perfectly reasonable amount of time to get you from one door to another on an interior flight. But when yourLaguardia Departure is delayed by a few hours because of a storm, and you miss your connection to Charlotte, forcing you to spend the night in an airport hotel, turn your six-hour trip to Salt Lake City in a case close to 24 hours. As was the case for this writer earlier this year, you will want to have a little more time saving on the slope.

The general rule is to avoid national connections below one hour and shorter international blades than two, but remember, a little more suspended time in the terminal could possibly save you a ton of hassle at the end.

16
Do not waste time with long layers.

woman tired from layovers
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Of course, a direct flight can be more expensive, but if what should be a five-hour trip from New York to Los Angeles takes trip the time because of several layers or even an extremely long and un practical stop, it's just going leave youfeel like a wreck when you arrive. Pay a little more for a non-stop road or reserve a different flight with easier transfer.

17
Do not choose to cost the convenience.

man tired from early morning flight
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Cheaper rates may be tempting, but sometimesAdditional savings is not worth it or extra. These cheap flights may require costly taxi, overnight in an airport hotel or exhausting trip. $ 30 saving deserves to be awake at 3:30, for a flight at dawn? We do not think.

For overview of the airlines, check the 20 shocking secrets that your edge agents will not tell you .


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