Travel used to be a nightmare. Traveling to a different country or even a different city required weeks (if not months) of travel packed tight on rickety wagons or in leaky boats. Even with the invention of the train, travelling still required long days and nights, and you were still at the mercy of a train company and had to go to the towns that the tracks led to.
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The invention of the airplane not only fulfilled man’s lifelong dream of flight, but turned travelling from a chore into a pleasure. But just because airplanes have given people the freedom to visit the world, doesn’t mean there aren’t new obstacles in place. Think about all the hoops you have to jump through between the door of the airport and the door of the airplane. And before that, just getting a ticket for a flight is a struggle sometimes.
Finding the Right Travel Site
Not all travel websites are created equal. As convenient as the web is, it is sometimes easy to forget that all the websites aren’t out there just out of the goodness of someone’s heart. They are there to make money. And as much as these sites may want you to think that they make their profit from the airlines and hotels, the truth is your fares are filling their pockets as well.
Since there are different travel sites, telling you to comparison shop for cheap tickets before you buy is obvious, but, here are the four things you should know when booking a flight online:
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Bundle Services
Do you just need a flight or something more? If you are able to bundle your airline reservation with a hotel and or car rental reservation, you can save quite a chunk of money. By bundling multiple transactions many websites offer discounted prices on one or all three rentals. Shop around and see who offers the best bundles.
Search Worldwide
If you fly international, use international websites to find the best fare. Popular sites like Travelocity and Expedia not only have U.S. websites as a .com, but also have UK sites such as Expedia.co.uk. When flying abroad you owe it to yourself to check out these sister sites. Surprisingly, ebookers’ cheap tickets may end up being sold through the .co.uk sites.
Be Flexible
If you don’t have specific dates you must arrive on and leave on, search a range of dates to find the best price. Also try to leave early or later than normal. A few hours of sleep are much better to lose than hundreds of dollars.
Go Right to the Source
Travel websites are great but don’t forget to check out the website for the specific airline. If you already know the flight you want, booking directly on the airline’s site could save you an extra $20 to $75.
A few minutes extra of searching the right way can save you hundreds on your next flight and the flights after. Enjoy your trip!