9 Mistakes You¡¯re Making When Booking a Flight

[dnoblett]

Wondering why you never manage to bag a flight for quite as cheap as the next guy? Pining for a summer getaway but really need to keep the cost down? Then this list of 9 mistakes that the average buyer makes when booking flights is sure to help.

 

1. You’re Only Checking One Airline
   
2. You’re an Impulse Buyer
   
3. You’re Booking on the Wrong Day
   
4. You’re Not Checking Alternate Airports
   
5. You’re Not Being Flexible with Destinations
   
6. You’re Not Being Flexible with Dates
   
7. You’re Not Including Taxes and Fees
   
8. You’re Booking Too Late
   
9. You’re Booking Too Early

Get the details here: http://time.com/money/3900618/flight-booking-mistakes-airfare/?post_type=money_article

[Greg.D.]

good post!

You’re Only Checking One Airline: seriously? unless you are still using the phone to make a reservation, you are probably on Expedia, etc

You’re an Impulse Buyer: that's right, I am. How did you know?

You’re Booking on the Wrong Day: Last year you said Tuesday, now you say THURSDAY!

You’re Not Checking Alternate Airports: most travel is business travel, we do what we gotta do. I will check an alternative airport if mine is SOLD OUT

You’re Not Being Flexible with Destinations: most travel is business travel, we do what we gotta do. I will check an alternative city if mine is SOLD OUT

You’re Not Being Flexible with Dates: usually the difference is a drop in the bucket of cost and it can really impact the value of the whole trip.

You’re Not Including Taxes and Fees: really, really hard to do .... unless you are a single source flyer and you haven't clicked "BUY" yet

You’re Booking Too Late: If you must go, it's never too late

You’re Booking Too Early: that's possible

If I could add something to the list: not paying attention to connections, as in 1) leaving yourself too little time given the delays, 2) connecting in Chicago (some people never have a problem here, I usually do), 3) grabbing that cheap flight to China and not noticing the 12 hour layover in Detroit

[HotBaozi]

In keeping in line with the article from out-of-time, the following should be included with considerations of what you did wrong before you even thought of booking your flight:

 

1. You got up

2. You didn't get up

3. You got up too late

4. You got up too early

5. You want to go to Mexico, but will consider an alternate destination in Africa because it's half the price

6. Your boss just gave you ten paid days off starting next week, but you refuse to book a trip because it would be an impulse buy

7. You booked your trip to depart on Tuesday or Wednesday, but later canceled it because you had to return on Saturday when the fare was twice as much

8. You canceled your trip because you couldn't get wifi

9. When El Chapo learned you wanted to go to Mexico, he offered to pay your way, but you canceled because it was the wrong day

 

10. You just bought stock in UBER plane travel and created an app for it too