Top 10 Flight Booking Mistakes & How to Solve Them | 2024 Travel Guide ✈️🚫
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- ✈️ These days, booking airfare is mired in pitfalls and price obscurity. So much so, that sometimes it feels downright misleading. In this video I'll help you avoid common flight booking errors - and for each error, I'll give you flight booking solutions.
Use these essential flight booking tips the next time you fly!
🗺️ In this video I mentioned Frequent Flyer Miles.
YOU ASKED FOR IT, and I Delivered! Frequent Flyer Miles 101 - • Travel Hacking 101 | L...
Here's my (written) Beginner’s Guide to Frequent Flyer Miles and How to Start Travel Hacking Like a Pro - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/f...
💳 To go deeper with credit card strategies to accumulate miles, check out Travel Freely - my.travelfreely.com/share?bre...
🌏 And if you REALLY want to level up your travel hacking in general, plan to attend The Travel Summit in April 2024, where you can mingle with the brightest travel pros and learn from the best! thetravelsummit.com
NORADUNN gets you an extra $25 off your ticket! I'll see you there!
00:00 - Introduction: Top Flight Booking Mistakes to Avoid
00:31 - Mistake #1: The Price is The Price
02:08 - Mistake #2: Using Non-Airline Websites
04:26 - Mistake #3: Paying for Seat Selection
05:44 - Mistake #4: Paying for Unnecessary Add-Ons
08:04 - Mistake #5: Not Comparison Shopping
08:44 - Mistake #6: Entering Incorrect Passenger Info
09:29 - Mistake #7: Not Collecting Miles
10:06 - Mistake #8: Not Checking One-Way Fares
10:32 - Mistake #9: Not Checking the Confirmation
11:33 - Mistake #10: Booking Short Layovers
RELATED VIDEOS
😰 Don't Make These Top 15 Layover Mistakes! • 15 Layover Do's and Do...
✈️ Survival Guide for LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS | Expert Tips for Ultimate Comfort (even in economy) • Survival Guide for LON...
🪪 Top Tips For Airport Security in 2023 | Navigating TSA with Ease • Top Tips For Airport S...
😱 Don't Make These 10 Travel Money Mistakes! • Don't Make These 10 Tr...
🛫 How to Book CHEAP FLIGHTS! Top 8 Tips • How to Book CHEAP FLIG...
#flightbooking #travelmistakes #bookingtips #flighthacks #budgetairlines
____________________
Greetings! I'm Nora Dunn, aka The Professional Hobo. I've been a digital nomad since 2006. I help people design their lifestyles and arrange their affairs so they can travel long term while working remotely. (I also have a ton of crazy travel tales to share from almost two decades of lifestyle travel).
For more info, check out: www.theprofessionalhobo.com/
GET YOUR FREE CHECKLIST of 10 Things to Do Before Traveling Long-Term! Learn from my 15+ years of travel and remote work abroad: bit.ly/3iTqIbu
Save luggage space and fees with this FREE Travel Gear and Packing List CHEAT SHEET! bit.ly/3AFfiTq Includes special discount codes up to 25% off the things you need.
☕️ PLEASE SUPPORT ME! Buy me a Coffee: ►►►www.buymeacoffee.com/noradunn
And let's connect on my other social channels!
Facebook: / theprofessionalhobo
Twitter: / hobonora
TikTok: / noratheprofessionalhobo
Instagram: / theprofessionalhobo
🔒 TERMS & DISCLOSURE 🔒
This channel uses affiliate links. Clicking on these links supports me at no additional cost to you, allowing me to provide reviews, guides, and valuable content.
I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Free gear disclosure: Some gear is purchased, while others are received for free in exchange for a review. Rest assured that my reviews remain honest and unbiased.
NOTE: This channel is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Video descriptions may include affiliate links.
Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe for more travel tips and insights. Safe travels! 🌍✈️
🗺 In this video I mentioned Frequent Flyer Miles.
YOU ASKED FOR IT, and I Delivered! Frequent Flyer Miles 101 - ruclips.net/video/bsOtsTCzomg/видео.htmlsi=LUVKyw_7oAaVW9oi
Here's my (written) Beginner’s Guide to Frequent Flyer Miles and How to Start Travel Hacking Like a Pro - www.theprofessionalhobo.com/frequent-flyer-miles-travel-hacking/
💳 To go deeper with credit card strategies to accumulate miles, check out Travel Freely - my.travelfreely.com/share?bref=phyt
Would love a video on how to use frequent flyer strategies.
You got it!
I have LEARNED not to book round-trip flights! My last overseas vacation wound up being $1,000~ cheaper when I booked them separately! ♥
Wow - great savings, Enrique!
I owe myself my "due diligence!"@@NoraDunn
I would love a video all about frequent flyer strategies! I keep putting off joining frequent flyer programs because it's all a little overwhelming.
Tell me about it! There's a lot to know. I'll get on it! :-)
Would LOVE to hear your thoughts on travel insurance!
I'm on it :-)
Yes I’m looking into this myself
Hi Nora: Another thing to watch out for when booking connecting flights and giving yourself ample time, is to also pay attention to the airport terminals if you need to change terminals between flights. For example, once when I booked a connecting flight through London Heathrow to Manchester, I didn't notice that I was arriving into Heathrow into one terminal and then departing to Manchester from another. I miraculously made my connecting flight, even with delays, however, my checked luggage didn't. So I would remind people to double check that they are flying in and out of the same terminal on connecting flights or giving yourself extra time.
I include that exact advice in my upcoming layovers video! Stay tuned :-)
I went through this EXACT Horror on my trip through Istanbul last year! Never again, lesson learned! ♥
@@enriquesanchez2001 Yikes! Not a fun lesson to learn the hard way.
@@NoraDunn The all-time worst for me, might be a good idea for a video: Almost 20 years ago, returning from Jordan, I was stopped at JFK because I brought wild plant branches that I had gathered at Mt. Nebo. Of course, they were confiscated. As a result, I missed my flight which was already too close for comfort and had to stay in the airport overnight to catch the connecting flight home. Conclusion: I wouldn't even try to bring home a small pebble from an overseas trip!
Or even a different airport! Some cities have more than one airport so it's very important if you are purchasing two separate tickets (not a connecting flight) to make sure the airport is the same one.
I got caught out with OR Tambo and Lanseria Airport, both servicing Johannesburg!
Another thing worth checking when booking is "Which airport do I land in?". It's straightforward if the city has just one airport, but many now have two or more. London has six and the distance from each airport to the centre of the city varies considerably. So, although the fare may be cheaper, it might cost more to get to your final destination. There are airports that I exclude from my searches because I know that the cost and duration of the journey there makes them unattractive.
YES! Last thing you need is to arrive late, and realize the hotel you booked (which you thought was around the corner) is across the city!
Please do an insurance piece. Number 2, have learnt the hard (and expensive way) to book directly with airlines. Please do an episode on frequent flyer points too. Looking forward to layover episode!
You got it! :-)
Frequent flyer miles video please
You got it Yolanda!
I just came across an article in the NYT about just this topic that you might find interesting if you haven't read it already. I won't give the link as RUclips seems to not like those, but it first came out on December 21 and the author is Seth Kugel, so it should be easy to find. Things like avoid middleman booking sites like Expedia, leave enough time between flights during layovers, don't have unrealistic expectations, etc.
And my favorite, pack a lot of patience. 😄
Pack a lot of patience - ain't that the truth!
@@NoraDunn Yep, pack the patience, leave the barbells... 😆
Travel insurance video pleas😊
Will do!
We have a trip booked this summer. We are switching planes in DFW and will have to change terminals. I had two choices. I could either have a roughly 3 hour layover or a 40-minute layover. I intentionally [picked the 3-hour layover.
The airline had made some light tweaks to the schedule, but it didn't really affect anything. About 60 days out, I was notified of a change. They had canceled the 2nd leg and rescheduled us onto a flight with only a 50-minute layover. I quickly checked and found they had another flight that left a few minutes later than the one I originally booked. For some reason, the online system wouldn't let me change it, so I called. The rep was very nice, saw my dilemma, and switched me to the new flight.
Glad it all worked out!
I recently booked round-trip tickets for a trip this upcoming spring and I made sure to include comfortable layover buffer time because I agree that I'd rather kill time in the connecting airport than stress about missing a flight. But then about a week after booking my ticket, I got a notification that my flight times had been changed and I now had barely an hour and 15 minutes for my connections each way! Thankfully I booked directly with the airline, so if I end up missing my connections, they should be responsible for getting me on my way, but I'll be annoyed if this happens and I have to deal with changed flights despite originally planning for plenty of connection time. I guess this is also a lesson to not book a flight too far in advance (my trip is about 5 months out) because of how much flight schedules can change...
Under most circumstances, an hour and 15 minutes is okay for a connection, especially if you don't need to change terminals or clear customs. But like you say, since both flights are on one ticket, any problems will need to be solved by the airline, so it won't be anything worse than an inconvenience.
Also, if you have any choice in the matter, I would fly with carry-on only in your shoes. That way if a flight is missed, you don't need to worry about your checked luggage keeping up with your new flight itinerary.
@@NoraDunn thanks for your reply! It's a 2 week long trip to Japan, though, so customs and checked luggage are a must 🙃 I'll just keep my fingers crossed, and whatever happens happens
@@ladybuggger A good attitude to have! Happy travels :-)
OMG YES! Nora, please make a comprehensive step by step video on redeeming credit card points to biz class tix 🙏
Coming right up! I have a video about frequent flyer mile basics in production right now.
This is a booking point. We were in Shanghai and showed up at Shanghai International but our flight was in the domestic terminal, the other side of the city. My brain was on auto pilot thinking about my international destination SFO. We leave so EARLY for flights we actually caught a bus to that airport and made it while they were boarding. This was my mistake not my husband’s. 65 countries we have traveled to I should have known better. Read your tickets!
Wow - that's super confusing with the international and domestic terminals being on opposite sides of the city!
Every time I hear you say, "The Professional Hobo", I am reminded of my great Uncle Ray. He was an actual Hobo and would ride the rails sneak onto trains, and then hang out in the Hobo Jungles. He also played the saw as a musical instrument. As a kid, he would come to visit my grandparents who we lived with (a multigenerational home), and I just loved listening to his stories and him playing the saw. Thank you for triggering such great memories of such a wild and slightly crazy LOL wonderful man.
By the way, I would love to hear more about travel insurance, booking flights, and definitely layovers! Although my autistic brain always allows two hours between flights, it also has to have its seat chosen and booked. I just can't have things not completely organized and know exactly where I am going to sit and all of that. On my last flight, I inadvertently booked a flight between two men who were friends. It worked out fantastic cause I wasn't able to get either a window seat or an aisle seat, so I ended up trading a middle seat for an aisle which is really good for people with long legs. That said, if I have my chosen seat and they want me to change to a lesser seat, it is a "NO!" Fortunately, being autistic I can show them my card that says I am autistic and end the conversation. I am starting to think about booking two seats as a buffer for myself, one for me to sit in and one to prevent any strangers from touching my arm or shoulders. The seats are way too close together these days. That said, I have never looked into upgrading to bigger seats instead of two seats.
I think depending on the flight, you might find that getting a premium economy ticket is cheaper than two economy seats.
Nice to hear your reminiscence of your Uncle Ray! My "hobo" moniker has some poetry to it, given that I also have a ridiculous love of train travel.
My grandad did a little hobo-ing after returning from war, but would only tell stories to my brother. Said they weren’t fit for a girl. 😉 That was a long time ago, and it’s been dangerous to do that for a long time. My dad retired from the railroad and I did hear stories about what happened when they caught people illegally riding in the cars.
@@leapintothewild_original Yes, the days of original-hobo lifestyle are long gone. Fun that your grandad did it though!
Would love a video on travel/health insurance for those over 75. Would love to go to SE Asia for 3 months but would like reasonable health insurance for that period. Most insurance I've looked at won't cover you if you are over 70.
@@lyndalozner6706 I second that! My 80 yr old mom will be traveling with me and I've not even looked at travel insurance yet... oops
While this video is about flights, the 90 minutes or more between connecting flights rule reminds me of a classic mistake I made years ago when trying to connect between trains. I was due to arrive in Paris from Geneva on the TGV and then take an overnight train to Amsterdam to catch my flight back to the US. There was only around 45 minutes between trains, which probably would still have been ok as the TGV tends to be on time.
But, stupid me, I failed to realize that Paris has 7 major train stations, each serving a different region, and the station that the TGV arrived in was not the one that my train to Amsterdam departed from. On top of that this was at night, and I even more stupidly decided to take the Metro between stations instead of a taxi, and the Metro has more infrequent service at night.
Needless to say I missed my train and had to find a cheap hotel for the night, and take a flight early the next morning to Amsterdam so I could catch my flight back to the US. I made it, thankfully, but several hundred dollars poorer and feeling really foolish. So, don't mess with connections. They can make or break a trip no matter the means of travel.
Yikes! Paris has SO many train stations that seem to have national and international departures - it's overwhelming! Sorry that happened to you, especially with the extra pressure of having to catch a flight out of Amsterdam the next day! EEK. Glad it worked out in the end (though your wallet was a bit lighter for it - ha).
@@NoraDunn We've all had similar experiences, I'm sure, in fact I don't think you've really traveled until you've had such an experience and were forced to deal with it. It was a learning experience and in the end not so bad. I had a decent-paying job so the extra expense wasn't much of a hardship, plus I got to experience the late-night scene and hotel accommodations in the not at all seedy Gare du Nord area! 🤣
@@kovie9162 Ha! Glad you made the best of it ;-)
Umm yeah, I need the travel insurance video. I'm never sure which one to purchase. I doubled-up on my last trip because it was 5 weeks and pricey, but I could use some cheaper options please. Thanks for all the great information!
Thanks Victoria - I'm on it!
Excellent tips! I agree - it’s very, very time consuming and nebulous! I haven’t traveled since the beginning of the pandemic and boy, did air travel change so much, including the different price levels of economy. Luckily, I thought about the layover last point even before watching your video. Guess that’s the positive about being anxious in personality to have thought of it in the first place. Keep your videos coming 🙂.
Thanks for weighing in! Glad you were a step ahead with the layover thing.
Another great video - I’ve made lots of notes 🧐 Yes I would love a video on frequent flyer programmes 😊x
Frequent flyer video coming up in a couple of weeks! Stay tuned :-)
I too would live a video on how to use frequent flyer miles.
Coming right up! Working on one right now.
I learned my lesson on #10 recently. My first international trip. My flight from Rome was late. I’d never been through JFK customs before. By the time I landed I had 56 minutes to get thru customs, get my bags, get to a different terminal and checkin for my flight home. These were separate flights, different airlines. Of course I didn’t make it. Luckily I had booked a first class ticket on the last leg of my trip so there was no cost to change to the next flight. Buuuuttt. I spent the night sleeping in JFK.
Yikes! What a contrast from sleeping in JFK to boarding a first class flight, huh? LOL I did that once, in Thailand.
Yes, please a video on Frequent flyer strategies. I have some but don’t know how to use them and I can’t seem to get British airways to let me in on their Avios plan
Coming right up! Though it's more of an overview so I'm not sure these specific questions will be answered.
Yes, I'd like a vid on travel insurance. Been going outta country ... what would be suggested for health & evacuation, etc.
I'll get on it!
I would love to see a video on travel insurance.
Thanks Debbie - will do!
Seat-booking? Travelling solo, short-haul, I'll go along with what I'm given or allowed to choose for free, when on-line check-in opens. But if I'm flying long-haul, I'll now buy extra leg-room on booking, as these seats tend to go quickly - and I've been left squished more often than not.
My insurance quote (for in-perfect-health me) last year was ............ £300! Quite a hike from the £50 during the panunowot. I went to BA's site, just out of interest. Their quote was ............... £600! Eventually, I shopped-around and got a policy for £100. This year? £80 - but I've trimmed back on coverage, as I'm not planning on visiting North America, and that makes a big difference in pricing.
Air-travel? Still an exercise in risk-management. But you've given some great tips here.
Yep, travel insurance DIScluding the US is substantially cheaper. Also, I always buy my policy separate from the airline. Surprised that BA charged 600 pounds though! Wow.
I’m with you on the legroom for long haul. Just bit the bullet and paid for the good seats when I know the aircraft will be packed at Christmas.
@@jten6632 Good call!
And, YES, would love a video on using frequent flyer miles.
Noted!
Would love to see a video on maximizing frequent flyer points and travel credit cards and how to combine them.
You got it!
YES to the other vid ideas you mentioned ❤ THanks for the great tips!! PS Pretty color on you!
Will do, and thanks!
Hi Nora, your video on flight booking mistakes and solutions was incredibly informative! Thank you for sharing such valuable tips to help us navigate the complexities of booking flights. I especially appreciate your advice on double-checking airport terminals for connecting flights - that's a detail many of us might overlook. Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you so much!
I would love to hear what you have to say about travel insurance.
Thanks Sheri! Will do.
Fantastic advice thank you. I have booked car rental through airline websites but only after I have checked car rental sites prior to see if comparable pricing for vehicle type and time and actually have been able to save money think has to do with business partnering. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing this info! Super valuable.
Would love a video on travel insurance
Will do!
When you said "you never have to pay for seats" got me all confused. We really want American Airlines business class, but they are really expensive, of course. Second choice would be premium economy, but they want double the price of main cabin. How do I ensure I can get reasonable seats if I "never have to pay for seats?"
I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. You're talking about cabin choice (eg: business class, premium class, economy), but I believe I am talking about paying for seats as in after you book an economy ticket, they charge extra for you to select/reserve your seat in advance.
I came across this video when I was searching your videos for one on travel insurance. I assumed you must have already done one. :)
Not yet, but one is coming soon! Stay tuned :)
I noticed that if you do 2 separate airfare tickets, they may be cheaper than getting 2 at the Sametime. I will not buy two tickets at the Sametime anymore.
Yes! It depends - not always the case, but always worth checking.
I did book a car rental once when booking a flight. I was in a sour mood and thought “whatever! Let’s just get this done”. It was easy, but I probably could have got a better price. I was afraid to do a price comparison after - it would just annoy me!
You know, sometimes, it's worth it to just get it done!
Thanks so much for these videos. Lifesavers.
Aw...thanks!
Yes, please, travel insurance.
I'm on it!
Yes, please do a video on frequent flyer strategies!
Will do, Cassie!
Very organized and helpful. Bravo!
Glad it was helpful!
Do old fashioned travel agents still exist? I am in my 60s, do not fly frequently, and got overwhelmed with doubt while just listening trying to all of what you just shared.
Yes, you can totally still use a travel agent! Go for it :-)
Yes, would love videos on both insurance and frequent flyer info, please!
Will do!
Thanks, Nora. Another fine video jam-packed with helpful tips. I'm not sure I learned much that was new to me. But the thing is, as you will surely agree, there is SO MUCH to keep in my head when I am engaged in flight booking that anything we can do to drill these tips into our heads, the better. We need to be second-guessing ourselves through the whole booking experience to avoid an error, and that requires solid understanding of the various potential pitfalls you pointed out.
Thanks for sharing, Bruce!
I would love a video on travel insurance and flyer miles please and thank you!
Is there a possibility that you may also include insurance companies thay are in both or have sister companies in Canada? Sorry if that does not matter, I have not flown in years.
Many insurance companies service both Canada and the US. One of my fav resources is Visitors Coverage, because it gives you quotes from multiple insurance companies based on your needs. www.visitorscoverage.com/?affid=806036ae052f1
Thank you so much!
Nora: Thank you for this video. Great tips! Can you do a video on travel insurance?
Coming right up! Stay tuned.
Yes to booking car through airlines. Actually, that was the only car available & it was cheaper.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing, Bonnie!
Great information about taking a screen shot. I do that now because I had an issue with Air France not finalizing my ticket. Then the cost of the ticket went up, of course. I also sign into the site again to verify that the ticket is there. I book a lot of point and miles fares so this is key. Great tips!
Sorry you had to learn the screenshot trick the hard way, Kelly!
Thank you Nora! Always very helpful
Would you have specific tips for Canadians, in all areas?
I do have some tips specific to Canadians on my site. What in particular are you looking for?
@@NoraDunn Nothing in particular, lol. I haven't been traveling for ages!
@@sabineedelmann6531 Fair enough. Please reach out if you have specific Qs. I'm Canadian :-)
Nora, you do a phenomenal job in your videos! I watch ALL the time. I, too, would love info on insurance and info on upgrading to Business. I’m 6’4 (193cm) but can’t afford Biz Prices. This tall, husky guy needs your advice! 😁👍 I’m trying BA Premium Economy MCO-LGW in October with hopes of decent comfort. Thanks for all your hard work.
Thank you so much for the kind words, and I'm on it! Videos to come. :-)
Nora, love your informative travel vlogs. You mention one way airline booking could be cost effective vs round trip. Does this apply to international flights as well?
Yes it does! It's always worth searching, just in case. Sometimes you may find one way with one airline, and return with another airline, or even both ways with the same airline, is cheaper than round trip. Not always, or even often, but sometimes.
I would very much like your analysis of travel insurance.
Coming right up!
Thank you. Not to ask too much, would you do a vlog on frequent flyer strategies? Thanks again.
@@AVIONBLANC I'm on it! :-)
Have you had any trouble with third party hotel bookings especially abroad? I see great deals but I am nervous, thx
Not with hotels, only flights. Hotel bookings have gone okay, but if you collect miles or are going for status with the hotel, you won't get the points if you book through a third party site.
Great video Nora ! I broke rule #2 and went through an OTA. I have confirmation from OTA and the airline websites I'm flying on also show me as confirmed (all 4 flights) Do you think I'll be ok? Also, I'm not a frequent flyer so this might be a strange question but. if I check my bag at departure point (Toronto), will that airline make sure it gets on layover (2-1/2 hrs LAX) airline, or do I have to do it myself? I'll be going through US customs at Pearson so I won't have to worry about it at LAX.
Fingers crossed you'll be fine! I'm not sure about your luggage, but when you drop it off to be checked-in, they'll tell you, and it will say on your luggage tag/stub where it will be checked to/through.
Hi Nora
Love your content!
Retiring next year to Thailand from the states
Wondering what to do about banking and phone number with no address in the United States? How do I keep my phone number?
Thanks for your help
Ray
Congrats on the big chance - exciting times!
One way to keep your US phone number is to port it to Google Voice. I have a much more detailed video of options here: ruclips.net/video/hg3IokIgyYc/видео.htmlfeature=shared
A travel insurance video would be great.
Will do!
Hi Nora, When you mention third party sites, am I correct to say Expedia, Priceline, etc ?
I recently booked air and hotel with Expedia and got a good hotel price at a very nice hotel in Charleston, SC. I didn't like that I paid for seats with American airlines, though.
Unfortunately yes, Expedia is an example of a 3rd party site. Expedia is probably the best of them, and in general I think 3rd party sites may be better for things like hotels. Flights are another matter.
Often hotels will match those prices if you call them directly, because they don’t have to give up a commission and keep the entire fee. That way you get the deal, they keep the money, and if something changes you don’t have to deal with the third party. It’s worth a phone call to ask if you have the time!
@@leapintothewild_original 100%! Great advice.
I am looking to go back home to see my family in the US from Tokyo next month. The flight I am looking at has a 1hr 47 min layover in Detroit. Do you think that would be enough time to go through immigration, and catch the next flight? Its been so long since I have been back, and Idk what immigration is like nowadays.
That's pretty tight timing if you need to clear immigration as well. It's possible, but I would be nervous. At the very least, if you do book this itinerary, then book them on the same ticket with the same airline. Then if you miss your connecting flight, the airline can help put you on the next flight.
Please please, tell us about the proper way to get the most out of our frequent flyer miles. We have miles from 2 different sources. One is a standard charge card and the other from an airline charge card.
Thanks for the feedback Bonnie! I'm on it 👩💻
This is why I go American first class
Free checked bags
Fast tsa
Great seats
3 carry bags
Loads first and unloads first
Free food and lounges
It seems more
But by the time you pay for food at airport restaurant
Pay for checked bags
Etc you could of went first class / business first .
I still feel like economy is cheaper overall, but I totally agree there's lots of extra value in flying business/first class.
I’d like to know more about “building” multi-flight trips on the same carrier’s site. I don’t travel all that often, and it’s usually a 1-leg journey. Would I eg go to “Red’s” (ya know that Canadian carrier) site and enter that I want to go from Thunder Bay to Bruges…and it will show 3 flights, probably on 2 different carriers?
Yep! You can also try searching on Google Flights and also Skyscanner to see what they come up with.
@@NoraDunn Maybe in a future video, could you explain how GoggleFlights and Skyscanner work…should one book on those, or are they like the online travel agents you warned about. Definitely a subject for a video so we can all learn from you. Thanks so much!
@@Kaila999 Great suggestion Kaila! In short, they are just search engines. There are links at the bottom of the page with the flight results that take you to a variety of sites where you can book the tickets - and THAT is where you are best advised to go directly to the airline and book it there.
Just found you a week ago and I'm bingeing you. About seat selection, normally I keep seat guru open while I am booking a ticket and I take care of it right away. But I've made missteps. Are you telling me that if I show up with a paid economy ticket and I haven't booked a seat, And all the economy seats are taken, they will assign me a seat and they can't upcharge me?
Hey Marcy, Thanks for watching / bineging!
I didn't say that they will auto assign business class if all economy seats are taken and you haven't pre-selected a seat, though technically it is possible.
More likely however, will be that you could get auto-assigned a premium seat in economy, such as a bulkhead seat or emergency row seat. But equally possible will be that you'll be auto-assigned a crappy middle seat - haha!
The trick is, at online check-in you may be able to change the seat online for free. If not, you can see if it's possible to change your auto-assigned seat by going to the airport and asking in person at the check-in desk.
@@NoraDunn I might give it a shot on a short flight, I'm purpose just to see what happens
@@marcyrodney43 I almost never pay for seat selection. I usually find I can choose my seat for free at check-in, and if not, I can usually change it at the check-in desk.
I have always book cars through FDM (Danish version of AAA). I can't book hotels as I very seldom know ths first place I will stay.
As for layovers I prefer to have them in Europe and I prefervto have 2 to 3 hours. If I can't avoid it and have to,have a layover in USA I prefer to have 3 to 4 hours or more
Good call on the longer layovers!
@@NoraDunn I missed a few connections in my time 😀 In April 22 I was 3 hours late out of Copenhagen due to technical problems, so my connection to from Heathrow to JFK was long gone. In stead I was rerouted from London to Dallas and onward to my final destination, Charlotte. There was a two hour layover in Dallas, but unfortunately it took 3 hours to get through immigration, so I lost this connectio as well. So instead of arriving in Charlotte around five pm, I got therse at 1 am the next day. That taughf me a lesson 🤨
@@wncjan Yuck! I think it's a rite of passage of sorts for travel; at some point, something messy like this happens, as hard as we try to avoid it ;-)
I enjoy your channel, I recently flew round trip LAX to Manila I booked business class through CapOne hopper. Philippine air specified services associated with the business class fees, I was seeking mostly the Kay flat seat for the 15 hr flight. The seat on return did not operate but was fixed in full upright, and the entertainment, Wi-Fi, and power ports were all not working coming and going. Philippine air says take it up with agent that sold the tickets. And the agency tells me they are trying to get with PAL for the compensation but they will not do any refund.
Have you had this happen?
Is there recourse for travelers who get cheated and abused ??
Oh no, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this, James. Unfortunately I don't have any advice for you. Once I tried to get compensation from an airline, and although I was entitled to compensation, their game is that they just ignore and ignore until eventually the customer gives up.
Because you've got an intermediary (third party agent), it gives the airline even more ammunition/ability to avoid the problem. If the agent isn't willing to help you with this, you might be out of luck.
I spent lots of time looking at flights and booked the perfect flights for us. Early in the day, only one layover which was plenty long to allow for delays. I booked these flights several months ahead of time. About 2 weeks before, I got a notice saying that our flights were cancelled and the airline had booked us on other flights which were not the flights I would pick. I looked at the airlines website, yes they had cancelled my preferred flight, but there was a flight that was one minute later and had a different flight number and would cost me a thousand more (in addition to the money I’d already paid) if I wanted to change my flight. This happened on my last 2 big trips with different US airlines. How can I avoid this? Or is there a website that tracks which airlines do this? Thanks!
Hey Sheryl,
Wow what a predicament! I haven't heard of this but it sounds pretty rotten. In your shoes I would call the airline and appeal the change of flight, saying that you booked the specific flight timing and route for a reason and have made other commitments based on this route and timing. They should be putting you on the flight that has the closest possible timing to your original booking.
Did you book direct with the airline?
@@NoraDunn Yes I did. It happened flying to Calgary with United in September 2022 and this was the very expensive cost to rebook what seemed like my original flight but 1 minute later. It also happened with American last February just flying from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Jacksonville Florida.
Seems like both times they gave me crappy flights so they could sell my original flights for more.
We’re flying to Dublin next September and I’m watching flights currently through Hopper but will buy directly through the airlines. Wondering if British Air might be better. Thanks for all you do!
@@sherylvitosh7209 I'm flabbergasted that this happened to you on two different occasions with two different airlines. I hope you're 2 for 2 and it won't happen again!
Two weeks ago I booked a connecting flights with too short of a layover 51 minutes. The flights had different flight numbers however, it was the same plane. Is there a way to check to see if it is going to be the same plane?
fyi- of course you can tell easily if it's not if the plane model is different.
It's a good question about whether the plane will be the same. Sometimes the ticket/boarding pass will indicate if it's the same plane. I've had it happen before but I don't remember exactly how I knew it would be the same plane.
I would love it if you did a video on travel insurance.
Will do! Thanks for weighing in