By Booking a flight is like playing a rigged carnival game—no matter what you do, you’ll always feel like you lost. Prices fluctuate randomly, airlines charge you for breathing, and that “great deal” you found yesterday? Gone.
But instead of spiraling into an endless loop of checking prices until 2 AM, follow these steps, book the flight, and move on with your life.
Step 1: Check for Deals (Because Miracles Happen… Sometimes)
Before deep-diving into flight searches, check deal websites like Going, Holiday Pirates, or The Flight Deal.
- Sometimes, you’ll find a ridiculously cheap fare.
- Most of the time, you won’t.
- Either way, you can pretend you “tried” before spending the next hour overanalyzing Google Flights.
If you find a deal that doesn’t make you cry, BOOK IT. If not, proceed to the suffering.
Step 2: Search Flight Aggregators (a.k.a. Price Comparison Paralysis)
Time to compare Skyscanner, Google Flights, and ITA Matrix like your life depends on it.
- Use the calendar view to see which days are cheapest.
- Be flexible—unless you love overpaying for the privilege of flying on a Friday night.
- Double-check budget airlines that sneaky search engines sometimes “forget” to include.
If you’re staring at a flight with a 27-hour layover in Iceland just to save $40, it’s time to reevaluate your priorities.
Step 3: Consider Alternative Routes (a.k.a. The Airline Pricing Scam)
For reasons only the airline gods understand, flying to a completely different city first can be cheaper.
Example:
- Flying directly from NYC to Barcelona costs $457.
- But if you fly to London for $350 and take a $50 budget flight to Barcelona, you save $57 (and get an extra city in the mix).
Seems great, right? Just remember:
✔️ You’re booking two separate flights. If the first one is delayed, you’re screwed.
✔️ Budget airlines love hidden fees (hope you didn’t want to bring luggage).
✔️ Running across an airport to make a connection is a humbling experience.
Rule of Thumb: If it doesn’t save at least $150, don’t bother.
Step 4: Check the Airline’s Website (Because Sometimes They Play Fair)
After all your searching, check the airline’s website directly. Sometimes they’ll offer a cheaper price just to avoid paying commissions to booking sites.
Usually, it’s the same price, but hey, at least you can feel like you covered all bases.
Step 5: Just Book the Damn Flight
Congratulations! You’ve wasted an excessive amount of time comparing prices. Now do yourself a favor and click “purchase.”
Bonus Tip: Check back 23 hours later.
- Most airlines let you cancel for free within 24 hours.
- If you see a cheaper fare, cancel and rebook.
- If you don’t, stop looking before you spiral into regret.
Final Thought: Your Sanity is Worth More Than a Few Bucks
Yes, flight prices fluctuate. No, you will never get the absolute cheapest deal ever. But the extra hour you spend refreshing Google Flights? Probably not worth the $5 savings.
So just book it, close your laptop, and go pack your bags. You’ve got better things to do. ✈️