Before Traveling Doing Research Is Key

CANCUN, Q.R. — The number one question people always ask is, “How do you get cheap flights?” There isn’t a short answer to this question; however, doing research is paramount.

Whether you’re traveling with a group or by yourself, it is vital to know the various tools that are available at your disposal to get the biggest bang for your buck. When you’re done reading this piece, you’ll be able to make the best choices.

Find the brand that fits you and stick with it

One thing I always found to be “cool” was regardless of what airline I was on – all of them would say toward the end of the flight, “We know you have many options.” That’s so true.

If I wanted to fly from Chicago to Memphis, Tennessee, I could fly the big three (United, Delta, and American Airlines.) Additionally, Southwest has nonstop options from Chicago’s Midway.

Spirit and Frontier Airlines also fly from Chicago to Memphis, but you’ll have a connecting flight.

You have options. Find a brand that works for you and rock out with it. The same thing goes for hotel chains. No matter where I go, I know what to expect when I stay at a Marriott-brand hotel. Similarly, when I fly, 99% of the time, I’m flying on American Airlines. Again, I know what to expect when I’m flying with AA.

By finding and sticking with a brand, you can join their membership programs and earn status and points. For hotels, this may mean you can stay at a hotel for “free” by using points or having a late check-out.

For flights, this could mean upgrades to first-class, earning points to pay for future travel, or being able to rebook without paying a fee or cost difference because of your “loyalty” to that brand.

Marriott-branded hotels and American Airlines work for me. However, something else may work better for you. Living in Chicagoland and traveling to Memphis frequently, O’Hare is dominated by United and American Airlines and offers the most nonstops to Memphis.

So while I’ve enjoyed the excellent customer service on Delta Airlines, Chicago isn’t a “Delta Airlines” city – meaning the places I go to most of the time would have a connection: Memphis, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Take a moment and look at your city’s airport and see which airline works for you. Regarding hotel chains, it would help if you did the same thing. Stay at various hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, or Wyndham, and see which you prefer and stick with that.

Book direct if possible; save yourself from unnecessary stress

I’d be lying to you if I told you that I haven’t booked through a third-party website like Priceline. Sometimes, you can find deals there that are cheaper than booking direct. However, booking this way can cause unnecessary headaches.

If something comes up and you must cancel, a third-party website rarely allows you to cancel or make changes. Additionally, if you need to change your flight, you cannot deal with the airline directly – which causes issues if you need a new seat assignment or want to leave later in the day.

Another issue is you miss out on reward opportunities. I know for both Marriott and American Airlines – and I’m sure this is the case across the board – you can only earn miles and hotel points if it’s booked directly.

Talking with your airline carrier directly about delays and misconnections is paramount while traveling. So, keep that in mind before booking your next trip.

Now, you may wonder, what if I want to book a package with my rental car, hotel, and flight together? You should only do this if you see a big difference in the savings. And if you do this, do it through the airline. This way, you can coordinate with your air carrier directly if travel disruptions happen.

There have been times I’ve looked up my rental, hotel, and air travel separately and saw it was cheaper or almost the same price vs. booking a package. Again, I’m not saying you can’t save, but again, do your research and see if you should book a package.

Use a flight price tracker – it does the work for you

Similar to gas prices, airfare goes up and down like a seesaw. Use a free flight tracker like the one Google has on Google Flights.

If you know you’re planning a trip to Cancun for Labor Day weekend – you can leave the guesswork out of it and allow Google to tell you when the flight prices have fallen or are on their way up.

Also, you’ve probably heard things like traveling on days like Tuesday through Thursday for the best deals – and they are the cheapest days to jet out.

Nevertheless, if you work a 9-5 or through the week – that might be hard to do if you’re not planning to use vacation time.
Travel the days you want to travel but set a flight tracker to get the best bang for your buck!