It’s no secret that plane travel has been a hot mess so far this year, the summer travel surge has made it even worse. It most likely won’t be getting better any time soon, so how do you deal with it? My main tip is to book your flights direct with the airline. You must be thinking, “why would a travel advisor advise you not to book flights through them?” Well, my job is to make sure you have a seamless and enjoyable trip, it’s not just about making money. And FYI, travel advisors make little to no commission on flights and usually will charge a fee to book just flights.
So, why book direct?
This guarantees that you will never have to deal with a middle man, it’s as simple as that. When issues happen, and they happen often now, you can work directly with the airline to fix it. This way airline agents can never tell you that they can’t help you because you booked through a third party. When your flight gets delayed or cancelled the first thing you should do is go to the nearest gate agent or rebooking center. If you are not at an airport, immediately visit the airlines app or call to try to rebook. Booking through a third party almost ensures that you will encounter some sort of fee if you want to rebook, cancel or get a refund. Plus, you will must likely experience long hold times.
Other tips for flying
- Book early morning flights. The later in the day you fly, the more likely it is there will be delays.
- Fly nonstop or opt for longer layovers in case of delays.
- Don’t fly on weekends or holidays.
- If you have an event you need to get to, arrive a day or two early. This way if your flight gets cancelled you still have time to get there in time.
- Don’t fly through any New York City airports, they are the biggest mess right now.
- Europe is also having some issues this summer. London Heathrow is now even putting a cap on how many people can depart from the airport in a day.
- Don’t check bags to avoid loosing any baggage.
- Download the airlines app and sign-up for text and email alerts.
- And remember, you can’t control the weather and travel is a privilege.
I hope you found this blog post on why to book flights direct helpful. If you liked it, be sure to check out Why you should use a travel advisor! Don’t forget to book your trip with your favorite travel planner, yours truly.
