The first rule to booking a flight online is to make arrangements early, especially if booking for a popular holiday, wedding or cruise. Major airlines are cutting their capacity limits, which means there are fewer seats to go around for popular holidays.

If you\’re going on an impromptu trip, you can look and book at the last minute, but if you HAVE to be there for Christmas or Mother\’s Day or a wedding or that cruise, booking a flight at least six weeks ahead is probably a good idea.

Monday and Tuesday are often bragged to be the best days of the week to book a flight online. This reflects airline habits of raising prices toward the end of the week. The first step is always to use a search engine such as Kayak to perform a thorough search for the lowest available fares. These search engines will tell you which flights are the most affordable and which ones have the best schedule for your needs.

If there is a smaller airport within a reasonable distance from you, consider departing from them instead of a larger airport. Airfares can be cheaper from those outlying airports and parking may be cheaper too. If your time off allows it, try to fly on non-peak days. (For instance — in the U.S., avoid the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after… those are definitely PEAK travel days and will be the most expensive.)

Broad search engines can give you some results, but they aren\’t the best place to look for flights. Check airline sites in your search for booking a flight. It is to the airline\’s advantage to post the best deals on their own websites, since they have to pay a commission to other sites that sell their tickets. You will sometimes come across really great bargains that were not displayed through a search engine. These specials often pop up for a short time, and they\’re usually not advertised.

For the easiest trip, do not book flights that will require you to make more than one connection or switch off from one airline to another. Every stop and connection is a possible problem for missed connections. You might save a couple of dollars if everything goes right, but you\’ll have a real headache if things go wrong…. and if you\’ve got to be there, a couple of extra bucks for a non-stop or direct flight is well worth the peace of mind! It is best to book the first flight of the day, since it holds the lowest risk of being delayed.

When you are arranging a flight for a cruise, a wedding, or another important event, it is best to get a flight at least a full day ahead. If your first flight is delayed, you must ensure that you can still make the connection for the next leg of your flight. Give yourself at least a couple hours of delay between the first and second flight on all connections.

Airlines will not be held responsible for delays due to weather, so remember that they can occur at any time of the year. No airline will compensate you for those delays. Most airlines are good at getting you on another flight, but you could be a full day behind schedule and that means you might miss your vacation, cruise or wedding.

If you book your flight with all of these guidelines in mind, you will have a great vacation with few obstacles and will get back home safe, sound and as on time as possible.

For expert information on exotic travel, eco adventures and tropical flowers. Check out David\’s site for best all inclusive resorts in Hawaii. Love fragrant tropical plants? Check out the Plumeria web site.

http://www.Hawaii-Top-Ten.com

Author Bio: For expert information on exotic travel, eco adventures and tropical flowers. Check out David\’s site for best all inclusive resorts in Hawaii. Love fragrant tropical plants? Check out the Plumeria web site.

Category: Travel
Keywords: