The Easiest Way to Start Planning a Vacation – Flights

Posted On February 12, 2021

The first two things to figure out when planning a trip are where you’re going and how to get there. Now, they both should be figured out before doing much else, but you don’t always have to pick the destination before the transportation. Planning a flight can be a bit daunting, there are a lot of things to think about including how far you are going, how much time you have, and how much time you want to spend on a plane. Whether domestic or international, there are a few criteria you want to think about before booking.

1) Does the length of travel matter to you?

Some people want the convenience of getting to the destination as fast as possible, with few and short layovers and a convenient flight route. Being willing to make concessions on how long it takes to get somewhere is a great way to find less expensive flights. You may also want to consider how much time you will spend traveling vs. how much time you will have at your destination. It may be difficult to spend 12-24 hours travelling over multiple time zones only to spend 4-5 days at the destination.

When faced with the possibility of a long layover, remember that if it is long enough you may be able to leave the airport and do some sight seeing in the city you have to stop in. I recently had a flight change that left me with a 24 hour layover in Paris. I had the offer of changing my incoming flight and shortening the layover to 6 hours, but with 6 hours I would be stuck sitting in the airport. Luke and I planned (before COVID and trip cancellation) to get a hotel room connected to the airport, and see the Louvre for the first time. Flexibility will be your best friend while travelling, at some point something will go wrong and all you can do is make the most of it! (We have a pretty good story about that one)

2) When are you leaving and when are you arriving at your destination?

Long flights are painful, regardless of destination. Flying internationally means you are more than likely changing time zones, and if not you will have a long overnight flight. If you have an easy time sleeping on planes this may matter less to you, but if you’re like me sleep on a plane doesn’t exist. Even if you are good at sleeping while travelling, I actually don’t recommend it. The best way to ensure you can adjust to a new time zone quickly is to be as tired as possible when evening hits at your destination.

If your flight is overnight you will want to leave as late as possible in your home time zone. This makes it more likely you will be tired enough to sleep on the flight. If that isn’t possible, try to arrive at your destination as late as possible. Again, you will be more tired when you get there and you want to be able to go right asleep to adjust to the time zone.

3) I have gotten some of my best flight deals because I didn’t care about where I was going.

Yeah, I know that might sound crazy. Most people have their ‘dream’ vacations all planned out and know exactly where they want to go. I have a few bucket list places, but for the most part my goal is just to see as many places as possible.

So when I’m searching for flights, I search everywhere. If I see a destination I’m not familiar with or it’s on the top of my list, I will look it up and see what the place has to offer! It’s amazing how somewhere you may never have expected to go would become one of your favorite destinations (mine is Munich).

4) Be flexible with your dates

This is a big one, and can be really hard for people. I know you want to go over a holiday. I know you want to use as little PTO as possible. I know that you want to go during the summer when we have long days and good weather. There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things, but you’re going to pay more and deal with more crowds.

Try Europe over Christmas and New Year’s, or Japan in September. Avoiding summer travels is a great way to avoid all the crowds of families getting in a summer trip.

Do be aware if there are often closures during the off season. Make sure that what you want to see is open.

5) Set a flight alert!

I cannot stress this enough! There is no way you are going to be searching flights at the exact time they are lowest. Let the internet do the work for you. There are so many different flight searching sites you can use. I have found the best are Kayak.com and Google Flights. I have the Kayak app and it will send me updates on flights when prices are low.

My favorite feature with Kayak is you can set an alert with very broad inputs. For example, you can get alerts from your home airport to anywhere in Europe and over the span of a few months if you want. Here is a perfect example of why you keep an alert on and check it frequently (borderline obsessively!).

Another great site I have recently come across that has similar (if not better!) features is Jetradar. Check them out and let me know if you get any great deals! They have an awesome explore feature where you can look at specific dates or specific locations, they can also send you notifications for any flights you’re trying to keep an eye on.

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Thanks for reading! I hope this has been helpful for you. Now that you know how you are getting wherever you are going, stay tuned for our next post about finding the best place to stay on your trip!