5 TIPS FOR BUYING FLIGHTS ONLINE | Must know in 2024 

Have you ever had to change or cancel a flight?! Who did you book with and how did it go? ✈

I had a problem getting a refund from an airline in 2020. After 6 months of no response after the initial request I emailed the Department of Transport who wrote to them and copied me. After that the refund was quick. Thanks DOT.

THANK YOOOOUUUUU. First time booking a flight and feeling totally overwhelmed, this is exactly the kind of info I was hoping to learn about.

Yes! Ready to travel. Agree with booking flights directly thru airlines vs 3rd party. So frustrating when airline makes changes but I had to deal with the 3rd party. More often than not, I would have to pay more or lose the money paid. So never again will I book through 3rd party.

Yes I'm more than ready to travel again after reviewing all these amazing tips Megan. Many thx!

Great advice, especially on the callout with Southwest for everywhere they fly. Great customer service, competitive pricing, and guaranteed to be able to cancel your flight and keep the flight credit to use up to a year from the booking. I would say for US domestic travel, Google Flights and Southwest Airlines website are your best friends (since Southwest prevents Google and other aggregators from listing their flights and prices on their sites by law). I've pretty much written off the possibility of international travel until the US lifts the strenuous reentry procedure of testing negative for COVID one day prior to the return flight. The threat of being locked out of home far outweighs the possibility of a fun trip. I'd just be stressed the whole time that I would be covid positive and ineligible to reenter the US

Wise advice. I had a trip/tour to Costa Rica this week. I ended up blind in my left eye one morning and found out I had a detached retina. The docs said no flying with a bubble in your eye. I had to cancel everything. Expedia had nothing to do with me and referred me to American Airlines. They made extremely difficult to cancel...and said 'prove it'. My doctor wrote a beautiful letter for me (barring me frin flying) and even with that, I only got back $405 of the $725 fee. I did have cancellation insurance ($350) with the tour group. This really paid off! I recommend travel insurance anytime and NEVER use Orbitz or Expedia etc. Book directly with the airline.

Yes, I’m ready to travel again. Thanks for the info!

YESSSS!! We travelled in Sept, Nov and just got back a week ago from a 3 wk Caribbean cruise. So great to be going again!👏🥰

Yes I agree and with Point one I had first hand experience. I could not get a refund from the online site as it claimed it was not a agent and on the reservation of United it said it was booked from an agent. However United was nice to allow me to rebook my flight with payment of lower rate and credit me for full amount in the future. This was a good compromise and I did not loose any money. Since then I have stopped using the online site and I go to United directly. I found out there are more options and in one case cheaper alternative then on the websites.

Great information! Thanks!

I went to the US in February and when it was time to come back to Brazil I tested positive for covid, I had to change the flights and it was really hard and expensive! Book flexible flights whenever you can!

Thank you . So many good points, I had to take notes.

Great video! If I have learned anything from this plague, it's to spend the extra and get refundable/flex. And I have also learned that when it comes to airfare, NEVER to use these 3rd party places. I once dealt with Flight Hub (IIRC). They are terrible. They do bait and switch. Advertise a great price and then all of a sudden when you're ready to pay, the price is quite a bit more. Never again. I will only deal with the airlines direct.

Great advice! Thanks 🙏

Not ready to fly yet. BUT, when I am I will use these tips!

Very informative and well presented. Thank you!

Yes. Mexico from March to May and Thailand from July to September. The cost of travel insurance is going up, but my flights were cheep cheap compared to previous trips and included more flexibility than normal. By the way, Southwest is my absolute go-to carried for the US and Mexico. Cheers.

Thanx for the borderless info.........and another amazing video.

Booked my April 2022 flights from Amsterdam to Orlando and back in September 2021, right after European travellers were again welcome to the US. It was dirt cheap, through a 3rd party, but my actual itinerary was changed 3 times in between booking and departure. It wasn't a big deal, and it didn't cost me any money, but it was still a bit of a hassle. I'll be flying again in November, Amsterdam-Atlanta-Tampa and back, and this time I've booked directly with the airline. As this time I'll be staying for close to 3 months instead of just 3 weeks, I opted for some flexibility AND a 'free' checked piece of luggage :-) Already got my seats confirmed for all 4 flights as I like to have aisle seats. I've read all the 'fine print', so I know I can cancel if the US closes up again for travelers from Europe.

Thank you 😊. Great advice 👍🏼

Yes! We are so ready!

YES! and thank you for the tips

YES. AN THANKS, HAVE A GREAT YEAR

Yes :) thanks to your information you share!

Great advice. I can't thank you enough. WOW!!!!!!!!!

Yes, great advice. !

Yesss... I'm heading from Detroit to Atlanta for my 3rd time in just a year and a half. I CAN'T wait for September!!!

Yes! Traveling overseas for the first time in September to Greece! We are using a travel agent and bought travel insurance that does include COVID coverage, just in case. Thank you for the tips!

Excellent advise, especially the advise to book directly with the airline.

You are fantastic! Just on point.

It's a very sad state of affairs, great video. I'm a frequent traveler and you taught me some things. Thank you

Thnaks, great job, great info....

The problem I have had the last couple years is the airlines cancelling or changing my flights. Delta, American and Southwest is notorious for it. Last year I had enough points to fly to Aruba on my Southwest account and they cancelled my flight and rebooked on the day before I was supposed to arrive. I had no reservations in Aruba for that night. I had them cancel a flight and I then had to find another airline at a much higher price. I have a trip booked next October on Delta to Los Angeles and Delta has already changed that flight two times on me. American has also changed my flights. You cannot trust them anymore. The only thing good is when they do change it on you you can then get them to book you on a flight that previously had been over your budget at no additional cost. I leave in 4 weeks to Aruba again using my points and I am praying they do not cancel on me again.

I subscribed to this channel because of this video, corresponded to my experience and clarified my planning

I'd been following your videos back in the pre-covid Danang days, but for some reason YT stopped feeding yours since then before today. Who knows why. I'm an experienced traveler so these recommendations are second hand to me, but I'm sure that for many they're invaluable. I also find it fascinating how many outfits and expressions you find for your video's thumbnails. Keep smiling.

Thank you for the impressive video! new sub and bell 😍🥰😘

Good info. Cheers :)

Very useful info. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed

Amusing that Expedia and Kayak ads popped up on your videos!!!!!

You speak so clearly. Nice.

I'm ready to travel to Spain/Portugal this summer so going through all your videos regarding booking flights. Lots of great info.

Yes I am ready to travel, thank you for the advice.

I'll be moving to Poland this fall, and will be booking the flight just before I apply for 1 year visa. I'm just going to trut God to prepare for all of the things I need to do.

Yes. California in May. Go information by the way. Clear, and to the point.

Yes I did travel already in 2022 and contrary to what you said about flights being Cheap, that was not my experience. Long story short. I went from my home in Canada to Thailand Feb 2nd 2022 until March 4th. This was my 5th time to Thailand and the most expensive flight by close top 3 times what I paid the previous 4 times. I did book the first 4 times via an online provider but because in 2020 my return flight was cancelled and the battle was on from BudgetAir for a refund of the return portion, Which this April will be 2 years later, I still haven't seen that refund. My last trip I booked directly through the airline and received exceptional service but paid dearly for it. But I also paid for peace of mind, in the event the flight was cancelled for any reason I Wouldn't receive a refund but they said my ticket would then be able to be used to fly anywhere they fly, with NO expiration date, PLUS I could even transfer it to another name if I wanted which would've been perfect in my case because if I couldn't get to Thailand maybe I could get my wife to Canada once she got her Visa (which by the way is any day now.) There where so many restriction and hoops to jump through to get into Thailand I feared I would potentially not get there so I was thankful to have an airline that would give me options even more then I mentioned here. The only thing would be extra fees if I needed to make changes. Turns out the trip was uneventful and awesome. Great video thanks.

Yes. From Poland to Yellowstone in June.

Never again will I go third party. I booked Delta Vacations because it had a great deal on flight +hotel room. My Friend decided to go with me and just booked flight on Delta. We had to change our plans because of a Covid scare. You can’t compare the experience to get this changes.. Her change was one phone call to Delta, maybe 1 1/2 hours on hold. She ended up with flight credit….Mine required multiple calls over several days, several hours on hold. Call backs to correct two huge errors I was lucky to catch. The change costs me $200. At one point I had a email confirmed flight but the flight number was never assigned so I did not have flight booked at all!

in pla ning my first trip ever, and the select sest thing really got me, i thought it was necessary...

Yes. I’m on my way to Singapore. Can’t wait.

This! So easy!

We book with our air miles. We had to cancel because of Covid. They were very accommodating when we rebooked.

I book using SkyScanner and book directly with the airline. I got a round trip to Phuket with seats from SFO for $970 in February for a month We get two free checked bags!

Yes. I had booked a flight to Hawaii using Expedia. Something came up and I didn't use the Ticket. Expedia said the flight ticket to Hawaii was good for a year. Great. Not. I tried to use it ten months later and was not able to. I got some weird excuses. They should have just told me the ticket must have been deleted or lost or something. Expedia is easy to use and usually always on point so I still use them. It's not the company s fault that they have an employee that sabotage someone but it happens.

I want to travel to Taiwan for 5-6 weeks but won't book my ticket until the country opens to foreign tourists. I am planning a solo backpacking trip and will probably book a one week "test" trip from CZM to MEX to make sure everything works as expected.

Yes I’m ready to travel. I’ve been stuck in China for the past 2+ years!

I recently booked tickets directly with Austrian to Thailand, business basic, I felt this was fine because it offered free changes of date. When Thailands entry conditions changed I tried to amend my dates and while Austrian didn't charge to make the change, every new date was double the price of the original ticket. I ended up writing to the Chief Executive, explaining the situation, and eventually one of his team allowed me to cancel with a full refund. Lesson - Beware the "Only pay the difference in fare" clause.

Yes, plan for international travel this year

Thanks ,clear, concise information 👍 pleasant voice and delivery... Current air travel, really brings to mind " uncharted waters " 🤪

Fuel surcharges will most likely kick in big time! 🤷‍♀️. Yes, Barbados next week and Portugal in June 🎉. Wish I was in PDC today, it’s snowing like crazy in Montreal!

Very nice information thanks

going to travel this year to Asia thank you for the information

Yes, currently looking for flights from UK to Philippines returning to the UK from Australia Jan / March 2023 .

Yes we are headed to Rome,Italy in 2 and half months!!

Yes! Ready to travel.

Some economy flights are so cheap I will book 5 flights and consider myself "ahead of he game" if I cancel 1 out of 5 trips. (In practice, it is actually more like 1 in 12.) This way, I do not even worry about fighting for a refund or paying a "change ticket fee" that is about 1/2 of the discounted flight fare. It helps that I travel light, and never check-in my luggage (even for International travel). Unfortunately, some airlines are now starting to charge for carry-on luggage. Always read the fine print. lol

Great video, thanks . I am going to south of Vietnam from Toronto city in this summer. So what airline should I book please?

Yes. As soon as Thailand removes all of their restrictions, I’ll buy my ticket. I have a house in Chiangmai that I’d like to stay at after 4 years. The only restriction that I carefully check is the luggage allowance. I want 2 pieces at 23 kilos per bag. I tend to take stuff over that’s hard to get in Thailand for the time in 4-5 years when I’ll retire there. I don’t see the $500 pre Covid cheap fares, probably because the Chinese airlines, like China Eastern Airlines, aren’t flying from LAX (I almost always take SWA to LAX using points to reduce the cost) but am looking every day I may have to bite the bullet and fly Eva Air to Chiangmai for around $825

Yes I am!! FINALLY!

Yes trying plan for my trip to maybe Bora Bora !

+1 on not booking thru a third party website. I did this once, 4 months out. The game they played with me was they kept changing a flight I had booked. Come to find out when I arrived at the airport for my return flight, the boarding pass they issued me was for a standby ticket, and I had to get a later flight so I missed my connection at another airport, very frustrating.

Watching this in May 2022 Airfares have gone through the roof. I paid $600 for a flight that I would normally pay $250 for, tops. I don't ever see tham going back down so I be booking well in advance. It's crazy. Prices are NOT cheap now I don't know when you made this video.

Thanks for the advice, seems like it takes longer to book a flight than ever before with those added sneaky boxes or things they potentially charge you for, I paid for a Emergency section seat two weeks prior and they just cancelled it without any notice when i was at the airport, no reason what so ever. I think they got someone to pay a higher price and kicked me to the general seats...so frustrating and they did refund me after a week..

Need to book a flight to Uzbekistan soon so I will remember this.

Thank you! However I’m not able to get connecting flights through the airline AA? I’m trying to fly from Nashville to a smaller city in Michigan that has a airport but not a direct flight. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Yes…planning to travel!

YES, I am ready to travel!!! But, the hassle of having travel vouchers is not 100% sure that these will be accepted to book flights. I am so stressed booking using my travel vouchers on Thai and Malaysia Airlines!!!

I only fly Southwest due to their policies. Oh, and free bags.

If you are flying spirit, frontier or allegiant and live near the airport go to the gate and order your ticket. Learn how to pack light. I can easily book a weekend getaway for under $40 round trip. Pack light and from what I have learned getting the ticket at the kiosk can get you the best seats without paying because checking in online they start in the middle seats in the back and work their way up.

yes thank you

The prices from the direct airlines are usually way more expensive that if you go through a 3rd party. An issue that i keep having with 3rd parties is that after i book my ticket, they will call a few minutes later and say that the flight was a promotion and it doesn't exist anymore and raise the price sky high on u. There must be something legal to do about that. Its been happening to me very often

I had the same experience, also with the hotel. I will never use a third party, order directly.

I bought two one way tickets to the UK and back from Vancouver. The fare was $223 cheaper than booking a round trip ticket on the same airline and the same flights. I've never seen that one and triple checked before buying. Weird.

I just booked a flight to Vietnam in 2023 and need to buy travel insurance to get a refund on my airline tickets because the excursion company in Vietnam has to cancel due to Covid, what would you recommend? I am using Japan Airlines. Thanks for the video.

Borderless tool is an excellent tip. Yes, it's worth it to pay for the flexibility option on tickets. I can't say how many times I wished I had done so. Thanks for the Southwest tip. Also, good to have travel insurance on international trips. Yes on traveling domestic No on traveling international

What's the best way to book a trip to Canada using airlines and train? I'm looking at going from Montreal to Halifax next year.

Yes, taking advantage of last weeks Delta flash sale for 32k miles for rt SAN to MAD in early November. Thanks for all your great tips!

Hi I’m planning a trip to the Philippines soon and I find it is difficult to know what is a good deal. The third party booking sites seem to have the lowest cost but after watching this I will have to think twice

Booked flights on OPODO but then prevented from traveling by government actions. Three months later no refund or flight voucher. Same with British Airways and had to cancel. Voucher by return email. Go directly to the airlines

Me and my wife just booked air line tickets to go to Mexico. The ticket price started out cheap but by the time we paid for everything it was kind of expensive. But we are still going to Mexico.

Yes to Canada hopefully in September/ October 2022

Yes we are ready to go again. During the worst of the pandemic we had to cancel 3 international flights. Because we booked with a quality airline (Air France) we got our money back in a short time. I find the 3rd party cheap airline choice unreliable and difficult to deal with. You get what you pay for.

Yes going to Istanbul in April

to be honest, reaching for example Qatar Airways to get a different flight was such a pain in the ass that I eventually tried to reach the agency where I bought it and it took like 2 days... still don't understand how such a large airline in the 21st century has one single point of contact - phone...

Thank you

Yes!

You bet yes ! Over 80 flights in 2020 !

I still have not got my refund ( Covid related airline cancelled flight) from Travelgenio and Opodo ( Feb 2021) Never book with a 3rd party site and never book with Travelgenio or Opodo

booking with a card helps in getting refunds..I have had the charges reversed several times when airlines would not honor tickets

Hi first time flyer here. Question, I have a family trip to Orlando in May 2023. When is the best time to book my flight (SFO to MCO) to get a good deal. I have cancer, so I want to make this trip extra special for my children and grandchildren. Thanks in advance for any help.