7 Steps You Must Take Before Booking Your Flight

Flying over Koh Samui, Thailand

Thinking of going on a trip? You know you have the vacation time, you've been dreaming of this for months and are excited at the thought of heading to the airport on your way to a new adventure. So what's the next step towards making your travel dreams come true?  ​

1 – Start by determining how long, when, where and with whom you can travel. Do you have specific dates, or is it for two weeks over the winter months? Is it by yourself, with your partner, children or a group of friend? And what type of vacation are you looking for? Is it a ski trip, backpacking trip in Asia or an all-inclusive stay in the sun? 

• If you are a big group, look into potential group discounts with specific companies. It's also worth looking into details for prices for babies or toddlers if you are traveling with them! 
• If you're flexible on destination, length of stay and time of travel, consider joining newsletters and keep an eye open for amazing flight deals!

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2 – If you know approximately what days you want to travel, the number of people traveling and the destination, then it's time to compare prices! Start looking around on different websites and  with different companies to see where you can get the best deal, such as Kayak or Google Flights.

• Don't forget to keep an eye out for coupons or codes that could save you hundreds of dollars off your flight!​ 

3 – Be careful of flight times and layovers! Having to spend 12 hours in an airport between flights can be a great opportunity to do a quick visit of a new city! However, it also means you will end up spending more money. And of course, the more flights you have, the more time it will take for you to reach your destination. Determine if it's more important to save money on the flight, or to pay more and reduce the time spent traveling so that you can enjoy more time at your destination? 

4 – Consider pre-purchasing baggage or on-flight services if you need them. I would evidently recommend trying to pack only a carry-on if this is feasible, but if you know ahead of time that this won't be an option, then look into pre-purchased baggage. You can save quite a bit of money by doing this ahead of time! 

5 – Almost every time you purchase a flight, you will be faced with the question of whether to purchase insurance or not. Research if you have insurance already through your current health benefits, or with your credit cards. If you don't, perhaps take 5 minutes to read exactly what coverage if being offered, and compare it to a few other options for similar prices. 

6 – Are you already a loyalty member with the airline with which you're going to be flying or a company that partners with them? If not, it's worth considering looking into this! Points accumulate quickly and can be redeemed in the future to save money on travels (such as flights or gift cards; but look into the specifics as rewards vary widely for different programs!). 

7 – How are you paying for your flight? There are many credit card companies out there that provide additional coverage if you pay for your flight with their credit card, and some cards will even give you points on purchases to use as credits. (Make sure to pay off your card balance every month to avoid the typical 19% interest rate!) 
 
Now that you've got these steps covered, continue reading and exploring the different subjects on our website to make your travel dreams come true with The Dime Travelers!

​J&C