The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step – Part 1

Buying plane tickets

Sometimes we randomly find a really cheap plane ticket which we then, after some short consideration, book right away. After all, one shouldn’t simply let go of a good deal. But, in this paragraph, I’ll be focusing on choosing the destination which has been planned in advance. True travellers like us constantly have a lot of destinations we’d like to visit in our minds. When the time is right, we pick one we’re attracted to the most at that point. First, we look up all the things to see and do in the chosen destination and then, based on that, we calculate the time we want to spend in that place. Of course, choosing the right season is also important, since bad weather (such as typhoons in Asia or cold snowy winters) greatly affects how the whole trip unfolds. Then the hunt for the plane ticket can begin. With the development of the web, online plane ticket purchase isn’t a problem anymore, but there’s still the “old-fashioned” way of buying the ticket at a tourist agency. You can find countless websites online that offer more or less affordable plane tickets, but one should still be careful when purchasing them. Online agencies often add credit card processing fees that can total to up to €30, so a cheap offer may quickly turn out to be more expensive than if you had purchased the ticket directly on the airline’s website. The smartest thing to do is to first check out what online agencies have to offer and compare that to what airlines offer on their websites, only then making your final decision that you think is the best one (though not necessarily the cheapest one).

Now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when countless flights have been cancelled airlines are facing financial difficulties. When it comes to cancelled flight refunds, in my experience, many online agencies failed in this respect by not refunding the money or refunding it only after a long time has passed. Some airlines don’t give refunds for cancelled flights either. Instead, they issue a voucher that has to be used within a specified period, which certainly doesn’t seem right because it severely limits consumers, especially if you get a voucher from an airline that doesn’t offer many destinations to choose from. But let’s put this extreme situation that has caused me lots of worries too, due to not receiving a refund for the purchased plane tickets, and let us focus on the time before March this year that was more travel-friendly.

Plane ticket prices constantly change, so I sometimes get angry when I notice after a few days that I purchased a ticket at a higher price. Some say the prices are the lowest in the middle of the week, which would be on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but from my experience I would say that isn’t exactly true. Sometimes prices plummet during the weekend, even though that’s when they’re usually the highest because consumers have more time which they decide to spend searching for their tickets. And demand leads to an increase in prices.

Pay attention to luggage rules

Before the advent of low-cost airlines every plane ticket included check-in luggage and a meal (more about that later) on the plane. Today most airlines opt for their basic ticket prices, which are usually also the lowest, to include only hand luggage that can be taken on the plane, and heavier luggage pieces that are checked in at the counter are charged extra. If you’re travelling for just a few days, it won’t be difficult to pack a few clothes in your backpack along with some cosmetics, but longer trips, such as intercontinental ones, almost require you to pack an extra suitcase which can add up to extra €100. And low-cost carriers are especially notorious for having strict luggage rules. One also needs to be aware of the fact that not all airlines have the same rules when it comes to hand luggage, so one can’t be too careful when booking a combined flight that consists of more than one airline. If you don’t go over the rules carefully, it can later come back and hurt you in the form of extra charges. Low-cost carriers offer “priority boarding” for an extra charge, which allows you to take a small suitcase on board with you (otherwise you can only take a backpack), plus you can be one of the first to board the plane. In my experience, this option is cheaper than paying extra for the suitcase, but as stated above it mustn’t exceed the size and weight limits.

Use the time left until departure to prepare

So, the plane ticket has been bought and now you’re eagerly awaiting the date of departure to arrive. In the meantime, you can read some travel guides for your chosen destination which libraries are abound with, and there’s also lots of information available online. There are websites with countless accommodation offers where you can choose the type of accommodation that best suits you. When it comes to prices, hostels that have strategic locations are the best option. The most practical ones can usually be found in city centres or near train or bus stations. When choosing accommodation, some people find location to be the most important while others think price is the way to go, but I’m most happy when I find a combination of the two. This is something that’s hard to find with popular destinations. You also shouldn’t forget to check the entry requirements for the country of your destination and see if your documents are still valid, like your passport, for example (and of course try not to forget to take it with you if your identity card isn’t enough).

I am pleased to conclude part one of this article because now we’ve successfully purchased a plane ticket, booked accommodation and prepared well for the journey ahead. Part two will be the real deal, since we’ll be leaving home, heading to the airport and then onwards to our final destination.