Well some of this goes out the window given the late notice and a number of variables. I’m happy to gut out crappy flights to save money but the timing of stuff and layovers in random city’s is not appealing but I’ll do it.
Cheap flightz
- Thread starter JM4CY
- Start date
If he is your buddy, I'm not sure what to think about that.
It's tough. The airlines have finally stopped overcapacity-ing themselves to death.
They have gotten REALLY good at price discrimination too:
- Book early for a lower price, but not TOO early which means you have big plans so that's a paddlin...
- Don't want to sit next to the bathroom, the engines, or a middle seat? That's a paddlin....
- Don't want a 5am departure (be there 2 hours early!)? That's a paddlin...
But to do the best you can, book about 30-60 days in advance, when there are more flight choices. And use an airline that flies a lot to your destination. e.g. if you are going to Atlanta, then Delta is probably your best bet.
I started direct after Covid. If you have to change anything, it’s a pain. If you do direct, they are pretty accommodating with changes or issues.
Airline Customer Service desks won't help you rebook/find a new flight if you book through a third party. Witnessed it on my last trip.
I once spent the equivalent of three days (72 hours) at O'Hare over a summer, but not all at once. I was a lot younger then. Couldn't take it now.
That said, every airport has its own culture that can be fun to explore.
Most of them have free WiFi, so you can listen to podcasts or watch movies online. Most of them have reasonable places to walk. If you have a lot of time, walk from one end of the gates to the other. Time yourself. Make bets with yourself as to how long it will take you from one gate to the other. Ride the sky trains. Nobody says you have to be going to a connecting flight.
People watch. One game I developed years ago was to see what celebrity a random passenger looked like. I was surprised to notice how many people actually looked like someone I knew personally. Another fun thing to do is to see what kind of shoes people are wearing.
Many airports have art galleries or museums. Phoenix Sky Harbor, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego, Albany, for example.
Sometimes, you can have a drink or a nosh at a restaurant chain that doesn't exist at home. If you get something awful, you'll have better stories to tell when you get home.
I also enjoy buying and reading local newspapers (yeah, I know, kind of in short supply now) and looking at something from a different point of view. Obituaries are especially fun. They can remind you that there are more boring situations than being stuck for a long while in an airport.
As in most other things, the amount of fun you can have depends on your willingness to have some.
I had New York through Expedia when Covid hit. Basically was told I was on my own and when I had to rebook, I got 0 help from them. Wouldn’t even help me with my booking info so I could do it my.
Have you booked via Expedia or similar and had to change your flight? Just curious.
Avoid Chicago O'hare if you can, especially during the winter. Headed east, Detroit is a great airport and easy to get around in. So if you have a connection flight to your destination, like many of us in Iowa, the connection airport is worth consideration for your trip if you can. Not all are created equal. Also, avoid AA. My 2 cents.
One of my kids flies a lot, always cheapest he can get, which is usually Allegiant or Spirit. I think Spirit just has Airbus jets. That is what he has always had on Allegiant, but saw they recently added some Boeing max crap to their fleet.
When he flies to Vegas he usually has a redeye at least one way cause that’s a place that doesn’t sleep. Flights at crappy hours are cheaper
When he flies to Vegas he usually has a redeye at least one way cause that’s a place that doesn’t sleep. Flights at crappy hours are cheaper
Very often. I log in to expedia, cancel the flight, look for a new flight, call them and tell them the new flight and it is booked with the credits from the original.
At least the American desk wasn’t helping them but then again they weren’t helping anyone that day.
Yes Detroit is a good connecting airport even if you have to go from one gate to the other isn’t a bad walk. It has a nice “rainbow” tunnel
Nope. I love the Eagle sized planes too and it seems like American has had more of those out of DSM lately too.
