The #1 Flying Mistake you Are Probably Making

Do you want to stop overspending on your flights? I’m here to tell you about the #1 flying mistake that you are probably making.

So, 2022 is (rather quickly) coming to an end and you all of a sudden realize: “What in the heck am I going to write on the Christmas card this year!? Where have I gone?!”

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you’re scrambling to start researching flights; destination unknown, but you simply can’t let this year fly by without being on a plane at least once!

But before you unknowingly max out your credit card, make sure to avoid this number one flying mistake when booking your next flight.

The #1 Flying Mistake you don’t Want to Make.

There are a lot of mistakes you can make when booking a flight. You can book a flight too early, or too late. You can misread the length or place of a layover. You can even book the wrong airport (ask me how I know).

But what is the number one mistake you can make when booking a flight?

Hidden Fees.

It’s the thing that is easiest to overlook when you’re looking at flight costs. You think you’re getting a good deal and then WHAM! you’ve blown your travel budget way out of the water before you’ve even arrived at your destination.

So much for that fancy dinner reservation you were dreaming of.

But don’t worry, avoiding hidden fees is easy. Let me show you how.

What are Hidden Fees?

The simplest way I can describe hidden fees is this – additional cost for items or services that are not included in the original price.

Some examples of hidden fees, in regard to flights, could include:

• Baggage fees – a fee to bring a checked or carry-on bag.
• Change fees – a fee to change or cancel your flight.
• Name change fees – a fee to change the name on an airline ticket.
• Call fees – a fee for calling customer service to book your ticket, instead of booking online.
• Snacks and drinks on board – a purchase fee for food or drinks during your plane ride.
• Preferred seating – a fee to sit in a window or aisle seat.

As you can see, there are a myriad of hidden fees that can creep up on you. My list barely begins to scratch the surface.

How to Avoid Hidden Fees

Now that you know what hidden fees are, how can you avoid them? Avoiding hidden fees isn’t overly difficult, but it does take some time and patience.

Do your Research

When you’re booking your flight, you can be drawn into a quick booking based on the low cost on your ticket.

Remember that the ticket doesn’t guarantee you anything except passage from one location to another – hopefully in a seat.

It’s important to understand what the airline charges for. Do they include a personal item or carry on in the ticket price? What about a checked bag? Do you get snacks or drinks included? Can you change or cancel your flight without penalty?

In my experience, airlines make this information difficult to find, or don’t state it at all, so that they can get more money out of the people who aren’t willing to take the time to find it.

Don’t be one of those people.

Make a plan

I am a planner, to a fault, so this is something that comes naturally to me.

If the situation allows, make sure to make a plan for any upcoming trips before booking a flight.

What should that plan include?

Book your flight in advance

If you book your flight ahead of time, you can get a cheaper rate on the ticket price.

According to Eden from MintNotion, the cheapest time to buy flights is roughly 47 days (or six to eight weeks) before your departure date.

If you don’t want to continuously check flight prices every day, multiple times a day, you can use resources such as Hopper or Google Flights that will notify you when prices drop. You can set your departure and return date, turn on notifications, and then just sit back while you wait for the robots to do the hard work for you.

Make a list of what you need to bring

The first step to becoming an appropriate packer is admitting you are an over-packer.

I am an over-packer, on the road to recovery.

If you’re like me, make a physical list of what you need to bring along with you – then edit the crap out of it. Do you really need three pairs of heels, or could you get away with one? Or maybe none at all?

How many days are you going to be traveling? What are you going to be doing while you’re there? Are you the type of person who wants to eat at fancy restaurants or do you prefer laid back breweries?

Pack accordingly with that information in mind.

Having a realistic list will help you know how many bags you need to bring. This can help you avoid multiple baggage fees.

(Leave the ballgown at home. You don’t need it)

Pay fees in advance

If you know what fees you will end up paying, you can pay them in advance and end up saving anywhere from $5-$100, round trip.

Take Frontier’s baggage fees, for example:

If you know how many bags you’ll have with you, you can pay the fee before you arrive at the airport to save some moola.

Know what you need in the air

I’m a big fan of lists. And spreadsheets. So, here’s another list you can make.

It’s important to know what you’ll need during your flight before booking it.

Are you going to need a meal or will snacks suffice? Does the airline provide that or is it an additional cost?

Is it an overnight flight? Are you going to be charged for a pillow or blanket to sleep with?

Pack some appropriate snacks in your carry on, bring an empty water bottle and fill it up at the airport, or tie a hoodie around your waist to keep warm on the flight.

This goes back to doing your research. Knowing what you need to get through the flight and packing in advance can save you fees that are unavoidable once you’re in the air.

Be flexible

When we booked our flights to Minnesota, we flew with Delta and discovered that they charge an extra fee to sit in a window or aisle seat.

The middle seat that nobody wants is free of charge, of course.

More often than not, I am traveling as a solo extrovert, so the middle seat has never bothered me. If you can be flexible with your seating, the two hours of discomfort could mean more money towards adventures at your destination.

This can also be applied to flying first class versus business class. A two-hour flight in business class can be a small price to pay to have the money to go horseback riding in Colorado (or whatever your preferred adventure is).

Stick with what you know

Human beings are creatures of habit. If you are familiar with a certain airline, stick with that airline.

You may pay a little more for your base ticket price, but you will also know exactly what to expect and won’t be surprised by hidden fees.

Consistently using the same airline can also mean being rewarded for loyalty – in the form of travel points or credit card perks.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Cliches are cliche for a reason. So, the old adage of “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is” still rings true here.

When you’re looking at flight prices and see $150 round trip for a budget flight verus $400 for a familiar airline, your spidey senses should tingle.

Take this flight I was babysitting, for example:

$136 round trip from Baltimore to Denver is a STEAL! What they don’t tell you is that you end up paying $115, each way, in just baggage fees.

Hidden fees can easily diminish your travel budget so before you get the Uber to the airport, make sure you take some time to follow these tips and avoid paying more than you should.

Happy traveling and happy saving everyone!