Let’s talk about cheap flights. We all know airlines are out to screw us over — and no one wants to be the person who gets stuck paying the highest fare. That’s why we spend hours upon hours researching articles on airfare, trying to game the system like we’re attempting to outsmart a used car salesman.

I’ve written about finding a cheap flight before — and even my process for booking a flight — but today I want to talk about some persistent and inaccurate myths about booking a flight that have stuck around through simple inertia and lazy journalism.

There are a lot of articles out there that list “secret tips” claiming to save you thousands. “If you book a flight on a Tuesday during a blood moon while standing on one leg, you’ll get the cheapest flight possible!”

Ok, that’s an exaggeration. But I read so many articles that are straight-up inaccurate and outdated that, today, I want to explain which “rules” are straight-up lies so you don’t follow them, save hours of time, and still end up with a cheap flight!
 

MYTH #1: You Should Search Incognito

This is the worst and most pervasive myth of them all. It makes sense. We all know that every company in the world uses cookies to track our online habits. So why wouldn’t airlines track us? There’s a belief that airlines are watching our browsing habits and then raising ticket prices when they see us looking at the same route(s) over and over again.

Lots of websites tell you to use a browser’s “incognito mode” to avoid this. Turn cookies off, stop being tracked, and trick the system, right?

Except this is not true at all.

There’s no evidence that airlines behave that way. Numerous studies by booking companies have shown that there is no variance in pricing when you use incognito mode.

And, typically, when you abandon your cart, businesses discount prices to get you to complete your purchase not raise them higher.

According to Scott of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), one of the most popular bargain-flight websites,

“There’s no evidence that airlines are showing you a different price based on your cookies. We are mistaking airfare volatility for a Truman Show–esque interpretation that the airlines are out to raise fares on us. Airfare is constantly changing, often by the hour if not by the minute these days. When a flight you’re looking at goes up in price, there’s a temptation to think that it’s because of your cookies, but Occam’s razor is that the price went up because airfare is constantly changing.”

They searched the same Denver to London flight 100 times in a row, and on the first search and the hundredth search, the price stayed exactly the same. If cookies affected flight searches, websites like Going, where they search thousands of airfare searches each day to find their members the best deals, wouldn’t exist.

Airfare simply changes all the time. A study by CheapAir found that average economy fare can change up to 3 times each day and 49 times total on average. Airlines use sophisticated software to change prices based on a variety of factors.

Additionally, they put their inventory not just on their own website but also on hundreds of third-party websites so millions of people are looking at the same flights at any given moment. The system is constantly updating itself based on ticket sales and demand. If you’re searching for a flight and come back an hour later, only to see that the price has jumped, it’s easy to think that it’s because the airline was tracking your cookies. But the reality is that there was likely only one ticket left at that price, and it just sold. That’s it!

After all, there are only so many seats on a plane. You just can’t add more!

That’s why prices change.

Searching in incognito mode is simply not going to help you find a cheaper flight.

MYTH #2: It’s Better to Book on a Tuesday

Back in the day, most airlines used to drop flight deals on Tuesdays and that would lead to other airlines following suit. Thus the old adage to book on Tuesdays.

These days, as I mentioned above, airlines use dynamic pricing and artificial intelligence to constantly change their pricing. The algorithms consider a variety of factors: historical and current demand, seasons, itinerary, level of competition from other airlines, fare class, timing, fuel prices, demand, etc.

According to Scott,

“Some websites still claim there is a single predictable time each week when fares are cheapest. When airfare was first sold online, airlines and online travel agencies would often load their fares just once a week, say, Tuesday at 2pm. There were a limited number of the cheapest fares available, and so if you were one of the first people to book right after the new fares were loaded, you really could get a great deal. Nowadays airfare changes by the minute, driven less by humans plugging in fares each week and more by complex computer algorithms.”

CheapAir found the same thing each year in their Annual Airfare Study, which analyzes almost 1 billion airfares to help travelers determine the best times to book. This (and other) studies do find that while the day you book on doesn’t matter, the day that you fly on does: Wednesday is the cheapest while Sunday is the most expensive day on which to fly. Unsurprisingly, the time of year that you fly also matters. January and February are the cheapest months for airfare, while July and December are the most expensive months.

So book your flight on whatever day you want, but if you can, fly mid-week and off-season.
 

Myth #3: There is a Perfect Time to Book

Just like there’s no perfect day of the week on which to buy a flight, there’s no one-size-fits-all time frame for booking. Since airfare prices are so volatile, the best time to book depends on a variety of factors including seasonality, destination (especially international vs domestic), and your own booking needs (if you want the most choices in terms of seating, type of ticket, etc.).

On average though, CheapAir’s study found that the “best” day to book a domestic flight is 70 days from departure. For an international flight, the ideal window is about 1.5-5 months ahead. Going and Google also found the same in their studies.

This makes sense as most people book 2-3 months before they go away. If you’re a family going on vacation, you don’t just do it on a whim. You take time off work and plan months in advance.

On the flip side, business travelers book much closer to the date of travel, and care less about pricing (because their company is footing the bill). Airlines are well aware of the needs and habits of both of these travelers, and adjust their pricing accordingly. That’s why you’ll see flights start to skyrocket 21 days before departure. Most leisure travelers have booked their trips by now, and airlines want to take advantage of the last-minute business travelers that are willing to pay more for their ticket. (So never book less than 21 days before leaving!)

Bottom line: the perfect time to book is when you find a price that you’re happy with. There are a lot of tools out there to help you with this, from price alerts on flight search engines to cheap flight membership websites like Going.

Remember that, no matter what, you have 24 hours to cancel if you find a cheaper ticket. I usually set a reminder for 23 hours, check the prices again, and then move on with my life if nothing better has popped up. Google’s new Price Guarantee feature can also provide peace of mind in knowing that if a better deal comes up, you’ll be paid the difference (available only on select routes departing from the U.S.).
 

MYTH #4: Websites Can Predict Prices

Websites that predict prices are just taking an educated guess based on historical pricing. Don’t put too much stock in these predictions. The past is not prologue and a spike in demand like a concert or other event can change the price of a ticket outside its historical range.

I like the price meter on Google Flights because it lets me know the general historic price range of this fare. But any website that says “wait to book because prices are going to go down” is full of shit.

Airfare is incredibly volatile. There are a limited number of seats on planes and dozens of variables — from overall economic conditions to the price of oil to competition from new budget airlines to the difficulty of predicting travel interest for a specific flight 11 months from now. No one knows what the future holds. The recent pandemic is proof that modeling the future doesn’t work.

These websites have no idea what future airfare will be and are just guessing.

As Scott echoes:

“It’s important to distinguish between when is cheapest to travel and when is cheapest to book. We know a lot about when it’s typically cheapest to travel: January through March and September through November. That’s not to say there are never cheap flights in June. Think of it like an NBA game: just because one team is favored doesn’t mean there’s never an upset. This is all to say that anyone who claims to have cracked the code and be able to predict with certainty whether a flight six months from now will go up or down in price is doing you a disservice.”

MYTH #5: There is One Best Booking Website

Why do you see prices vary from website to website? Third-party OTAs (online travel agencies) like Expedia often buy tickets in bulk and the prices depend a lot on what booking class they’ve purchased (usually they buy the cheapest and most restrictive fares which is why those flights are always unchangeable). Plus, again, thousands of people could be booking at once and so as the cheaper seats go, the prices go up!

That’s why, while I love Skyscanner and Google Flights, I check lots of other websites before I actually book.

But, while I love them, remember: there is no single best website out there for flights.

Prices vary among all these platforms. That’s why you have to search multiple websites and meta-search engines.

There’s no single best booking website, only the best one at the time of booking.
 

Any article that claims to show you the “secret” to cheap airfare is probably too good to be true — because if it worked so well, airlines would have put an end to it a long time ago. You can’t outsmart the airlines. You can only bend the system to your advantage.

There’s simply no magic bullet to finding cheap airfare.

As much as we all want there to be one.
 

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It’s never been easier to find a cheap flight. From deal finding websites like Going to points & miles tools like Point.me, travelers have plenty of options for finding cheap tickets.

There are a lot of options for searching fares (head here to check out all my articles on booking flights, along with my favorite resources). I mean you have Google Flights, Expedia, Orbitz, Momondo, and so many other websites touting that they will find the cheapest fares.

There’s no one best flight search website. They all have their blind spots.

But, out of all the search engines I’ve used, Skyscanner is my all-time favorite. It always seems to find the best deals more often than the other websites and their ability to search globally means that they leave no stone unturned. It’s my favorite.

While Skyscanner is very straightforward to use, because of all its features, it helps to have a bit of a primer so that you can be sure you’re taking advantage of all its capabilities.

In this Skyscanner review, I’ll show you how to make the most of the site so you can always find the best deal!

What is Skyscanner?

Skyscanner is a travel search engine that allows you to search for cheap flights around the globe, as well as the best deals for car rentals and hotels.

It started in 2003 when three IT professionals became frustrated with how difficult it was to find cheap flights. Budget airlines were just beginning to pop up, but there was no central place to search across all airlines at once for the cheapest prices. So, they took matters into their own hands and created Skyscanner.

In recent years, they’ve added the ability to search for hotels and rental cars, and today, more than 100 million people worldwide use the app and website every month, with 80 billion prices searched every day.

How Skyscanner Works

As it’s predominantly a flight search engine, to use Skyscanner you simply input your desired travel dates (you can search by specific dates or by month) and destination, and voila — all your flight options appear. You can search by airport, city, or even an entire country.

If you’re flying to and from major cities with multiple airports (such as New York and Paris in the example below), you don’t have to search between all the different airport combinations as it will sort them all out for you automatically.

I recommend using the month calendar view because you can immediately see the cheapest days to fly. Even if you have specific dates, it might be helpful to take a quick glance at the month view, because if you’re able to shift your dates even by a couple of days, you could save hundreds of dollars:

(Note: If a date doesn’t have a price, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any flights that day. It just means that no one has searched for that flight recently, so Skyscanner doesn’t have updated data available. These dates are still searchable and a price will be added as soon as you search.)

Once you choose specific dates, you’ll get your results and can start refining your search even more until you find your perfect flight. At the top of the results, Skyscanner gives you a helpful breakdown so you can immediately see the best, cheapest, and fastest flights. It automatically displays the best overall flight first, but you can toggle that to sort by cheapest, fastest, or time.

You can also filter your search in a variety of ways, including:

• Number of stops
• Departure times (on outbound and inbound)
• Trip duration
• Airlines and airline alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld)
• Airports (and for cities with more than one airport, you can toggle on the option to fly out and back using the same airport)
• Carbon emissions (toggling this on will only show flights with lower emissions)

Let’s say that you’ve sorted and filtered your results and found a flight that you want to book. Just hit “Select” and you’ll be brought to a page that shows you all the websites where you could book that ticket. Skyscanner calls attention to the airline itself with a little green box next to that result:

It’s always best to book directly with the airline, even if it’s slightly more expensive (in this case, it’s actually cheaper than third-party sites), as should something go wrong (such as a flight delay or cancellation), they’ll be on the hook to make it right. If you book with a third party (such as Expedia or MyTrip), it adds another layer of difficulty when it comes to getting refunds or changing/cancelling a flight.

(But no matter who you book/fly with, you should still get travel insurance as it’ll protect you against unexpected expenses that arise when things go wrong on the road, including delays and lost luggage.)

If you’re not happy with the current search results or aren’t ready to book yet, you can set up a price alert and receive an email if the price changes. With the recent addition of their “saved” feature, all you have to do is click the heart next to your top flight result, and Skyscanner will automatically create a price alert (you have to create a free account and be logged in to use this feature).

And even though Skyscanner will send you an email whenever the price changes on one of your saved flights, they’re all saved to your account in one place so you can look back for easy reference.

Skyscanner’s Everywhere Feature

The coolest feature on Skyscanner is the Explore Everywhere option. It allows you to search the entire globe from any chosen airport for the cheapest flight. This is a great option if you have a certain time frame in which you’d like to travel but are open to going wherever the cheapest flight will take you. You can search by specific date or an entire month for even greater flexibility:

Once you’ve chosen your time frame, you’ll be brought to the results, ordered by country. Let’s say you’re searching in November for cheap flights from New York. You can see that the cheapest flights are elsewhere in the continental United States, with Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Canada, and El Salvador all coming up next (and for super cheap!).

If you’re open to traveling anywhere, this is an invaluable tool. I use it all the time and can’t recommend it enough!

Multi-City Trips

If you’re considering a trip with multiple destinations, Skyscanner has a handy “multi-city” feature where you can add up to six legs on one itinerary. This is perfect for anyone planning a trip around the world who wants to book their main flights in advance and have everything in one place for simplicity.

You can even use the multi-city tool to find and book flights where not all legs are connected. For example, say you want to go NYC-Madrid-Paris-London and then back to NYC — but you want to take the train from Paris to London so you don’t need a flight for that leg. You can skip legs with the multi-city tool, meaning that you can mix-and-match flights with other forms of transportation as you travel, giving you a lot of flexibility as you plan and book.

Hotels and Rental Cars

While Skyscanner is mostly known as a flight search engine, they offer hotel and car searches. I personally think there are better options for both so I’d probably stick to just using the service for flights but it never hurts to check to see if their prices for either are cheaper than their competitors.

And that’s it for my Skyscanner review! It’s where I start all my flight searches, and I recommend you do the same. It’s a vital tool for finding the best and cheapest flights. Whether you need a flight on exact dates or are open to going anywhere the cheapest flight will take you, Skyscanner has you covered.

You can use the widget below to start planning your next trip:

The post Skyscanner Review: The Best Website for Finding Cheap Flights appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

One of the biggest barriers to entry when it comes to travel is airfare. It can be prohibitively expensive — especially in this post-COVID travel boom.

As anyone who’s spent time searching for flights knows, finding a cheap one can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Unlike other aspects of travel (say, museum entry fees or walking tour prices), flight tickets don’t have a set price. Instead, tickets are volatile and unpredictable. We can’t expect a nonstop journey from NYC to Tokyo to always cost the same amount (though that would be nice!).

And even if you find an affordable deal, it can be easy to get caught in decision paralysis, questioning whether you should really book it, or if you could find something even cheaper (this is something that happened to me a lot when I first started traveling).

But this volatility in pricing can actually be used to a traveler’s advantage — with the right tools.

That’s where Going comes in. It’s a tool designed to help you find cheap flights.

Formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, Going is a membership-based website and newsletter that finds flight deals to over 900 destinations around the world. Most deals are 40-90% off normal prices, meaning members save an average of $550 USD on international economy seats (first-class flyers save $2,000 USD on average).

That’s a huge amount of savings!

Going started back in 2013 when Scott Keyes found an unbelievable deal from NYC to Milan: just $130 USD round-trip. He immediately booked the ticket, went to Italy, and had the time of his life.

When he came back, friends and family kept asking how he found such a great deal. So, he started sending a regular email to friends with the deals he found. By 2015, Scott’s Cheap Flights was born.

Many years — and over two million members — later, Scott’s Cheap Flights rebranded as Going. Same company, new name. Going encourages its members to take a reverse-booking approach to travel, which means choosing your destination and dates based on the flight deals that are available rather than deciding when and where you want to go and then looking for a bargain. It seems counterintuitive at first, but it means you can find incredible deals if you’re flexible.

I’ve known Scott for years and love what he has done with the company. I think he’s created one of the best tools for finding cheap flights there is. But don’t just take my word for it — here’s everything you need to know about Going to decide if it’s right for you!

How Going Works

At its core, Going is a membership website, meaning you have to sign up for some sort of plan to access its deals (one of the options is free, and all the plans offer free trials).

After signing up, it’s a super simple process to set up your account and get deals landing in your inbox:

There are three membership tiers: Limited, Premium, and Elite. While Limited is entirely free, you can take advantage of a 14-day free trial of both Premium and Elite before signing up.

New users can also get 20% off Premium with the code NOMADICMATT20.

The tiers break down as follows:

Limited (free):

• Small selection of deals on economy-class tickets for international travel, 1-2 days after they are found
• Can follow five US departure airports (but you can’t filter flights in any other way)

Premium ($49/year):

• Immediate notification of both international and domestic economy-class deals
• Alerts about rare mistake fares from your home airport (when the airlines incorrectly price a flight)
• Weekend Getaway alerts (for flights departing within the next month)
• Ability to filter what alerts you get
• Can follow up to 10 US airports

Elite ($199/year):

• Everything in Premium
• All mistake fares Going finds
• Deals on all ticket classes
• Unlimited number of departure airports
• Deals on award flights (for booking with points)
• Priority support

Here’s a full breakdown of the plans:

If you’re just looking for the odd flight deal, chances are the Limited plan will suffice for you. However, if you’re looking to travel more and want to really save money, Premium is a must. It has way more perks and offers a lot of value. And if you want deals on booking with points, you’ll need to sign up for the Elite plan as it is the only plan that includes award flight deals.

(If you’re a new user, don’t forget to use the promo code NOMADICMATT20 for 20% off Premium.)

Once you pick a plan and sign up, you’ll want to enter your home airport, as well as any additional airports that you might be willing to travel to for a great deal.

While the major benefit of being a member of Going is that you can just sit back, do nothing, and wait for a bargain to show up in your inbox, you can also search the Flight Deals page:

Here’s an example of what you can see on this page on the Limited Plan vs. the Elite Plan:

The Limited (free plan) view:

The Elite plan view (as you can see, there are hundreds more deals here, and this is filtered for Economy flights only):

How Going Finds Deals

It might be surprising to hear, but most of Going’s deals are found by their (human) Flight Experts using a set of criteria to determine what makes for a “deal.”

That means that they don’t just send you any and every cheap flight, but instead curate a selection of deals. They won’t send you a flight with several long layovers or an overnight layover, and they don’t send deals on budget airlines.

Instead, Going deals consist of nonstop or one-stop flights on full-service airlines with manageable layovers. They also make sure that a deal has at least ten different departure dates, so you’ll never encounter one that requires to you travel on a specific day. In short, they only pick decent flights, which I really appreciate.

On every deal, you’ll see a breakdown with a bit about the flight and destination, as well as sometimes a write-up including helpful tips and information from the Flight Expert who found the deal:

You’ll also see a price history for the flight, so you can see exactly how good of a deal it is. To me, this is super interesting:

Once a deal comes up that you want, all that’s left is to book it. Simply hit the “book” button on Going, which will then take you to the booking site. Usually it’s Google Flights, but sometimes it might be Skyscanner or similar platforms.

As you can see, when you click through, Going has already set all the filters so that the deal it found comes up:

When booking, you’ll want to act fast. Flight prices change all the time, so snag that fare while it still exists. That’s especially the case with mistake fares, as they’re rare and get scooped up or fixed quickly.

Remember, in the US you legally have 24 hours after purchasing a flight to cancel it, so book first and then quickly figure out any required logistics (time off, pet care, etc.), knowing you can cancel within a day if needed.

And that’s all there is to it!

Pros and Cons of Using Going

Pros:

• Getting cheap-flight alerts delivered to your inbox (saving you a ton of time)
• Simple and easy to use
• Great, hands-on customer service
• Affordable tiers (including a free one)
• Allows for a variety of departure options to streamline your searches

Cons:

• Paid membership is necessary for the best deals
• Only works if your home airport is in the US (including the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam)
• Award-flight availability is limited (in beta version for the Elite plan)

Should You Use Going?

Going is for travelers who want cheap airfare and can be flexible on dates and destinations in order to get the best deals. Going calls this its “reverse-booking” approach.

Going is for people that don’t have the time or inclination to constantly check for cheap fares, and would rather pay a small fee (the $49/year Premium plan is sufficient for most people) to unlock a world of deals.

Going also works best for travelers who can act quickly once a deal becomes available. While most deals are for travel 2-9 months in the future, since prices change so quickly, you’ll need to be able to book as soon as you get an email alert (but: remember the blanket 24-hour free cancelation policy on all US airlines).

On the flip side, Going is not a tool that will help you find cheap fares to a specific destination for a specific time. (If that’s all you want, simply set up a Google Flights alert for your required dates and destination.) The very nature of the service requires flexibility in order to take advantage of the best deals.

Going is also not for people who would rather spend the time searching for deals themselves rather than pay for a membership. You can find the flights that Going discovers on your own, as they’re publicly available on search engines like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak. However, that takes (a lot of) time, and one person would never be able to find all the deals that Going’s team of over 50 people can! Even I get tired of searching for flight deals sometimes!

I think Going is a great resource to help budget travelers find incredible flight deals all over the world. While you can certainly learn the tips and tricks for doing so on your own, Going saves you the time and energy it takes to look for deals so that you can keep living your life, wait for the perfect one to arrive in your inbox, book it, and get going.

Sign up with promo code NOMADICMATT20 to get 20% off a Premium Plan!

The post Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights) Review: Is This Flight Tool Worth Using? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Things don’t always go as planned on the road. Lost luggage, delayed flights, travel scams — there are tons of things that can derail your trip.

While serendipity, mishaps, and surprises are part of the allure of travel, the one mishap no one likes is a delayed flight.

There’s no fun in missed connections and long delays, especially after little sleep and long travel days.

As someone who flies regularly, I’ve experienced pretty much every hiccup there is. Delays, cancelations, lost or delayed luggage, overbooked flights — the list goes on.

While I always buy travel insurance before I go abroad, there is actually a company out there designed specifically to help travelers secure compensation when flight delays and cancelations strike.

It’s called Airhelp.

Since its founding in 2013, AirHelp has helped over 16 million people get compensation for delays and canceled flights arriving in or departing from the European Union.

I used them recently when I was on my way to Paris. My connecting flight was delayed over eight hours and, thanks to EU rules, I was entitled to get compensation from the airline.

The problem was that I didn’t really want to chase TAP Air Portugal for months on end. People said that they drag the process out in hopes you’ll give up (which many do). As someone who was only in Europe for a short time, I realized the last thing I wanted was to spend my little time in Paris on the phone with TAP. I mean, who wants that kind of stress in the land of wine and cheese?

So I decided to use AirHelp.

In the end, it took about five months before I was refunded my money. But it was refunded and all I had to do was fill out a small form. AirHelp took a considerable percentage, but I got everything the EU said I was legally entitled to receive and all it took was a couple minutes of effort. That’s it.

So, if you’re traveling to/from Europe on a European carrier and there’s a mishap and you’re wondering what to do, here’s an overview of how AirHelp can help you get compensated for delayed and canceled flights:
 

What Does AirHelp Cover?

The EU has strong consumer protection laws, which means that if you have a flight arriving in or departing from the European Union and it is delayed or canceled, or if you experience certain other circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation up to $700 USD, depending on the severity of the delay.

Note: If your flight does not originate or arrive in the EU, or if the carrier is not headquartered in the EU, you’ll be unable to apply for compensation.

Here’s a quick overview of what is covered by AirHelp:

• Delays of over three hours where the airline is at fault (i.e., no weather delays)
• Flights canceled within 14 days of departure and no suitable alternative is offered
• Overbooked flights
• Missed connections due to delay, cancelation, or overbooking
• Lost or damaged luggage

For an in-depth look at AirHelp’s coverage policies, check out its detailed guidelines.
 

How Do I Submit a Claim?

To make a claim, simply visit AirHelp.com and follow the prompts, with your flight details and boarding pass at hand. It takes two minutes and is super easy. The site will tell you right away if you have a claim.

You can apply for compensation for delayed flights up to three years after the date, which means if you’ve had a flight to or from the EU with a three-hour delay (or more) sometime in the past three years, you can still make a claim for compensation.
 

Does AirHelp Cost Money?

Making a claim is free. You only pay AirHelp if it wins your compensation claim. It will take 35% of the compensation, however (50% if they have to go to court).

While that is a huge percentage, remember, you only have to do two minutes of work. Not a bad trade if it wins you a couple of hundred bucks!

AirHelp also has a new member-centric platform called AirHelp Plus wherein you pay an annual fee of 19.99 EUR and in turn get unlimited claims with 100% compensation — no more losing out on that 35%!. While this won’t be worth it for the occasional traveler, if you take a lot of flights to/from the EU, this will pay for itself in no time considering how often flights are delayed.
 

Does AirHelp Work for Flights in the US?

In the US government’s own words, “There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed.”

In order to apply for compensation via AirHelp, your flight must take off from the EU or land in the EU and be flown by an airline with headquarters in the EU.

Unfortunately, if you’re flying a US airline, you won’t be entitled to compensation unless that airline has its own policy stating otherwise.
 

How Do the Compensation Rules Work in the EU?

EU Regulation EC 261 is the main protective piece of legislation that protects passenger rights in Europe. It’s the driving force behind your ability to make a claim.

Under EC 261, you are entitled to file a delayed flight claim for $700 USD (600 EUR) if:

• You arrived at your destination more than three hours late.
• The flight took off in the EU (from any airline) or landed in the EU (provided that the airline is headquartered in the EU).?
• You checked in for your flight on time.
• Your flight operated no more than three years ago.?
• The airline is responsible for the delay (operational circumstances, technical difficulties, etc.).?

It doesn’t matter whether the airline has already provided you with food or travel vouchers — they will still owe you compensation. As long as you meet the above requirements (even if you’re not an EU resident or citizen) you’ll be covered and eligible to make a claim.
 

Why Not Just Do It Myself?

You can definitely chase down an airline for compensation if you have time. Some airlines make it relatively easy while others will make you jump through hoops. If you have the time and patience, you can do it yourself and keep 100% of your compensation.

I didn’t want to do it myself. Time is money!

And I certainly don’t need more stress in my life.

AirHelp’s fee is pretty big but 35% to not have to deal with this was worth it to me.

You’ll save a ton of time and increase your chances of getting compensation by using AirHelp. It has a proven track record and knows how to get your money as quickly and conveniently as possible.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AirHelp legitimate?
Yep! I’ve used them before — and so have lots of my readers. They are legit and can help you get compensation for your delayed flight!

Is AirHelp free?
AirHelp is free in the sense that you don’t have to pay anything. Instead, they take a cut of any compensation they collect for you. If you don’t get compensated, they don’t get paid.

What percentage does Airhelp take?
AirHelp takes 35% of your compensation.

What is considered a significant flight delay?
In order to qualify for compensation, you need to be delayed by at least 3 hours.

Can I be compensated for a canceled flight?
Yes! As long as the flight was canceled within 14 days of departure and you were not offered a suitable alternative, you may be owed compensation.

The next time your flight is canceled or delayed, don’t just settle for a voucher. Take two minutes and run a claim through AirHelp. A few hundred bucks in your pocket is better than nothing, especially when you could be spending that money on your next trip!

Note: This isn’t a paid advertisement. AirHelp did not provide me any compensation to write this. This is just a review of the service as many readers keep asking me about my experience using them.

The post How to Get Paid When Your Flight is Delayed appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

Though I’m terrified of flying, the experience also thrills me. There you are, cruising in a metal tube at 37,000 feet while watching a movie, texting your friends, and — if you’re a points and miles collector (and you should be) — enjoying fine food and liquor.

I can never get over the fact that planes, which can weigh up to 485 tons and contain, like, up to 6 million parts, can even get into the air — and stay there! Yes, I know all about aerodynamics (“it’s just lift!”), but it’s still so damn cool!

I don’t get a lot of media invites since I don’t report on breaking industry news, but when I was asked if I wanted to tour the Boeing facility in Charleston, South Carolina, as part of Singapore Airlines’ 787-10 launch, I immediately said yes.

Watch a plane get built? Fly a flight simulator? Yes. Yes! YES!

At the Boeing plant, we were treated to tours of the Dreamliner assembly process. We went to the production facilities where, after a long and boring press conference on flight specs and fuel savings, we finally got to go down to the factory floor to see the good stuff. Walking on the floor and seeing these metal behemoths really gave me a sense of wonder and awe.

Like, “Damn, that’s a plane!”

Before this, I had only a rough idea of how planes are built, how engines work, and the complicated manufacturing process that’s required to put it all together. I mean, I’ve watched a few documentaries on flying. But unlike most of the other aviation press there, I couldn’t tell one plane or engine from another, discuss avionics or contracts between suppliers, or who designs what seat fabric.

So I was excited to learn about the factory assembly process and how a plane becomes a plane.

At the plant, there are three areas to the plant: rear body, midbody, and final assembly.

The rear body process is where the tail of the plane is made, and the Charleston plant makes all the tail sections for all the 787 Dreamliners (minus the fins). One thing I did know before this trip was that they use carbon fibers, which have several advantages over traditional composite metal, including high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion.

Basically, they are stronger and lighter than traditional metal. They take a tacky composite carbon fiber tape and spin it together around a shell to make the tail sections, called Section 47, where the passengers are (Why Section 47? No one knows. There aren’t actually 47 sections to the plane. That’s just what they call it!), and Section 48, which is the very end of the plane, where the fins will be attached.

It’s kind of cool to think about. When you fly a 787, you’re basically flying a plane that mostly started as a thread. Science, man, science!

All the other parts of the plan are built elsewhere around the world and then flown in on this weird-looking plane called the Dreamlifter: part of the front of the body (called the forward fuselage) is built in Wichita, Kansas; another part of the forward fuselage is built in Kawasaki, Japan; the center fuselage is built in Alenia, Italy; and the wings are built in Japan, Oklahoma, and Australia.

Here’s an image Boeing gave me to give ya an idea of how global Dreamliner production is:

During the midbody process, some of the electrical systems and ducts are added to the plane. They also “snap” together the fuselage sections that are flown in from around the world. Basically, there’s a thin lip in each of the sections, and a machine use fasteners to put them together, which is both exciting and considerably unnerving because you realize a) just how amazing it is that it takes so few parts and b) how few things are holding this places together. For example, they have just seven rivets that snap the wing to the fuselage (later, during final assembly) and hold all that weight. Nope, they aren’t welded together. It’s like an oversized Lego set!

Watching them put the fuselage together this was the most interesting part of the plant didn’t allow photographs, which was a shame. But, since Sam Chui is a badass aviation blogger, they gave him access to film it, so watch this video:

From there, it’s on to final assembly where, over the course of seven stations, all the sections are lined up and put together using a “just in time” factory model. It’s here the wings and engines get put on, the interiors are added, the plane is turned on for the first time, systems are tested, and the finished aircraft is driven out of the hangar for test flights.

This final assembly takes approximately 83 days.

Kinda crazy, huh? You never realize just how much goes into a plane. It’s quite impressive that such a coordinated, global operation can produce such a finely tuned piece of machinery that can essentially fly forever with proper maintenance.

Then, after a 24-hour flight to Singapore, we were taken to where Singapore Airlines trains its crew in safety and service and, while I found it pretty interesting, the real fun was flying a 737 flight simulator back at the Boeing office in town.

These multimillion-dollar machines simulate the full motion of a flight. After a brief demonstration, each journalist was allowed a few minutes to “fly.” I giddily sat down in the chair as the pilot let me cruise around for a bit.

I was like a kid in a candy store.

“Can I bank? Can I land? Let’s do a takeoff!” I exclaimed.

“If we have time, we can go again and I’ll release the autopilot,” the instructor coolly said after my thirty seconds was up.

Luckily, we did have time.

“Ready?” he asked as I stepped back into the seat.

“YES!”

We started in midair, he released the controls, and I flew around a simulation of Singapore for a bit.

“Not bad,” he said. “Ready to land?”

“Sure, but can we do a go-around?”

Taking the controls, I aborted my landing, turned up, and banked left so we could do one more circuit. And, just as I was enjoying the bliss of the computer-generated scenery, I crashed!

I had forgotten to look at the screen and see my altitude, so while I thought I was just going left, I was actually banking down — and boom! We died.

I guess I won’t be a pilot anytime soon. There is a surprisingly large number of controls and numbers you need to pay attention to on a modern aircraft, especially when you release the autopilot!

Afterward, we got to go into another simulator that allowed pilots to practice takeoffs. It wasn’t a full-motion simulator, but it was designed to get you to take off and feel the movement of the controls.

This time, I successfully, took off and no one died.

For a long time, I’ve been terrified of flying — and watching a plane get built and learning about aviation did nothing to assuage that fear. I’m still unnerved by every little bump (the flight I am currently writing this on has been nothing but bumps!), but I have a new appreciation for how complex and strong planes are, how many safety systems are built into them, how hard it is to fly one, and just how damn amazing it is we live in the age of jet travel!
 

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

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Editor’s Note: I was a media guest of Singapore Airlines and Boeing for this event. They covered all my expenses during these press days. I was not compensated monetarily.

The post Inside The Factory: How a Boeing is Built appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I’m an aviation geek, which means I love all things related to planes (even if I’m terrified of flying). Planes fascinate me. They have around 8,000 parts and weigh multiple tons but still manage to stay up in the sky without falling apart!

I mean have you ever seen one of those bolts holding up a wing? It boggles my mind how such a tiny thing can hold so much weight. Thank you, aerodynamics, engineering, and the workers at Airbus and Boeing!

In March, I was invited to the Boeing plant in South Carolina for the delivery of Singapore Airlines’ new 787-10, the first 10-series Dreamliner plane. As part of the invited media crew (including some other AV geeks, like Brian Kelly, Ben Mutzabaugh, Zach Honing, and Kendis Gibson), we spent a few days at the plant and then flew the delivery flight from Charleston to Singapore.

It was truly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. For those other guys, it’s par for the course. They go on these all the time. But, for me, this was a brand new experience. I mean getting invited to the factory and then to fly on the first flight? Woah! So cool.

But South Carolina to Singapore is a long flight. The total flight time is 22 hours. The total time on the plane for us? 24.5 hours since we weren’t allowed to leave the airplane during our refueling stop in Osaka.

That’s right. I spent a little more than an entire day inside an airplane.

And how does one spend a full day on a plane? Here’s how:

Hour 1
We board the plane (Boeing has their own gateway at their plant), where we are greeted by the crew and Singapore Airlines executives. I sit down in my business-class seat, get my pre-flight champagne, and marvel at the new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. It’s the best I’ve seen. The screen is huge with super-sharp definition and the system saves all your information and preferences so you can get back to your movies quickly.

It also minimizes the back-and-forth between menus by keeping options open at the bottom of the screen while you scroll and loads them without having to toggle. Compared to the crappy IFEs we have in the states, it’s like magic.

Hour 2
After takeoff, I start to watch Justice League. It’s terrible, so I move to the galley to get drunk…I mean sample the wine selection. OK, we got drunk. There’s no other way to put it. Those flight attendants pour heavy glasses.

Hour 3
Continue to drink in the galley.

Hour 4

After getting sufficiently toasted, I bid everyone good night and go back to my seat. While the other AV geeks pick apart the seat for length, angles, cubby access, and everything in between, I am just happy to be able to sleep in such a wonderful seat. The seat is 26 inches wide, which is plenty long for a guy like me. The padded interior muffles noise and is set back enough so that you can create a little cocoon hidden from the rest of the cabin.

Hour 5
Keep sleeping.

Hour 6
More sleeping.

Hour 7
Counting sheep.

Hour 8
Dreaming of Batman. Wait? Am I Batman?

Hour 9
Still out like a light.

Hour 10
Eventually, I come to and pound some water to get rid of my hangover. I feel pretty good for someone who got just six hours of sleep. I wander the cabin quietly as most of the other passengers on the plane are still asleep. I eat the dinner I missed and begrudgingly finish Justice League (seriously, it’s terrible).

Hour 11
I spend an hour writing blog posts and working on my upcoming memoir.

Hour 12
Now, I’m going stir crazy because I’ve been on this plane for 12 hours and still have another 12 more to go! I drink another glass of wine and keep on writing. It’s pretty unexciting. I’m at the point where the novelty has worn off and start to fidget around.

Hour 13
Work some more while watching Geostorm (another terrible movie). I’m not sure what is with me and terrible movies but I seem to gravitate towards them on planes. I think it’s because it’s a good time to just get lost and not think. I just want to see cheesy plots and stuff blow up.

Hour 14
Time for another nap!

Hour 15

I wake up and notice everyone is also getting up so I go chat with people. It was really interesting being on a plane with journalists. Here I am under no deadline (I mean this article is for something happened two months ago) and these guys are furiously filing stories for when we land so they can all be the first to report on the plane. Here are some of the articles they wrote:

• Singapore Airlines New 787-10 in Photos (Flight Global)
• Boeing Delivers the World’s First 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines (The Points Guy)
• The New Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 (Sam Chui)
• That New Airplane Smell (USA Today)

Hour 16
The cabin lights finally come on and we get ready to land. There’s a light snack, I write some more, and then get to reading a book.

Hour 17
After 16 hours, we’re in Japan. By now, you’re probably wondering how the plane made it so far? I mean this plane is only supposed to be able to fly around 8,055 miles and Osaka is 7,255 miles away. Simple: without a fully-loaded cabin of people and luggage, a plane is extra light and can make it very far on a very full tank of gas!

Hour 18
While on the ground, they refuel the plane, switch out the crew, and bring in some new food (catered by Singapore Airlines this time and not Boeing). I watch all journalists make videos and do interviews then chat with the CEO of Singapore Airlines, who gives me some sushi recommendations in Singapore (I never got to eat at them but he recommended Kuiiya and Chobei). The most I did was take some photos.

Hour 19
Takeoff time again.

Hour 20
After another breakfast (delicious eggs with spinach and seaweed), I move to economy class to see what it’s like while trying not to wake up the Singapore Airlines employees trying to sleep. There’s a lot of legroom and the seat has a steep recline (which is good when you recline but bad when the person in front of you reclines since it cuts off a lot of your space). The seats are also really comfy and with soft padding.

After Qatar’s A350 economy, they might be my favorite economy seats.

Hour 21
I take advantage of having my own row in economy and take another nap.

Hour 22
Dreamland.

Hour 23

I wake up and go back to business class for breakfast. The sun is coming up and we’re getting ready to land. I’ve given up on movies and just started writing. Before we land, I take some photos and see who wants to get dinner later in the day.

Hour 24

Time to land in Singapore. I’m always awed by the fleet of cargo ships off the coast of Singapore. As far as the eye can see, the denizens of global trade go to and fro as we land and pull into the gate, we are welcomed with water cannons and a celebratory event.

Spending 24 hours in a plane was an experience I’ll (probably) never have again, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Dreamliner is pressured at only 6,000 feet compared to other planes which are pressured at altitudes around 8,000 feet. feet. So, walking off the plane, I felt pretty refreshed and less fatigued.

I never really noticed it before but after spending 24 hours in a tube, that science Boeing was talking about does really hold up to snuff.

I didn’t feel as jetlagged or that normal gross feeling I have after a long international flight. (Who else loves to shower right away after a long flight? Anyone? Makes me feel refreshed!)

This new Singapore 787-10 will be a regional craft so, at most, you’ll be in this plane for only about six hours. They are only going to fly it around Asia and Australia. I would say this will be one of the nicest six hours you’ll have on a plane, no matter what class you are in.

I have a new favorite plane to fly around Asia, which, thanks to Singapore’s partnerships with Chase, American Express, SPG, and Citi, as well their partnership with United means I can use points to do it for free!

But, the next time I get on this plane, I’ll be happy it won’t be for another 24 hours. That’s a little too long for me.
 

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

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The post How to Spend 24 Hours in an Airplane appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

“Have you heard of Scott’s Cheap Flights? Should I use them?”

When friends and family far removed from the points and miles/cheap flights space ask me about a website, I know it’s gone mainstream. While there are many good deal websites out there (The Flight Deal, Secret Flying, and Holiday Pirates are three of my favorites), Scott’s Cheap Flights seems to have broken through where others have not.

Over 1 million people get his daily flight deals email.

I’m a big fan of the website and their ability to often break airfare deals (I used one of their alerts to fly to South Africa). It turns out Scott is a fan of my website too so we sat down for an interview where I got him to spill the secret behind his website:

Nomadic Matt: Tell everyone about yourself. How did you get into this?
Scott: When I graduated college in 2009, I knew two things: (1) I wanted to travel the world and (2) I was never going to be wealthy. So, if I wasn’t going to let #2 prevent #1, I knew I would have to figure out some creative ways to travel without spending my life savings.

I began reading up on flight pricing economics, spending hours on various flight search engines, and learning various airfare patterns. Before long, I found an online community of fellow cheap-flight aficionados who enjoy not just travel but also the thrill of getting a great deal on flights.

Where did the idea of this website come from?
Scott’s Cheap Flights has a weird origin story. In 2013, I got the best deal of my life: nonstop from NYC to Milan for $130 USD round-trip. Milan hadn’t even been on my radar as a place to visit, but for $130 USD round-trip, there’s no way I wouldn’t go.

And it turned out to be amazing! I went skiing in the Alps, caught an AC Milan match, hiked Cinque Terre, hung out on Lake Como. It was divine.

When I got back, word spread among friends and coworkers about the deal I got, and dozens of them began asking me to let them know next time I found a fare like that so they could get in on it, too. So, rather than try to remember to tell George and Esther and Aviva when a great deal popped up, I decided to start a simple little email list instead so I could alert everyone at once. Scott’s Cheap Flights was born.

For the first 18 months, though, it was just a little, fun hobby I did for my friends. It wasn’t until August 2015 that it had generated enough organic growth that it made sense to think about turning it into a business.

You’ve sort of blown up in the last year or so. What do you think have been the two biggest factors into your success?
First off, thanks! We just hit one million subscribers — still hard for me to believe. The credit goes to two primary factors:

First, there’s an incredible team who runs Scott’s Cheap Flights. It’s not just me; we’re up to 25 folks on the team now. We have a team of flight searchers finding great deals around the world, and also a team of amazing customer support folks.

On an average day, we get well over 700 emails in our inbox, and most people get a response within a few hours, if not a few minutes. I think this is a major reason why more than 50% of people who sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights found out about it via word of mouth.

Second, the startup itself had very serendipitous timing. Right around when Scott’s Cheap Flights became a business, international flight prices began to plummet, fueled by low oil prices and a bevy of new low-cost airlines like Norwegian jumping into the transatlantic market.

Whereas in 2010 it was rare to see flights from the US to Europe under $900 USD round-trip, in 2015 (and through to today), it’s relatively common to see those same flights around $400 USD round-trip, if not less.

We can’t force airlines to offer cheap flights, but we’ve been there to ride the wave these past few years and help subscribers pay half of what they used to to travel abroad.

Were there any media hits or high-profile features that really changed your trajectory? I remember hearing about you a few years ago, but now it seems everyone I know, even outside of travel, has heard of your newsletter.
There was one in particular: a Business Insider article and I were taking in the summer of 2015. It helped take Scott’s Cheap Flights from a hobby to a full-fledged business by bringing in thousands of new subscribers. We’ve had hundreds of media hits in the two years since then, but as we’ve grown, each individual one has necessarily had a diminishing impact.

Perhaps a Nomadic Matt interview will give a big new boost though!

How does your website work? How do you find these deals? Do you have team of people searching for deals? Is it an algorithm?
One thing that surprises a lot of people is that we don’t have a bunch of computers running secret algorithms to find cheap flights. All of our fares are searched by hand. The secret sauce is hard work. Airfare changes by the hour, if not by the minute, and the best deals don’t tend to last very long, so finding out about them early is the key to booking them before they’re gone. Most people don’t want to spend all their free time searching for cheap flights; we love doing it and being subscribers’ early detection radar.

Another way to think of it is like this: Almost everybody is capable of cooking dinner at home, but that doesn’t prevent the existence of the restaurant industry. People don’t always want to put in the time and effort required to find cheap flights, so we’re happy to do it for them.

That seems super time-consuming. How do you decide what and where to search? Do you just randomly plugging in places and dates, or is there more of a method to the madness?
There’s a bit of proprietary knowledge that goes into the process, but 95% of it is just the sheer legwork, day after day, searching various routes and seeing what pops up. There’s more of a skill aspect to the process than I would’ve guessed four years ago, whether that’s remembering certain esoteric routes that periodically go on sale, or knowing that a fare war out of one city likely indicates fare drops in other similar cities. For the most part, though, it’s just a small team of incredibly talented and dedicated flight searchers scouring through fares all day every day, disregarding 99% of them and skimming off the juiciest 1% to send to subscribers.

What are some of the biggest trends in flights you are seeing right now?
In the last year or two we’ve seen far cheaper flights than in the past to India (before: $1,000+, now: ~$600 USD), Italy and the Netherlands (before: $900, now: ~$350), and Hawaii (before: $800 USD, now $350 USD from the West Coast, $550 USD from further east).

Unfortunately (though perhaps not surprisingly), we’re seeing a continued drought of cheap flights to popular destinations like Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand.

In addition, we’re seeing a continued unbundling of airfare: more low-cost carriers and “budget economy” fares offered by full-service carriers that don’t include checked bags, seat selection, or meals.

Do you use your own deals or are you more of a points/miles-in-business-class kind of guy?
Sure do! I’m personally not a business-class type of guy. I’m still young enough to be fine in coach for as long and far as a plane can fly. Ask me again in 20 years — but in general, I’m uncomfortable being doted on in the premium section of the plane. I’m a simple guy. I don’t need much.

Will we see more business-class deals?
Don’t wanna overpromise and underdeliver. Stay tuned!

Do you plan to go global and feature more non-US deals?
Yes! We have a team of flight searchers finding cheap fares departing not just from the US but also Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Note: As of 2023, Scott’s Cheap Flights (now Going) only finds flights from US airports.

You get all these flight deals, but tell me some of your favorite travel experiences. What’s one of your favorite recent travel memories?
Last year my wife and I took a trip to Belarus to visit her family. One of the days we took a trip to a “park” that consisted of a big open field filled with old discarded and retired Cold War-era Soviet weapons. Think machine guns, missiles, and tanks.

Most people would walk around and pose for selfies in front of these massive weapons, but at one point I saw a small group of tourists from Asia hand a park operator some cash and then start to climb on top of a WWII-era tank. I thought they were just going to take photos, but a few seconds later the tank started lurching forward before hitting a cool 25 miles per hour, zipping around the park. These tourists were having the time of their effing lives, and it gave me so much joy just to watch them.

Your deal website is great of course, but what about just everyday flights people need to see Grandma. What advice do you have based on your experience learning how airline pricing works?
The single best trick to getting cheap airfare is flexibility. Being flexible not just with your dates but also your locations. For example, that NYC-Milan nonstop round-trip deal for $130 USD I mentioned at the top. I wasn’t living in NYC; I was living in DC.

But for that fare, it was well worth the short $20 USD bus ride up. I spent the weekend with friends in New York City and saved myself $650 USD off what fares would’ve been from DC to Milan.

The way most people approach getting a flight is this: (1) pick where they want to go; (2) pick their dates; and (3) see what prices are available. By prioritizing the fare lowest, they often end up with expensive tickets.

Instead, if getting a cheap flight is your priority, flip the order:

1. See what prices are available to various places are around the world
2. Decide which of the cheap destinations appeal to you
3. Select the dates you like that have the cheap fares available

What’s the craziest deal you ever got?
In addition to that $130 USD nonstop NYC-Milan deal, my wife and I recently scored $169 round-trip flights to Japan — flippin’ love mistake fares. And team members have gotten similarly good deals to Hawaii, New Zealand, etc.

Finally, what’s one non-airfare-related travel piece of advice you’d give someone?
Read more magazine articles and listen to more smart, informative podcasts. I’m a firm believer in the liberal arts approach of knowing a bit about everything (as opposed to everything about just one subject), not only as a way to be a well-rounded person but also as a social lubricant.

If you can hold a conversation about anything from architecture to the stock market to Asian budget airlines, you’re far more likely to meet interesting people and develop deeper relationships.

Scott Keyes, is the founder and Chief Flight Expert of Scott’s Cheap Flights (now Going), a website that finds and shares the best flight deals on the web. He’s also the author of Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Cheaper, and Travel the World, which is available on Bookshop and Amazon. When he’s not on a plane, you can find him at home in Portland, Oregon.

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The post The Secret Sauce Behind Scott’s Cheap Flights appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I did it. I went back and forth on the decision for a long time. Like someone who just couldn’t let go, I continued with the relationship even though I knew, deep down, it was over.

But there’s always a tipping point when you must face reality — and that point was when I realized I’m just not going to fly all that much this year.

So I did it: I finally split up with American Airlines.

After years of being loyal to them and the Oneworld alliance, paying extra for flights to ensure I kept my status and championing them on the web, it’s time to face the truth: they’ve ruined their once-stellar loyalty program and given me (and basically everyone else) no incentive to fly them over any other (crappy domestic) airline.

A few years ago, both Delta and United devalued their award charts — awarding fewer miles per flight (unless you bought high-priced tickets), requiring more miles when redeeming them for a flight, reducing benefits, and requiring customers to spend a certain amount of money to maintain their elite status. Their message was clear: “We only value you if you spend lots of money with us.”

Yet (in part because of their merger with US Airways) American held out — often increasing benefits. American AAdvantage was a shining jewel in the airline industry, lauded by journalists, insiders, and consumers alike.

I went out of my way to fly American because I felt my loyalty was valued. I was upgraded often, their employees were friendly, customer service issues were often solved swiftly, it was easy to find award seats, and they were often generous in their benefits.

But in the last year, they’ve let their program go to hell.

What’s wrong with American AAdvantage?

1. They now require elite-qualifying dollars (EQDs), but unlike United and Delta, they offer no waiver if you spend a lot on American’s branded credit cards.
2. They have upped the cost of award tickets – a lot.
3. They severely reduced saver rewards availability. It’s basically impossible to find saver rewards these days.
4. Confirmed upgrades for anyone but the top elites is basically impossible. I can’t remember the last time I got an upgrade.
5. They have slashed miles earnings on their partner’s flights.
6. They now prioritize upgrades based on status and spending (take that, million-mile status folks!).
7. How they calculate EQDs is opaque and not straightforward. One dollar spent is not one EQD earned, even if you purchase full fare business and first class tickets.

The list goes on. There have been so many blog posts written about the demise of AA’s loyalty program that I’ll just link to them here, here, here, here, here, and here. And here and here too.

American AAdvantage was the only thing American really had going for it. It was the sole reason I flew them. Sure, their new 777 and A321T planes are nice, but even when they refurbish their old planes they still have many varieties you never know what kind of plane you’re stepping on. It could be a nice and new interior or it could be something last refurbished in 1987. (And you never want to get on an old US Airways plane — no power, no TVs, and a disgusting interior) Plus, the food in their lounges is terrible (as well as the lounges themselves), their partners are not as great as United’s, and their in-flight service/seats/food aren’t as good as Delta’s. I redeemed miles for a business-class flight from Paris with AA and this is the food I got:

What the hell is that? I mean seriously. McDonald’s would have been a better option. (It tasted as disgusting as it looks!)

I fly a lot — over 100,000 miles on over 50 flights last year. (Maybe more. I lose track.) I’m a frequent traveler — but I’m a cheap frequent traveler. I always buy the cheap economy-class tickets and use my status and miles to upgrade.

That makes me a low-revenue flier. I probably spend $6,000–10,000 a year on flights. That’s a lot by everyday standards, but when it’s your job to travel, you’re off to conferences all the time, and have team members to book flights for too, I think I’m actually coming in pretty low. And I also spread that around multiple airlines.

American now requires me to spend $6,000 a year on American alone just to get mid-level platinum status (the kind that gets you international lounge access). I don’t remember the last time I spent that much money on one airline.

And thus the current dilemma: If you are a low-spending but still frequent traveler, does it make sense to stay loyal to an airline in this day and age?

The answer is a resounding NO.

As someone who likes the concept and perks of loyalty, it saddens me to say this, but unless you are spending a lot of money on one airline, loyalty — at least to airlines — is an antiquated concept.

The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!

Why? Because (a) they are flying fuller planes so don’t need to cater to customers as much, (b) people are shelling out for perks, and (c) they are assholes and don’t give a f**k….because they know you don’t have any many options, and (d) when X% of revenue comes from higher spenders, why should they care about low spenders?

I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.

As we get close to the midway point of the year, I realize that, for the first time in a long time, I’ll end this year with no elite status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.

This has changed how I fly.

Now, it’s all about price.

I’m not going to bother spending an extra $20, $50, or $100 for a flight to maintain my elite status. Why should I? Airlines aren’t giving me a reason to.

Just give me the cheapest flight.

I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!).

I still believe in collecting credit card points and airline miles so that when it’s time to fly overseas, I can redeem those miles for nice business-class seats. I mean, when you are flying premium, you’re treated well — paid ticket or not!

Additionally, I’ll keep all the airline credit cards since they come with the perks of basic elite status, like priority check-in and boarding and free bag checking. When you’re being charged for bags and required to go all Hunger Games for overhead space, those perks are worth the yearly credit card fee.

Airlines always say that, since consumers fly on price, they have no incentive to offer better service or amenities. And, that’s true to an extent. Most leisure travelers fly only on price. They just want to go from A to B on the cheapest fare and have mostly accepted that service will be terrible.

But when you cut loyalty programs, you make frequent travelers like me also only care about price and you shoot yourself in the foot.

Because now I have no incentive to go out of my way to fly you. And the first rule of business is that is always cheaper to retain a customer than acquire a new one.

So, simply put, in this day and age, there’s no reason to be loyal to any one airline. Collect frequent flier points and miles for premium seats on those long-haul flights (free flights are the best flights) and fly short-haul flights based on price. Go with whatever is cheap!

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The post Breaking Up with American: A Frequent Flying Budget Traveler’s Dilemma appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

I have a confession to make: I have a huge fear of flying. I hate it. It scares the living shit out of me.

This is how my typical airport experience goes:

Before the flight: “I can’t wait to get on a plane and relax and watch some movies. This is going to be great!”

During takeoff: “Why are we turning like this? Are we rolling over?! Why does the engine sound that way? I don’t like this. Are we going to die? Get me off!”

During the flight, as I watch a movie or do work: “I can’t believe we’re flying. Science is amazing. I have Wi-Fi in the sky! Look at all the pretty clouds!”

During turbulence: “What was that sound? Are we supposed to turn like that? Why is this so bumpy?! That was a big drop! What’s wrong? We’re all gonna die!!! Ahhhh!!!”

During landing: “Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. It’s going to be fine. Breathe.”

After the flight: “I love flying. Let’s go do it again!”

Flying gives me a lot of anxiety. I grip the armrest white-knuckled at least half the flight! It’s gotten so bad over the years, I can no longer fly without taking a Xanax beforehand. And I’m not alone: over 30% of people get anxiety while flying.

For me, it’s because I’m scared of heights… or, more specifically, falling. I don’t like bungee jumps, being near ledges, or even looking down from a tall building. It sets my heart racing and gives me slight vertigo. I am the opposite of an adrenaline junkie.

Heck, sometimes on high bridges, I need to walk on the inside of the sidewalk and look down at the ground in order to get across.

And, even though statistically, flying is one of the safest modes of transportation (there is a 1 in 11 million chance of dying in a plane crash, but 1 in 100 in a car), I don’t have a similar reaction when I’m driving. I feel safe because I’m in control.

“I’m driving, I’m great — it’s everyone else I need to watch out for,” I (and most people) think.

However, when we are in a plane, it’s all up to two strangers we’ve never met in the front of an aluminum tube going 500 miles an hour 37,000 feet above the air.

A lot of the fear of flying is about that lack of control. I mean, how do you know those pilots know what they are doing or don’t want to fly into a mountain? You don’t really.

On a rational level, I know I’m going to make it to my destination. Almost 99% of planes crashes don’t have any fatalities, so even if we do crash, the odds are in my favor.

But the lost sense of control freaks me out. I mean, who are these pilots? Did they get enough sleep the night before? Are they sane? Are they experienced enough to know what to do in an emergency?

I recently sat on a flight next to a guy who provided counseling for pilots and flight attendants with substance abuse problems. On the one hand, I was comforted by the fact the FAA has stringent rules (sadly, not many other countries do) related to the issue. On the other, I was disturbed by how much of a problem he told me this was in the industry.

There I am, 35,000 feet above the ground, with my fate in the hands of two strangers. It combines my two biggest fears. I mean, what if we go down? You have twenty or thirty seconds of sheer terrifying falling as you realize THIS IS IT! (Having experienced a rapid descent once, I can tell you it’s not fun.)

But I fly around 100,000 miles a year, so I have to learn how to deal with my fear. Flying is part of my job, and gets me to where I want to go the most efficient way — and I want to go a lot of places.

And since I’m not alone, I want to share some tricks I’ve learned to help get over the fear of flying (or, at the least, cope with the anxiety):

1. Fake it — As the saying goes, fake it until you make it. When I’m flying, I like to imagine myself as a normal person. What would a person who isn’t afraid of flying do right now? They would sit there, read the in-flight magazine or sleep, and be calm. They would tune it out. So I turn my headphones on, take a deep breath, and read a book or focus on a movie. I tune out my fear and pretend it doesn’t exist. I distract my mind and have it focus on something else. This trick works wonders, and by the time I tune back in, we’re at cruising altitude and the anxiety is gone!

2. Recite the facts — I like to recite facts about airline safety to reassure myself that planes are safe and I’m going to be fine. I’m always repeating to myself things like “Planes are safe, planes are safe — they have strict safety rules” or “Turbulence doesn’t cause plane crashes — it’s just changes in airflow” or “Cars are far more dangerous.” Use your rational mind to realize how silly the fear is and how there’s no reason for you to be afraid. The fact that we as a society make a big deal out of airplane crashes is because they are so rare.

3. Drink — When I can’t fake it or my rational mind isn’t working, I drink to calm my nerves. It works wonders as well. On long flights, it’s me, those mini-bottles of wine (or an Ambien), and sleep until my destination. Sometimes just taking the edge off is the only way to deal with it.

4. Pay attention — This really only works because I fly so much, but I’ve found that knowing what a normal flight sounds like can really help. I look at Flight Aware to see what normal speeds on takeoff, cruising, and landing look like for my flight. I pay attention to the engine a lot so I know, “Ok, it’s supposed to sound like that.” Knowing what a normal flight is like helps me realize that mine is normal too — and that takes the edge off.

5. Download the SOAR app — The SOAR app was created by a pilot to help passengers deal with their fear of flying. It’s super informative and can take some of the mystery out of things like turbulence. It’s super useful!

6. Say hi to the pilot — As I said above, part of my issue is that I am not in control. Saying hello to the pilots and, if possible, chatting with them shows me that they are normal, competent people. They know how to do their job so I just need to sit back, relax, and let them do it.

It wasn’t always this way — I used to love roller coasters, heights, and flying, and wasn’t afraid of falling off a bridge. But something changed over the last few years.

Now, I look down from the plane and think, “We’re far up. We’re screwed. Someone get me a glass of wine!”

So, while I might never get over my fear of flying, I can manage it and not let it control me.

After a few deep breaths, some wine, realizing there are safety standards in place, and zoning out on the latest in-flight films, I calm down, enjoy the flight, and marvel at the science that gets me halfway around the world in fifteen hours.
 

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

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The post Confession: I’m Terrified of Flying appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

A few months ago, I was speaking with a representative of Singapore Airlines. Naturally, we ended up talking about the public perception of airfare costs. Everyone is always looking for the cheapest flight. And while there are ways to get cheaper airfare, the age of rock-bottom prices is simply over.

I’ve been traveling for over a decade. In that time, I’ve noticed all kinds of trends in the industry — including how prices change.

Maybe you’ve noticed it too. Ticket prices, even the cheapest ones, seem to only be going up . Save some flash sale or price war, consumers are paying a lot more than they used to. Sure, there are still lots of budget airlines in Europe and other regions that offer cheap flights. But as a whole, the industry is changing.

That conversation inspired me to sit down and write this post. Since ticket pricing is a complicated and arcane subject, I want to take some time to explain why your airline ticket costs so goddamn much, as well as share a few tips on how to still get cheap airfare.

Why Have Prices Increased?

Ticket prices are high today for a number of reasons. For starters, the industry has consolidated a lot over the last few years. Less competition means less need for cheaper prices. Thanks to bankruptcies and mergers, there are now only a handful of major airlines in the United States

In Canada — the second-largest country in the world — there are only three (Air Canada, Air Transat, and Westjet).

In Europe, KLM and Air France are now one company. Lufthansa has its hands in many smaller airlines (such as Austrian Airlines and Eurowings). While budget airlines keep prices cheap within Europe, once you leave the continent, those 10 EUR tickets disappear!

As airlines have partnered up, merged, or gone bankrupt, the incentive to create low fares to win your business has mostly disappeared.

Secondly, the price of airline fuel has increased tremendously. Back in 1996, airline fuel cost $0.55 per gallon. Now, it’s $1.95 per gallon. Airlines can’t absorb all of that increase, so they pass some of that on to the consumer, leading to higher fares.

Additionally, airline taxes and security fees have increased, adding a lot to your base fare. Currently, the following fees are added to the cost of your ticket:

• September 11 Security Fee of $2.50 (up to a maximum of $10 per round trip)
• Passenger Facility Charge of $4.50 per segment (up to a maximum of $18 per round trip)
• US Federal Domestic Segment Fee of $3.70 per segment
• US Travel Facilities Tax of $8.20 per direction (only applicable to flights to/from Alaska and Hawaii and the 48 contiguous US states or between Alaska and Hawaii)
• US Immigration User Fee of $7
• US Customs User Fee of $5.50
• US APHIS User Fee of $5
• US International Transportation Tax of $16.30 per arrival or departure
• Foreign government security/tourism/airport/international transportation taxes and fees of up to $290 (vary widely by destination and fluctuate with exchange rates)

That’s a hell of a lot of fees! And it’s not just the United States. Ever fly into London? Half the ticket price is made up of fees and taxes!

Moreover, following 9/11 and the recession, demand fell, and to compensate, airlines reduced both the number of routes they offered and the frequency of their flights. They did this to save money and fly fuller planes. Fuller planes mean more passenger revenue and fewer costs for the airline.

It’s why if you live far from a major city, you’ve seen fares go up and the number of flights go down. Planes fly close to full now, and airlines are quite happy about that.

With fewer planes, less competition, and higher capacity, airlines can charge a lot more for tickets. There’s nothing to stop them, and they don’t need to lower prices. United CEO Jeff Smisek said that only now are airfares priced appropriately. When you have a CEO say something like that, it means prices aren’t going down anymore — only up.

According to Rick Seaney of Farecompare.com, “Before 2008, things were in the favor of the passengers. After the 2009 crisis, the scale of justice tipped towards the airlines.”

Why Do Prices Fluctuate?

Prices go up and down for many reasons. No one can really predict when or if a price will change. Only the airline knows that. But there are four things that drive prices: competition, supply, demand, and oil prices. The first and last items are the ones that really affect prices the most.

Together, those four things all affect a lovely thing called the load factor. Airlines want to fill their planes and maximize profits, and they do this by calculating a plane’s load factor. Essentially, this is the percentage of seats sold on a flight. They want this number to be as high as possible.

Airlines tend to manage their load factor by constantly changing the price of tickets to fill the plane and get maximum revenue. On a US domestic flight, there might be 10–15 different price points, according to Rick Seaney.

If the load factor is low and demand is low, an airline will increase the availability of cheap fares. If the load factor is high and demand is high, the airline will raise prices.

In the airline industry, there are two types of passengers: business travelers and leisure passengers. Business travelers are flexible on price (the boss is paying) but not on dates. Leisure travelers aren’t flexible on price (the cheaper, the better) but are on dates.

Airlines are constantly trying to strike a balance between these two types so they can make a profit. Why fly a plane full of cheap fares when you can get people to pay more?

Airlines know that a certain number of people will book far in advance if they can find a decent price. Airlines also know that they need to hold a certain number of seats for business travelers who will book last-minute and pay more. Ticket prices jump up and down based on the demand for seats from these two types of passengers.

As Scott Mayerowitz, airline reporter for the Associated Press, says,

To maximize their profit, airlines developed sophisticated computer systems that constantly compare booking trends to past sales history. If tickets are selling faster than in the past, the price rises. If a competitor raises fares, the airline will probably raise theirs too.”

How Do You Get Cheap Fares?

I remember the days when I got excited over $500 fares to Europe. Now, with prices typically around $1,000, I get excited over $750 round-trip fares. (“Yay!” I say sarcastically.)

It’s not impossible to find a cheap ticket. There are many, many ways to find cheap airfare, and while I go into incredible detail in this other post, here are some basic pointers:

To avoid being the person who paid the most for their ticket, you need to be flexible. As I said, airlines are constantly changing prices and trying to balance leisure and business travelers; they’ll do their best to avoid having customers pay the lowest price point.

“About three months before, airlines start to manage those bottom price points,” Rick says. That means airlines begin to look at historical trends and current seat sales to figure out whether they will release those really rock-bottom fares or keep prices high.

If you’re booking inside a month, you’re playing into the airline’s hand. As Rick pointed out to me, most tickets are sold within 30 days of departure. Booking that late is a bad idea. At that point, airlines know they have you. When your dates are no longer flexible, you’ll pay whatever they charge.

To quote Scott again:

The days of routinely flying from New York to San Francisco for $99 each way are long gone. That said, there are occasional fare wars when airlines like Virgin America or Spirit enter a new market. Airlines will also still deeply discount flights when traffic is low, such as winter flights to Europe. The catch is: travelers need to be flexible about when they fly. ITA Software’s airfare search provides a calendar of the lowest fares on given routes. It’s a great way to find the best fares if you have some flexibility.”

While there are many other tricks to reduce the cost of your ticket, the main two are flexibility and flying when demand is low. That means flying mid-week, taking early-morning or late-night flights, and avoiding flying on Monday, Friday, or Sunday.

The days of cheap airfares are long over. They aren’t coming back, and the prices you see now are the new normal for airline tickets. They are simply going to cost a lot more, especially if you don’t find the sweet spot when prices are their lowest. But by understanding how tickets are priced, you can avoid being the person who paid the most.

Now that you know why flights are expensive, learn how you can get cheaper flights than the person sitting next to you:

• 10 Ways to Get Cheap Flights
• How to Use Airline Credit Cards for Free Flights
• How I Search for Airline Tickets

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day

My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!

The post Why Your Airplane Ticket is So Expensive appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.