Planning an awesome trip starts with booking the perfect flight.
But getting to that point is easier said than done. Because, as much as we love to travel, sometimes the fun isn’t always in the planning. It can be a bit of a minefield getting your travel and accommodation coordinated, and taking that first step of booking the flight can be a bit daunting. But c’mon, it’s totally worth it.
So pop the kettle on. Pump up that motivational playlist. Get comfy. It’s time to get searching for a flight. Mentally prepare yourself by taking a read through these things that will almost definitely happen to you while searching, and find out how you can make the flight search process stress-free (Hint: Heading over to KAYAK is a good place to start).
You’ll initially plan to just browse
First things first. You’ll have that moment of realisation that you definitely need a holiday. Maybe it’s because you missed your bus, again. Maybe you need a break from the boss. Or maybe you really just need an excuse to buy that GroPro you’ve been eyeing up for weeks. You’ll decide to have a browse, just to see what’s out there.
But before you waste your time Googling ‘Where is hot and cheap this year’, head over to Explore on KAYAK, that’ll show you the best prices in the timeframe and budget you’re looking for. Handy, right?
You’ll lose yourself in tabs
There’s just so many possibilities. And you’re scared to lose any info. So you open another tab. And another. And then you open a new window to search for airport transfer options from that airport you’ve never heard of. You’re computer will be crying internally. At some point, amongst the never-ending searches, you’ll finally decide on your destination. And then it’s time to get serious about booking.
You’ll debate price over practicality
You’ll find a flight. What a price! But wait… it’s got a stopover. We’re all for stopovers for long layovers, but is a stopover in Amsterdam for a flight to Berlin reeeeeally necessary? You’ll spend too long not realising that the stopover flight is only a tenner cheaper than the direct one. And so, the search continues.
You’ll get distracted
It’s part of human nature to turn to pointless procrastination when you really should be focussing on the task ahead. Resist the cat video that has just popped up on your newsfeed. Do not reply to those messages on your phone (unless they are from your travel buddies). You’ve got work to do.
You’ll think the price will go down
You’ll find it. The perfect flight. At the perfect time. For the perfect price. There’s no reason not to book it. But… there’s that little voice in your head that thinks it’ll maybe get cheaper. Luckily for you, you’ll be searching on KAYAK.co.uk, and we offer price forecasting – where we use our clever data to predict whether or not you should book or wait for the price to go down. If you’re unsure, you can also set up a Price Alert with us, and we’ll email you when it looks like the prices are going up (giving you the heads up to book ASAP).
You’ll commit to the trip
You’ll hum and haw until you finally realise that there is nothing really stopping you. It’s time to book.
You’ll totally underestimate your spelling skills
You’ve done it. You’re almost there. Just need to add in those passenger details. And although you are normally the most capable typer in the world, something about putting in your name, passport and card details will send you into a proofing frenzy. The page will time out. And you’ll have to start again.
You’ll reward yourself
You did it. It’s booked. Confirmation email in the bag. You’ll take a picture of the glass of prosecco you’ve poured yourself and post it to Instagram with the caption “Barcelona booked. Let the countdown commence”. And then you can get started on finding your hotel (we do that too, you know).
Ready to get searching? Head over to KAYAK.co.uk to start searching for flights and hotels.
