Research Flights

You have your dates or approximate dates and your location. Start looking at airfares. I always use Google flights. Figure out what airlines fly to your destination and look at the flight schedules. If you are booking far out, note that flight schedules are going to change, but this at least gives you a good idea of what flights are out there. Look at the pricing. Google generally will tell you if it is a high price or not based on historical trends. However, with the current conflict in the Middle East right now, I think that’s a bit all out the window.

I like to look at flights one way. Sometimes this will be a savings as you can book on one airline and another. A couple of things to take note of though:

Google flights provides hyperlinks to book these flights. I NEVER book through a third party. If I see a flight I like on that an airline, I go to that airline’s website and book. This not only potentially earns miles (some fares don’t or earn very little), but I also find that the airlines are more likely to work with you if something goes wrong than if you are booking through a third party site.

Frequent Flier Programs

While we are talking airlines, sign up for the frequent flier programs. Even if you don’t regularly travel, it’s good to earn miles and some airlines want you to be a frequent flier member so you can access the free onboard WiFi. These programs are free and only take a few minutes to add up.

Connections and Timing

So you’re looking at flights and you can’t get a nonstop to your destination. You have to make a connection or two. Here’s what I’ve learned after years of traveling: if the cost difference is minimal, I always pick the nonstop. As I get older, I find that convenience outweighs cost a lot. I want to maximize my time at the destination and not spend hours and hours on planes and in airports (as much as I love airports.)

But if you do have to make a connection, make sure that you absolutely give yourself enough time between flights. Remember, the flight has to land, taxi, get a jetbridge (usually) and then it takes time to get off the plane. Unless you are at a tiny airport, this takes time. Sure, airlines pad time in the schedule so they can meet those on-time stats, but you just never know what is going to happen.

I’ve seen airlines selling 30 minute connections. I wouldn’t do it. Remember, the flight is going to be boarding and closing the doors before those 30 minutes. Figure in getting across concourses, etc., and you’re going to miss that window (unless again, you are at a tiny airport). My rule of thumb is at minimum an hour connection if flying domestically in the U.S. However, I also look at where I’m flying from and where I’m going and look up to see how often those flights are on time. Check your airline’s website for this info. American’s for instance shows it in the flight details. If you’re going through busy airports – think New York area, LAX, Atlanta, Chicago, you are going to want to pad more connection time.

For flights returning to the U.S., note that you’re going to have to clear customs and if you have a connecting flight, build in time there. At least 90 minutes. Yes, you might have Global Entry (more on that later) and get through so quick, but if you have bags, you’ll need to pick them up and recheck them. I’ve had experiences where I’ve gotten through the Global Entry portion in 2 minutes, but waited close to 40 minutes for my bags, had to recheck them and go through security again. So give yourself that extra time.

If you have connecting flights overseas, again, I would recommend at least 2 hours, but it depends on where you are going, if your airline is the same throughout and operates from the same terminal, etc. Some of these connections are doable if you are just traveling with a carry-on, but if you are checking bags, that will cause a slow down. Example: I was traveling from Deer Lake, Canada, to Montreal and then connecting to Chicago. I barely made that connection to Montreal even though I had 90 minutes. Why? I hustled through the airport, but my bag was still being unloaded and I couldn’t go through Customs until my bag was there, so I waited and waited. I finally was able to go to Customs (pre-clear for US flights) and got to my gate right as it was final boarding. You just never know. Separately, in 2025, my friend and I traveled from Phoenix to London Heathrow to Budapest. We traveled only with carry-ons and had an hour and a half connection. I was initially so worried about it because London Heathrow is big, security is always chaotic, etc. Both inbound and outbound, we made it and with time to spare to hit the lounge. We lucked out because our British Airways flights were in the same terminal and the inbound flights were on-time. Now, just this year, I traveled with my husband on British Airways Budapest-London-Phoenix. We had an hour and a half connection. Given it was the same flights as the prior year, I wasn’t concerned. Well, we landed 20 minutes early (yay), but we spent 45 minutes on the plane waiting to be able to get to the gate because the airline had a broken jetbridge. When we got off the plane, we ran. Unfortunately, the PHX flight was in a different terminal, so we had to catch a bus. We waited and waited for the bus. The bus was packed. Everyone was squished in. Then, we took a long bus ride, got to the other terminal and went through security. That was followed by a sprint to the gate where we then had to board another bus to be taken out to the tarmac to climb stairs to the plane. We arrived on final boarding. So again, you just never know.

Extra Fees

Also do take into account when booking your flights the extra fees your airline is charging. If you are using Google flights to compare, make sure you look at the boxes on bags and indicate if you are bringing a carry-on (who isn’t?!). I don’t so much as worry with the pricing for the checked bags, but certain airlines – looking at you Air Canada, WestJet and United do not show prices with carry-on bags. For instance, I just priced a nonstop flight between Phoenix and Calgary. It comes up as $328, but that is without any bags. Add in a carry-on bag, and it jumps to $469 (and up to $559 if you want the checked bag too). Airlines these days are also charging for seat assignments unless you book the higher fare or have status. And, some are downright sneaky. For instance, the next fare bracket up from the cheapest says you get to pick a seat, make changes, etc. Well, this isn’t always true. You can absolutely choose a seat, but you have to pay vs. the lowest fare, the seat is assigned at check-in and you can’t even pay in advance to pick one. Or, you book a fare through say American’s site and it is an international flight and if it is on American metal, you get to pick your seat for free, but if your flight is British Airways, you have to pay to select that seat unless you wait for check-in. These days it is a lot more complicated than it used to be. So do your research and take everything into account, and also realize that you are probably going to spend more than you planned on airfare, especially when you factor in seats, baggage, etc.

Refundable vs. not

This is tough because refundable fares are SO much more than non-refundable. Things have changed quite a bit since COVID in terms of travel credits, etc. My best advise here is to check the airline’s travel policy. Look at the various fare structures. The most basic (cheapest) is likely probably completely non-refundable. The next fare class may be refundable for travel credits. Do what you are most comfortable with. I generally only book the most basic if it is a cheap enough fare to begin with or I am 100 percent confident in my plans. Note that some airlines if you buy a regular fare (not basic) will let you reprice and get the fare difference in the form a travel credit. I’ve done this on American and Southwest. (American required calling and Southwest you can do online). Again, it all depends on the fare type you booked so be sure to check the terms before you book. And, remember, you have 24 hours from booking to cancel for a full refund. Note that European flights have slightly different rules and if they change schedules, you may be able to get a complete refund or flight change. Again, check the terms and conditions.