Two airlines will fly you from point A to point B.\u00a0\u00a0 One charges $100 more than the other.\u00a0\u00a0 Baggage and other fees being equal, which one should you take?<\/p>\n
A. The Cheaper One<\/p>\n
B. The More Expensive One<\/p>\n
C. There Is Not Enough Information To Make A Decision<\/p>\n
The answer is clearly C, as some airlines will always offer a lower fare, but saddle you with a less than ideal itinerary.\u00a0\u00a0 I am frequently asked the question of whether an extra stop is worth the savings.\u00a0\u00a0 It comes down to a variety of factors.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 First, how much time will the stop add to your itinerary.\u00a0\u00a0 There is a big difference between a stop along your route at a relatively quiet airport with no change of planes, and a long connection at a congested, out of the way airport.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the first instance, you might only expect to arrive about an hour later, and there is no chance of mis-connecting.\u00a0\u00a0 In the later arrangement, you could be adding hours to both your travel time and your flight times.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Worse, you are doubling the risk of cancellations and lost luggage.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You also have to take into account the possibility that a weather delay or cancellation will force you to pay out of pocket for overnight accommodations at your transfer city.<\/p>\n
If you are a student or you are retired, perhaps your money is far more important than your time.\u00a0\u00a0 Compared to other forms of transport, even a delayed trip will be far quicker and the money saved will prove valuable in your travels.<\/p>\n
While I am an extremely frugal traveler, one of my most precious commodities is my time.\u00a0 I have just so many days off a year for vacations, that I have to make the most of each one.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You will find me at the airport departing for vacation after a day at work so that I can wake up the next day at my destination.\u00a0\u00a0 You will also see me on the last flight out on my return so I can make the most of my final day off.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Throw in a change of planes, and I end up spending too much time traveling.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Additionally, I would vastly increase my chances of missing a day of vacation if I have a problem on the outbound, or a day of work if I run into trouble on the return.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I have had both experiences, and neither are much fun.<\/p>\n
That said, everyone has their price.\u00a0\u00a0 I have booked a quick stop to save $100, and even a change of planes to save more than $200.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That is about where my limits lie.\u00a0\u00a0 When booking a flight for you or someone else, you have to find out how much your time is worth an how much of a risk you can afford.\u00a0 Once you set a dollar amount, you can then make the best decisions about which itinerary is going to serve your needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two airlines will fly you from point A to point B.\u00a0\u00a0 One charges $100 more than the other.\u00a0\u00a0 Baggage and other fees being equal, which one should you take? A. The Cheaper One B. The More Expensive One C. There Is Not Enough Information To Make A Decision The answer is clearly C, as some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n