Booking flights on the internet can be tricky, getting not only your information correct but also matching the designated arrival and departure windows from England Made Easy. These time windows you will find on the trip overview, the booking page and again in your conformation paperwork.
We have outlined some tips below to assist with booking your flights, if you require further assistance please don't hesitate to call one of our travel consultants.
WHERE TO START
Your first step is to research your options. While each airline has its own website, I prefer to begin my search with a site that compiles a full range of choices.
Flight search engines compare fares available at multiple airlines, online travel agencies, or both, and then sort them by price. I’ve tested a number of them on a variety of journeys, both transatlantic and within Europe. Surprisingly, I’ve seen that the industry’s big sites — like Travelocity and Expedia — can miss good-value results that other sites turned up. Overall, Kayak has the best results for both intercontinental and intra-European flights on a combination of mainstream and budget carriers.
A couple of sites are better for flights to Europe than flights within Europe, and some nice features make their results easier to navigate. Hipmunk has a lively interface (with a cheery cartoon chipmunk) and a helpful timeline display of available flights, including layovers, to give you an at-a-glance rundown at your options (with an "agony" rating for each). Vayama specializes in international flights, and often finds cheaper fares that might not show up elsewhere — but beware that its customer service doesn’t have a stellar reputation for handling cancellations and changes.
While it’s possible to book your flights on most search sites (they certainly hope you will, to garner their commission), I use them only as a first step. Once I’ve zeroed in on which airline has the best deal for my trip, I check the airline’s own site to compare fares. You can avoid third-party service fees by booking direct, and airlines may offer bonuses (such as extra frequent-flier miles) to those who book direct.
On the other hand, search sites occasionally beat the fares on the airline’s official site, sometimes by using “mix and match” journeys to connect the legs of a single trip on multiple airlines. (However, these trips can be difficult to rebook in case of a delay or missed leg — review the schedule carefully, watching out for very tight connections or extremely long layovers.)
For maximum peace of mind, it can be best to book directly with the airline, which can more easily address unexpected problems or deal with rescheduled flights. If you do wind up buying tickets through a third-party site, make sure you carry their phone number with you — you’ll need to speak to a person if you have a problem.