Planes

 

When it comes to flights, value for money and the cheapest flights are not necessarily one and the same.  It really comes down to whether you have a favourite trusted airline that you prefer to fly with.  Factors like the time of your flight and season in which you are travelling (or between seasons) come in to play.  From personal experience the best day to search for flights is a Tuesday and generally speaking, the best day to fly out is usually Tuesday or Wednesday.  Look at different websites like Expedia or Skyscanner, but then also take the time to search the major airline websites directly.  Based on years of experience in searching, booking and paying for flights we’ve found 90% of the time going direct with the airline is the way to go.  Some people may disagree, but the reason for this is although you may pay a little extra, you also get more benefits such as the option to change flights (fee may be applied), food and beverages, little luxuries, more luggage allowance etc.  Again researching is key and ultimately go with what you are comfortable with.

Using frequent flyer points is also a great way to book flights.  Do your research as the number of points required and related fees and taxes can prove to be lesser value for certain flights.  We have found that we get the most out our Qantas Frequent Flyer points when booking with partner airlines (such as American Airlines) and using the points for internal USA flights only, as the fees and taxes are next to nothing and better value overall. To maximise your points get a credit card that rewards you for spending and paying off. This can benefit you for both air travel and hotel accommodation.  We all have several cards we use but some of the best points come from our SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) American Express. With the recent Marriott and Starwood merger, you get access to a huge variety of price ranges and locations.  Plus when you sign up you get bonus points that help pay for your first stay. Join below, But remember credit card rewards programs only work if you manage your credit.

 

When picking your seats or checking on the status of your flights we use Seat Guru and Flight Aware. Both provide information that is designed to inform you rather than sell to you. This can be handy when airlines are more interested in selling you the ticket quickly rather than ensuring you have the seat details and information you want.