What is it?
Like a lot of things, the internet has made it much easier to book plane tickets online. You can use sites such as Expedia to find tickets across multiple airlines, or use specific airline sites if you prefer. Booking a flight can be a difficult task, however, if you are not sure what you are looking for. Choose the wrong layover or book on the wrong day, and you may spend hundreds of dollars more than you need to. If you know when and where to look however, you will get a great price on the dates you want with the seat you prefer.
How to
If you know you will be flying somewhere, try to start searching for tickets at least three weeks early to take advantage of advance-booking fares. If you have flexible dates, try to travel midweek if possible. If you have a favorite airline, start by looking for flights on their website. Select the location or airport where you will be flying from, your destination, how many passengers there are, and what dates you wish to travel on. Compare these prices with sites such as Travelocity.com and Expedia.com. Many airline websites have internet-only fares, which cost a bit less than regular fares. If you do not need to fly from a specific airport, consider flying through a secondary airport, which often offer cheaper flights. If you find a flight you want, you can usually request your seat. While you can often do this when you check-in, you may end up with a middle seat, whereas if you book it right away you can often have any seat you wish. If you are travelling on a long flight, you may be able to place a special meal order at no charge as well.
Why do it?
By booking online, you are presented with a ton of different options which you wouldn’t get over the phone or at the airport. You can use multiple sites to find the best deals and the ideal travel dates. It is also incredibly fast and easy to compare flights on multiple websites at once. Some airlines offer special web fares, which are cheaper than regular fares, but require you to book online. There are also many different packages online that combine flights, hotels, and tickets to attractions. While this generally requires a large sum up front, it can save you a large amount of money in the long run.
Risks
There are some risks to booking plane tickets online. If you lose connection while in the middle of booking, your reservation might not go through.
Always be sure to double and triple check that you did indeed purchase the tickets. Airlines and other booking websites will usually send you an email with a confirmation of your booking. There is also the risk of fraud. Cyber criminals will try to steal your credit card information by running scams and fake websites. Most online bookers have strong security, but fraud is always a risk. If you do decide to book online, make sure you are using a legitimate website on a secure internet connection.
