Holiday Planning Made Easy – With the Help of Fellow Travellers

Booking a holiday involves several critical decisions. These are usually made before you even start your journey. Home or abroad is the first major choice, and after that you will need to consider your mode of transport. For most holidays these days, a domestic or international flight is the quickest way, and sometimes the only option. But this is where things become a tad more complicated. Which airline? Which booking site? Which priorities should you have when choosing a flight, and where can you find the best prices? Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make the task of holiday planning a whole lot easier.

Finding a good flight comparison site

You can save yourself some valuable time by using a reliable flight comparison site. At  http://www.edreams.com.au there is a handy flight comparison tool that draws up a shortlist when you type in a few key details such as dates and destination. At a glance, you can review different airline prices and flight times from the same airport, and pick the ones that best suit your holiday plans.

Your choices are stored on site, so that you can go away and think about it, or consult with your partner or friends. When you come back later to finalise your plans, all your earlier choices are there to review again. Brilliant! This takes a lot of the hassle out of making the biggest decisions in your holiday planning.

Harnessing the power of the crowd

Once you have narrowed your plan to a couple of options, it can be quite tricky to identify the best one for you. Fortunately, there is a whole community of travellers out there, who have all been through the same experience. They have made their choices, completed their trip, and returned to the website to leave some helpful tips for fellow travellers. Customer reviews are an excellent way of weighing up the costs and benefits of flights these days. If you are looking for a budget flight, these reviews will tell you whether there are any hidden costs in this option, such as extra travel from the destination airport location for example. If you choose a long-haul flight, you might be interested to read what previous passengers have to say about the seating, the service, or the food. Heaps of useful detail can alert you to the hidden features that you cannot see in the brief flight data on the booking site itself.

Budget airlines for speed and practicality

For short distance trips to major destinations, there is very often a budget airline or two for you to consider. Competition is tough in this sector though, and so it is really useful to have advance warning of special offers in relation to ticket price, extra baggage allowances and other benefits. Booking early will usually secure the best price, but last-minute offers can be attractive too. For city breaks and longer holidays, you can save yourself many hours in the car by choosing budget flights instead. It’s a fantastic experience for children, making the journey much more fun for them.

When the journey truly is a part of your holiday

Some flights are so luxurious that they should genuinely be regarded as part of your holiday. If you wish to enjoy fine dining, multimedia entertainment during your flight, and a comfortable experience, then there are airlines out there that will more than meet your expectations. If cost is not such an issue for your next holiday, then it will be well worth checking out some of the superior airlines for a pleasant and unforgettable experience.

There are bargains to be had at this level too, especially if you can be flexible with your flight times. Once again, the feedback from other travellers can be a great help to you in making your decision.

Charlotte Giver

Charlotte is the founder and editor-in-chief at Your Coffee Break magazine. She studied English Literature at Fairfield University in Connecticut whilst taking evening classes in journalism at MediaBistro in NYC. She then pursued a BA degree in Public Relations at Bournemouth University in the UK. With a background working in the PR industry in Los Angeles, Barcelona and London, Charlotte then moved on to launching Your Coffee Break from the YCB HQ in London’s Covent Garden and has been running the online magazine for the past 10 years. She is a mother, an avid reader, runner and puts a bit too much effort into perfecting her morning brew.