I love the new way to search flights. Booking a flight is simple. Gone are the days of getting on the house phone and having a verbal wrestling match with an airlines ticket agent trying to figure out just which flight was the right flight and then hanging up and wondering, maybe there is a better flight. Now, I simply find a search engine online to search all flights at the same time. Of, course, as this indicates if I search all flights reasoning is that I also search all airlines for those flights. Most of the time, that is the case and I get to see all prices, too. I can even search for flight and hotel packages and this saves money on a trip. Furthermore, I do all of this in the same amount of time it takes to get a phonebook and look up airlines, finding one specific airlines to call and the time of dialing the phone. By this time, if I am online I am already booking a flight.
It is fast in this information era in which, we live. I go to my favorite search engine and I enter “search flights” or “search all flights” and even “book last minute flights,” if I am leaving fast. Instantly I receive an entire list of travel related Websites, and most of them have some sort of search engine. I choose a site that appears attractive, staying away from the larger organization, just because I like to help those little guys. I find a site and if it seems easy enough, I will go forward, bookmarking the site for future reference. Some of these sites I have found, incorporate search engines from reputable sources within their site. I have seen Travelocity, Priceline, and several other search boxes on various sites. There is a distinct advantage to these applications.
See, when people are affiliates, or partners of larger sites they use the larger site’s tools. These affiliates are online salesmen or saleswomen. I search through these search “widgets,” as they are called, and I am redirected to the parent site, which, reports all options just as if I had started upon their site. I search all flights receiving times, airlines, layovers, and any other pertinent information, and I mean now! If I want to search flight and hotel packages, I receive two different option lists for each entity, flights and hotels, but when I choose, it is one transaction to book all travel. (Did I mention that it saves money when this option is chosen?) I see options from several providers and consider the amenities offered, review prices, read customer reviews, and I might even check maps to assure convenience. Then, I can “Make an informed decision and travel wise.” The nice thing is that the original site gets a little commission for initiating the transaction but this does not affect the price one bit. When conducting business in this manner the purchase is the most secure transaction possible. Priceline, for instance has the utmost in security with their encrypted transactions over secure networks. Peace of mind is the result as I print out my itinerary and boarding pass the moment the transaction is complete.
Having a preprinted boarding pass as I arrive at the airport has great advantage. I check my bags, curbside, first. Then I proceed directly to the gate. I walk right past that long line at the ticket counter with all those people that have yet to discover the convenience of that, which I am telling you. By the time I arrive at the gate, plenty of time is available to search out the Starbucks, or a lounge if one prefers. When flying out of Nevada, I have time to do a little gambling. One time I won enough money for the entire trip and ended up taking the next flight because I had to wait to be paid. Remember that, if you win big you will have to wait to be paid. My result was an additional 4+ hours in the airport. The winnings were worth it, wisely avoiding the machines while waiting.
Anyhow, today it is a carefree process, booking a flight. The flight and hotel packages are every bit as simple, as a special widget exists just for that purpose. When you search all flights and therefore search all airlines and perhaps hotels you receive a comprehensive list of travel options. You are able to review this information from the comfort and low-pressure atmosphere provided within your own home or office. From these lists with time to consider, there is no excuse to not, “make an informed decision and travel wise.” Enjoy your trip!