I Almost Paid $669 More for the Exact Same Flights ✈️

I Almost Paid $669 More for the Exact Same Flights — Here’s Why I Never Stop at Google Flights ✈️

I love Google Flights.

I use it all the time. It’s usually the first place I go when I’m trying to figure out airfare because I can compare dates, airports, airlines, and routing options pretty quickly.

But here’s the important part:

Google Flights is where I START. It’s not necessarily where I STOP.

And my upcoming trip to Europe is the perfect example.

The Same Flights. A $669 Difference.

In April, I’m flying:

Myrtle Beach → London
and then
Amsterdam → Myrtle Beach

There are two of us traveling.

I found the flights I wanted, and Google Flights showed me the option to book with Delta for $2,364+ for two people.

I could have looked at that price, decided those were the flights I wanted, and booked them.

But you know me. 😂

I kept looking.

I checked the airline partners and different ways of booking the itinerary. Ultimately, I booked through KLM/Virgin Atlantic and paid:

$1,695.06 TOTAL for TWO people.

Same travel dates. Same flights.

Different way of booking them.

That extra searching saved me about $669.

And THAT is exactly why I don’t assume the first airfare I find is the best airfare I’m going to find.

Google Flights Is Great — But I Still Keep Searching

Google Flights is one of my favorite travel-planning tools because it gives me a really good overview of what’s available.

But airfare can get weird.

The way you search an itinerary can change what you see. A round-trip search, a multi-city search, and separate one-way searches don’t always produce the same options.

Then you have airline partnerships and codeshares.

You might actually be sitting on the exact same airplane regardless of which airline’s website you use to purchase the ticket — but the price you’re offered can be different.

That’s why when I find flights I like, my next thought isn’t:

Great! Book it!

It’s:

Okay…where else can I find this? 😂

My Airfare-Searching Routine

I don’t have one magical website that always has the cheapest airfare.

I use several.

My usual toolbox includes:

✈️ Google Flights — usually my starting point for comparing schedules, dates, airports, and routes.

✈️ KAYAK — another comparison tool that sometimes turns up options worth investigating.

✈️ Hopper — I like being able to watch prices and get another perspective on whether fares may move.

✈️ AirHint — another tool I use when I’m trying to decide whether I should buy now or keep watching.

And then I go directly to the airline websites.

If multiple airlines are involved, I may check the partner airlines too.

That’s exactly what paid off on this Europe trip.

Search the Trip More Than One Way

This is one of my favorite airfare tips.

If you’re booking something more complicated than a basic round trip, change the way you’re searching it.

Try the whole itinerary as multi-city.

Then search each flight individually.

Try one-way searches.

Try nearby airports if they make sense.

Check different dates if you have any flexibility.

And if the flights are operated or sold by airline partners, check those airlines directly too.

Sometimes you’ll get basically the same answer every time.

Sometimes you won’t.

And when you don’t? That’s where things can get interesting.

But Isn’t That a Lot of Work?

I hear this one all the time.

People will say:

“I don’t have time to check all those websites.”

Listen.

You’re on your phone anyway. 😂

We’re not talking about spending three days conducting an airfare investigation with spreadsheets covering the dining room table.

Open another tab.

Run another search.

Check another airline.

It takes a few extra minutes.

If every search comes back around the same price, great. Now I feel pretty confident about what I’m paying.

But if those extra few minutes save me several hundred dollars?

Worth it.

Cheapest Isn’t ALWAYS Best

Now, there’s one important caveat.

I don’t automatically book something just because it’s $20 cheaper.

I look at the whole trip.

Does that fare include a bag?

Can I choose my seat?

Is there a self-transfer involved?

Am I changing airports?

Is the connection reasonable?

What are the change or cancellation rules?

Am I adding three hours of travel to save $40?

Because there is absolutely a point where saving money stops being worth the aggravation.

I’m looking for value, not misery. 😂

The same goes for alternate airports. Flying from somewhere else might save $200, but if I’m spending $100 on parking, $75 on gas, and adding several hours of driving, did I actually save enough to make it worthwhile?

That’s the calculation I care about.

This Is How I Travel

I love traveling.

I also love figuring out how to travel smarter.

I’ll spend money on the things that matter to me. I’ll splurge on an experience I really want. I’ll pay more for a flight that’s significantly more convenient.

But paying hundreds of dollars extra for something when I don’t have to?

Nope.

And I don’t care if I hit the Powerball tomorrow.

I’m still not paying a penny more than I need to for a flight. 😂✈️

So the next time you find airfare and think you’ve found the price, give yourself another few minutes.

Search it another way.

Check the partners.

Check the airline directly.

Compare the total cost, not just the number that initially pops up.

You might find nothing better.

Or you might find $669.

And I can think of a whole lot of things I’d rather do in Europe with $669. 😉

— Mel
Cruisin’ With Mel
Travel smarter. Spend where it matters. See more of the world.