10 Mistakes to Avoid When Booking Your Next Flight

There are a lot of simple ways to pay less when finding tickets for a flight. vovidzha/Shutterstock

Most people intuitively associate vacation and travel with huge expenses. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right kind of planning, plus a few clever tricks and tips, it’s possible to enjoy travel without ripping a hole in the budget.

Face it: The most expensive and challenging part of a family trip is plane tickets. Even in the face of sky-high prices, getting over this hurdle with your budget intact and a flight schedule you and your family can live with is still possible. From booking too early to not considering all options, here are 10 mistakes to avoid when booking your next flight.

No. 1: Booking Through Third-Party Travel Sites

Use travel sites such as Kayak, Expedia, CheapOair, and Hopper to search for flights, but be cautious about purchasing through them. I made a costly mistake when I bought a “cheap” flight on Expedia. The first leg was delayed, causing me to miss my connection. United Airlines directed passengers in my situation to customer service for rebooking, but because I hadn’t booked directly with United, I would need to contact Expedia. I had to buy an expensive ticket immediately and handle the Expedia issue later.