You’ve done the research, you’ve found the perfect destination, maybe you’ve already booked a tour… but now you need to book your flight!
While the process of booking a long haul flight isn’t that different from a short distance flight (or for the big countries, a domestic flight), price isn’t the only thing you should consider when booking in for long flights!
Direct, or layover?
Most of the time price is our main concern, and the biggest impact on the price for a long distance flight is usually if it’s direct, or split into multiple flights.
If you’re on an extreme budget or refuse to pay more than necessary, a few layovers probably won’t scare you. For those who aren’t frequent flyers or haven’t made up their mind just yet, there is a bit more to think about.
A direct flight is the quickest, but it also means you will spend the longest time possible stuck in your seat. Of course you can get up and walk just up and down the aisle a little bit, but that’s about it. With a layover you will have a few hours break from flying to sit, stand and stretch to your hearts (and body’s!) content.
That also brings us the downside of the layover: increased travelling time. The standard advice is that you’ll need at least 2 hours for transfer time. This helps ensure you make it from gate to gate within the airport, and to allow for minor delays on the first leg of the journey. A big international airport has all the amenities you could want, but late at night on a small airport, that can get boring real quick.
Lastly, if your environmental footprint matters to you, a direct flight is usually a better option than one with a layover – though never as good as not flying at all!
Flight times
When booking it’s easy to go for the cheapest option, but you’ll need to consider how you’re getting to the airport to avoid hidden costs. If your flight is really early, and you’re dependent on public transport, you may not be able to get there in time. A hotel near the airport is often expensive, and will add to your overall cost or travelling.
Also consider your arrival times: will you be able to get to your accommodation easily? Will you need to rush to join a tour? What happens if your flight is delayed by a few hours?
Before your book, consider not your airports as location A to B, but your door-to-door journey for the full picture of what you’re paying for.
What is the price of your comfort?
During the booking process at most airlines you’ll find that the price advertised isn’t quite as straightforward as you’d think. For example, I found my last long haul flight from London to Tokyo through a comparison site for a decent rate. Once over to booking, that rate was for only a seat that I couldn’t choose, and hand luggage.
Some people can get pretty nifty on hand luggage only, but for my 3 week trip I needed more than that!
BA offers multiple economy seats, with different luggage allowance. In this case, between basic and standard was a £103 ($128) difference, but included 2 hold luggage. After some comparison of adding a separate luggage later, I decided on the standard option.
Mind you: it lists a seat size for the standard package to make it look more attractive… but it’s the exact same seat as you’d have in the basic ticket!
This standard package allows you to pick a seat: 24 hours before the flight, at check in. As everyone is allowed to check in 24 hours beforehand, there is automated seat allocation for basic, and choosing for the other packages. Again a trade off, will you pick from the left overs, or secure your seat now, for another fee?
So the real question is: how much are you willing to pay for your comfort? Which comforts are you willing to sacrifice for a better price?
If you are one of the lucky people who close their eyes and wake up again at their destination, a middle seat allocated to you at check in will be fine. If you’re a taller traveller with sleep issues, an aisle seat for a bit of space and easy access might be a preference!
I chose to pay more for comfort on my 14 hour flight, would you have done the same?
The road less travelled
There is another option to take when it comes to travelling long distances: not travelling them as a long distance. Remember the layovers I mentioned previously? If the layover locations interest you, you could choose to stay a few days in that destination.
Mind, sometimes this is the way to go, but it can also mean that the two separate flights come out much more expensive than the long haul. A good bit of research on both your itinerary and your willingness to save money and spend more time will find you the best balance.