A flight that costs less than the others is difficult to ignore, especially when you are only going away for a couple of days. But then you look at the timings. It leaves at 5 in the morning, arrives at an airport quite far from the city and returns at an hour that means leaving your hotel before breakfast. Suddenly, that cheap ticket doesn’t look quite as attractive.
This is something worth thinking about when booking a short holiday. With a longer trip, losing a few hours to inconvenient flight timings may not matter much. You have several days to make up for it. But on a weekend break, even half a day can make a difference.
And the airport itself can be a bit of a problem. Some cities have more than one airport, and the cheaper flights may land at the one that is further away. The ticket price might be lower, but there could be an expensive taxi ride or a long bus journey waiting at the other end. If you are travelling with two or three people, those extra costs can add up quickly.
There is also the matter of hotel check-in. Arriving early doesn’t necessarily mean you can get into your room straight away, and arriving late can be inconvenient if the hotel has limited reception hours. You might end up paying for an extra night just to make the timings work, or spending several hours with your luggage while waiting for a room.
Of course, paying more for a convenient flight isn’t always the right answer either. If the difference is quite large, an early departure or a slightly longer transfer might be worth putting up with. It really depends on how much time you have and what you plan to do once you reach the destination.
This is where comparing the full journey helps. Skyscanner makes it easier to look at different airlines and flight timings rather than choosing the first cheap fare that appears. Checking the departure and arrival times, number of stops and journey duration can make a considerable difference. It is also worth looking at nearby airports, although the cost of getting to and from them should be included in the calculation.
And then there are the people travelling with you. A solo traveller might be perfectly happy taking a late bus from the airport, but a family arriving after midnight may prefer a more convenient option. The same goes for anyone travelling with elderly parents or young children. Saving a little on the ticket isn’t particularly useful if everyone is exhausted before the holiday has even started.
A cheap flight can still be a good deal. There is no reason to pay extra just because another option looks more comfortable. But the ticket price is only one part of the journey, and sometimes the slightly more expensive flight leaves you with considerably more time to enjoy the place you travelled to see.
For a weekend away, that time is probably worth more than the money saved on a badly timed flight.
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