Which? advice on how to book a flight online

2008-07-11

So, you need a last minute holiday. But the Internet can be a complicated place to book a flight. Here, APH takes advice from the consumer advice experts at Which? on how to navigate your way to a relaxing break.

The consumer champions give some good striaghtforward advice. For instance, they suggest that a good website should show prices that include all taxes and charges; show prices for flights on adjacent days; have clear details of luggage allowances; let you check in online, and offer ticketless travel (especially as leading airlines have agreed that from 2008 they will no longer issue paper tickets).

For short-haul trips, Which? suggests it’s hard to beat the prices offered by no-frills airlines. To see where you can fly to from your local airport, try lowcost.com, whichbudget.com or oag.com. To compare prices for your chosen route, log on to Skyscanner or Dohop (Dohop is more comprehensive).

The two largest no-frills operators – Easyjet and Ryanair – are good bets for low cost flights, covering most of Europe. Espoecially with Ryan Air recently announcing a five per cent cut in its flight prices as of summer 2008. However, your choice of airline may depend on where you wish to fly from. A regionally-based, no-frills airline might suit you better, eg Flybe.

But the consumer champion also offers the reminder that no-frills deals aren't always the cheapest. Prices change very quickly, especially closer to the departure date, so it's worth checking out all the options. Which? suggests that, for example, British Airways can be just as competitive, as can the national airline of your chosen destination.

Dohop or general travel websites are good for finding flights on full-service airlines, and for long-haul trips try using a website that compares prices with different airlines, such as Airline Network.

Tips and advice from http://which.co.uk