Just a little tip regarding carry-on baggage fees for anyone who may not be aware–this might also apply to checked luggage too but can’t say for sure since I don’t have any of that…
When booking a flight on most budget airlines, the lowest fare class typically doesn’t include a standard carry-on. But in my experience, choosing this cheapest ticket, and adding the baggage separately-either at the time you are booking or later on–has always been cheaper than choosing the next fare that includes it.
This is probably because that ticket also comes with other ‘perks’ I really don’t care about or need, like a checked bag, airline points/miles, priority boarding,etc… Depending on the airline, the cost difference can be pretty substantial, especially if you are booking more than one ticket as I am since I travel with my husband.
This might not be the case for every airline, but definitely something worth checking before you just automatically pick the ticket that includes the luggage.
Been doing this for years with Ryanair & Wizzair - when it asks you to select the package you want, just skip skip skip and add luggage separately, it’s so much cheaper! Also I never select a seat, just click ‘assign seat later’ and let the platform randomly select during check-in so you don’t have to pay £12 or whatever it is for a flipping seat
Yeah I never pay for seat selection…they imply that means you might not get seated with the people you are traveling with-which I am sure could happen-- but my husband and I have always been assigned seats next to each other. Even if we weren’t neither of us would really care anyway!
Same - my fiancé and I are rarely seated together but we don’t care, they’re little flights across Europe of like 2hrs or less We do sometimes argue (jokingly) about who gets to play the Nintendo Switch on the flight
I have a top tip too - when booking airline tickets book for the actual date you want to travel, not do as we just did, arrived at the airport to be told we have booked the right date but wrong month! - non refundable, non transferable Doh!!!
Ouch! That must have been a shock @Colin. Hope you both get sorted. I think you are on the way to an AirBnB but I guess it could have been a major issue if it was a sit.
If your New Year resolution was to give up swearing it won’t have lasted very long!
One time we booked a flight to Frankfurt thinking we had booked to Frankfurt’s main airport. It was only when we landed that we realised we were in fact not in central Frankfurt, but at Frankfurt Hann Airport which was apparently a 3hr coach ride away We were so lucky we managed to get on a coach quickly after we landed, as the next coach wasn’t for another 3hrs We were the last ones on that coach, breathless and panicking after running for the bus Lesson learned: always check the name of the airport and don’t just assume it’s the main one
@KC1102, great tip. In 2023 and 2024, we travelled for 5-6 months across different countries with no checked luggage. Carry on luggage and “personal item” each (optimized dimensions). Includes above-average tech stuff . OK, so I’m not exactly fashionable but the limited wardrobe is wonderful! In UK/Europe, airlines vary materially in their approach to luggage - we find that Easyjet Plus is fantastic. Annual membership is not cheap. But it means that carry-on plus personal item, and various other perks, are included at no extra cost. Price promise (credit note if fare falls, provided call MS) helps pay for annual fee.
Before booking flights, I ask hosts to send me their departure and arrival info in writing once we’ve video chatted and they’re ready to offer me the sit. That’s to limit errors or miscommunication.
With one sit, I did that and yet there was miscommunication anyway. Fortunately, I also sent my hosts my flight info once I’d booked and they caught the error, so I was able to cancel without charge and rebook my flight immediately.
I do the above for mutual coordination and hosts’ peace of mind. Also, in various cases, hosts offer to pick me up at the airport or train station.
For me, coordinating travel that way also is aimed at impressing on hosts that I’m booking flights based on their sit, so they’re less likely to waffle or such.
This all works for me as a part-time sitter, because I book flights only once I get a sit. It might not for some folks who sit full time.
I don’t usually do budget airlines if I can avoid for a series of reasons, one of them due to too much time spent and additional cost as it is often unconvenient times and added cost of travel and housing. So not necessarily cheaper for me in total. Those airports are often 1-2 hours from the destination written on the ticket.
But ofc if you are travelling «to Hahn and not Frankfurt» it could work out different.
It is interesting to know that it has become more widespread that airline employees get a «finders fee» if they find carry ons, hand luggage that is overweight. I’ve seen this also at gate counters at major airlines recently, conpanies that has before had a quite lenient approach.
At check-in counters my experience is still that major airlines do not worry too much if it is a little bit over, while the budget companies are on you like a ton of bricks for an ounze. Someone I know got in big trouble with Ryan Air. On outbound journey they checked in a travel baby cot no problem, while they were refused without paying extra on the way home. When they looked into it, the handling agent on the outbound journey was another airline-crew as that airport did not have a specific RA-counter.
I always use major airlines as I’ve found that the total cost often is the same if you total in extra travel expenses, additional night at hotel for departure time etc., but mostly because the service getting you where you are supposed to be is better if something happens. But it has happened, very surprisingly and probably because of dynamic pricing, that a business ticket was cheaper than the economy of the same airline and flight. So I felt I had to choose business.
An included coffee, meal. It varies between airlines what is standard. And the occasional upgrade, ofc. This is usually done automatically on basis of ticket category, (and not sucking up in check-in.) So even if I’ve checked in I’ve found my seat being altered before gate.
I don’t travel that much, but even the lowest levels of loyalty programmes can give perks, for instance an added check-in item (don’t get an extra for the lowest no-check in-ticket - it is the nr. 2 item that is free).
And if you’re in Brussels try & make sure that it’s the right airport @Els (never knew there were two!) or your 2045 flight to Prague will now be heading to Kigali!! Oh, & the other one you need is an hour & 45 mins away….#madeitbyawhisker
We havent done that, but we have book the first night of an airbnb for the day before arrive, not thinking about the fact that its a day later where we are going. The worst part is that we have done it twice.
We do sometimes argue (jokingly) about who gets to play the Nintendo Switch on the flight 
. OK, so I’m not exactly fashionable 
but the limited wardrobe is wonderful! In UK/Europe, airlines vary materially in their approach to luggage - we find that Easyjet Plus is fantastic. Annual membership is not cheap. But it means that carry-on plus personal item, and various other perks, are included at no extra cost. Price promise (credit note if fare falls, provided call MS) helps pay for annual fee.
Someone I know got in big trouble with Ryan Air. On outbound journey they checked in a travel baby cot no problem, while they were refused without paying extra on the way home. When they looked into it, the handling agent on the outbound journey was another airline-crew as that airport did not have a specific RA-counter.
Oh, & the other one you need is an hour & 45 mins away….