As many of you already know, half the battle of traveling is getting there. Personally if I can’t get somewhere for a reasonable price, I’m likely not going there. I’m not a fan of blowing huge chunks of my budget on transportation, because the more I save during this step, the more I have to spend when I get there.
When I was planning this upcoming trip to California, I spent a good chunk of my planning time picking out a flight. I wanted to make sure I checked every option available before booking the tickets, which is why I didn’t book until a couple days ago.
To start, I listed out every airport around myself and my destination. Being from New England, I could fly from Boston, Massachusetts or from Providence, Rhode Island. We’re going to Southern California so I could either fly into Los Angela’s or a select few local airports out there.
Then I set my parameters. I knew I wanted to leave on February 10th and come back February 16th. I knew I wanted to maximize our time there. I wanted to definitely be able to spend the evening of the 10th in California(it’s our 5 year anniversary of being together and I wanted time to celebrate) and I didn’t want to have to worry about flying anywhere on the 15th(because that’s my birthday! I’m turning 23!).
I knew I also wanted to fly JetBlue. I’ve been flying on JetBlue since I was a kid going on family vacations. I like the accommodations they have (it’s a 6 hour flight so having the option to watch TV and purchase food is nice), I like that you can reserve seats next to each other(not all airlines allow you to pick your seats), they’re reasonably priced, and I’m part of their rewards program(TrueBlue) so I get points just for booking with them.
With all those things in mind I started comparing flight prices. I like to cross compare flights on sites that allow you to bundle fight and hotel. My recent favorite website has been Travelocity, because they also allow you to bundle in the car rental which leads to even more savings.
After searching for all the combinations, I finally found the two flights that worked best for us. They were both “red eyes”, which means you are flying over night. Most people try to stay away from these flights because they’re inconvenient, but I love them.
Not only are they cheaper because they are in low demand, but they tend to be less crowded which makes the boarding process quicker. Sleeping on the flight makes it pass by much quicker, which is always welcome on long flights. It may be a struggle to get comfortable but JetBlue provides small sleeping kits for these flights. They typically include a sleep mask and single use ear plugs. I also highly recommend bringing a neck pillow as it will greatly increase you comfort.
Picking these flights, instead of ones during the day, allowed us to save between $50-$100 a ticket, each way! That’s a couple hundred dollars we can keep in our pocket for the actual trip itself! Plus now we’ve given ourselves the entire rest of the days we’re flying to enjoy our vacation for longer instead of rushing to get to and from the airport.
The only real “negative” to traveling this way is that you will likely have to wait to check into your hotel upon arrival(most hotels have check-in times between 12pm-3pm), but if you have a rental car booked you can take that as an opportunity to explore the area! A positive attitude towards every “negative” you encounter will really help you make the most of your trip! After all, you’re there to enjoy yourself. Save the stress for your home life… if you ever go back that is.
Have you earned your “Red Eye Wings” yet? If you have, how was your experience of flying while the rest of the world sleeps?
“Your money will return, your time won’t.”
Travel When You’re Young 