Casual travellers think that finding deals on flights and hotels is all there is when it comes to travel planning. But what they don’t know is that there is much more than that. The travel booking mistakes that I am about to tell you all aren’t news and are very well known among frequent travellers.
Booking Flights at the Wrong Time
Timing is everything when it comes to booking flights, but “waiting for the cheapest day of the week” is a stupid way of booking. I know you must have read some articles claiming that prices are often lowest at certain times of the week. Although this isn’t entirely false, predicting the exact day and time for finding the lowest prices is almost impossible.
For those who don’t know: Flight prices change constantly based on demand, season, and how close you are to the departure date. If you book too early, you may miss out on competitive prices, and if you book late, you may end up paying inflated rates. Therefore, the best way to lower prices is to set up automated price alerts.
Tip: Try booking 3 to 5 months before your travel date. It is best to book even earlier if you’re travelling abroad.
Over-Reliance on OTAs
Tip 1: Third-party platforms such as MakeMyTrip and other OTA apps are great for comparing prices, but also make sure you’re monitoring prices on official travel booking sites.
Tip 2: In some cases, when a flight gets delayed or cancelled, the agencies often hand off customer service to the official airline website. This can sometimes cause unnecessary hassle, which could’ve been avoided by booking directly from the travel service provider. Therefore, I’d suggest you also check prices on the booking site and see if they have any exclusive offers.
Ignoring Hotel Location
Booking cheap accommodation away from the main city, public transport, and tourist places is the biggest mistake I see most travellers make. You should know that hotels away from the popular areas are cheap for a reason. Hotels in secluded areas that don’t have public transport could force you to spend more on taxis or long train rides just to reach touristy areas. And by the end of the trip, you would have spent more on commuting than the amount you saved on accommodation earlier.
Main Points to Note:
- It is okay to pay the premium for accommodation if major tourist attractions are nearby or within walking distance. Not only you can travel more in less time but also save a lot on commute costs.
- If not near tourist attractions, at least make sure there are affordable restaurants and public transport within walking distance of your hotel.
Not Comparing Prices on Multiple Platforms
You’re leaving money on the table if you are always booking on a single travel platform. Next time, make sure you check multiple platforms to compare deals and find the lowest possible price. I understand that doing so would be time-consuming.
This is why, to make this task easier, it’s best to use sites like CouponzGuru. These platforms make it easy to compare prices by listing offers from major travel sites in one place. You can explore coupon codes available on MakeMyTrip or other popular booking platforms on this platform.
Key Highlights:
- You’ll most likely miss out on savings if you don’t compare prices on multiple travel sites before booking.
- The offers you see on sites like CouponzGuru are manually tested before they’re published on their site. Note: These types of websites don’t sell anything and just list available discounts on major travel booking platforms in one place.
Not Reading Cancellations & Refund Policy
Always make sure that your booking provides free cancellation or at least allows changes up to a certain date. This helps you cancel tickets without any extra cost if your travel plans change at the last minute. It is even more important as plans likely change when you’re travelling with your family or a group of 5 to 6 people.
Key Highlights:
- Always check if your travel bookings qualify for free cancellations.
- Instead of relying on Google AI overviews, refer to the cancellation and refund policy page on your travel app or website. These will also tell you how to raise a refund request and help you check whether you qualify for one.
- Note for first-time flyers: The cancellation policies vary significantly for economy and business class tickets. You should first understand the difference between cabin classes if you don’t know what they are.
Not Checking Passport Expiry Early Enough
I see one mistake that occasional travellers often make, i.e checking their passport’s expiry date only when it’s too late and they are about to travel.
Many countries actually require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip dates. Therefore, make sure you always check your passport validity at least 5 to 6 months before you start booking.
Key Highlights:
- Many countries require your passport to be valid at least for 6 months after your trip date (The exact requirement varies for different countries).
- What to do if you don’t meet these requirements and have already booked your flights and hotels: Try cancelling your hotel bookings and flight tickets, as passport renewal can take anywhere from a few days to 12 weeks.
Travelling Without Travel Insurance
So many people I see don’t take travel insurance seriously, especially when they’re travelling abroad. Overlooking travel insurance might save you some money initially, but leaves you vulnerable to additional expenses if anything goes sideways.
You may have to pay out of your own pocket if there are unexpected medical emergencies, lost baggage, or travel delays for any reason. Out of all these things, you should definitely consider health emergencies as a risk if you’re visiting another country. If you don’t know, certain countries legally require proof of specific vaccinations before letting you enter.
Main Highlights:
- Travel insurance needs to be taken seriously the same way as life and car insurance.
- Treat travel insurance as a non-negotiable when you’re travelling with your family.
Conclusion
Don’t forget to refer to this article as a pre-travel checklist the next time you’re planning a vacation. At the end of the day, saving money on travel comes down to avoiding these mistakes rather than just looking for discounts.
First, make sure to double-check passport validity, hotel locations, and cancellation & refund policies. Once you have made these checks, you can now start looking for extra discounts for the travel bookings. You can use coupon aggregator sites like CouponzGuru if checking discounts on multiple websites is taking too much time. The main aim of these websites is to make the genuine discounts accessible by listing them in one place.