When it comes to booking flights, travel experts are just like the rest of us.
Katy Nastro has visited over 40 countries around the world. Most of the time, she finds her flights through the Google Flights search engine.
As a frequent traveler and travel expert at On the wayNastro has a number of techniques that she uses to find the best and most affordable flights possible.
What makes Google Flights Nastro’s favorite flight booking destination is the ability it gives her to customize her search. When planning a trip, Nastro doesn’t just enter her destination and dates. She toggles settings to sort by nonstop flights, preferred airlines, and can optionally set a price threshold.
“I put all my filters on to make sure I got as close to perfect a result as possible,” Nastro tells CNBC Make It.
Here are three tips from Nastro for booking flights like a pro.
1. Flexibility is your friend
Keeping your options open is one of the most important things you can do to help you find the best travel deals.
“I think flexibility is the most important thing for people to think about,” Nastro says. “Google Flights has features that make it as easy as possible for you to explore all of your options.”
For example, Nastro prefers to look at one-way flights rather than round-trip flights when planning a trip. This not only allows her to compare prices, but also to determine whether she can get as close as possible to her desired flight times.
“If you’re really looking to prioritize lower-cost travel, you should open your search to the idea that you might be flying with your favorite airline, but it might be cheaper to fly with another,” she says.
When entering a destination, Nastro doesn’t just look at the local airport in that city. She also adds other airports in the area, even if they’re a bus or train ride away from where she wants to go.
“It really gives you the opportunity to expand your scope,” she says. With more options, you can decide whether flying to get somewhere else is worth the savings. “Do I really want to prioritize my cost savings over how long it’s going to take me to get to these alternative airports? Maybe. If the cost savings are significant enough.”
When searching for international flights, Nastro knows that Google can offer her options that have “really long layovers or flights with multiple stops that no one really looks for.” To avoid getting fooled by a low price on a suboptimal flight, she plans ahead.
“When I search, I always make sure to include the length of the layover and select any connecting airports that I will or will not be flying through,” she says.
“Yes, you may be able to get a cheaper flight if you have a longer layover,” she adds. “But unless you can leave the airport and have plenty of time to do so, it may not be worth the time spent in the airport.”
2. Price history is useful… until it isn't
Google Flights has a feature that shows you the price history of a flight you're searching for, as well as predictions of how the price will fluctuate in the future. But be careful not to rely too much on this information, especially during a peak period. breaking records travel season.
“It’s hard to say that Google Flights is 100% accurate all the time,” Nastro says. “It gives you an estimate based on history, which is pretty good, but that doesn’t mean that past history is going to provide future results.”
When you need to make the decision to book your flights may depend on when you do your research. If you are in the Goldilocks Window — the period when you are most likely to find the best prices for a given destination — you should feel comfortable when booking knowing that prices can only go up from there.
“For peak periods like summer, we recommend booking three to seven months in advance for domestic travel and four to 10 months for international travel,” she says.
But if you're booking at short notice, don't bet on a sudden price drop.
“If you want to book a flight in two weeks, it's probably better to book it now if you're comfortable with the price rather than waiting another week,” she says.
3. Don't turn off alerts after booking
Once flights are booked, Nastro continues to send price alerts.
“Because we have largely eliminated change fees “On traditional airlines in the U.S., if you booked a ticket in main economy, you can call and get that flight changed to that lower price and then get a credit,” she says. “I did that the other day and got a credit that I’m going to use for a flight in August.”
Nastro configures her settings to receive alerts not only for the flight she has already booked, but for all flights that day for the trip she wants to take.
“That’s probably not the case, but if it’s cheaper to fly another airline, I travel enough that it makes sense to pocket the travel credit to use later and then book that cheaper ticket,” Nastro says.
And while she prefers Google Flights, Nastro will also check other sites.
“Sometimes Google Flights doesn’t show the lowest fare that a very small online travel agency might offer,” she says. “You can use other search sites like Skyscanner or Momondo that might save you another $200.”
Do you want to become an effective and confident communicator? Take CNBC's new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public SpeakingWe’ll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, know what to say and what not to say, and use body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up today and use code EARLYBIRD to get a 30% introductory discount through July 10, 2024.
More, Sign up for the CNBC Make It newsletter for tips and tricks on how to succeed at work, with money and in life.
