Getting the best flights for the lowest price has always been something that people search for. What makes it more difficult is that sites charge you booking fees for finding you the cheapest flight of preference. I think that we can all agree on that right? The reason why that happens is because of supply and demand. Since most airlines understand our weakness as travelers they prey on driving those prices through the roof! What if we told you that there was a way around that? What if we told you that you will be able to bypass the busy times of the year, see more destinations and cut your flight cost to almost half if not, more? Still sounds too good to be true? We are able to figure out a way to do just that! Go ahead, ask us how we did it. Whenever we plan on going to see multiple countries on one trip we either purchase an “ around the world “ ticket, or we use AirWander to plan out our stops before we take flight. This allows us to have less hassle at the airports when it’s time to fly. But before we tell you about AirWander, let us break down the difference between layovers and stopovers so you don't end up booking the wrong flights in the future.
What is a layover?
Layovers are usually between 30 minutes to 23 hours.During layovers it is important that you keep occupied or find a place to nap to prevent jet lag. Here we have listed a few tips below to help you survive those terrible layovers that we all dislike.
Find your nearest airport lounge or restaurant. These places are great to relax and unwind during your layover. If you are traveling for business, these places usually have the strongest WiFi in the airport, if not separate WiFi, that will be faster than the regular airport WiFi. Most of the restaurants have charging outlets on the walls so you can keep your devices charged while enjoying a nice cocktail. If you don’t see a nearby outlet, kindly ask the employee behind the counter/bar. If they are nice they will gladly charge your device for you without you having to worry about looking over your back every time someone passes you.
If you not own a membership with an airline ( most of these memberships are exclusive with airport lounges) you may ask to purchase a day pass depending on how long your layover is.
Head to the nearby gates that are not as busy. This gives you the opportunity to duck off and catch a few zzz’s before your departure. Chances are, the charging outlets are not occupied either!
Use www.sleepingatairports.net We have come to find out this was the best option to survive a layover! We recommend this website for one simple thing, they do all of the research for you! Kind of like what we are doing for you!😁 Here are some of the things they outline for you:
-Over 12000 airports guides that will give you info on how to better plan your layover or sleepover
-Where the closest lounges and hotels are located if you have a long layovers
-Airports that have cots and places for you to sleep in the airport if there is a weather delay
What is a Stopover?
Stopovers are usually between 24 hours or more depending on if your flight is international or not. Some people get discouraged when they hear a flight has more than a 24 hour stopover, but we see it a different way. This gives you time to visit a destination that you may not have been on your list before. What makes it even better is when you plan around your stopovers you end up getting more out of your trip. This is where sites like AirWander come in handy. It is the ultimate flight hack because it helps you see more destinations in one trip while saving you money. The more stopovers you include, the more cost efficient your trip will be!
Multi-City Flights
Multi-city flights are a mix of stopovers incorporated into one round trip flight as an example: (New York-London, London- Paris, Paris- Amsterdam, Amsterdam- New York)
Open Jaw Flights
An open-jaw flight is when you have a roundtrip ticket where the destination and/or the origin are not the same in both the outbound and return travel as an example : ( New York- London, Paris-New York)
Now that you have more of an understanding of different types of flights, it's time for you to craft your dream vacation. Where do we start? AirWander lets you explore options of destinations; from, the most popular at the time and some that you might not have thought of. Here at Passport Plug, we always encourage our fellow travelers to travel more, so we suggest that you add as many stopovers as you can. The more you add, it usually ends up in bigger savings on your flight. More stops equals bigger savings! Kind of a weird concept right? Here's how it works:
Find Your Roundtrip Flight
Choose the Round trip option at the top of the search area:
Select your destination
Choose the countries that you want to visit. Don't worry about the hotels for now. AirWander also has a hotel search engine to match the stopovers.
Click the Red Icon to see your options for stopovers and choose the amount of days for your stop over. Sometimes the amount of days will not change the price of the flight so be flexible (if you can) when selecting your days for your vacation.
That's it! Feel free to explore the different destinations. Need to book your accommodations? Check out our Hotel Map to get a widespread of hotel options .
Find Your Multi-City Flight
This one is our Passport Plug Pick! (Say that 3 times fast! 😁)
Choose your airport and destination:
Select dates from calendar:
This option usually gives you the best price if you are planning on seeing multiple countries for one trip. check this one out for example: 3 countries for under $600!
Travel Tips Before You Go
Find your Airlines Major Hub for Stopovers
Chances are these stopovers are free most of the time and it will definitely save you money! Airlines like: Air France, Air China, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaian Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Icelandic Air, Japan Air and Finn Air have stopovers for at least a week! Check to see if you can find one below on Jet Radar:
Travel Light!
We recommend going with carry-on luggage instead of checked luggage when traveling to multiple countries to avoid the risk of the airline losing your luggage. If that happens, we outlined the guidelines you need to follow so that you will be compensated in case you have lost luggage from the airline in our Airline Compensation article. Need new luggage to help you travel smarter? We've got that covered too! Our LUGGAGE tab will help you to keep you organized for your next trip. All of the products we display are recommended to give you ease, comfort, and quality for many trips to come.
Check Your Visa Status
Certain countries require a travel, tourist or work visa before entering the country so it is vital that your travel documents are up-to-date and not expired. When traveling, be sure to check with the countries on your itinerary. Check their government websites regarding travel restrictions on how to obtain certain travel documents.
Avoid Taking Taxis!
If it is necessary to hail a taxi at your destination, please do so but, if you can avoid it, do that! The reason why is because most taxi drivers know that you are a tourist and they will try to overcharge you. Depending on the country you are in, (ie: Asia, or the Caribbean) you can try to talk them down but in most cases, you will always end up overpaying. We recommend that you use Uber, hire a local driver to take you around, or book your airport shuttle services and rides in advance. You can also book it here:
Learn the Local Language
We are not saying that you need to be an expert but it is important for you to have an appreciation and learn phrases that will help you get around the city. Locals will view you as respectful and it is more likely for you to find someone who is trustworthy to guide you to your destination. Use apps like Google Translate, Trip Lingo, Lingoda, and Waygo when traveling to foreign countries. Apps like these will give you insights on common phrases, greetings, picture-to text translations, and tipping etiquette. This will save you a lot of frustration when you need to ask for something.
Download Offline City Maps
This is an essential tip that you should not forget! Apps like Google Maps, Waze and Trip Advisor will allow you to download maps offline for areas where you do not have access to the Internet. Most modern smartphones have a built in GPS that will still work without internet connection. If you do not have a smartphone handy, ask the staff at your accommodation for a local map of the area. Map out and plan your routes out before leaving.
Now that you know how to hack your flights correctly, give it a try and tell your friends what you learned! Thank you for visiting Passport Plug for your travel advice and travel deals. Make sure to sign up for our email list below and write us if you want us to feature any website you like. #stycnctd
Comments