Best site to find good rates on international flights?

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Gardener
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Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

Not sure if this adds any needed context or not.

I am buying two tickets.

I'll be traveling to Bogota, Columbia to meet Filipina girlfriend.

Girlfriend will be traveling from Philippines to meet me in Bogota.

Thank you.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

I generally use Google Flights. One feature that is helpful to me is the ability to setup 'Track prices' and get notifications and history on price history for an itinerary.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Fat Lip »

I don't know where your starting point is, but if it is near NYC you are in luck because JFK-BOG consistently has some of the best business class fares around. Take a look on Google flights and you should be able to get a lie-flat seat for around $600 round trip on Delta or Avianca. Google flights is also the best place to look for the Philippines leg.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by dbr »

Since flights from Manila to Bogota will invariably connect in a third country, it might be useful for that connection to be at your starting point.

Care has to be taken with visa requirements in these cases.
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Gardener
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

Checking out Google flights now.

Im fairly flexible on dates. Is there a site that shows me in a clean way the best dates to fly?

I am flying from Baltimore Washington International . Thats the easy and cheaper one. The hard one is the Manila one.

I should probably get her a few connecting flights as possible yeah?
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by bob60014 »

Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

bob60014 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:29 pm Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
Google flights is excellent. Thanks.

Why is that, sir? Trying to learn as much as I can about this. Thanks.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Freefun »

bob60014 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:29 pm Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
I didn’t know you can even book a flight directly from Google Flights. When I use Google flights it always launches me to the airline to buy tickets.
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airborne
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by airborne »

Gardener wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:33 pm
bob60014 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:29 pm Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
Google flights is excellent. Thanks.

Why is that, sir? Trying to learn as much as I can about this. Thanks.
I agree with bob. Generally booking direct with the airline always provides the best fare, but it always leads to fewer frustrations when your itinerary doesn't go to plan. Flight disruptions and cancellations are corrected much more quickly and easily when you've booked directly with the operating airline.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

Im usually not a big fan of getting insurance, but I probably should under the current covid circumstances, yes?
dbr
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by dbr »

Gardener wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:33 pm
bob60014 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:29 pm Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
Google flights is excellent. Thanks.

Why is that, sir? Trying to learn as much as I can about this. Thanks.
The reason to book directly with the airline is to avoid having a 3rd party between you and the airline whenever things go wrong. All too often the result is a lost conversation and mutual pointing of fingers rather than resolving the problem.

Also, most often if you book with the airline you can take advantage of frequent flyer membership, use of affiliation credit cards, and access to more complete information about the service and your booking. OTAs all too often book you in the cheapest and not acceptable class of service. For example one should usually avoid Basic Economy or whatever it might be.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Freefun »

Gardener wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:27 pm Checking out Google flights now.

Im fairly flexible on dates. Is there a site that shows me in a clean way the best dates to fly?

I am flying from Baltimore Washington International . Thats the easy and cheaper one. The hard one is the Manila one.

I should probably get her a few connecting flights as possible yeah?
Google flight should show you which dates are best to fly because you can see the fares on the calendar.

You might also want to check out Skyscanner.
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tomsense76
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by tomsense76 »

Agree with others Google Flights. Though would suggest using the Explore feature if you can be somewhat flexible with your itinerary either in term arrival and/or dates.

Some other good one's I'd check are Skyscanner, Momondo, and Rome2rio. Though usually save the last one for more complex tracks that require mix mode transportation.

It is worth pointing out that flights (or other transportation costs) within a region can be dirt cheap. So flying to an airport in a region and then hopping onto domestic or regional planes or trains can be a good way to cut costs. This goes both ways. So if you live close to a major airport in NYC, LAX, ATL, CHI, etc., it may be worth your while to book a domestic flight there and book a separate international flight out from the major airport to your destination. Would save yourself some time between legs because if it gets too tight, the airlines may be less helpful than if you booked all the way through.

Agree with others I just book directly with airlines these days. Not so much because things can go wrong with 3rd parties (platforms these days are pretty smooth). Just it is simpler to manage.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by dbr »

Gardener wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:40 pm Im usually not a big fan of getting insurance, but I probably should under the current covid circumstances, yes?
For international travel appropriate travel insurance is a must have. It may not be so important within the domestic US but could be a good idea now. What is important to understand are the terms and conditions regarding cancellations, changes, and refunds and lost baggage allowances.

They don't have these anymore: https://www.jetageart.com/new-blog/2019 ... he-jet-age

I have been flying commercial since the late 1940's early 1950's and remember those well. I also well remember that UAL bombing out of Denver.

And, yes, Rome2Rio is a really cool site. On a more esoteric note, so is this one: http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/

It may seem funny, but we actually moved to the airport hotel in Athens a day before an all transit strike was declared which would have prevented getting to the airport at all. That hotel was one of the most expensive and in the event best deals we have ever had:

https://all.accor.com/hotel/3167/index. ... YnNpdGU%3D

Then we were stuck on the tarmac for four hours by an unannounced air traffic control strike which resulted in missing a connection at JFK and spending the night in the worst deal hotel ever in Jamaica, Queens. At no cost at all that was still a bad deal and I also do not care for the JFK Airtrain, which however is the best deal for getting to and from JFK:

https://www.jfkairport.com/to-from-airport/air-train/

I also however have nothing against Queens and stayed in that community many times with a friend.
tomsense76
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by tomsense76 »

dbr wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:57 pm
Gardener wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:40 pm Im usually not a big fan of getting insurance, but I probably should under the current covid circumstances, yes?
For international travel appropriate travel insurance is a must have. It may not be so important within the domestic US but could be a good idea now. What is important to understand are the terms and conditions regarding cancellations, changes, and refunds and lost baggage allowances.

They don't have these anymore: https://www.jetageart.com/new-blog/2019 ... he-jet-age

I have been flying commercial since the late 1940's early 1950's and remember those well. I also well remember that UAL bombing out of Denver.

And, yes, Rome2Rio is a really cool site. On a more esoteric note, so is this one: http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/

It may seem funny, but we actually moved to the airport hotel in Athens a day before an all transit strike was declared which would have prevented getting to the airport at all. That hotel was one of the most expensive and in the event best deals we have ever had:

https://all.accor.com/hotel/3167/index. ... YnNpdGU%3D

Then we were stuck on the tarmac for four hours by an unannounced air traffic control strike which resulted in missing a connection at JFK and spending the night in the worst deal hotel ever in Jamaica, Queens. At no cost at all that was still a bad deal and I also do not care for the JFK Airtrain, which however is the best deal for getting to and from JFK:

https://www.jfkairport.com/to-from-airport/air-train/

I also however have nothing against Queens and stayed in that community many times with a friend.
Nice points dbr!

As to getting an airport hotel, I've done the exact same thing before big international flights. One memorable case was when traveling to Europe got a hotel next to the airport both before leaving the US and on the way back. The latter wound up being prescient as Hurricane Lorenzo (a Category 5) was making landfall. Thankfully got out of there before it got too messy.

Credit cards can provide some level of protection. Would check the details of the cards. Some credit card issuers trimmed benefits early on in the pandemic. Idk to what extent these changes may have been reverted. The big thing with travel insurance is covering medical issues abroad, which is only more important when traveling during the pandemic. Also should help with the various flight delays and cancellations that have been springing up due to staff shortages.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

Thanks folks. Great inputs. I am going to print this thread and go through with a highlighter.

Another question if I may- Girlfriend is traveling and may have an itinerary that looks like this or something similar - Manila, Philippines to Incheon, South Korea to Bogota, Columbia.

Does she also need a visa to South Korea just for the layover even though she would not be leaving the airport?
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

I do not have any credit cards, but it looks like I am going to spend about $2k+ on airfare here.

Is it best to go directly through the airline for a credit card or should I just get points with another big name credit card company with cash back?
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by valleyrock »

Gardener wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:10 am Thanks folks. Great inputs. I am going to print this thread and go through with a highlighter.

Another question if I may- Girlfriend is traveling and may have an itinerary that looks like this or something similar - Manila, Philippines to Incheon, South Korea to Bogota, Columbia.

Does she also need a visa to South Korea just for the layover even though she would not be leaving the airport?
I'd check with the South Korean embassy/website for that one. But a quick look at our State Department website re travel to S. Korea leads here: https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/apply/index.do to apply for an electronic visa from S. Korea. The Phillipines is on the pull-down menu for applicants. For a nominal fee, it might be a good idea for her to go ahead and get this visa because stuff happens, even if just a layover in the airport doesn't require it.

And here's an opportunity for some unsolicited advice: dress the part when flying internationally. If something goes awry, right or wrong, the person who's clean-shaven and wearing a suit and tie (or a sports coats and tie) is more likely to get help than a person wearing sweatpants and sneakers. Likewise for the distaff side, analogously.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by GuyInFL »

Freefun wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:37 pm
bob60014 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:29 pm Google Flights to search, but book directly with the airline(s)!
I didn’t know you can even book a flight directly from Google Flights. When I use Google flights it always launches me to the airline to buy tickets.
Google flights is great for comparing flight costs and seeing how they vary across a month. Once you identify a flight, I'd go to the airline site to buy the ticket. In google, most of the links are third party sites with no better prices than the specific airline site.

For Washington, use WAS to capture flights from Dulles, Reagan, and Baltimore.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by UpperNwGuy »

GuyInFL wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:33 am For Washington, use WAS to capture flights from Dulles, Reagan, and Baltimore.
I saw what you did there. I don't approve.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by YeahBuddy »

Cheap O Air
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by bob60014 »

RobLyons wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:43 am Cheap O Air
Meh, probably ok to search but never book with
places like this. Along with CheapOAir, Kiwi.com, GoToGate, Edreams, Budget air, businessclass.com,etc... are all the usual suspects with the highest complaint rates over on the Tripadvisor and other travel forums.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Dorset2MD »

Definitely never buy through those aggregator websites mentioned - I'd even put expedia in that camp. +1 for Google Flights, and then sometimes if you're feeling up for it, use their underlying engine by searching for "ITA Matrix". You can't book via that, but you'll see the best prices that travel agents see. The other thing I'd recommend is sometimes going to the partner / code share airline to see if the exact same flight is cheaper via the other airline. I've seen that a number of times (i.e. booking on Delta vs KLM or American vs British Airways), and exact same flight (same day / time / plane, etc), will be cheaper on the other airline. Lastly, I've been able to find it a little cheaper if I buy it via the native currency on an international airline instead buying from the US version of the website. I've saved 5-10% sometimes back when Norwegian Air was big.

Good luck and safe travels!
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Shallowpockets »

Gardener wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:10 am Thanks folks. Great inputs. I am going to print this thread and go through with a highlighter.

Another question if I may- Girlfriend is traveling and may have an itinerary that looks like this or something similar - Manila, Philippines to Incheon, South Korea to Bogota, Columbia.

Does she also need a visa to South Korea just for the layover even though she would not be leaving the airport?
You re flying a short flight.She is NOT!
Why not split that difference somehow? Maybe Hawaii. And if she cannot get visa for US, maybe you could go the extra length and meet in South Korea.
Bogota seems a strange destination to meet.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by ResearchMed »

Dorset2MD wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 4:34 pm Definitely never buy through those aggregator websites mentioned - I'd even put expedia in that camp. +1 for Google Flights, and then sometimes if you're feeling up for it, use their underlying engine by searching for "ITA Matrix". You can't book via that, but you'll see the best prices that travel agents see. The other thing I'd recommend is sometimes going to the partner / code share airline to see if the exact same flight is cheaper via the other airline. I've seen that a number of times (i.e. booking on Delta vs KLM or American vs British Airways), and exact same flight (same day / time / plane, etc), will be cheaper on the other airline. Lastly, I've been able to find it a little cheaper if I buy it via the native currency on an international airline instead buying from the US version of the website. I've saved 5-10% sometimes back when Norwegian Air was big.

Good luck and safe travels!
Matrix -

https://matrix.itasoftware.com

shows some (many/all?) of these codehares.

You can see from the departure/arrival times that the flights are identical. If you click on the "details", you can also see which airline's equipment is being used ("operated by", etc.).
And the price differential can be considerable.
In some cases, ticketing through one airline to travel on another airline can cost more than double. (I have no idea why that is.)

We use matrix to find flights that are of interest, to see if there are nonstops, etc., or connections we prefer (or prefer not), or even aircraft we prefer... keeping in mind that the specific aircraft could change.

RM
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by German Expat »

If you travel more I would get familiar with frequent flyer programs, credit cards with sign up bonus and other things people in the frequent flyer game like to play. I would also post the question on other forums like flyertalk. One important criteria is if you care about flying economy or want better service.

Here is the forum for premium fares:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/

Here some info about economy deals:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage ... 022-a.html

Traveling out off the Philippines will be tricky though during Covid because of their regulations but also having a lot of stop overs for her with different issues. E.g flying via the US even in transit is not easy for her so it would need to be via Middle East or Europe.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by YeahBuddy »

bob60014 wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 7:25 am
RobLyons wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:43 am Cheap O Air
Meh, probably ok to search but never book with
places like this. Along with CheapOAir, Kiwi.com, GoToGate, Edreams, Budget air, businessclass.com,etc... are all the usual suspects with the highest complaint rates over on the Tripadvisor and other travel forums.


2020 Cheap O Air were much cheaper than all other sites and provided a full refund after request due to the pandemic. YMMV
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Gardener »

Shallowpockets wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 5:01 pm
Gardener wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:10 am Thanks folks. Great inputs. I am going to print this thread and go through with a highlighter.

Another question if I may- Girlfriend is traveling and may have an itinerary that looks like this or something similar - Manila, Philippines to Incheon, South Korea to Bogota, Columbia.

Does she also need a visa to South Korea just for the layover even though she would not be leaving the airport?
You re flying a short flight.She is NOT!
Why not split that difference somehow? Maybe Hawaii. And if she cannot get visa for US, maybe you could go the extra length and meet in South Korea.
Bogota seems a strange destination to meet.

It seems like its one of the easiest places for us both to meet. I was willing to meet in Thailand, but we ran into problems because I could not get a Visa to go there.

Also, I am working and she is not. I'll be taking care of all of her travel expenses.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by German Expat »

Korea does not require a Visa if you are only in transit. Covid regulations change a lot though (e.g. Hongkong airport just recently) so this is something to watch out for. I did transit at Incheon a couple of times and it was easy. Also a nice airport. Was before covid though.

Are there any flights from Seoul to Bogota? I doubt there are direct flights so you have to worry about another country as well but most countries (e.g. Europe) will not require visa's for transit passengers. Only issue you might run into is flight cancelations and being stuck inside the airport (no hotel) or covid regulations suddenly changing. Dependent if your girlfriend is from the province it will be very long travel getting first to Manila and then at least 2 stops on the way to Bogota.

I would look at countries to meet where she has only 1 stop getting there to avoid the chances of getting stuck or running into issues. Obviously with her nationality and being single it is harder for her to get Visa's for a lot of countries (e.g. Schengen very hard) and I assume you picked Columbia because it is Visa free for her.

Good luck with your travel plans and I am not sure when you plan to go but with Covid currently being in flux (and the Philippines not having their Omicron wave yet which I expect will come there soon) it will be hard to plan anything for the next couple weeks. I would hope that by summer things get better and then you might also see more flight options.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by ResearchMed »

German Expat wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 2:56 am Korea does not require a Visa if you are only in transit. Covid regulations change a lot though (e.g. Hongkong airport just recently) so this is something to watch out for. I did transit at Incheon a couple of times and it was easy. Also a nice airport. Was before covid though.

Are there any flights from Seoul to Bogota? I doubt there are direct flights so you have to worry about another country as well but most countries (e.g. Europe) will not require visa's for transit passengers. Only issue you might run into is flight cancelations and being stuck inside the airport (no hotel) or covid regulations suddenly changing. Dependent if your girlfriend is from the province it will be very long travel getting first to Manila and then at least 2 stops on the way to Bogota.

I would look at countries to meet where she has only 1 stop getting there to avoid the chances of getting stuck or running into issues. Obviously with her nationality and being single it is harder for her to get Visa's for a lot of countries (e.g. Schengen very hard) and I assume you picked Columbia because it is Visa free for her.

Good luck with your travel plans and I am not sure when you plan to go but with Covid currently being in flux (and the Philippines not having their Omicron wave yet which I expect will come there soon) it will be hard to plan anything for the next couple weeks. I would hope that by summer things get better and then you might also see more flight options.
What changed recently at the Hong Kong airport? Access for transit passengers?

OP: If you or your girlfriend have a long trip with connections, double check about airside hotels at connecting points.
I'm not sure if tickets with connections in locations requiring visas still require them for "transit only". But it a visa isn't a problem, then double check if there is an airside hotel so that there isn't any need to deal with crossing an extra border to get to a hotel.

In November/December, 2019 (our last trip before Covid hit), we stayed at an airside hotel in Singapore to get a few hours sleep between ultra long flights. But for a similar connection in Hong Kong, there was no place to sleep airside (well, other than perhaps a bench?). There had been two possibilities, but one seemed to not to exist any longer, and the other was "closed" (this was pre-Covid, so I'm still not sure why). In any event, there's an hotel at the airport, but not "airside". We needed to go through the full border crossing arriving the night, and departing again the next day. We didn't have any visa difficulties there, so this was just a bit of extra time upon arrival and departure at the Hong Kong airport.

There's no guarantee that "travel situations" won't change, perhaps on short notice, but at least you and she could try to find connections where an airside hotel is currently available, if visas are or might be a concern.

RM
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by German Expat »

Hongkong changed the policy for transit and its pretty much dead.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... -countries

Singapore if you stay there only allows that for special flights (Vaccinated Travel Lane VTL). Transit is ok if you don't leave the airport.
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by OnceARunner »

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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by ResearchMed »

German Expat wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:16 am Hongkong changed the policy for transit and its pretty much dead.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... -countries

Singapore if you stay there only allows that for special flights (Vaccinated Travel Lane VTL). Transit is ok if you don't leave the airport.
Thanks. I hadn't read that about transit restrictions in Hong Kong.
We were really disappointed that there wasn't any airside hotel there two years ago.
[Not relevant to us currently; we aren't going anywhere at all yet.]

As for Singapore, at least they do have (or had, as of late 2019) a hotel(s?) airside for those who do want to tranfer there without leaving the airport.

That was what we did 2 years ago. The connection was too short to do more than ask a driver to "drive us around a few of the interesting places and then bring us back to the airport" - at night - if we were going to allow extra time in case of delays when we arrived back at the airport. I had previously had a really (*really*) bad time with jet lag to Asia, so we wanted to "over-correct" if anythiing. At least that part worked well. :happy

RM
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by German Expat »

ResearchMed wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 10:54 am
German Expat wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:16 am Hongkong changed the policy for transit and its pretty much dead.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... -countries

Singapore if you stay there only allows that for special flights (Vaccinated Travel Lane VTL). Transit is ok if you don't leave the airport.
Thanks. I hadn't read that about transit restrictions in Hong Kong.
We were really disappointed that there wasn't any airside hotel there two years ago.
[Not relevant to us currently; we aren't going anywhere at all yet.]

As for Singapore, at least they do have (or had, as of late 2019) a hotel(s?) airside for those who do want to tranfer there without leaving the airport.

That was what we did 2 years ago. The connection was too short to do more than ask a driver to "drive us around a few of the interesting places and then bring us back to the airport" - at night - if we were going to allow extra time in case of delays when we arrived back at the airport. I had previously had a really (*really*) bad time with jet lag to Asia, so we wanted to "over-correct" if anythiing. At least that part worked well. :happy

RM
Next time you go and dependent how much time you have (and assuming Covid restrictions are gone) you should have a look at the new Jewel attraction at the airport. You can spend hours there and not get bored. We only had 2 hours before leaving Singapore and also had dinner so didn't see too much but the waterfall itself is already quite impressive.

https://www.jewelchangiairport.com/en.html

New York Times had an article on it from 2019 but might be not reachable if you don't have a subscription and reached your free limit already:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/trav ... rport.html

But unfortunately again not possible in transit at this time. For a long trip from Manila to Bogota if you don't fly business class and have lounge access anyway a priority pass membership (free with a lot of credit cards) might make sense (some priority pass lounges have showers).

But back to the original question travelling and transiting with Covid restrictions is possible but you have to check the regulations weekly and they might change between you book and leave for your flight (e.g. Hongkong). Also test requirements can be tricky dependent on your country you are travelling to or returning to. Philippines requires a PCR test not older then 48 hours before your departure and also further restrictions like tests after arrival and 14 days home quarantine for most countries.
Trism
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by Trism »

rm
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by rm »

kayak is great!
German Expat
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by German Expat »

In case you are reconsidering Thailand they did reopen their Sandbox program (still quite some things to do but no quarantine):

https://www.tatnews.org/2022/01/thailan ... tinations/
sksbog
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by sksbog »

tomsense76 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:44 pm
It is worth pointing out that flights (or other transportation costs) within a region can be dirt cheap. So flying to an airport in a region and then hopping onto domestic or regional planes or trains can be a good way to cut costs. This goes both ways. So if you live close to a major airport in NYC, LAX, ATL, CHI, etc., it may be worth your while to book a domestic flight there and book a separate international flight out from the major airport to your destination. Would save yourself some time between legs because if it gets too tight, the airlines may be less helpful than if you booked all the way through.

Good in theory, but difficult in practice. I would never do this for an international flight.
1. When you book an international flight, which includes your domestic flights in the itinerary, it is considered by airlines as one “trip”. So your baggage limits of international flights applies to your domestic, as well.
2. If your domestic flights get delayed, which usually happens to me, when I fly in winter, due to weather. If this results in missed international flight, it’s airlines responsibility to put you into another international flight. Have done this many times. If you buy your own separate ticket for domestic to save few bucks, be ready to shop your new flights at the time.
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celia
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by celia »

During covid, quarantines, and masks, I don’t think “best airfare” is what you should be looking at. Look instead, for larger planes (space between passengers), flights that are not full, and airlines that have frequent flights to the places you are flying to (in case you need to reschedule).

And instead of two of you flying and doubling the chances that one of the itineraries could be changed, wouldn’t it be less risky if she flies to you or you fly to her?
tomsense76
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Re: Best site to find good rates on international flights?

Post by tomsense76 »

sksbog wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:31 am
tomsense76 wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 2:44 pm
It is worth pointing out that flights (or other transportation costs) within a region can be dirt cheap. So flying to an airport in a region and then hopping onto domestic or regional planes or trains can be a good way to cut costs. This goes both ways. So if you live close to a major airport in NYC, LAX, ATL, CHI, etc., it may be worth your while to book a domestic flight there and book a separate international flight out from the major airport to your destination. Would save yourself some time between legs because if it gets too tight, the airlines may be less helpful than if you booked all the way through.

Good in theory, but difficult in practice. I would never do this for an international flight.
1. When you book an international flight, which includes your domestic flights in the itinerary, it is considered by airlines as one “trip”. So your baggage limits of international flights applies to your domestic, as well.
2. If your domestic flights get delayed, which usually happens to me, when I fly in winter, due to weather. If this results in missed international flight, it’s airlines responsibility to put you into another international flight. Have done this many times. If you buy your own separate ticket for domestic to save few bucks, be ready to shop your new flights at the time.
Idk it has worked well for me on several occasions and know others who have done it as well. One just needs to provide themselves a bit more time between flights in case things get tricky.

Obviously compounding risk factors is going to make things challenging. Winter is just a tough time to travel by itself and the weather is only one cause for that. Frankly that's a time where I've just paid more to either get direct flights or choose less problematic connecting airports. It's not like one is going to save a lot of money trying to travel in the same narrow time windows as everyone else. Thankfully have arranged things in my life where flying during the winter is less likely :happy
"Anyone who claims to understand quantum theory is either lying or crazy" -- Richard Feynman
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