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Booking a flight without getting fleeced

Bags, seats, the name on your passport, and the extras that turn a cheap fare into not a cheap fare.

The short answer: the price on the first screen is rarely the price you pay. Add your bag, then compare the final total.

The name on the booking must match your passport exactly.

Add the bag when you book. It is almost always dearer at the airport.

A cheap fare is the starter. The main course is the bag, and the dessert is a seat. By the time you reach the payment page, the price has had a few lovely days out and come home heavier.

Compare the total, not the headline

Before you choose, work out what you actually need: a bag, a seat beside the people you are travelling with, maybe a bit of flexibility. Add those to every fare you are comparing, then compare the final total. The cheapest headline fare often isn’t the cheapest one once you are done.

The name on your passport

Type your name exactly as it appears on your passport. Not the nickname, not the short version, not what your friends call you. A mismatch can mean a fee to correct it, or worse, being refused at the airport. Check it twice before you press pay.

Bags

  • Decide before you book whether the hand luggage allowance suits you.
  • Add a checked bag at booking if you will need one. It is usually cheaper than adding it later.
  • Check the size and weight limits on the airline’s own page.

Seats

If you don’t pay, you will usually be given a seat for you. If you are travelling with children or anyone who needs to be beside you, paying for seats can be worth it. If you are on your own for a short flight, probably not.

Seven things nobody tells you

  1. Check in online as soon as it opens, and save the boarding pass to your phone.
  2. Screenshot it, in case the signal does not cooperate.
  3. Read the cancellation and change rules before you pay, not after.
  4. Use a card you are comfortable with and keep the booking confirmation.
  5. Travel insurance is cheaper before you need it than after.
  6. If a price looks too good, check what is missing from it.
  7. Our links to fares never change a score. We rate the place first.

Read the small print, pet. They always put the real price in the small print.

General advice. Prices, bag rules and fees vary by airline and change often, so always check the airline’s own site before you pay.

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