Flight booking mistakes and a pre-booking checklist
Name errors, tight connections, missing visas and baggage surprises: avoid the common ones with this checklist.
Most flight problems start before you fly, at the moment of booking. These are the mistakes we see most, with a checklist to run through before you pay.
Common mistakes
- Name doesn't match the passport. Correcting a name later can cost as much as a new ticket.
- Connections that are too tight. A 50-minute connection on separate tickets is a gamble.
- Transit visas forgotten. Some connections need a transit visa even if you don't leave the airport.
- Passport validity. Many countries need six months' validity on arrival.
- Baggage assumptions. Low fares may include cabin baggage only.
- Ticket before visa. For Schengen, UK and US trips, a reservation is enough until the visa is approved.
Checklist before you pay
- Names exactly as in passports
- Passport valid for six months after return, with blank pages
- Visa and any transit visa needed
- Connection times and terminals
- Baggage allowance on every sector
- Change and refund rules
- Meal and seat requests, and assistance for elderly travellers
Book with us and we check all of this for you. See airline tickets and fare rules explained.
Related
Published by Airtravel Enterprises · More articles and guides
