Booking flights alone and what to check before you pay

When you travel with someone, there are two of you reading the fare rules, but when you’re on your own it’s just you. So here’s the list I go through every time I book. None of it’s complicated, and it saves you a nasty surprise at the gate.

Before you even search

There are three quick things to check first.

• Your passport should still have at least six months left after the day you fly home, because quite a few countries won’t let you in otherwise.
• Your name on the booking has to match your passport exactly, middle names too, because airlines charge real money to fix a typo later.
• Your card matters too, so work out which of your cards doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and use that one for everything to do with the trip.

What the cheap fare actually gets you

The first price you see is just where they start, so before you pay, check two things. The first is whether the cabin bag is a real cabin bag with actual measurements, or only the little one that goes under the seat. The second is whether you can change the date, and how much that costs.

For a fixed weekend, a basic fare with no changes is fine. For anything longer, the next fare up is often 30 or 40 euros more and lets you move the flight if something comes up. When you’re alone I think that’s worth paying for, because there’s nobody else to keep things going while you sort out the mess.

I mostly skip paying to pick a seat, because you’ll get one anyway, and on your own you often end up with a decent one since you fit into the single seats that are left over. The extra I do pay for is the checked bag, and I add it when I book, because at the airport the same bag costs double.

Book in this order

Book the flights first, then the first night’s bed, and then everything else. Don’t book a non-refundable hotel until the flight’s confirmed.

If there’s a direct flight, I take it, even if it costs a bit more. Missing a connection when you’re on your own is where things really go wrong, and the difference in price is usually less than an airport dinner plus a hotel night you didn’t plan for.

After you pay, two more minutes

Screenshot the confirmation, the fare rules and the baggage rules, and put them all in one photo album for the trip. Download the airline’s app and check in there, and forward the confirmation email to the person at home who knows your plans.

That way, if you’re standing at a desk where the wifi doesn’t work, everything’s already on your phone. The whole thing takes less time than picking a film for the plane.