Cheap Flight Mistakes: Think Twice Before You Book

Chasing flight deals has helped us see so much of the world without breaking the bank. But cheap flight mistakes can cost so much more in the long-run if you’re not careful. Here are the seven most common mistakes that can catch you off guard if you don’t plan for them or factor the hidden cost. We hope this saves you time, comfort, and cash when you book your next trip.

1. The Costliest Cheap Flight Mistake: Only Comparing Airfare

We often book the cheapest direct flight we can find to Europe, then find a budget carrier onward to our ultimate destination. It’s a great plan that has saved us thousands over the years. But it also fails if you don’t factor in all the costs. Do you need an expensive overnight stay before your connection? Do you have to change airports? Is there public transportation or do you need a pricey taxi?

Scenario: We learned this the hard way on a layover in London. We flew into Heathrow, stayed overnight in the city because we wanted to spend some time there, then booked a 7 a.m. Ryanair flight to Palermo out of Stansted. The Ryanair fare with premium add-ons came to £110 each one-way. But every Uber cancelled when they saw the 4 a.m. Stansted request, and we wound up paying £200 for a taxi to make the flight. 👉 Bougie on a Budget: Can Flying Ryanair Ever Be First Class?

Mistake: British Airways had a direct option from Heathrow at a £150 base fare. Once you add the £200 taxi to the Ryanair total, the cheap flight stopped being cheap. The Heathrow Express back to LHR cost only £10 each if you buy it 30 days in advance. So we could’ve done our layover in London cheaper and easier on a OneWorld partner that we have status with.

Solution: You can route through Amsterdam to avoid this airport issue. We can often find a direct international flight to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, and the budget airlines fly from there too, so the onward connection costs less and takes less effort. An Amsterdam layover is also worth building into your itinerary, with easy transport into the city. 👉 Amsterdam Layover Guide: What to Do in 5 to 8 Hours

Pro Tip: If you’re flying out of a different airport than you flew into, or staying in an expensive hub city for a night before your connection, price everything out to determine the true cost.

2. Budget Airline Add-Ons Add Up Fast

The cheap fare a budget airline advertises is the starting point, but it’s rarely the price you pay unless you’re fine with just getting any seat on the plane, boarding last, and traveling with only a small personal item under the seat in front of you. Seat selection costs extra. Checked bags cost extra. Priority boarding and fast track cost extra. Add a few extras and it can cost the same or more than a legacy carrier that may be more comfortable.

Big Caution: Many budget carriers charge you more to check in at the airport. If you don’t save your mobile boarding pass or print it at home, you can end up paying much more at the check-in counter. 

Weigh Your Loyalty: We have Oneworld status, so on legacy carriers we sometimes get seat selection and a checked bag without paying extra for either. That changes the comparison. We also think about the value of earning miles and loyalty points with a legacy carrier vs. the savings on a budget airline. 

Pro Tip: Don’t compare the bare budget fare against the legacy carrier’s fare. Add your seat, your bag, and anything your base fare status would have covered for free elsewhere, then compare the true totals.

3. A Cheaper Fare with a Layover Can Cost You at the Airport

It’s often cheaper to book a connection over a direct flight, but we’ve sometimes spent that savings during the layover and still had the inconvenience and added itinerary time that a direct flight would have eliminated.

Scenario: We made this mistake in Charlotte where a quick connection to San Diego cost less than a direct flight from DCA. Charlotte’s one Priority Pass lounge was full, so we wound up spending our fare savings at an airport restaurant and also having the inconvenience of a connection and a later arrival in San Diego.  

Pro Tip: Calculate the potential costs of a layover. If you’re disciplined and will find a quiet corner to work or read a book without spending money, that’s great. If you’re like us, and will spend that time in an overpriced airport restaurant, the savings disappear fast. 

4. Separate Tickets Leave You No Safety Net

Splitting a trip into a legacy long-haul and a budget connection can save significant money. It also removes the protection you’d have on a single itinerary. On two separate bookings, if the long-haul lands late and you miss the budget flight, no one is required to help you rebook or cover the cost. 

Our Rule: We build in an overnight layover on the way to our destination and give ourselves at least three hours between flights on the return. If our overnight stay is in an expensive city, we price out the cost of the hotel and transportation to the city center. Sometimes an airport hotel is convenient and cheap and still allows us to take a train into town for an adventure. 

5. The Early Flight Saves Money and Costs You Sleep

We book the 6 a.m. departure all the time, and not just for the lower fare. The first flight of the day is the most likely to leave on time. The aircraft usually arrived at the airport the night before, it’s clean and ready to go, and none of the day’s delays have started to pile up. We’ve had early morning delays from fog and the occasional late crew, but the early flight is the most reliable one.

The red-eye has another advantage. It’s the flight most likely to have award space, and the time when we’re most likely to get an upgrade, because those flights often aren’t full. 

So what’s the downside? You arrive exhausted. On one early flight, we had a layover in Miami with lounge access, and I couldn’t enjoy it because I couldn’t keep my eyes open. When we finally reached our resort in Roatán, I needed a nap before I could do anything. When we booked, I was excited about arriving early and having the day on the beach. In reality, we spent the arrival day recovering from the flight we booked to save money.

Pro Tip: Book the early or red-eye flight for the savings and other advantages, but treat your arrival day as a rest day. Don’t plan anything major, and be sure to build in a nap. 

6. Cramped Seats Get Worse the Longer You Fly

Some budget airlines don’t have any extra-space seating beyond the bulkhead and emergency exit rows, so we usually pay extra for these. But others are just cramped no matter what, like on AirAsia. We tend to decide whether a budget airline is worth sacrificing comfort by how long it is. For example, we had no problem taking AirAsia on 90-minute hops around Southeast Asia, but it started getting uncomfortable after two hours. 

Pro Tip: Take the budget flight for short trips and splurge when they’re longer. Choosing carefully can help balance out your budget for the overall trip. 

7. Basic Economy Fares May Be Ineligible for Upgrades

We love to book a cheaper flight and score an affordable upgrade based on availability. But a cheap flight mistake can eliminate this option. Many legacy airlines no longer allow you to upgrade if you purchased a basic fare. This is why we often choose premium economy fares now for our long haul flights. We get more comfort and easier access to business class upgrades. 👉 Read our guide to economy vs premium economy for international flights, and our ranking of premium economy airlines to Europe from worst to best.

Solution: French Bee premium economy is a lower-cost way to fly premium economy to Europe, and you can connect onward through Orly so you don’t pay a fortune to transfer between airports. 

When a Cheap Flight Is Worth It, and When to Skip It

Book the cheap flight when:

• The onward budget leg departs from the same airport as your long-haul international flight.
• The total with every add-on still beats the legacy fare, including status and loyalty perks. 
• It’s a short hop where a tight seat won’t bother you.
• It’s a cheaper premium economy fare, like French Bee, that is still comfortable and a big step up from regular economy. 

Think twice when:

• You’re on separate tickets with a tight connection and no rebooking protection.
• Your layover isn’t long enough to explore the city but is just long enough that you’ll be spending your savings at an airport restaurant.  
• A basic economy fare blocks all your options to upgrade, make changes, or add comfort.

Skip it when:

• The transfer to a secondary airport wipes out the savings, like our £200 taxi to Stansted.
• You’ll arrive too exhausted to make an early departure or red-eye flight worth the savings. 

Cheap Flight Mistakes: FAQs

Are cheap flights worth it?

They can be, as long as you price the whole trip and not just the base fare. A cheap flight is worth it on a short hop, when the onward connection is easy, or when a lower fare still gets you the perks you want. It stops being worth it when a separate-ticket connection, an airport transfer, or a stack of add-ons pushes the total above more comfortable or convenient options. 

What are the hidden costs of budget airlines?

Seat selection, checked bags, priority boarding, and fast track all cost extra, and many budget carriers charge more to check in at the airport than online. The bigger hidden cost is often that budget airlines operate at less convenient times and from airports that are farther away with limited transport options. 

Is it cheaper to book a layover or a direct flight?

An itinerary with a layover is often cheaper, but the costs during that layover can add up. Terminal food and drinks or accommodations for an overnight layover can add up fast. Price the connection with those costs included before you decide between a layover and a direct flight. 

Should I book separate tickets to save money on flights?

Booking your long-haul separate from your onward flight can result in true savings, but you lose the protection of a single itinerary if you miss your connection. If you go this route, build in a buffer of at least three hours, and book through easy transfer hubs like Amsterdam where budget and legacy carriers use the same airport. That keeps a self-transfer manageable if a flight is delayed. 

Can you upgrade from a basic economy fare?

Every airline is different, but often no. Basic economy fares are frequently ineligible for paid upgrades, mileage upgrades, or even any changes at all. If there’s any chance you’d want a premium economy or business class upgrade on a long-haul flight, check the fare rules before you book the cheapest option.

None of this is an argument against booking cheap flights. We book them all the time and we’ll continue to do so. You just have to add up all the costs, the comfort factors, and the flexibility to upgrade or make changes. Sometimes it’s worth it, and sometimes it’s not. 

Have you been burned by a cheap flight mistake that cost more than you saved? Let us know in the comments.

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