In these days of budget travel most of us think that the most important consideration when selecting an airline is the price of their tickets. While this is, without doubt, the top of most priority lists there are many other factors to bear in mind.
But prices are the most important consideration for most travelers. But the cheapest flight may not mean the cheapest journey. If you have to travel some distance to the airport this will add to your travel costs. And if you then need to travel some distance from your arrival airport to your final destination this will add significantly to the overall cost.
Also, check to be sure of what is included in your ticket price and, importantly, what is excluded. You may need to add the cost of refreshments to your ticket price if food and drink are excluded.
Its worth looking at how flexible your airline is with regard to departure dates and times? Weekend flights are always more expensive so being able to travel mid week can provide significant savings. Find out if your airline offers cheaper weekday tickets.
Its also a good idea to find out how good an airlines timekeeping is with regard to departures and arrivals. Statistics are available for most airlines so check to find out how good they are at sticking to their timetable. Although an airline may offer cheap tickets they may have very poor timekeeping statistics.
Another aspect of your proposed airline that would bear investigation is their lost luggage statistics. Do they lose more luggage than other airlines? Losing your luggage would be very costly so it may be worth choosing a more reliable airline.
And something else to look into is whether your airline routinely over-books their flights. This is becoming increasingly problematic. Passengers turn up for their booked flights, in good faith, only to find their flight over-booked and no seats are left.
It should be clear that to choose the best airline takes time and research. The earlier you start and the more you can find out the better informed you will be when it comes to making your choice.
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