How to Compare Costs of an Airplane Ticket

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Despite the hassles of traveling to and from an airport, enduring long lines at security and check-in and perhaps being trapped on a plane for hours because of a flight delay, air travel is still the quickest way to reach far-off destinations with your sports gear. Airfare can vary considerably depending on the airline or when you fly. Fortunately, ticket prices typically detail all charges, so you can easily compare costs among competing options.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Start with a travel website such as travelocity.com. Entering your dates of travel as well as your departure and destination points yields a list of flights and costs. Check "One to Three Days" or "My Dates are Flexible" for better prices.

Step 2

Select your travel dates by clicking on a price. Then choose both a departure time and arrival time. Skip any hotel screens that may pop up. The review screen appears so you can check the price, which is located near the bottom.

Step 3

De-select any spurious options that the website may have added, such as "Flight Protection." Then review the price, which may include the ticket price, fuel surcharges, or taxes and fees. If you need an explanation of each fee, click on the link by the fee.

Step 4

Avoid finalizing the transaction. Instead, go to the website of the airline for which you want a ticket. The website address typically consists of the airline name and ".com." For example, to go to the United Airlines website, enter "united.com" in the browser address bar.

Step 5

Check the website for any charges beyond the cost of the ticket. Look under "In-flight" or "On board" for costs in the cabin. For example, food on domestic flights typically costs extra, while on international flights meals are free. Look under "Baggage" to find any fees for checked-in luggage.

Step 6

Factor in additional fees for outdoor equipment over and above the baggage fees, which can vary from free to hundreds of dollars. Traveling on United Airlines to Europe, for example, costs you an additional $200 each way for a surfboard. On Virgin Atlantic, the board is free as long as it falls under your baggage allowance, weighs no more than 70 pounds by itself and is no longer than 109 inches.

Step 7

Look for a different airline if the ticket price plus costs for your sports gear are unacceptable. Return to the travel site and begin the booking process while choosing a different airline.

Resources

Article Written By Aurelio Locsin

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and is a frequent contributor to many online publications, specializing in consumer, business and technical topics. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

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