We’ve all been there, frantically searching for bargain flights and an affordable hotel to make your dream holiday a reality, on a budget.
It is so easy to quickly select the cheapest fare, after all who can resist a cheeky £25 flight to Italy?
Grabbing the cheap trip can feel like a win, but in reality, they are often not.
Lee Thompson, co-founder of solo group travel company Flash Pack, warns holidaymakers, ‘Don’t be a flight dazzler’.
He explains how the cheap flights are typically priced low for a reason, and it doesn’t make for a great experience.
‘Those bargain flights almost always land at the worst possible times. Late evenings. Peak immigration hours,’ Lee says.
‘Secondary airports that are miles from where you actually want to be.’
The travel expert has witnessed the scenario ‘play out over and over again’ and has even been through it himself.
Grabbing the cheap trip can feel like a win, but in reality, they are often not (stock)
Lee Thompson (pictured), co-founder of solo group travel company Flash Pack, warns holidaymakers, ‘Don’t be a flight dazzler’
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Is arriving at your destination early more important than flying comfortably?
‘I’ve landed at JFK after 5pm more times than I’d like to admit and ended up queuing for two or three hours at passport control,’ Lee recalls.
Landing late or at an unsociable hour can leave you ‘tired, hungry, and deflated’ by the time you have reached your hotel.
‘That first day hasn’t just been lost. It’s been stolen,’ says Lee.
Instead of saving money, holidaymakers grabbing bargain flights are often ‘actually paying with time, energy and emotion’.
‘If someone asked you directly whether you’d pay a little more to arrive relaxed, have a great first meal and properly start your holiday, almost everyone would say yes,’ Lee insists.
‘But that question never gets asked when you’re booking because flight dazzle has kicked in.’
To avoid being a ‘flight dazzler’, Lee carefully plans the first day of his holiday and aims to book flights that arrive at his destination by mid to late afternoon.
He also goes for hotels that are conveniently located and don’t require long transfers that take up more time.
Landing late or at an unsociable hour can leave you ‘tired, hungry, and deflated’ by the time you have reached your hotel (stock)
‘And I always plan something simple but special for that first evening. A short walk. A local restaurant. Nothing stressful,’ the expert adds.
For Lee, the first meal marks the moment most people usually feel like they are on holiday – taking in the food, language and atmosphere after all that travelling, but it can be ruined by not booking decent flight times.
‘Miss that moment and it’s surprisingly hard to get the same momentum back,’ he says.
Lee continues: ‘Avoiding flight dazzle isn’t about splurging or flying business class. There’s almost always a sweet spot just above the cheapest option. Experienced travellers don’t think cheapest versus best. They think value.
‘Cheap flights feel good when you book them. Flight dazzle reveals itself when you land and realise you traded the best day of your holiday for a saving that didn’t really matter. And the worst part is most people will do it again next time, convinced they were unlucky rather than dazzled.’
