If you have found other methods that work for finding cheap flights, please share them in the comments. Thanks so much and happy journeys. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We use Google Flights almost exclusively, except for Southwest. Thanks for the info on checking multiple departure and arrival cities! Did not know to do that!
Yes I search under ITA Matrix which directs to Google Flights. This gives fares only and then you print out and take to a travel agt to book or to airline. This site was invented by MIT students and was so successful that Google bought it. It is the best place to go.
I love Google Flight. The VPN works… sometimes. Usually for poorer destinations. Fir example, we just booked Mexico with Aero Mexico using a Mexican location (VPN). The flight was $850 instead of 1225 (we’re in Canada and everything is more expensive). Great vids… keep going !
I like google flights also and transferring my Chase points directly to the cheapest airline. Thanks to you, I have 3 flights coming up with my Chase transfer points on Southwest, KLM, and United!
Thank you ! Very helpful, as usual ! I get a lot of value from your channel and will continue to follow and support it. In the last few months, I purchased on Amazon, through your "store" website page, many, many items - all proving to be essential / necessary for a smooth trip. For example, the rechargers and plug in converter you recommended there, proved to be invaluable / a life saver for me ! I'm 65 y/o and relatively new to international travel. I absolutely had to have them, literally to "survive", when I took a recent overseas trip. Thanks again !
Indeed! When I was traveling abroad more often, I tried just about everything to book cheap airfares and accommodations. Now and as I’m reaching the higher numbers in age, I keep it as simple as possible. Google flights is my friend. Over the years they have added improvements and I use them often. Love the multi-city, nearby airport, monthly fare calendar (shows lowest fare day of travel) etc etc. Excellent video, thanks Bev & John !!! All the best!
Thanks so much and love to hear when we are inspiring people. Wishing you all the best for your retirement. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Awesome video. I like keeping it simple. I have seen other people describe these convoluted things that I have tried and they never work. Thanks so much for being honest in these videos - they are helpful to anyone who likes to travel!
It makes sense to book directly with airlines, there's no middle man that wants to take his cut. This is the same for booking hotels, if not using points/credit cards. Thanks for sharing your tips. ❤Zeljka
Great video thanks. While I knew about Google flights I had no idea about the multiple city option! Thx v much. BTW I recently booked flights with Singapore Airlines but thru Air Nz as Air Nz allowed me to upgrade on one particular leg PE to Business without having to go Business all the way. Saved NZD 2k! Madness
Amen to booking directly with the airlines! I have been burned several times booking through a third-party website. They will NOT help you when there are problems. When you work directly with the airlines, you have much more flexibility and help if flights are cancelled. Once, while in Chile, I booked through the Spanish language version of the Chilean carrier. English part was non functional and I have enough Spanish to make it work. I got great fares for a four-leg ticket and could hardly believe it. I was kicked out of the site twice just before checking out. On the third try, it appeared not to go through. It was very late and I went to bed. Woke up in the morning to find everything set. My Chilean hosts cautioned that it booked me as a Chilean national and I would have to pay big surcharges at the airport. I was clear in booking as an American. Turned out I was lucky. No surcharge fares and a great itinerary for not much money. I took the chance because I had ample time to spare. Travel gods helped me that trip!
Agree with all your comments. I have to book from Australia and do exactly as you describe. My upcoming stopover will be in Soel on the way to Europe. 😊
Our pleasure! Thanks so much for following along and hope you are enjoying our channel and website. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We got a mistake fare once by sheer luck in 2017. RT Montreal - Nice for $250! We were taking my parents so the 4 of flew RT for $1000. It's never happened again but it was certainly lovely that one time! I found it early on a Sunday morning.
One weird feature of searching for round-trip tickets is that whatever airline alliance you choose for the "to" leg will shape the options for the "from" leg. (And you might not see options from other alliances that might have a better time, connection, price, etc.) So I'll search for both legs individually to see what kinds of options are out there, then see if round-trip is that much cheaper anyway, and go from there. Sometimes a "to" leg that's a bit less ideal will match up with a great "from" leg. Or individually click every possible "to" leg.
A friend of ours just told us about a nightmare she had after she booked through a third party...Including calling a number the third party gave her to reserve seats, which ended up being a scam! So many things went wrong, it took her days and many hours on the phone with her credit card company, airlines, etc. At one point she broke down in tears!!!
Great video as usual! I, too, have booked a flight on a travel site only to have a last minute cancellation and had to scramble to get my flight rerouted. That was 15 years ago so I have used a well known travel site since then for research purposes only. I have never tried Google Flights, but I certainly will be trying it out! I spent hours a month ago trying to figure out which city in Europe to fly into by flipping back and forth on that other site! Thanks for the info!
Thanks for the information, great tips! I live in Canada and find that I get better deals using 3rd party sites rather than with our two major carriers (Air Canada & West Jet). I believe it is because I usually wait until a week or two before I fly to book the tickets. I will definitely use Google flights more often now that I have seen how you use it. Another great video! Safe travels.
We (Canada) cannot book via Google flights and must go to the airline directly, which is our preference anyway. But we always 'shop' using Google flights before booking anything. 👌🥰👍
No one can book on Google flights, also known as ITA Matrix. MIT students in Boston invented it and as it was so successful Google bought it, but use it to find the exact fare that you find then book with the airline or if more than one airline is involved you may need a Travel Agent to book.
Thanks for the video, great insights. I'm a big fan of google flights for research... I dont think all airlines are included in their search algorithm so some additional searches needed. Also booking direct is a must for me, I've had a few trips with hicups, and booking direct is so much easier to resolve than 3rd party booking.
I subscribe to Going...I believe I pay annually, but I only did at serious discount last year. In May I got an email about a mistake faire Air France flight from Chicago to Dublin for about $200 (actually about $220 in the end). I booked it...if it was an error, so be it, I get a refund. NOPE...Chicago to Dublin for $220 (economy, obviously)--AMAZING!
Good tips, thanks. Regarding being one of the first off the plane, I did that once and since I was one of the first to go through customs, they pulled me aside (randomly, they said, but I think they just wanted to get their quota in) for a luggage check. So maybe try to be up front, but not the first😉
Re budget airlines I agree that you have to be mindful of what the optional costs are and what the limitations are for changing a ticket. These costs can certainly add up and may not be the deal they appear to be. One additional factor that you must consider with a budget airline is the location of the airport that they are flying from. Sometimes these airports are remote and expensive or inconvenient to reach so that must also factor into the calculation. However there sometimes is a place for airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, WizzAir etc in your travel toolkit. I have used all of these airlines when I wanted to do a hop over to another country for a few days or a week and could travel very lightly. In fact last March I travelled with Ryanair from London to Malaga Spain for less than $100 return and had no extra costs as I travelled with a personal item (no charge) and did not reserve a seat but was randomly assigned one (no charge). I travelled with my wife and we were ok not sitting together. I did not buy any food on plane but brought my own. The plane was filled with Brits heading to Malaga for bachelor parties and they all were travelling with a personal item only.
It would be good to mention that Southwest prices do not show up on Google flights so you have to make a separate search. Same for Air China, China Eastern, Thai Airways, and Philippine Airlines. Great channel. PS I have in the past seen cheaper flights by setting my VPN to the same country I am booking the flight in e.g. setting VPN to France if I am booking a ticket in France while I am in the USA. I have also seen cheaper tickets occasionally by setting my VPN to a less wealthy country in the region where I am flying or very occasionally to a less well off country like India.
Thanks For This Video, We Like Budget Airlines too but we got busted on Tarom for being overweight. Their carry-on weight limit is 8 kg per bag. Thought I was doing good by paying 110 euro extra for carry on luggage (because ticket did not include luggage) but they may made us check it and pay another 100 euros.
You guys are great and love your Travel School. Although I was hoping for something a little deeper on this video. Like do you search for Round Trip if you are only going one way, is that cheaper? Or do you search for two people or just do one at a time, does that seem to get a cheaper flight? How far in advance do you get your tickets? We will be in Europe in May and not sure where we will end up or how soon we want to come home. I am thinking I will just book maybe a couple weeks out because I don't know or location at all. We search Google flights as well. Thank you and continue to enjoy your adventures.
We always book front row seats on domestic budget airlines, we always fly carry on only and pay the extra fee for double the carry on allowance, from 7 kg to total 14 kg per person. If we travel international we fly business and automatically get the 14 kg carry on we're also after the very first or second row. We're off the plane and through immigration/customs in pretty good time. Only exception was Vietnam. A wise American pilot, and regular visitor wised us up to pay a small bribe to have your "Visa on arrival" sped up big time by just "oiling the wheels of officialdom".
One more tip. If your destination is covered by more than one airline in an alliance, be sure to search on ALL the alliance airline sites. Trying to get to Madagascar from the western US, the 2 most likely airlines were American and Air France through a hub in Europe. We could get the price or the itinerary, but not both. My partner thought to look at the Delta site (which doesn't fly to Madagascar) and there was the perfect itinerary, all on Air France, at the lowest price. I replicated this recently with an upcoming trip to Switzerland, where United and Swiss Air are most likely. Nonstops were priced prohibitively, so I reconciled to 1-stop itineraries. SAS, which is in the same airline alliance, had the lowest priced itinerary including Swiss Air flights, saving several hundred dollars. That itinerary and price did not show up on the Swiss website search.
A couple of times while booking flights within a country I've had luck with special deals. In New Zealand, Argentina, and Vietnam I got exceptional flight deals booking last minute with in-country carriers. Dollars per mile, the most expensive ticket I've ever taken was from Copenhagen to Stockholm. It was about $2 per mile. A canned soda was 5 Euros. Skipped every extra and still felt robbed by the carrier.
You guys are the best! I'm so sorry VPN doesn't work for you. I need to catch a flight from LHR to AUS. This is crazy but I found that a round trip ticket is half the price of a one way ticket. I don't know why that would be, but I guess I'll buy the round trip and maybe not make the return flight.
Question: does a fanny pack count as a carry-on? Some said it is now for at least some airlines, very recently. Also, how about the Stuffable Travel Pillow for Extra Luggage?
We carry a backpack as a carry on, a small backpack as our personal item, and John carries our passports in a fanny pack. We don't know about a stuffable travel pillow because we advocate for a weeks worth of clothes and we just don't need it. Thanks for the question! John & Bev
@@RetirementTravelers Thanks for the answer! My wife told me when we flew with Southwest, they saw her fanny pack as a personal item and asked her to put it back into the suitcase. A fanny pack!
We have the AA Aviator card & have been disappointed as far as booking with points outside the US. We were able to use points to upgrade our flights to Scotland and Ireland next month which was a positive. If we book directly with AA will they allow us to use our points? Considering the Chase Sapphire card since we have a large travel payment due and could qualify for the 60K points. Can these be used for flights and lodging? I will thoroughly read the info but if you have time to answer I will appreciate it. Thank you John and Bev for all the valuable info on your channel. I am definitely a better traveler!
Thanks for sharing and glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Yes, you can transfer Chase points to a number of airlines and hotels. We move everything to Hyatt hotels, because we think we get the best value with Hyatt. We have a video on this topic. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We currently don't have an AARP, membership, but something we may consider. We know they have lots of various benefits. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips. Can't one tranfer points over to an airline then use them at the airline's site to book with reward points? Points and cash difference as an option as well?
Thanks. Yes, with our Chase travel credit card we can transfer to several different airlines, but we just haven't found a better deal than transferring to Hyatt for hotel stays. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
I found a round trip, nonstop fare from Dulles (IAD) to Rome (FCO) on Oojo for under $1000 per passenger, including taxes/fees, a carry on and checked bag each for a trip my wife and I are taking in May. The same fare on the airline website is around $1600 but checked luggage is an extra charge. Is this too good to be true?
I heard that some countries require finger feinting to enter? I’ve also heard the opposite. I’m hoping you can answer this as you are traveling full time.
I think you mean fingerprinting, and the answer is yes. We are fingerprinted often when we go through customs. It seems like it is about 50/50. We are almost always photographed, too. Hope this helps! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers thank you for your response. I really need to proof read!! I have another question. Has the fingerprinting been around since Covid, or do you know if it was before Covid as well?
It is called Google Flights and is definitely affiliated with Google, so not sure about your comment. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
We use all our points at Hyatt properties. We get more value using them this way. Here’s the video where we explain this. th-cam.com/video/FnrjL8xZLmM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sE2LvLKLrN8jrSav Hope it helps! John & Bev
We have the 55L Osprey pack. It has a detachable day pack. It is basically a 40L + 15L = 55L pack. Here is the link to our store. retirementtravelers.com/retirement-travelers-store-best-travel-products John and Bev
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. There is another channel out in YTland that is literally copying your Travel School title and content. They are about 10 days to two weeks behind you. Their imitation isn’t close to your quality or value.
I appreciate that lots of different people with different perspectives make similar content. Research requires several sources and they are all interesting to watch.
I don't know if it is copying RT so much as being in the "same season" of long term travel. I follow most of these vloggers and they all started at roughly the same time. Given that and that they are all doing this as a business, all seem to be in the same natural phase that it is time to start sharing their knowledge. Each has a slightly different taken in it depending on how they travel and their goals. I learn something from each and appreciate the different takes on long term travel.
With all due respect, the channel I referenced and purposefully did not mention is not merely echoing content. It is a clone of content down to the title of Traveler’s School. I do not know what the laws are protecting content and copyright but I do know what is ethical. Retirement Travelers is a top tier channel with ORIGINAL, informative and entertaining content. This other channel is like a Beatles cover band. Who would you rather see?
@@DunRovinRanch-1969 I would suggest there are only so many names you can give to a travel vloggers' online "school" or lack of a better term. And as long as the content isn't wholesale lifted, there isn't much to say that others can't make helpful content from their experience as well. The cream rises to the top and good info will prevail. Been following this stuff (and traveling) for awhile as well and it all seems to go in waves. All were floating around Eastern Europe, then taking relocation tours, then going to Mexico and Central America, then Australia onto Southeast Asia, then van life, then talking about travel hacking. I do hope there is not intellectual theft here. Same in the points & miles game. All the channels seem to put out the same stuff all about the same time. Just don't watch the other channel, whoever it may be. Travel on!
We have not had problems, but always had a booked ticket to leave a country, although they don't always even ask. It depends on the country. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
This never works for me, im trying to find a cheap flight to ghana leaving July 20th ot anytime affwords and coming back by Aug 15th. If anyone can help with a cheap roudtrip flight ill pay you the differences
I booked directly with Delta in Comfort+ yesterday. There were very few seats left, and between the time I selected my seats and the time I checked out, my selected seats were sold on 2 of the 4 legs. I ended up having to sit in the emergency row on one flight, and it's a Boeing! I'm thinking about going back and selecting an Economy seat for that leg. At least it's a short flight. I never, ever sit in a window seat since that poor lady was killed on Southwest flight.
I disagree with what you said about budget airlines ending up costing the same. Not so true within Europe. Especially if one only has carry-on and won’t be eating onboard. They certainly can save hundreds of €. Thx for video.
I wasn't financial free until my 40’s and I’m still in my 40’s, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone's that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any of them right now, you can start TODAY regardless your age INVEST and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.
{}That's true I know Barymoer. I met him at a conference in New York in 2022 where he introduced us to his business strategy, he helped me cover my student loans with ease and so many more to be mentioned
Since my aunty introduced me to Prof Chrissy Barymoer,I can't help but to thank God,I have made so much that I can't mention with his trading guidance!!!
When I saw testimonies all over the place I thought it was all made up stories till I was convinced and gave it a try and honestly I don't regret the move i made because I invested in a big way
The equipment on the route when you book your flight can change so it’s not that easy to avoid Boeing planes. Just happened to us - we booked a flight with Lufthansa on an Airbus and the recently changed the plane to a Boeing. 😮
I've used Google Flights as well but I don't think it's inappropriate for you to title a "Travel Skills Video" when you only discuss ONE online flight platform. This type of one-dimensional content ("Here's our preferred website! If you know of others, please comment!") is, frankly, very unhelpful.
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If you have found other methods that work for finding cheap flights, please share them in the comments. Thanks so much and happy journeys.
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Why do you recommend Google Flights over the ITA Matrix?
LOVE your videos, newsletter & perpetual smiles! Cheers!
@@wigandweirich308what is the ITA matrix ?
So worth put in the time to search for cheap flights. Flying is so expensive these days! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Just saw you in a People Magazine article 🎉 Awesome!!
Thanks. We were very pleased to see that!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
We use Google Flights almost exclusively, except for Southwest. Thanks for the info on checking multiple departure and arrival cities! Did not know to do that!
Glad it was helpful! Wish they would add Southwest, but still is wonderful.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Yes I search under ITA Matrix which directs to Google Flights. This gives fares only and then you print out and take to a travel agt to book or to airline. This site was invented by MIT students and was so successful that Google bought it. It is the best place to go.
I love Google Flight.
The VPN works… sometimes. Usually for poorer destinations. Fir example, we just booked Mexico with Aero Mexico using a Mexican location (VPN). The flight was $850 instead of 1225 (we’re in Canada and everything is more expensive).
Great vids… keep going !
Does anyone else have success using VPNs to book cheaper flights? I’ve been researching with my VPN locations but without success so far.
Thanks for sharing. We've not had success.
John and Bev
Thanks for sharing your success.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I like google flights also and transferring my Chase points directly to the cheapest airline. Thanks to you, I have 3 flights coming up with my Chase transfer points on Southwest, KLM, and United!
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
BTW, just discovered your channel TODAY & totally binge watching your channel--you are my mentors!
Wow, thank you so much. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I appreciate you two. Great information for the less traveled folks!
Our pleasure! Thanks for following along and hope you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We love maps too! Sometimes you find a different city to fly through, or stop over and see a city you hadn't thought of.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great tips! Always use Global Entry & TSA Pre to avoid the lines.
Absolutely! We always do.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Been using Google Flights for years and always then book direct with the airline. Great to see we were right.
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Awesome video, guys! Planning the trip AROUND the flights is such a good money-saving tip!
Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you ! Very helpful, as usual ! I get a lot of value from your channel and will continue to follow and support it. In the last few months, I purchased on Amazon, through your "store" website page, many, many items - all proving to be essential / necessary for a smooth trip. For example, the rechargers and plug in converter you recommended there, proved to be invaluable / a life saver for me ! I'm 65 y/o and relatively new to international travel. I absolutely had to have them, literally to "survive", when I took a recent overseas trip. Thanks again !
Thanks. So glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Really appreciate this episode!! I’m going to try Google Flights right away!! Thanks so much!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Indeed! When I was traveling abroad more often, I tried just about everything to book cheap airfares and accommodations. Now and as I’m reaching the higher numbers in age, I keep it as simple as possible. Google flights is my friend. Over the years they have added improvements and I use them often. Love the multi-city, nearby airport, monthly fare calendar (shows lowest fare day of travel) etc etc. Excellent video, thanks Bev & John !!! All the best!
Thanks for sharing and following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Wow you guys are close to 100K subscribers! Exciting!! Really enjoy watching you both; you have inspired me to plan better for my own retirement!
Thanks so much and love to hear when we are inspiring people. Wishing you all the best for your retirement.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Awesome video. I like keeping it simple. I have seen other people describe these convoluted things that I have tried and they never work. Thanks so much for being honest in these videos - they are helpful to anyone who likes to travel!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video. Your experience is our experience. Totally agree. THANKS! Have fun!!!
Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
It makes sense to book directly with airlines, there's no middle man that wants to take his cut. This is the same for booking hotels, if not using points/credit cards. Thanks for sharing your tips.
❤Zeljka
Exactly!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Awesome! Very educational. Thank you.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video thanks. While I knew about Google flights I had no idea about the multiple city option! Thx v much.
BTW I recently booked flights with Singapore Airlines but thru Air Nz as Air Nz allowed me to upgrade on one particular leg PE to Business without having to go Business all the way. Saved NZD 2k! Madness
Glad it was helpful!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Amen to booking directly with the airlines! I have been burned several times booking through a third-party website. They will NOT help you when there are problems. When you work directly with the airlines, you have much more flexibility and help if flights are cancelled. Once, while in Chile, I booked through the Spanish language version of the Chilean carrier. English part was non functional and I have enough Spanish to make it work. I got great fares for a four-leg ticket and could hardly believe it. I was kicked out of the site twice just before checking out. On the third try, it appeared not to go through. It was very late and I went to bed. Woke up in the morning to find everything set. My Chilean hosts cautioned that it booked me as a Chilean national and I would have to pay big surcharges at the airport. I was clear in booking as an American. Turned out I was lucky. No surcharge fares and a great itinerary for not much money. I took the chance because I had ample time to spare. Travel gods helped me that trip!
Thanks for sharing. We've had the same experience.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
@@RetirementTravelers Great channel! How do you book with airline specifically? (call them, airline website, counter, etc.)?
Very informative, thank you !!! 👍And please keep them coming!!!😊😊😊
Thank you! Will do! Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I have never tried Google Flights. Thank you very much for the info!
You’re welcome 😊
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thank you! Great informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Agree with all your comments. I have to book from Australia and do exactly as you describe. My upcoming stopover will be in Soel on the way to Europe. 😊
Thanks for sharing. Have fun!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks again John and Bev for great tips!
Our pleasure! Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I use sky scanner to look at flights, a little similar to Google flights. Happy travels
Thanks for sharing your methods. Always helpful.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I love you two! I have been watching for a while now. Thank you for your content.
Our pleasure! Thanks so much for following along and hope you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We got a mistake fare once by sheer luck in 2017. RT Montreal - Nice for $250! We were taking my parents so the 4 of flew RT for $1000. It's never happened again but it was certainly lovely that one time! I found it early on a Sunday morning.
Very “nice” 😀
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com
One weird feature of searching for round-trip tickets is that whatever airline alliance you choose for the "to" leg will shape the options for the "from" leg. (And you might not see options from other alliances that might have a better time, connection, price, etc.) So I'll search for both legs individually to see what kinds of options are out there, then see if round-trip is that much cheaper anyway, and go from there. Sometimes a "to" leg that's a bit less ideal will match up with a great "from" leg. Or individually click every possible "to" leg.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I don't travel much, but when I do, I also use google
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
A friend of ours just told us about a nightmare she had after she booked through a third party...Including calling a number the third party gave her to reserve seats, which ended up being a scam! So many things went wrong, it took her days and many hours on the phone with her credit card company, airlines, etc. At one point she broke down in tears!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great video as usual! I, too, have booked a flight on a travel site only to have a last minute cancellation and had to scramble to get my flight rerouted. That was 15 years ago so I have used a well known travel site since then for research purposes only. I have never tried Google Flights, but I certainly will be trying it out! I spent hours a month ago trying to figure out which city in Europe to fly into by flipping back and forth on that other site! Thanks for the info!
Thanks for following along and hope you find Google Flights helpful.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for the information, great tips! I live in Canada and find that I get better deals using 3rd party sites rather than with our two major carriers (Air Canada & West Jet). I believe it is because I usually wait until a week or two before I fly to book the tickets. I will definitely use Google flights more often now that I have seen how you use it. Another great video! Safe travels.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We love your channel and you have the absolute best travel tips!
Wow, thank you! Thanks for following along.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great content guys. We learnt something so mission accomplished and thank you 🙏
Our pleasure! Hope you guys are doing well.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We (Canada) cannot book via Google flights and must go to the airline directly, which is our preference anyway. But we always 'shop' using Google flights before booking anything. 👌🥰👍
Thanks for sharing! That's exactly what we do as well.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
No one can book on Google flights, also known as ITA Matrix. MIT students in Boston invented it and as it was so successful Google bought it, but use it to find the exact fare that you find then book with the airline or if more than one airline is involved you may need a Travel Agent to book.
@@chriswilliams6568 Is this Chris Williams that lives in Steveston? 😊
@@rhondillon5056 indeed it is. How are you?
Love ❤your channel . So informative
Thanks so much for following along with us. Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Google flights is the best!!
We love it.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Just found y'all. Love your channel!
Welcome!! We hope you enjoy our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys always create great videos with so much value.
Thanks so much! Glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for the video, great insights. I'm a big fan of google flights for research... I dont think all airlines are included in their search algorithm so some additional searches needed. Also booking direct is a must for me, I've had a few trips with hicups, and booking direct is so much easier to resolve than 3rd party booking.
Thanks for watching! We know Southwest is not included, not sure of all of them.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I subscribe to Going...I believe I pay annually, but I only did at serious discount last year. In May I got an email about a mistake faire Air France flight from Chicago to Dublin for about $200 (actually about $220 in the end).
I booked it...if it was an error, so be it, I get a refund.
NOPE...Chicago to Dublin for $220 (economy, obviously)--AMAZING!
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Good tips, thanks. Regarding being one of the first off the plane, I did that once and since I was one of the first to go through customs, they pulled me aside (randomly, they said, but I think they just wanted to get their quota in) for a luggage check. So maybe try to be up front, but not the first😉
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys are fabulous. I can't wait to hear about your trip to Kruger. 😊
Leaving next week for Kruger.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Re budget airlines I agree that you have to be mindful of what the optional costs are and what the limitations are for changing a ticket. These costs can certainly add up and may not be the deal they appear to be. One additional factor that you must consider with a budget airline is the location of the airport that they are flying from. Sometimes these airports are remote and expensive or inconvenient to reach so that must also factor into the calculation. However there sometimes is a place for airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, WizzAir etc in your travel toolkit. I have used all of these airlines when I wanted to do a hop over to another country for a few days or a week and could travel very lightly. In fact last March I travelled with Ryanair from London to Malaga Spain for less than $100 return and had no extra costs as I travelled with a personal item (no charge) and did not reserve a seat but was randomly assigned one (no charge). I travelled with my wife and we were ok not sitting together. I did not buy any food on plane but brought my own. The plane was filled with Brits heading to Malaga for bachelor parties and they all were travelling with a personal item only.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Love the tips. Thanks so much. I disagree a bit on Southwest. I feel like they do nickel dime you some and the seats are tight.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
It would be good to mention that Southwest prices do not show up on Google flights so you have to make a separate search. Same for Air China, China Eastern, Thai Airways, and Philippine Airlines. Great channel. PS I have in the past seen cheaper flights by setting my VPN to the same country I am booking the flight in e.g. setting VPN to France if I am booking a ticket in France while I am in the USA. I have also seen cheaper tickets occasionally by setting my VPN to a less wealthy country in the region where I am flying or very occasionally to a less well off country like India.
Thanks for sharing. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks For This Video, We Like Budget Airlines too but we got busted on Tarom for being overweight. Their carry-on weight limit is 8 kg per bag. Thought I was doing good by paying 110 euro extra for carry on luggage (because ticket did not include luggage) but they may made us check it and pay another 100 euros.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Congrats on your news article on Fox!
Thanks. A number of different news agencies have picked it up.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys are great and love your Travel School. Although I was hoping for something a little deeper on this video. Like do you search for Round Trip if you are only going one way, is that cheaper? Or do you search for two people or just do one at a time, does that seem to get a cheaper flight? How far in advance do you get your tickets? We will be in Europe in May and not sure where we will end up or how soon we want to come home. I am thinking I will just book maybe a couple weeks out because I don't know or location at all. We search Google flights as well. Thank you and continue to enjoy your adventures.
Thanks for that feedback. Glad you are enjoying our channel.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We always book front row seats on domestic budget airlines, we always fly carry on only and pay the extra fee for double the carry on allowance, from 7 kg to total 14 kg per person. If we travel international we fly business and automatically get the 14 kg carry on we're also after the very first or second row. We're off the plane and through immigration/customs in pretty good time. Only exception was Vietnam. A wise American pilot, and regular visitor wised us up to pay a small bribe to have your "Visa on arrival" sped up big time by just "oiling the wheels of officialdom".
Thanks for the tips.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Liked. Thank you. Living the dream.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for following along.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We use AARP to book flights we find them much cheaper but do realize your paying for membership but we do a lot of flights like you’re selfs.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Will continue to explore my AARP Travel 🧳❤
Thanks for sharing your hard work !
Our pleasure. So glad you are enjoying our channel and website.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
One more tip. If your destination is covered by more than one airline in an alliance, be sure to search on ALL the alliance airline sites. Trying to get to Madagascar from the western US, the 2 most likely airlines were American and Air France through a hub in Europe. We could get the price or the itinerary, but not both. My partner thought to look at the Delta site (which doesn't fly to Madagascar) and there was the perfect itinerary, all on Air France, at the lowest price.
I replicated this recently with an upcoming trip to Switzerland, where United and Swiss Air are most likely. Nonstops were priced prohibitively, so I reconciled to 1-stop itineraries. SAS, which is in the same airline alliance, had the lowest priced itinerary including Swiss Air flights, saving several hundred dollars. That itinerary and price did not show up on the Swiss website search.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Im retired airline..like to travel off season.get business
Rio in Oct and Nov.free flts earned it!
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great info
Thanks for following along with us.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great intel!
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
A couple of times while booking flights within a country I've had luck with special deals. In New Zealand, Argentina, and Vietnam I got exceptional flight deals booking last minute with in-country carriers. Dollars per mile, the most expensive ticket I've ever taken was from Copenhagen to Stockholm. It was about $2 per mile. A canned soda was 5 Euros. Skipped every extra and still felt robbed by the carrier.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Great advice!
Glad it was helpful!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
You guys are the best! I'm so sorry VPN doesn't work for you. I need to catch a flight from LHR to AUS. This is crazy but I found that a round trip ticket is half the price of a one way ticket. I don't know why that would be, but I guess I'll buy the round trip and maybe not make the return flight.
Thanks so much. Flight pricing certainly isn't alway logical!!!
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Question: does a fanny pack count as a carry-on? Some said it is now for at least some airlines, very recently. Also, how about the Stuffable Travel Pillow for Extra Luggage?
We carry a backpack as a carry on, a small backpack as our personal item, and John carries our passports in a fanny pack. We don't know about a stuffable travel pillow because we advocate for a weeks worth of clothes and we just don't need it. Thanks for the question! John & Bev
@@RetirementTravelers Thanks for the answer!
My wife told me when we flew with Southwest, they saw her fanny pack as a personal item and asked her to put it back into the suitcase. A fanny pack!
Great content
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
We have the AA Aviator card & have been disappointed as far as booking with points outside the US. We were able to use points to upgrade our flights to Scotland and Ireland next month which was a positive. If we book directly with AA will they allow us to use our points? Considering the Chase Sapphire card since we have a large travel payment due and could qualify for the 60K points. Can these be used for flights and lodging? I will thoroughly read the info but if you have time to answer I will appreciate it. Thank you John and Bev for all the valuable info on your channel. I am definitely a better traveler!
Thanks for sharing and glad you are enjoying our channel and website. Yes, you can transfer Chase points to a number of airlines and hotels. We move everything to Hyatt hotels, because we think we get the best value with Hyatt. We have a video on this topic.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Do you use any benefits from the AARP membership? Wondering if it's worthwhile.
We currently don't have an AARP, membership, but something we may consider. We know they have lots of various benefits.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.
Can't one tranfer points over to an airline then use them at the airline's site to book with reward points? Points and cash difference as an option as well?
Thanks. Yes, with our Chase travel credit card we can transfer to several different airlines, but we just haven't found a better deal than transferring to Hyatt for hotel stays.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I found a round trip, nonstop fare from Dulles (IAD) to Rome (FCO) on Oojo for under $1000 per passenger, including taxes/fees, a carry on and checked bag each for a trip my wife and I are taking in May. The same fare on the airline website is around $1600 but checked luggage is an extra charge. Is this too good to be true?
Sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I heard that some countries require finger feinting to enter? I’ve also heard the opposite. I’m hoping you can answer this as you are traveling full time.
I think you mean fingerprinting, and the answer is yes. We are fingerprinted often when we go through customs. It seems like it is about 50/50. We are almost always photographed, too. Hope this helps! John & Bev www.retirementtravelers.com
@@RetirementTravelers thank you for your response. I really need to proof read!! I have another question. Has the fingerprinting been around since Covid, or do you know if it was before Covid as well?
If I search for Google flights why doesn't the result say it is affiliated with google?
What is the name if the flight search app
It is called Google Flights and is definitely affiliated with Google, so not sure about your comment.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
If you don't use points for flights what are you doing with them?
We use all our points at Hyatt properties. We get more value using them this way. Here’s the video where we explain this. th-cam.com/video/FnrjL8xZLmM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sE2LvLKLrN8jrSav Hope it helps! John & Bev
You showed your big bag (50L Kelty) what is your small bag?
We have the 55L Osprey pack. It has a detachable day pack. It is basically a 40L + 15L = 55L pack. Here is the link to our store.
retirementtravelers.com/retirement-travelers-store-best-travel-products
John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers ohhh! Thanks so much!
I just wish they showed Southwest prices.
We agree that would be nice.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. There is another channel out in YTland that is literally copying your Travel School title and content. They are about 10 days to two weeks behind you. Their imitation isn’t close to your quality or value.
Thanks. It is nice to know that people think we are making good content worthy of imitating.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I appreciate that lots of different people with different perspectives make similar content. Research requires several sources and they are all interesting to watch.
I don't know if it is copying RT so much as being in the "same season" of long term travel. I follow most of these vloggers and they all started at roughly the same time. Given that and that they are all doing this as a business, all seem to be in the same natural phase that it is time to start sharing their knowledge. Each has a slightly different taken in it depending on how they travel and their goals. I learn something from each and appreciate the different takes on long term travel.
With all due respect, the channel I referenced and purposefully did not mention is not merely echoing content. It is a clone of content down to the title of Traveler’s School. I do not know what the laws are protecting content and copyright but I do know what is ethical. Retirement Travelers is a top tier channel with ORIGINAL, informative and entertaining content. This other channel is like a Beatles cover band. Who would you rather see?
@@DunRovinRanch-1969 I would suggest there are only so many names you can give to a travel vloggers' online "school" or lack of a better term. And as long as the content isn't wholesale lifted, there isn't much to say that others can't make helpful content from their experience as well. The cream rises to the top and good info will prevail. Been following this stuff (and traveling) for awhile as well and it all seems to go in waves. All were floating around Eastern Europe, then taking relocation tours, then going to Mexico and Central America, then Australia onto Southeast Asia, then van life, then talking about travel hacking. I do hope there is not intellectual theft here. Same in the points & miles game. All the channels seem to put out the same stuff all about the same time. Just don't watch the other channel, whoever it may be. Travel on!
Do you have problems with immigration traveling with just a single ticket? I want to travel to New Zealand but I know they are very strickt
We have not had problems, but always had a booked ticket to leave a country, although they don't always even ask. It depends on the country.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
This never works for me, im trying to find a cheap flight to ghana leaving July 20th ot anytime affwords and coming back by Aug 15th. If anyone can help with a cheap roudtrip flight ill pay you the differences
Good luck with the search.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I booked directly with Delta in Comfort+ yesterday. There were very few seats left, and between the time I selected my seats and the time I checked out, my selected seats were sold on 2 of the 4 legs. I ended up having to sit in the emergency row on one flight, and it's a Boeing! I'm thinking about going back and selecting an Economy seat for that leg. At least it's a short flight. I never, ever sit in a window seat since that poor lady was killed on Southwest flight.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I disagree with what you said about budget airlines ending up costing the same. Not so true within Europe. Especially if one only has carry-on and won’t be eating onboard. They certainly can save hundreds of €. Thx for video.
Thanks for sharing. There are some bargains in Europe with the right conditions.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
I wasn't financial free until my 40’s and I’m still in my 40’s, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone's that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any of them right now, you can start TODAY regardless your age INVEST and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.
I keep seeing good recommendation about
Chrissy Barymoer . He must be really good.
{}That's true I know Barymoer. I met him at a conference in New York in 2022 where he introduced us to his business strategy, he helped me cover my student loans with ease and so many more to be mentioned
Since my aunty introduced me to Prof Chrissy Barymoer,I can't help but to thank God,I have made so much that I can't mention with his trading guidance!!!
When I saw testimonies all over the place I thought it was all made up stories till I was convinced and gave it a try and honestly I don't regret the move i made because I invested in a big way
I Found him, I wrote him. Hope he responds.
❤
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
Just make sure you can see which plane you will be flying on, avoid Boeing Max.
Probably only max8
Thanks.
Happy journeys,
John and Bev
retirementtravelers.com/
The equipment on the route when you book your flight can change so it’s not that easy to avoid Boeing planes. Just happened to us - we booked a flight with Lufthansa on an Airbus and the recently changed the plane to a Boeing. 😮
I've used Google Flights as well but I don't think it's inappropriate for you to title a "Travel Skills Video" when you only discuss ONE online flight platform. This type of one-dimensional content ("Here's our preferred website! If you know of others, please comment!") is, frankly, very unhelpful.
I wish you’d change the microphones.. the sound comes out as if you are speaking under water 💦.. other than that, good content
Their sound is fine on my Samsung S24 Ultra.
Thanks for pointing it out. We'll see what we can do. John & Bev
Sound is fine on my computer. Maybe it's on your end.