Mistakes tourists make when booking airline tickets

A journey does not begin with packing your suitcases or even planning your itinerary – it begins with purchasing airline tickets. This step determines not only your comfort, but also your mood throughout the entire trip. Many people believe that booking is a simple formality: choose a flight, enter your details and pay. But in practice, even experienced travellers make mistakes that turn the anticipation of a holiday into a series of stressful events. Some lose money, others miss their connections, and still others are forced to buy new tickets right at the airport. To avoid such troubles, representatives of Centrum Air will tell you what mistakes tourists make most often and how to prevent them.

Buying tickets without checking the details

The most common mistake is carelessness when entering personal details. Tourists rush to make a booking without checking the spelling of their name, date of birth and passport number. However, even one incorrect letter in a name or a missing digit can lead to the cancellation of a booking. Centrum Air strictly checks the information on the ticket and in the document, and if they do not match, the passenger will simply not be allowed on the flight.

Problems arise especially often when booking in Latin characters. For example, if your passport says ‘Aleksandr’ and you wrote ‘Alexander’ when purchasing a ticket, the system may consider this an error.

To avoid this, check your details three times: when entering them, before paying, and after receiving your e-ticket. Also, make sure you have specified the correct gender, nationality and passport validity period. If you are travelling with children, do not forget to check the spelling of their names against their documents – errors in children's tickets are even more difficult to correct.

Choosing unsuitable flight dates and times

The desire to save money leads many people to buy the cheapest tickets – often night flights, flights with several transfers or short connections. As a result, the journey begins with fatigue, lack of sleep and delays. Tourists underestimate the importance of choosing a convenient departure time.

When booking, always consider:

• the time difference between the departure and arrival cities;

• the duration of the transfer – at least 2 hours for domestic flights and 3–4 hours for international flights;

• the transport schedule in the city of arrival if you are travelling from the airport by train or bus.

A miscalculation could result in you missing your connection or ending up at the airport at night when there is no transport available. If you are travelling with children or elderly people, choose daytime flights with a minimum number of connections – this will help you save your energy and stay in a good mood.

Ignoring fare conditions

It seems that all tickets are the same, but this is not the case. Even one airline may have several fares with different conditions: refundable, non-refundable, with or without baggage. Many tourists, seeking to save money, choose the cheapest option without reading the rules. As a result, it turns out that the ticket cannot be returned or changed even for a valid reason.

Budget fares often involve additional payments – for seat selection, airport check-in or even hand luggage. Sometimes the total amount of these additional payments exceeds the cost of the ticket itself. Before buying, carefully read the terms and conditions: can you change the date, add baggage or get a refund? If your trip is subject to change, choose a more flexible fare – it is slightly more expensive, but it will save you from losing money if your plans change.

Confusion between cities and airports

A classic mistake is confusion between airports in the same city. For example, a tourist books a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and a return flight from Orly, without even noticing the change. Or they arrive in Istanbul at the new airport but depart from Sabiha Gökçen, located on the other side of the city.

Such mistakes lead to unnecessary taxi expenses and wasted time. In some large cities, airports are located 50-70 kilometres apart, and the journey between them can take several hours. To avoid confusion, check not only the name of the city, but also the airport code (for example, CDG is Paris Charles de Gaulle, and ORY is Orly). If you are booking connecting flights, make sure that both flights depart from the same airport – this is especially important for independent connections.

Failure to take visa and transit rules into account

Another common mistake is ignoring visa requirements. Travellers book routes with transfers in countries where a transit visa is required and only find out about this at the airport. For example, when transferring in London, Seoul or Shanghai, a separate permit may be required even for a short connection.

To avoid an unpleasant situation, check the entry rules for citizens of your country before purchasing a ticket. Pay attention to the type of transfer: if the departure is from a different terminal, you may have to go through passport control and formally ‘enter’ the country, which is impossible without a visa.

Also, don't forget to check the rules for baggage – in some cases, you will need to collect and re-check it during the transfer, especially if the flights are operated by different airlines.

Booking on unverified websites

The internet is full of websites promising ‘the cheapest airline tickets,’ but not all of them are honest. Tourists, wanting to save money, click on advertising links and end up on fake pages. The result is lost money and no ticket.

To avoid this, buy tickets on the official website of Centrum Air or from reliable aggregators with good reviews. Check for an SSL certificate (the address should be https://) and read the return policy. It is better to overpay a little but be sure that the ticket is real than to later search for where your money has gone.

Unaccounted baggage and hand luggage

Passengers often make mistakes in this regard, not noticing that the ticket only includes hand luggage weighing up to 5-8 kg. As a result, they have to pay extra for their suitcase at check-in, sometimes at an inflated rate.

Before booking, check:

• whether baggage is included in the ticket price;

• what the requirements are for the weight and size of hand luggage;

• whether there are restrictions on the number of items.

If you are flying with a transfer, check the rules with all airlines – they may differ. For example, what is allowed by Centrum Air may be prohibited by another airline, and vice versa. It is better to calculate the weight of your suitcase in advance and, if necessary, pay for additional space online – it is always cheaper than at the airport.

Delay in purchasing tickets

Some people wait for the ‘perfect moment’, hoping that prices will drop. In practice, the opposite is true – the closer the departure date, the higher the cost. This is especially true for popular destinations: Baku, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bangkok, Tbilisi. The optimal time to buy is 45-60 days before departure.

If you travel frequently, subscribe to price change notifications – many airlines and services allow you to track price dynamics and catch discounts. Also, pay attention to seasonality: prices are always higher during holidays and the high tourist season.

Failure to double-check before departure

Even after purchasing and confirming your booking, you cannot relax. Flight schedules change regularly due to weather, technical reasons, or changes in airline policy. Sometimes flights are moved up or down by a few hours, and the notification gets lost in your emails.

Experienced travellers double-check their flight status: the day before departure and on the morning of the trip. You can do this on the airline's website or in the airport's mobile app. If there are any changes, you can adjust your plans in time and not be late.

It is also worth printing your ticket and booking confirmation in advance so that there are no issues at the airport. Check that you have all the necessary documents: passport, visa, medical certificates (if required) and insurance.

Conclusion

Even frequent flyers make mistakes when booking airline tickets. The reasons for this are carelessness, rushing, and the desire to save money. But a competent approach can help you avoid most problems. Check the details, read the fare conditions, choose reliable sources, and don't put off your purchase until the last minute. Then your trip will start calmly and in a good mood – just as it should be.

To avoid mistakes when booking airline tickets, follow these recommendations:

• Plan your trip in advance and compare prices on different websites.

• Read reviews about sellers and check the reputation of aggregators;

• Carefully study the fares and refund conditions;

• Take all additional charges into account when calculating the cost;

• Check your personal data and passport details several times;

• Pay attention to transfer times and flight convenience.

Remember: the earlier you start planning your trip, the more chances you have to choose the best flights at affordable prices and without unnecessary risks. Keep all documents – tickets, insurance and reservations – not only on your phone, but also in printed form, to be on the safe side in case of technical failures. If you are flying in transit, always keep the contact details of airlines and hotels handy – this will help you react quickly to changes in your itinerary. These simple measures will make travelling a pleasure rather than a source of stress.