air travel novice

ucbalumnus
Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:16:39 +0000

kayak.com just refers you to the airline or travel agent web site that it finds and you select. So you can use it to search for flights and fares, and it will then lead you to the airline (although for international flights, sometimes a travel agent may offer a cheaper price than the airline, so if kayak.com finds such a travel agent, it may point you there).

Choose a non-stop (don’t use the term “direct” when you mean non-stop) when possible to avoid problems with missed connections.

If your flights are on Alaska (hub in Seattle) or Delta (hub in Detroit), you can sign up for Alaska’s or Delta’s frequent flyer program to collect the mileage (they are partners). Being in Seattle, you may fly Alaska more, so it may be a better program to sign up for.

Pay attention to TSA rules about liquids, knives, etc. in carry on baggage.