1. Get yourself a travel app like "On The Fly" "Hipmunk" or "Kayak". Something that will effortlessly search all possible routes, airlines and prices for you. My preference is "On The Fly". It never ceases to amaze me with the price differences it can spy.
2. Once you choose your airline, sign up for their frequent flier program BEFORE you book. Even if you think it's just one flight, I can tell you with certainty... it's not. You'll book again. Collect points, tune in to their offers.
3. Sign up everyone in your family individually. Travellers can't collect points for family members. Even your 6 year-old can gather Aeroplan. This was a big mistake on my part. Each of the kids missed out on their Skymiles to Maui. They'd be at a free flight level already if I had know this ahead of time. For whatever reason, I thought if I booked and paid for all four flights I would get points for all four. I was wrong. I missed out. 75% loss.
5. Most airlines only accept credit cards for inflight purchases of drinks or snacks. Don't assume pop or coffee is free anymore. Bring your own kid friendly granola bars etc, if you think your kids might need a snack on the plane.
6. If you think you might be delayed, research ahead of time and know what your alternate flights are. You'll be soooo much further ahead if you can re-book yourself at a kiosk or on your smartphone.
Delta's App and real-time options are far superior to anything else I've ever seen. We were in the air and I received Delta alerts that our flight delay would mean we would miss our connection. They have FREE in-flight wifi access to their site so I was able to follow their alert link instantly. They gave me all my no-charge options and we had a plan before we even landed the first flight. I was incredibly impressed with the technology.
7. Have your ground transportation thought out. Are you renting a car, looking for a taxi or taking a shuttle bus? I know that after 7 hours in transit and making flight connections my family does not have the patience for a shuttle bus. Free or not, it does not work with our personalities. Best $100 I spend on a trip is having a town car waiting. Pre-arranging it you can generally have this service for $20 more than a regular taxi round trip. I might pursue the bargain rabidly, but I am not willing to risk a meltdown over $20, a shuttle bus and tropical heat. Of course, if it's just a direct flight and 3 hours of travel in a day, they can suck it up and wait in line with me for a taxi.
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