Hey Reader,

Last week I asked what stresses you out the most when planning a trip…

And almost every single answer said the same thing:

Flights.

Honestly? I’m not surprised.

Flights feel like this moving target where prices change constantly, nothing makes sense, and you’re just hoping you didn’t book at the wrong time.

Look, I get it. I’ve been planning family travel for years, and flights are still the one piece that can make you second guess everything.

So I wanted to walk you through exactly what I do.

Not theory. Not “best practices.”

What I actually do when I’m booking flights for my family.

1. I start with Google Flights (every single time)

This is my home base.

I don’t book here most of the time, but I always start here because it gives me the clearest picture of what’s happening.

Here’s how I use it:

• I search my route with flexible dates first
• I look at the calendar to find the cheapest days
• I check multiple airports if it makes sense
• I pay attention to the price graph to see trends

This alone usually saves me money because I’m not guessing. I can actually see when prices drop.

2. Then I turn on flight alerts and wait

This is where most people skip ahead… and overpay.

Once I find a flight I like, I turn on tracking in Google Flights and just let it sit.

Then I watch:

• Does the price go up or down?
• Is this a “normal” price for this route?

If I have time, I wait.

If I don’t, I still track it after booking… which leads to the next part.

3. I ALWAYS keep watching the price after I book

This is the part most people don’t realize they can do.

Even after I book, I keep those alerts on.

Because if the price drops?

That’s when you can sometimes get money back.

4. I’ve gotten refunds just from price drops

A few ways this has worked for me:

Through Capital One Travel​
When I’ve booked through them, they’ve actually refunded me the difference when the price dropped within a certain window.

It’s not something most people even think to check, but it’s happened for me more than once.

Through the airline directly (like Delta)​
If I see the price drop, I’ll reach out.

I’ve called or even used the text/chat feature, and they’ve given me a credit for a future flight for the difference.

No drama. No hassle.

But here’s the key:
👉 This only works if you’re actually watching the price

And it usually doesn’t work with budget airlines, so keep that in mind.

5. The real strategy isn’t “find the cheapest flight”

It’s this:

Watch the price. Track it. And don’t stop paying attention after you book.

That’s the difference.

That’s how you stop feeling like you guessed… and start feeling like you actually know what you’re doing.

If flights have been the thing holding you back from booking your next trip…

​Start here.​

Even just using Google Flights and turning on alerts will change how this feels.

And if you want, hit reply and tell me where you’re thinking about going next. I’d love to hear.

Travel on!

Tonya

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