Monday, Apr. 18, 2011
Don't Book on the Basis of the Cheapest Travel Plan
Before booking a flight, factor in nap schedules, bed and feeding times, traffic on both roads and runways, and the door-to-door duration of the trip. Saving a few hundred bucks isn't worth it if the trade-offs are endless waits and all-too-predictable tantrums. Red-eye flights are especially risky, when even kids who are normally good sleepers might decide to fidget and cry. You should know what times and routings are less than ideal for your family, but for a little help, scout options on the new search engine Hipmunk.com, which has an "Agony" feature that ranks flights according to the best departure times and the connections with the fewest hassles.