Points to Note When Traveling to the US and Canada by Air without a Tour
Table of Contents
- Top
- Point 1: It Takes Time to Book
- The Problem of Too Much Freedom
- The Problem of Too Many Web Services
- The Problem of Many Ticket Types
- Point 2: There's No Guarantee You'll Arrive
- The Problem of Unknown Time
- The Problem of Uncertain Immigration
- Point 3: The Biggest Problem is That It's Not Always Cheaper
- Conclusion
I went on a trip to the US and Canada.
This time, I decided to book my flights and hotels on my own without relying on a tour, thinking, "Since I'm going anyway, I'll decide everything myself."
As a result, it was so troublesome that I thought, "I'll never do it again." So, I'll write down the points to note.
This time, it's about flights. I'll write about hotels another time.
Point 1: It Takes Time to Book
The first problem is that it takes time to search.
The Problem of Too Much Freedom
Compared to tours, I have overwhelming freedom, but that freedom requires a lot of time for screening. Moreover, I need to find flights that fit my purpose (visiting tourist spots, meeting friends, taking a stroll, etc.).
I have to consider things like layovers that take over 30 hours, arriving in the middle of the night when public transportation is not available, or arriving on a day when tourist spots are closed.
This is a constraint satisfaction problem, and it's not something humans are good at solving.
The Problem of Too Many Web Services
Fortunately, there are many convenient web services available. However, the abundance of services is a problem, and each one has its own specific routes and prices, so I have to search thoroughly.
I'll list the services I mainly used, so it might be helpful to someone.
These services are like aggregators that collect information from various sites. They're useful for searching across multiple sites. If you have specific constraints, it's a good idea to use them.
By the way, I booked with Surprice because it was relatively cheap due to coupons and other deals.
The Problem of Many Ticket Types
Airplane tickets are quite complicated.
There are differences in ticket types, such as regular, PEX, and low-cost tickets, but when booking on my own, I need to distinguish between one-way tickets, round-trip tickets, and open-jaw tickets.
- One-way ticket: I can choose different airlines and airports for my departure and return flights. However, it's terrifyingly expensive compared to round-trip tickets.
- Round-trip ticket: A common ticket with the same airport and airline for both departure and return flights. It's the most cost-effective.
- Open-jaw ticket: A less well-known type. The departure and return airports are different, but the airline is the same. It's almost as cheap as a round-trip ticket.
When traveling between two countries like the US and Canada, it's a good idea to look for open-jaw tickets. If I book one-way tickets separately, the cost will be exorbitant.
Point 2: There's No Guarantee You'll Arrive
Even if I find a good route and book it, I'm not sure if I can actually move according to plan.
The Problem of Unknown Time
At airports with long immigration lines or where it takes an absurdly long time to move around, I need to investigate carefully to ensure I can move according to schedule.
If I were on a tour, it would be a carefully planned route, and if something goes wrong, there would be support. But when traveling on my own, I need to be prepared for anything.
The Problem of Uncertain Immigration
The US has ESTA, but Canada also has an electronic travel authorization system called eTA.
Usually, the website where I booked my ticket sends me emails asking, "Did you get it?" or "You haven't gotten it yet!" But if I don't receive those emails, I need to remember to get it myself.
This is something to be careful about, but there are so many points to note that it's easy to forget the basics.
Point 3: The Biggest Problem is That It's Not Always Cheaper
I thought, "I've worked so hard to book my flights, so it must be cheaper!"
But in reality, it's not much different from a tour, and when I consider the labor I put in, it's actually more expensive.
Conclusion
Unless I need a high degree of freedom, it might be better to rely on a tour.
However, deciding everything on my own is fun, so people who like building their own PCs might enjoy doing it once. I've done it once, and that's enough for me.
