After a week on&nbsp;the&nbsp;road, with&nbsp;the&nbsp;best part of another week ahead of us on&nbsp;the&nbsp;return journey, my mum and I gave in. We booked a flight home.&nbsp;The&nbsp;prospect of another week constantly getting on and off trains, all&nbsp;the&nbsp;while trying to work, just didn't fill me with excitement.
Having spoken to others heading home from Tirana, we were already armed with a couple of top tips for navigating&nbsp;the&nbsp;airport.
Firstly, certain technology hasn't quite reached Tirana airport, so we had to&nbsp;print&nbsp;our boarding passes like it was 2010. Secondly, we knew we should skip&nbsp;the&nbsp;food kiosks and head for&nbsp;the&nbsp;lounge.
Instead of paying &euro;10 or more for a box of salad or slice of pizza, you'll get unlimited freshly made&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/eiErnP2gL4h9ubJpOLll7A~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RHaHR0cHM6Ly9wb2xrYWRvdHBhc3Nwb3J0LmNvbS9hbGJhbmlhbi1ieXJlay1tZS1zcGluYXEvP2xpZD1xbmQwbHBwOGlzYTJXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/eiErnP2gL4h9ubJpOLll7A~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RHaHR0cHM6Ly9wb2xrYWRvdHBhc3Nwb3J0LmNvbS9hbGJhbmlhbi1ieXJlay1tZS1zcGluYXEvP2xpZD1xbmQwbHBwOGlzYTJXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992368000&amp;usg=AOvVaw23LcHgr9lnun2bfGEKTuG3">byrek</a>&nbsp;(both cheese and spinach), pilaf, yet more spinach in&nbsp;the&nbsp;form of&nbsp;burani,&nbsp;homemade cakes, local wines and beers&hellip;&nbsp;the&nbsp;delicious list goes on.&nbsp;
But as we sat there, munching merrily, we were none&nbsp;the&nbsp;wiser to&nbsp;the&nbsp;happenings outside &mdash; a huge, unexpected thunderstorm. When one flight after another turned to 'delayed' on&nbsp;the&nbsp;departures board, we soon caught on. Luckily, we were able to use every last minute of our allotted 3 hours of lounge access to while away&nbsp;the&nbsp;time.
With our planned departure time being pushed back from 20:55 to 21:30, and then again to 22:30, before eventually taking off at nearly 23:00, some passengers were in doubt that we'd even get to land so late. After all,&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/El1T94DmE0L5iBUchCODDA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0SRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL25ld3MtYW5kLWFkdmljZS9ub2lzZS1jdXJmZXdzLWFpcnBvcnRzLWhlYXRocm93LWxvbmRvbi1jaXR5LWVhc3lqZXQtZGl2ZXJzaW9uLWIyNjAyMjM5Lmh0bWw_bGlkPWo0Z3hrem4ydmdocVcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/El1T94DmE0L5iBUchCODDA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0SRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL25ld3MtYW5kLWFkdmljZS9ub2lzZS1jdXJmZXdzLWFpcnBvcnRzLWhlYXRocm93LWxvbmRvbi1jaXR5LWVhc3lqZXQtZGl2ZXJzaW9uLWIyNjAyMjM5Lmh0bWw_bGlkPWo0Z3hrem4ydmdocVcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992368000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jBR6jtnrg8KiS2mTtXTg2">noise curfews</a>&nbsp;can lead to all kinds of unforeseen diversions.
Thankfully, we did eventually land in Edinburgh at around 2am. Many of&nbsp;the&nbsp;ground staff looked as though we'd just woken them up, but it's probably just as well we did, since a raft of holiday flights back from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Canaries were hot on our heels.&nbsp;
Happy travels and punctual landings,

bio title goes here

It's&nbsp;The&nbsp;Little Things...

Flight Finder Genora helps you find&nbsp;the&nbsp;best deals to make your travel dreams come true, and knows how to write a witty word or two while she's at it! She's lived in over five countries and enjoys adding new places to her travel bucket list!

By Genora

Why do you travel?
After messing around with Geoguessr for a bit, I realized something I kinda already knew: the modern world can look pretty darn similar wherever you go. High-rises, fast food chains, endless traffic &mdash; you get the picture. It makes you wonder, why bother travelling if everything's the same, right?&nbsp;
But here's the kicker, it's all about those small details. Sure, you can find a KFC just about anywhere, but each spot tweaks its menu to fit local tastes, and discovering these differences is what makes travelling so cool.
<img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NafNS7PDcSzAXWkQDNE01s-SA9MDU1A9xTd7MCzovEOqFUZmytDEeh5G3gmsKSrO_vVok5XqKDSEk6-IDLw8tXyHEIDOdol2txTnmxdbRhbMCrY7BiWpvBCugJviAI25ss=s0-d-e1-ft#https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/95b4b0a1ca72a8ec08f2c95571026c2487e41888" width="568" alt="View over Barbados" title="View over Barbados" height="auto" class="CToWUd a6T" data-bit="iit" tabindex="0">
Take my last trip to Barbados, for instance. You'd think, since I'm from Trinidad, another Caribbean island wouldn't be much of a change &mdash; it&rsquo;s all sun, sand, and sea. But I loved spotting the little things that set us apart. The weather was familiar &mdash; sunny and warm with just a sprinkle of rain &mdash; but since Barbados has a flatter landscape, no mountain peaks framed the horizons.
Then there are the buses. Neither island has trains, so people mostly rely on buses, particularly privately-owned minibuses &mdash; called "maxis" in Trinidad and "ZR buses" in Barbados. Both sometimes have a conductor alongside the driver, and the exterior designs are standardized with two horizontal stripes around the bus, the colour of which usually indicates the region. However, the seating and decorative styles inside the buses differ significantly.
In Trinidad, maxis mostly adhere to the standard design, with a few going full "pimp my ride" &mdash; think flashy wallpapers and neon LED lights for nighttime ambiance. In contrast, Barbados fully embraces creativity, with most ZR buses I've entered either fully painted or adorned with a myriad of doodles.
<img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NayL0JQ7wC9jJiVzBbNreJ2W4rLOGJIB6-UMV5zkpS4o5nocxJA7kp4vU9SM0l0vvLuepLr9fI_iVHzIO3ZLdUb8nnJ407LbKT_DDHtXLqW5xqw3EtJqIag77SZJrCTw3M=s0-d-e1-ft#https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/a9c2dcdc039b2253400c52788e6b70d6259aac84" width="568" alt="Busy supermarket shelves" title="Busy supermarket shelves" height="auto" class="CToWUd a6T" data-bit="iit" tabindex="0">
But the best place to spot differences? The grocery store. It's become my favourite hangout spot when I'm abroad. Even when brands are the same, the packaging usually isn't. The snack aisle alone serves as a crash course in cultural studies. There are always some local treats I'm eager to try (and a few steer clear of *cough, cough* &mdash; like raisin slices). Sometimes, I discover something new and think, "Hey, why isn't this sold back home? This could be a business opportunity!" I still dream of those stewed gooseberries&hellip;
So, yeah, even though I love a good adventure and ticking off all the must-sees, finding out how each place does its thing &mdash; from public transport to the way they sort their garbage/rubbish/trash &mdash; might seem mundane, but it totally fascinates me. It all reminds me of something I was once told: "In our different ways, we're all the same."
So I wanna know, readers, why do you travel? What are the little things that you love to discover when you visit somewhere new? Reply to this email to let us know &mdash; we can't wait to hear from you!

Travel Tales

Before my jaunt off across Europe to Albania, I asked for tips on your favourite Balkan dishes. While I ended up soaring down to Tirana via Italy, plenty of my fellow racers sure appreciated&nbsp;the&nbsp;suggestions we got! Here's what you had to say:

"Hi,
Regarding what food to eat on your trip, we are in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the moment and River Trout is what you need to be eating. There are loads of lakes and rivers, and they get fresh trout from there. I have had it the past two days in Mostar and Konjic.
Have a good trip!" - Katie!

Thanks, Katie! It's easy to forget that just because a country doesn't have much of a coastline (shout out to&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/VXNVU9au-j4UXubUOAPdwA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0Q6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuam9obmJpbGxzLmNvbS9kaXNwYXRjaGVzL25ldW0_bGlkPW92eGYzZGNqbXY3OFcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/VXNVU9au-j4UXubUOAPdwA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0Q6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuam9obmJpbGxzLmNvbS9kaXNwYXRjaGVzL25ldW0_bGlkPW92eGYzZGNqbXY3OFcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992369000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kn8THB3NW35VENOwJihqC">Neum</a>!), it doesn't mean you should avoid&nbsp;the&nbsp;seafood.
<img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NaxpVPGAWWnlCMy0H9rIugl6DGEkLVGi2tToxycFnbgxLlkFX9hMeXxaAO2-0_hB5v6oaKef0EkgkOgZetA1w2V35F46N6_PPZPnpKV7iEmhNkXjSUrWCqnNa1s-iHkqAE=s0-d-e1-ft#https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/1e9c9f16af7e73867a626404afa9b04766177ae9" width="793" height="476">

Readers' Corner

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<h1>Pick of&nbsp;The&nbsp;Clicks</h1>
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All&nbsp;the&nbsp;important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across&nbsp;the&nbsp;web this week.
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<li>How&nbsp;the&nbsp;USA's&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/O6ITIrmhdTH0Ng1P25XyQQ~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAua2VudHVja3kuY29tL25ld3Mvc3RhdGUva2VudHVja3kvYXJ0aWNsZTI5MTQ4MDI4NS5odG1sP2xpZD1lYmZ0aGUyN2JobDlXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/O6ITIrmhdTH0Ng1P25XyQQ~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RTaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAua2VudHVja3kuY29tL25ld3Mvc3RhdGUva2VudHVja3kvYXJ0aWNsZTI5MTQ4MDI4NS5odG1sP2xpZD1lYmZ0aGUyN2JobDlXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992370000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2QjpBYeRqHxeuh0_1qz5V4">3rd-most disappointing tourist attraction</a>&nbsp;is turning its newest title into a selling point.</li>
<li>We've all been on a flight with a kid that just won't settle down. But&nbsp;most&nbsp;of us wouldn't&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/HPwI4WhznWHG76XsvbxmbA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL25ld3MtYW5kLWFkdmljZS9wbGFuZS10b2lsZXQtdG9kZGxlci1jcnlpbmctY2hpbmEtZmxpZ2h0LWIyNjA0MjczLmh0bWw_bGlkPTk4dW8yZHloeGZvYlcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/HPwI4WhznWHG76XsvbxmbA~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL25ld3MtYW5kLWFkdmljZS9wbGFuZS10b2lsZXQtdG9kZGxlci1jcnlpbmctY2hpbmEtZmxpZ2h0LWIyNjA0MjczLmh0bWw_bGlkPTk4dW8yZHloeGZvYlcFc3BjZXVCCmbP8wDSZkGUbgxSH2NvbnRlbnR0ZWFtQGphY2tzZmxpZ2h0Y2x1Yi5jb21YBAAAAtY~&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992370000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1RC9G0arxJAt085CARObnr">lock&nbsp;the&nbsp;screaming toddler in&nbsp;the&nbsp;toilet</a>. Just saying.</li>
<li>Usually, when we ask our friends to pack us in their luggage and take us with them on holiday, we're joking.&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/VdZRXXJfjMO-CRs8TszVJw~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly9zaW1wbGVmbHlpbmcuY29tL2Zsb3JpZGEtbWFuLXNocmluay13cmFwcGVkLWNoZWNrLWluLWx1Z2dhZ2UtbWlhbWktaW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbC1haXJwb3J0Lz9saWQ9eG51eW9yOTlsdHdzVwVzcGNldUIKZs_zANJmQZRuDFIfY29udGVudHRlYW1AamFja3NmbGlnaHRjbHViLmNvbVgEAAAC1g~~" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/VdZRXXJfjMO-CRs8TszVJw~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly9zaW1wbGVmbHlpbmcuY29tL2Zsb3JpZGEtbWFuLXNocmluay13cmFwcGVkLWNoZWNrLWluLWx1Z2dhZ2UtbWlhbWktaW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbC1haXJwb3J0Lz9saWQ9eG51eW9yOTlsdHdzVwVzcGNldUIKZs_zANJmQZRuDFIfY29udGVudHRlYW1AamFja3NmbGlnaHRjbHViLmNvbVgEAAAC1g~~&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992370000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dNgbSwfYddO-8jZRCTmsr">Not this guy</a>.</li>
<li>And finally, in another case of passengers behaving badly, an angry would-be flier made his displeasure known at Chile's Santiago airport this week, when it transpired that he'd been&nbsp;<a href="https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/vPRXb4n4_lxy3kG_hDvkKQ~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly90aW1lc29maW5kaWEuaW5kaWF0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvdXMvZW5yYWdlZC1wYXNzZW5nZXItc21hc2hlcy1jb21wdXRlcnMtYXQtYWlycG9ydC1oZS13YXMtc29sZC1mYWtlLWFtZXJpY2FuLWFpcmxpbmVzLXRpY2tldC9hcnRpY2xlc2hvdy8xMTI5MDA2NDIuY21zP2xpZD1vYm05Nmp3Zjd5cDdXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clicks.jacksflightclub.com/f/a/vPRXb4n4_lxy3kG_hDvkKQ~~/AAAHagA~/RgRotIXzP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly90aW1lc29maW5kaWEuaW5kaWF0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvdXMvZW5yYWdlZC1wYXNzZW5nZXItc21hc2hlcy1jb21wdXRlcnMtYXQtYWlycG9ydC1oZS13YXMtc29sZC1mYWtlLWFtZXJpY2FuLWFpcmxpbmVzLXRpY2tldC9hcnRpY2xlc2hvdy8xMTI5MDA2NDIuY21zP2xpZD1vYm05Nmp3Zjd5cDdXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz_MA0mZBlG4MUh9jb250ZW50dGVhbUBqYWNrc2ZsaWdodGNsdWIuY29tWAQAAALW&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725464992370000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1KlW5fIyA933hDp-BPtW6U">sold a fake airline ticket</a>. Rather impressively,&nbsp;the&nbsp;man came prepared with a hammer in his bag, ready to smash&nbsp;the&nbsp;life out of $20,000-worth of airport computer systems. Somehow, we're not certain he was ever going to be allowed to board&hellip;</li>
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Travel News

Detour #204: It's the little things that make us love to travel

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At Jack&rsquo;s Flight Club, we love a good flight deal. The option to travel to new places for less offers plenty of perks: the opportunity to understand first hand the great variety in nature, appreciating other cultures more (and our own home in return), and learning how to enjoy an adventure on your own. On the flip side of all this is the cost associated with these trips. Not just the nickel and dime of the travel fare, food and lodging, but the extras like carbon pollution and the disposable material wastes that can come with these adventures.&nbsp;
Fortunately, the impact you have on the environment and the destinations you choose to travel to can be lessened with a few key decisions made throughout your trip. That&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;re happy to share our favourite ways to minimise the impact of travel on the environment and how to carbon offset what can&rsquo;t be avoided.
<h3>What is carbon offsetting?</h3>
The main goal of all eco-conscious choices is to limit your impact on the environment. Impacts are mainly from carbon you&rsquo;re putting into the atmosphere, either directly through items you use regularly or through the process it takes to create the objects you use. Carbon, or carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas which traps heat in the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere. To start with, it&rsquo;s important to understand what exactly companies mean when they say carbon offsetting.&nbsp;
Carbon offsetting is the practice of reducing carbon emissions from one source in order to compensate for emissions from another. Many companies <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/trees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(including JFC!)</a> do this through tree planting initiatives, where farmed trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Though this doesn&rsquo;t always mean carbon offsetting is done by planting trees, sometimes it means funding hydro-electric plants, building wind farms, or other alternative energy projects that may also benefit local populations. In all of them, the goal is to fund a way for reducing carbon in the atmosphere, either through growing practices that are non-carbon emitting or actively taking carbon out of the atmosphere.&nbsp;
The rising popularity of carbon offsetting is fantastic and has had a great impact on many communities, but critics of these efforts say that most of these are meant to happen over many years when the carbon being offset is being put into the atmosphere immediately. Others criticize that some of the carbon offsetting programs don&rsquo;t use donations efficiently and that the carbon offset actually achieved in the future doesn&rsquo;t always match up with what is anticipated from the project. What this means when you choose to offset your carbon footprint, though, is that carbon offsetting is a great start but other carbon limiting choices are still possible.&nbsp;
Fortunately, there are many supporting choices for you to further limit your impact on the environment.
<h3>How you can minimize your carbon footprint when planning your trip</h3>
Understanding how your buying choices affect your carbon footprint helps you minimize it. The first step of planning a trip is choosing where you&rsquo;ll be going and for how long. It might seem like the shorter and quicker the trip, the less carbon you&rsquo;ll rack up, but while this is true for a single trip comparison it&rsquo;s important to take into account the number of trips you&rsquo;ll be taking throughout the year. Studies have found that those who take shorter trips, over a weekend or a few days, are more likely to take more of them throughout the year rather than those who take a longer trip, and it&rsquo;s especially true that it tends to be a combination of shorter and long haul trips over time.
Regional flights, or flights travelling less than 1,267 km (or 787 miles) which is just slightly more than a trip from London to Barcelona, often travel with smaller and less fuel-efficient planes. A Boeing 737-800 used on short hauls uses about 35 litres of fuel for a trip, or 2.77 L of fuel per 100 kilometres per seat. Medium-haul flights (travelling up to 6,300 km or 3914 miles), or slightly more a trip from London to New York, are larger and can carry more people at once and offer better fuel consumption. On a medium-haul, a Boeing 787-9 spends about 149 litres of fuel per seat (or 2.37 L per 100 kilometres), meaning if you take about four short-haul trips a year you have as large a footprint as a two week trip from London to NYC or Houston to Medellin. The goal of knowing these figures is not to steer you in one direction for travel or another, only to help you stay informed of your own personal travel choices.
It&rsquo;s up to you to decide whether weekend breaks work best for you or a single long-haul recharges your batteries, but the flights you choose make a difference as well. Going for a longer trip with fewer layovers will also save you carbon points - minimizing the landing and take-off fuel expense for layovers will limit your carbon footprint by leaps and bounds. Going for a longer stay also will count for more. The longer you stay, the less itchy your feet will get in the near future, holidaymakers also report feeling more rested on a longer trip than their weekend breaks, which is a bonus for all involved. The fewer yearly trips you choose to take, the lower your overall footprint as well. All this means that if you are looking at budgeting for several weekend trips over the year or a larger blowout trip to an exotic location, go for the long-haul.&nbsp;
Keep in mind: this doesn&rsquo;t mean weekend trips are lost, you can still choose to offset the extra carbon footprint in return should those weekend hauls prove much-loved.
Finally, a great way to reduce your carbon footprint in the flight planning stage is to give up on Business or First Class fares. The more people planes can carry, the farther the fuel used on the flight stretches, which will bring down your carbon footprint. Your wallet will thank you as well!
How to purchase your flight and offset your carbon footprint
Airlines and flight search websites are also trying to help you in this effort; many are offering &lsquo;Green Choices&rsquo; when booking flights, where they have calculated the carbon footprint of the flight and labelled those where carbon output is reduced. If you frequently use Skyscanner in your search options, look for this label:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/8e77c7410df6346e80f6f48fed1c8308e75e696d" alt="Greener Choice example" width="740" height="770" />
Wondering what your carbon footprint will be while planning a trip? <a href="https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out this carbon footprint calculator</a>, which can help roughly estimate it.&nbsp;
Now that you&rsquo;ve planned the biggest part of your trip, you can pick out your carbon offsetting plan as well (a good one to check off your to-do list once your travel insurance is purchased). Many online travel agents and airlines already offer their own carbon-offsetting which have varying rates of efficiency. If you would like full control of your own carbon offsetting plan so you can feel like you&rsquo;re involved in the process, we recommend checking out the <a href="https://offset.climateneutralnow.org/AllProjects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Carbon Offset platform</a>, where you can read through and choose individual projects to fund and offset carbon (no affiliation here, we just really like them).
Some other quick tips for how to plan your trip with minimizing carbon footprint in mind:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Research and book with airlines who promote and use renewable technologies or who fund biofuel research</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Try to travel during off-peak dates, when fares are cheaper but also the destination will be better able to handle the waste created from visitors (and will be less crowded!)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever possible, try using public transportation and carpooling to travel to and from airports</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Save money while away by turning on your energy-saving options for home appliances, unplugging what you don&rsquo;t need, and using timer activated lights when necessary</li>
</ul>
Of course, travelling by train or bus is the best way to cut down on your carbon, but isn&rsquo;t always possible.
<h3>How to reduce your carbon footprint while on holiday</h3>
After planning your flight and the trip to and from the airport, you can have even more impact with the choices you make while on holiday - many times in ways we aren&rsquo;t aware of. While the availability of this information will depend on where you go, there are quite a few things you can consider:
Check what practices you are encouraging with your accommodation
Not all hotels are created equally, and while most communities encourage hotel and hostel owners to run their businesses with eco-conscious practices, not all do. Before you book your hotel rooms (or other accommodation), check their green business practices - recycling programs, green laundry detergent and cleaning chemicals, water filtration. A good indicator of their ethics can be whether they pay their staff a living or higher than average wage, which is also likely to get you better service! The old adage of &ldquo;voting with your wallet&rdquo; can change business practices for the better over time.
Shop at locally owned businesses and purchase locally created items
It might seem common-sense, but many of those souvenir stands where you pick up mementoes, import much of their content from other areas (or countries!) and are often generic, forgotten keepsakes. Consider getting decorations, clothing or accessories which you love from locally owned businesses (or artisans). This not only supports the community you came to visit but you&rsquo;ll be less likely to throw away something that you use regularly and it still serves as a memory of your trip. By purchasing items, food, and services from locals selling locally made items, you minimize your purchase&rsquo;s carbon footprint. Plus, if you&rsquo;re after food, the fresher the better, which can only mean locally purchased.
Many communities also have local transportation that will make sure you can get around to any attractions while producing less carbon (and are often owned by a local business as well). On city breaks, bike rentals are common-place now, usually very cheap, and are a convenient way to get about, Many places have day or week passes which cover all the local bus or train routes which are more accessible than ever thanks to Google Maps.
Bring home your trash and waste products whenever possible
Not all travellers realize that some communities, typically islands or developing countries, don&rsquo;t have the same waste disposal options. We&rsquo;re very used to buying travel size shampoo, conditioner, and other disposable goods to comply with air travel rules, only to see them on the beach or in the street from other travellers due to the lack of recycling or waste disposal resources. Packing your plastics and recycling at home is a small gesture, but helps to avoid stressing the local infrastructure. Keep the destinations you love nice so that you can enjoy them on your return (or others who come after you).&nbsp;
When dining out or shopping, single-use items are still popular in some destinations and make a surprisingly big impact. Straws, styrofoam packaging, and plastic bags are often used in takeaway locations and can be avoided by eating in or requesting to go without. If you&rsquo;re a foodie, you can pack your own utensil travel kit, and wash up in sinks for reuse. Bringing a reusable water container is common-sense (just empty out before security). Don&rsquo;t risk your health in countries without potable water though, you may need to purchase distilled water as a matter of safety. Try to go with larger 5L bottles instead of individual use, then refill your bottle throughout your trip.
Remember your chemical footprint as well - especially when going to reefs
Hawaii has recently banned all sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are believed to cause reef-bleaching (or causing reefs to die out) due to swimmers going into the water and washing the sunscreen off. Unfortunately, these chemicals are in most sunscreens sold today, which means a whole lot of bleached reefs. While not many other countries have jumped on that bandwagon, it&rsquo;s still important to be aware that you should be mindful of the chemicals you are bringing with you when travelling. If you&rsquo;re planning on using sunscreens while on holiday, especially if you&rsquo;re going to a beach location, <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/sunscreens/the-truth-about-reef-safe-sunscreen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">choose to bring reef-safe sunscreens</a> or those containing mineral sun-blockers or specifically sized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
Our mission is to help you find cheap flights and in the process, we&rsquo;ve helped thousands visit countries which they had only dreamed of. We don&rsquo;t think that great deals and being eco-conscious are mutually exclusive. By reading this, you&rsquo;ve already opened yourself to new ways that you can minimize your carbon footprint and we hope next time you click that book button, you&rsquo;ll feel a bit better that you know how to do your bit to help.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s one last thing you can do to help. The impact humanity has had on the climate at large cannot be narrowed down to just the individual traveller - we&rsquo;re all participants in a system and society which encourages us to travel. Travelling, for many, is often one of the most important memories we carry with us and we think is too valuable an experience to lose. So, write, email, tweet and record videos encouraging your government and big businesses to do more to reduce the amount of carbon production, reduce their packaging, introduce policies that incentivize eco-friendly practices and support carbon offsetting initiatives.
 
. . .
Still have questions? Feel free to drop us a message on <a href="mailto:support@jacksflightclub.com%E2%80%9D">support@jacksflightclub.com</a>&nbsp;and we'll be happy to help.
Please note, while we do have links to other websites in our articles, none are affiliate links and we do not benefit from you clicking on them, we just think they are a good resource :)

Your 2020 travel guide to carbon offsetting and reducing your carbon footprint

Prow scuttle parrel provost Sail ho shrouds spirits boom mizzenmast yardarm. Pinnace holystone mizzenmast quarter crow's nest nipperkin grog yardarm hempen halter furl. Swab barque interloper chantey doubloon starboard grog black jack gangway rutters.
Deadlights jack lad schooner scallywag dance the hempen jig carouser broadside cable strike colors. Bring a spring upon her cable holystone blow the man down spanker Shiver me timbers to go on account lookout wherry doubloon chase. Belay yo-ho-ho keelhaul squiffy black spot yardarm spyglass sheet transom heave to.
Trysail Sail ho Corsair red ensign hulk smartly boom jib rum gangway. Case shot Shiver me timbers gangplank crack Jennys tea cup ballast Blimey lee snow crow's nest rutters. Fluke jib scourge of the seven seas boatswain schooner gaff booty Jack Tar transom spirits.

Prow scuttle parrel provost Sail ho shrouds spirits boom mizzenmast yardarm!
Trysail Sail ho Corsair red ensign hulk smartly boom jib rum gangway. Case shot Shiver me timbers gangplank crack Jennys tea cup ballast Blimey lee snow crow's nest rutters. Fluke jib scourge of the seven seas boatswain schooner gaff booty Jack Tar transom spirits. Deadlights jack lad schooner scallywag dance the hempen jig carouser broadside cable strike colors. Bring a spring upon her cable holystone blow the man down spanker Shiver me timbers to go on account lookout wherry doubloon chase. Belay yo-ho-ho keelhaul squiffy black spot yardarm spyglass sheet transom heave to.
Case shot Shiver me timbers gangplank crack Jennys tea cup ballast Blimey lee snow crow's nest rutters. Fluke jib scourge of the seven seas boatswain schooner gaff booty Jack Tar transom spirits.

Deadlights jack lad schooner scallywag dance the hempen jig carouser broadside cable strike colors. Trysail Sail ho Corsair red ensign hulk smartly boom jib rum gangway. Case shot Shiver me timbers gangplank crack Jennys tea cup ballast Blimey lee snow crow's nest rutters.
Fluke jib scourge of the seven seas boatswain schooner gaff booty Jack Tar transom spirits.
Deadlights jack lad schooner scallywag dance the hempen jig carouser broadside cable strike colors. Bring a spring upon her cable holystone blow the man down spanker Shiver me timbers to go on account lookout wherry doubloon chase. Belay yo-ho-ho keelhaul squiffy black spot yardarm spyglass sheet transom heave to.&nbsp;Case shot Shiver me timbers gangplank crack Jennys tea cup ballast Blimey lee snow crow's nest rutters. Fluke jib scourge of the seven seas boatswain schooner gaff booty Jack Tar transom spirits.

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Hey there, JFC-ers,
This is the first weekend in what&rsquo;s about to be a pretty big month or so for the city of New Orleans. With the Super Bowl in town, there&rsquo;s a lot going on.&nbsp;
Some of the <a href="https://www.timeout.com/new-orleans/things-to-do/a-guide-to-super-bowl-lix-events-in-new-orleans">many celebratory events</a> lean into more classic New Orleans activities, like a seafood boil showdown, parades, and a Mardi Gras themed party. And there&rsquo;s the one I didn&rsquo;t see coming &mdash; Bourbon Street becoming <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/t-pain-bourbon-street-rum-street-captain-morgan-super-bowl-party-1235881405/">Captain Morgan&rsquo;s &lsquo;Rum Street&rsquo;</a> for the weekend.
No sooner will the big game be over than the <a href="https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/">Mardi Gras parade</a> schedule starts ramping up. I&rsquo;m not just talking about the week before, either. The <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/mardi-gras/krewes/">krewes </a>begin hitting the streets as early as King&rsquo;s Day in January, dancing all the way through to Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday. And after a couple of weeks&rsquo; rest, they do it all again for <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/saint-patricks-day/">St. Patrick&rsquo;s Day</a>!
Of course, there&rsquo;s more to NOLA than just parades and Mardi Gras. If, like me, you want to see more than just the bars and po-boys of the French Quarter, I can recommend heading out to the Garden District. This <a href="https://www.nolatourguy.com/free-self-guided-garden-district-walking-tour-new-orleans/">self-guided walking tour</a> led us past huge, ornate houses and cute coffee shops.&nbsp;
But as a major public transportation nerd, there&rsquo;s still one other NOLA adventure that I&rsquo;m yet to tick off the list: a <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/plan/itineraries/streetcar-itinerary/">streetcar tour</a>. On my last attempt to take one in New Orleans, we were cursed with the same fate I&rsquo;ve met the world over &mdash; the replacement bus! Guess we&rsquo;ll just have to try again!
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

We Booked the Cheapest Safari in Tanzania: Here's How it Went&hellip;

Flight Finders Lauren and Fran both love finding cheap flights, sampling local wines, and dancing the night away, no matter where they are.

Our story begins back in 2023, on an unassuming Wednesday in the middle of July. Like with most mornings, we Flight Finders began our day with (you guessed it) a spot of flight finding. Everything was pretty normal&hellip;until&hellip; *ding*
We got an alert on our feed&hellip;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/2-in-1-milan-dar-es-salaam-in-160s-280s-rtn-from-the-uk">&ldquo;Return flights to Tanzania in &pound;160s with Saudia Airlines&rdquo;</a>
Within seconds, we jumped into action. It turned out to be a 2-in-1 trip &mdash; the flights departed from Milan and returned to the UK. As we set up the flight tip for JFC members, the cogs were already turning in our brains. Urged on by our inner bargain hunter and a healthy dose of FOMO, eight of us caved and booked the flights.
 <img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdztJhO-5WRDveFREHuFLs_1cfS0YVA981FU21kFyVirZRKx5Ldcp8zCA0Y3XWp8-t86KBne5z0umZbjYlMk2q3gKVrodvNjq97eN5TbWAU0vZGu4Pged6JoxwD56W4PWVxj00oU50YiW5LIqHkDWwH3B0a?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="416" height="386" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> 

Then reality set in. While we may have been able to afford some &pound;160 ($200 USD) flights, our bank accounts weren&rsquo;t really prepared for much else. And a quick search of safari prices practically made our credit cards shrivel up and hide. But surely, we couldn&rsquo;t go all the way to Tanzania and not see the animals? There just had to be another, cheaper, way to do it&hellip;
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Choosing our safari</h3>
First things first, we did some thorough research. After sifting through pages and pages of all-inclusive luxury safaris well over the &pound;1000 mark, we finally came across a website called Safari Bookings.&nbsp;
The site was&hellip; different.
It showcased various tours from a selection of companies with much less frightening prices. We filtered our dates, adjusted the search results to display prices from low to high, and this is what showed up:
<a href="https://www.safaribookings.com/day/t14077">3-Day Selous Reserve, Nyerere Park Boat, Drive and Walking Safari</a>

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdbaks2-3HX_E093CYra_CDGTzVj17DtjisM1pwt_yCT_5NTxxgpbrm3RIRoBvBuGSJY8Eg40R4DJXBhdK0py9nBTk9QtvnhfG4aZvbOSZ_E8Ed7G9kKDI-PDLXrXD0yqs0SMmBcagwXURkkc2kpQF4LaFn?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="409" height="87" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

A boat trip, a game drive and a walking safari, with food and accommodation included, and the chance of spotting some of the &lsquo;big five&rsquo; animals for &pound;360 ($450 USD) &mdash; it all sounded pretty perfect to us, considering it would be a private tour. The activities offered were more or less the same as the ones included in the pricier safari tours &mdash; which we later discovered had slightly fancier accommodation (probably justifying the price).
This cheaper safari also included a visit to a Maasai Village, which we felt a tad apprehensive about. After doing some research, we couldn&rsquo;t confidently determine whether this visit would help the villagers, and we weren&rsquo;t keen to rock up and hope for the best.
Not to let the only reasonably priced safari slip away, we decided to reach out and ask if we could skip the village. Turned out, we could! But not only that, they even gave us a lil&rsquo; discount for booking three people. The final price they offered was &pound;312 ($390 USD) per person.
Surprisingly, we didn&rsquo;t need a down payment (more on that below) or any other confirmation to lock this deal in. It&rsquo;s safe to say that the company operated very casually&hellip;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcbZAz_68hNBqy3gEgnyRky_k9duBBrz1Iy55-fX97yFoNqSPyp2mgrGTVKmwcJhZdEf6qVg0l_kzJudJjhLG4O3i7kVkZ4R6Y-5jE_ScazAvGXJL7MbtAYvRRH-6p-TrC4TEakwqF8DrRljmG9Pdcrs00?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="455" height="149" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
&nbsp;
Our word was apparently all they needed, and we were promised that a guide named Willium would show up at Dar es Salaam airport to pick us up and whisk us away on our adventure. Instead of a deposit, we were told Willium would accept cash or card payments on the day.
Was this legit? We had no idea, but it was our best shot at a safari, so we decided to go for it!&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Day One &mdash; The rain</h3>
And then, it began.
A quick weekend in Milan, two smooth flights (you can read about <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/jfc-honest-airline-reviews-saudia-airlines-and-more">our Saudia experience here!</a>) and some minor sleep deprivation later, we finally landed in Dar es Salaam.
After getting changed into our 30&deg;C+ appropriate safari attire, we stepped out of the airport arrivals, praying that someone would be waiting for us in the hall.
Willium was there, holding a thin sheet of paper with faded writing that looked like it said &lsquo;Lauren &amp; Fran&rsquo; on it, with an emotionless face, and a hint of annoyance.
As soon as he recognised us, he crumpled up the paper and told us to follow him. He was &ldquo;fine, but tired&rdquo;, and had apparently been waiting for a while. Odd, considering our flight wasn&rsquo;t delayed, and we told him in advance when we would land. At that point, we understood that Willium was a man of few words.

Stepping out through the airport doors felt like entering a steam room &mdash; the 37 &deg;C (98 &deg;F) heat, matched with 100% humidity levels, was jarring. But what we really weren&rsquo;t prepared for was an endless amount of dark grey clouds quickly gathering above us.
Tiny rain drops started falling on us before we took cover in the massive Jeep, which would turn out to be our main transport for the following three days. Inside the car, a very smiley man was waiting for us &mdash; or more realistically, he was waiting for our money.&nbsp;
Fran and Andreia had brought the exact per-person amount in euros in cash, since they had been told the currency would be accepted as payment. The man quickly put the cash in his pocket, and turned to Lauren, who wanted to pay by card. Contrary to what we had been told by email, paying by card wasn&rsquo;t an easy option. The money-man started complaining to Willium, but eventually resigned, trusting Lauren to make her card transaction at the lodge where we would be staying for the next two nights.
While in this sticky money situation, the rain intensified. But it was only when marble-sized drops began hitting the car roof that we realised a tropical storm was above us. Willium seemed stressed, and as soon as the money topic was settled, he told us that we had to start driving before the unusual off-season rain began damaging the roads towards Nyerere National Park.
Little did we know it was already too late&hellip; 
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/5ebd0b0f58418205ef43dec436035b65b62c8e2e" width="260" height="411" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
 We buckled our seatbelts (or so we thought&hellip;) and away we went to brave the&nbsp;roads&nbsp;of Dar es Salaam.
As the roads became more remote, the rain was only getting worse &mdash; and as the rain got worse, so too did the amount of water coming from the roof of the car. Nevertheless, running on a couple of hours of sleep, we all slowly started dozing off on the spacious, leather Jeep seats while our clothes only got wetter, and the roads muddier&hellip;
&hellip;and suddenly&nbsp;BAM!
As soon as Lauren opened her eyes from the jump scare, Fran was already flying towards the car&rsquo;s roof and then back down on her seat. The car had run over a deep puddle a bit too fast &mdash; Willium didn&rsquo;t flinch.
We gave each other a terrified stare, before realising the rain had stopped. We breathed a sigh of relief, assuming it couldn&rsquo;t go any further downhill from there&hellip; and yet, we couldn&rsquo;t be more wrong. Actually, downhill we&nbsp;kinda&nbsp;went, when the car got stuck on the muddy main road towards our camp.
While the three of us are seasoned travellers, none of us had been in this kind of daunting situation before, and when the car&rsquo;s wheels just wouldn&rsquo;t get out of the mud, we just looked at each other in disbelief. The confusion intensified as soon as some people from the local village approached the car, and started staring at us from outside the window.
Willium, who had been silent during the whole four hour drive, knew exactly what to do. After telling us to stay inside the car, he stepped outside and started talking to the locals. 
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/246a6f4f4fd249d423fc45e0c9be2a6bf699f562" width="260" height="361" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
&nbsp;
After being stuck in the car for nearly 30 minutes &mdash; and having started working our way through the few snack leftovers from our flight (cheers, Saudia) &mdash; a dozen men holding some huge wooden logs showed up in front of the car:&nbsp;they had a plan.
Willium and his troupe of log-carriers carefully started to place the logs below the car wheels.&nbsp; After endless pushing, revving, and finger-crossing, the car jolted forward out of the mud.&nbsp;
When the excitement washed off, and we got back on the &lsquo;road&rsquo;, we started to feel the main effect of the heat:&nbsp;thirst. To our disbelief, we were informed by Willium that &mdash;&nbsp;no, there are no bottles of water. And, to give a bit of extra context, at that point, we were on a deserted road, in the middle of Southern Tanzania, heading towards Nyerere Reserve. So, stopping by a mini-market was,&nbsp;unsurprisingly,&nbsp;not an option.
The last two hours of the drive to the camp were spent sitting quietly, wondering why were we never offered any water, and why there wouldn&rsquo;t be any in the car &mdash; especially since our safari experience was supposed to be all-inclusive.
<h3 class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-h3 css-d91h7b" dir="ltr">The boat safari</h3>
Thirsty, weary, and feeling a little like three socks that had just tumbled through a 6-hour washing cycle, we staggered into our new home for the following two nights.
First impressions: it was nice! Rustic, but nice. There was a simple outdoor dining area, an algae-coated pool and a handful of wooden lodges. Oh, and a territorial troop of resident baboons roaming around the garden. Normal stuff.

We hopped our way across the garden, dodged the primates, and unlocked our front door. After such a long journey, we were relieved to see two freshly-made beds with mosquito nets &mdash; perfect to protect us from the unexpected millipede army that we noticed making its way into our room! At least there were no gigantic spiders in sight&hellip;yet.
Our relief disappeared when we realised there was no door to our (private?) bathroom. But hey, we were all friends (thank goodness) and there was no going back now, anyway.
Before we had any time to worry, there was a knock on our door. It was Willium.
&ldquo;Lunch? And boat safari?&rdquo;
We grabbed our things and followed him to the outdoor seating area. We were hastily served a simple rice, vegetable, and chicken combo (minus the chicken for vegetarians) and then ushered towards the jeep once again.
After a short drive, we reached the grassy banks of the Rufiji River. Fuelled up on food and with a renewed sense of excitement, we were introduced to our friendly boat guide. He led us onto a tiny motorboat, and we trundled out onto the murky waters.
After teaching us a bit of background info on the river itself, he exclaimed, &ldquo;Look, hippo!&rdquo;
We couldn&rsquo;t believe it &mdash; he was right! And not just one, but multiple big, chunky hippos gracefully floating by. It was incredible. To witness animals this big, and this powerful, just chilling in their own natural environment felt so amazing. We spent the next hour ooh-ing and&nbsp;aah-ing at hippo after hippo, and a few less-chunky birds, while our guide taught us about the animals&rsquo; lives.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/aa5b57b6fd1a12f8bdee1d81e63202523eb645df" width="225" height="327" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
&nbsp;
As the sun began to set, we wrapped up our boat tour and made our way back to camp. After an exhausting day, and with an early alarm set for tomorrow, we doused ourselves in bug repellent, hit our pillows and passed out.
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/we-booked-the-cheapest-safari-in-tanzania-and-this-is-how-it-went">Read more...</a>

Travel Inspiration

Nepal&nbsp;on&nbsp;the beaten track

Firstly, thank you to those of you who wrote in to correct the Cook Strait Ferry fares mentioned last week. Fares for foot passengers start at NZ$78, while bringing a car will add around NZ$300. Seemingly, the much lower prices that caught my eye on the <a href="https://www.interislander.co.nz/">Interislander website</a> were the change fees!
Secondly, let's all celebrate this reader, who is truly taking spontaneous travel purchases to new levels:

"I just booked a spontaneous trip to Nepal, but I'm not sure what all the things you can do there are. I'd love to see something about it in the Detour!"

Flight Finder Kristi is a born and bred&nbsp;Canadian. When she isn't travelling to another far-flung corner of the earth, she is writing about travelling, or dreaming about travelling, or saving up for... you get the point!

Ooh, now this is a dream trip! Not only is the Mt Everest Base Camp trek on my actual bucket list, Nepal was my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEzhytlJkTq/">2025 JFC wish list destination</a>. So I teamed up with Flight Finder Hannah, and together we made the ultimate Nepal to-do list. 
Of course, top of my list is the&nbsp;<a href="https://thewanderlustrose.com/mount-everest-base-camp-trek-frequently-asked-questions-answered/">Mt Everest Base Camp trek</a> (EBC). It has everything required for trip perfection: adventure, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsqhZf0o1ms/">jaw-dropping views</a>, a threat of death upon landing at their high-altitude airport, a solid chance of my legs giving out at the end of each day, friendly locals, and heart-pumping adventure at every turn.

Here is an average <a href="https://www.annaroundtheworld.com/blog/a-comprehensive-guide-on-hiking-everest-base-camp-independently">EBC trek itinerary</a>:&nbsp;
Day 1: Fly into Kathmandu, and give yourself a day to acclimatize and check your gear.&nbsp;
Days 2-3: Fly into Lukla, one of the <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/5-airports-you-never-want-to-land-at">craziest airports in the world</a>. Give yourself a buffer day in case of weather delays.
Days 4-15: Embark on the 10/11-day hike, moving each day from one teahouse to the next, with a few rest days to hopefully prevent altitude sickness. Top tip from people who&rsquo;ve done it: pack snacks and protein bars because the food can be questionable.
Day 16: Fly back to Kathmandu (lucky you! You get to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yEJ_tKFeymU">take off from Lukla</a> again!)
Highlights include shockingly gorgeous views of Everest, the vibrant Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, the sacred Tengboche Monastery, and the turquoise glacial waters of Khumbu Icefall. The trek takes you through rhododendron forests, suspension bridges, and high-altitude <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-k0p5aos3_/">landscapes dotted with yaks</a>, and traditional teahouses.
If this is all sounding a liiiiiiittle too intense for you, but you&rsquo;re still interested in exploring the rugged beauty of the Himalayas, here are a few alternatives:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.bucketlistly.blog/posts/trekking-the-himalayas-annapurna-base-camp-in-7-days">Annapurna Base Camp</a> trek (12-18 days, moderate-challenging difficulty, main draw: close-up views of Annapurna and the breathtaking Himalayas) </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.magicalsummits.com/langtang-valley-trek/">Langtang Valley</a>&nbsp;(7-10 days, moderate difficulty, main draw: a less-crowded option with easier access from Kathmandu) </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfD1sh956u8">Mardi Himal</a>&nbsp;(5-7 days, moderate difficulty, main draw: shorter/easier hike with gorgeous ridge views).</li>
</ul>
But you might not want to pack any hiking gear at all, and that&rsquo;s totally fine too!

Reader's Corner

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week. 
<ul>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">Last Sunday saw the annual return of everyone&rsquo;s favourite <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg0j8zjlr9o">weather-forecasting groundhog</a>. Despite the overcast conditions, Punxsutawney Phil did indeed see his shadow, therefore condemning the folks in Punxsutawney to six more weeks of wintry weather. Nice one, Phil. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">The small-scale Italian ski resort of Roccaraso has become inundated with<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/29/travel/italy-ski-resort-social-media-chaos/index.html"> waves of TikTok tourists</a> after one influencer's post went viral. Disgruntled locals claimed the visitors clogged the slopes, created makeshift sledges out of saucepans, and fired up barbecues. </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">Over the past few days, emergency services from the Greek island of Santorini have taken precautionary actions after<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/santorini-earthquakes-latest-ferry-plane-b2691759.html"> a number of tremors were recorded</a> throughout the region. Along with schools being closed, additional flights have been announced to help evacuate locals and tourists.&nbsp; </li>
<li class="MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-body1 css-xhcohm css-xhcohm">And finally, there&rsquo;s some exciting news coming out of little Newquay airport in Cornwall. Is it a new airline or a new flight route? Not exactly&hellip;it's <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2025-02-03/nasa-backs-plans-to-build-worlds-deepest-pool-in-cornwall">the world&rsquo;s deepest pool</a>. Yay?</li>
</ul>

The cheapest safari in Tanzania: our Flight Finders reveal all

Test

Our story begins back in 2023, on an unassuming Wednesday in the middle of July. Like with most mornings, we Flight Finders began our day with (you guessed it) a spot of flight finding. Everything was pretty normal&hellip;until&hellip; *ding*
We got an alert on our feed&hellip;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/2-in-1-milan-dar-es-salaam-in-160s-280s-rtn-from-the-uk">&ldquo;Return flights to Tanzania in &pound;160s with Saudia Airlines&rdquo;</a>
Within seconds, we jumped into action. It turned out to be a 2-in-1 trip &mdash; the flights departed from Milan and returned to the UK. As we set up the flight tip for JFC members, the cogs were already turning in our brains. Urged on by our inner bargain hunter and a healthy dose of FOMO, 8 of us caved and booked the flights.
 <img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdztJhO-5WRDveFREHuFLs_1cfS0YVA981FU21kFyVirZRKx5Ldcp8zCA0Y3XWp8-t86KBne5z0umZbjYlMk2q3gKVrodvNjq97eN5TbWAU0vZGu4Pged6JoxwD56W4PWVxj00oU50YiW5LIqHkDWwH3B0a?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="507" height="471" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> 

Then reality set in. While we may have been able to afford some &pound;160 flights, our bank accounts weren&rsquo;t really prepared for much else. And a quick search of safari prices practically made our credit cards shrivel up and hide. But surely, we couldn&rsquo;t go all the way to Tanzania and not see the animals? There just had to be another, cheaper, way to do it&hellip;
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Choosing our safari</h3>
First things first, we did some thorough research. After sifting through pages and pages of all-inclusive luxury safaris well over the &pound;1000 mark, we finally came across a website called Safari Bookings.&nbsp;
The site was&hellip; different.
It showcased various tours from a selection of companies with much less frightening prices. We filtered our dates, adjusted the search results to display prices from low to high, and this is what showed up:
<a href="https://www.safaribookings.com/day/t14077">3-Day Selous Reserve, Nyerere Park Boat, Drive and Walking Safari</a>

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdbaks2-3HX_E093CYra_CDGTzVj17DtjisM1pwt_yCT_5NTxxgpbrm3RIRoBvBuGSJY8Eg40R4DJXBhdK0py9nBTk9QtvnhfG4aZvbOSZ_E8Ed7G9kKDI-PDLXrXD0yqs0SMmBcagwXURkkc2kpQF4LaFn?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="630" height="134" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

A boat trip, a game drive and a walking safari, with food and accommodation included, and the chance of spotting some of the &lsquo;big five&rsquo; for &pound;360 ($450 USD) &mdash; it all sounded pretty perfect to us, considering it would be a private tour. The activities offered were more or less the same as the ones included in the pricer safari tours &mdash; which we later discovered had slightly fancier accommodation (probably justifying the price).
This cheaper safari also included a visit to a Masai Village, which we felt a tad apprehensive about. After doing some research, we couldn&rsquo;t confidently determine whether this visit would help the villagers, and we weren&rsquo;t keen to rock up and hope for the best.
Not to let the only reasonably priced safari slip away, we decided to reach out and ask if we could skip the village. Turned out, we could! But not only that, they even gave us a lil&rsquo; discount for booking three people. The final price they offered was &pound;312 ($390 USD) per person.
Surprisingly, we didn&rsquo;t need a down payment (more on that below) or any other confirmation to lock this deal in. It&rsquo;s safe to say that the company operated very casually&hellip;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcbZAz_68hNBqy3gEgnyRky_k9duBBrz1Iy55-fX97yFoNqSPyp2mgrGTVKmwcJhZdEf6qVg0l_kzJudJjhLG4O3i7kVkZ4R6Y-5jE_ScazAvGXJL7MbtAYvRRH-6p-TrC4TEakwqF8DrRljmG9Pdcrs00?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="814" height="267" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
&nbsp;
Our word was apparently all they needed, and we were promised that a guide named Willium would show up at Dar es Salaam airport to pick us up and whisk us away on our adventure. Instead of a deposit, we were told Willium would accept cash or card payments on the day.
Was this legit? We had no idea, but it was our best shot at a safari, so we decided to go for it!&nbsp;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf7nZGpmd2YQvMKK8szKjVDqyZ6hPStqiPBCIfO7IdlX18eB_K91QYlDRbD9QaENpczRB4UJzshKykYA2Sn_JflgwUGmp_WF77zYyjI5TaPSnakynZSDIVRK_Ctr9k4Y7LyYxwpSK27Pe6MOPHhmbzlLdXT?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="336" height="242" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Day One &mdash; The rain</h3>
And then, it began.
A quick weekend in Milan, two smooth flights (you can read about <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/jfc-honest-airline-reviews-saudia-airlines-and-more">our Saudia experience here!</a>) and some minor sleep deprivation later, we finally landed in Dar es Salaam.
After getting changed into our 30 &deg;C+ -appropriate safari attire, we stepped out of the airport arrivals, praying that someone would be waiting for us in the hall.
Willium was there, holding a thin sheet of paper with faded writing that looked like it said &lsquo;Lauren &amp; Fran&rsquo; on it, with an emotionless face, and a hint of annoyance.
As soon as he recognised us, he crumpled up the paper and told us to follow him. He was &ldquo;fine, but tired&rdquo;, and had apparently been waiting for a while. Odd, considering our flight wasn&rsquo;t delayed, and we told him in advance when we would land. At that point, we understood that Willium was a man of few words.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcL5PKrE6xWJIcsF9NJ6wc5jdSKdDUqy4Dmi4oN5YpA2rrYB5twCosTrrevBOB33iNKm-rcgtXrnGzZFtnDJqZCQ5Ri3PsE9O2xkxnPlYergyHfyIXWMVuSWSlsjli9ed1ZzoKkZQ?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="490" height="367" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Stepping out through the airport doors felt like entering a steam room &mdash; the 37 &deg;C heat, matched with 100% humidity levels, was jarring. But what we really weren&rsquo;t prepared for was an endless amount of dark grey clouds quickly gathering above us.
Tiny rain drops started falling on us before we took cover in the massive Jeep, which would turn out to be our main transport for the following three days. Inside the car, a very smiley man was waiting for us &mdash; more realistically, he was waiting for our money.&nbsp;
Fran and Andreia had brought the exact per-person amount in euros in cash, since they had been told the currency would be accepted as payment. The man quickly put the cash in his pocket, and turned to Lauren, who wanted to pay by card. Contrary to what we had been told by email, paying by card wasn&rsquo;t an easy option. The money-man started complaining to Willium, but eventually resigned, trusting Lauren to make her card transaction at the lodge where we would be staying for the next two nights.
While in this sticky money situation, the rain intensified. But it was only when marble-sized drops began hitting the car roof that we realised a tropical storm was above us. Willium seemed stressed, and as soon as the money topic was settled, he told us that we had to start driving before the unusual off-season rain began damaging the roads towards Nyerere National Park.
Little did we know it was already too late&hellip;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeD6Jn82wlN5Oo9XfyhrpqcrJ6NqDj3E0R4E9NqCTfpUmul1B5oglPPPUyC165x8wI_5IB8J42tDBZ4aY8PSLMQTQnclbNYtlTfI6ABbP3C3zwKo3wmAeynz3F5C6bmQFSmopAWng?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="347" height="550" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

We buckled our seatbelts (or so we thought&hellip;) and away we went to brave the&nbsp;roads rivers of Dar es Salaam.
As the roads became more remote, the rain was only getting worse &mdash; and as the rain got worse, so too did the amount of water coming from the roof of the car. Nevertheless, running on a couple of hours of sleep, we all slowly started dozing off on the spacious, leather Jeep seats while our clothes only got wetter, and the roads muddier&hellip;
&hellip;and suddenly&nbsp;BAM!
As soon as Lauren opened her eyes from the jump scare, Fran was already flying towards the car&rsquo;s roof and then back down on her seat. The car had run over a deep puddle a bit too fast &mdash; Willium didn&rsquo;t flinch.
We gave each other a terrified stare, before realising the rain had stopped. We breathed a sigh of relief, assuming it couldn&rsquo;t go any further downhill from there&hellip; and yet, we couldn&rsquo;t be more wrong.
Actually, downhill we&nbsp;kinda went&hellip; when the car got stuck on the muddy main road towards our camp.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcsp0SNW5UsWT0ftoOJQn28rW9k5RfUNr8ymT6wk8jsTqKioXJKY4-OUAAG1BPjEMcJ0mSgie3DK_amkEmwaIaXKaTwFAaTzfpeLxRlYgA8grOJ-wBSMB9foKN1uCFWOrIFYTPP?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="375" height="474" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

While the three of us are seasoned travellers, none of us had been in this kind of daunting situation before, and when the car&rsquo;s wheels just wouldn&rsquo;t get out of the mud, we just looked at each other in disbelief. The confusion intensified as soon as some people from the local village approached the car, and started staring at us from outside the window.
Willium, who had been silent during the whole 4 hr drive, knew exactly what to do. After telling us to stay inside the car, he stepped outside and started talking to the locals.
After being stuck in the car for nearly 30 minutes &mdash; and having started working our way through the few snack leftovers from our flight (cheers, Saudia) &mdash; a dozen men holding some huge wooden logs showed up in front of the car: they had a plan.
Willium and his troupe of log-carriers carefully started to place the logs below the car wheels.&nbsp; After endless pushing, revving, and finger-crossing, the car jolted forward out of the mud.&nbsp;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfnBEGZrZ6IsRJho4HoHSUg2JQVy9tfMKIRhnhrzfOLrr10ttuHq4OFDM-giY4aB81ktIWEfhToa9KfUAj2cvEvRX6v2A9o8lgDHtpk7s4ovkonGpVj2UkXjZWoGOs2AQYMFClCCw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="295" height="521" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

When the excitement washed off, and we got back on the &lsquo;road&rsquo;, we started to feel the main effect of the heat:&nbsp;thirst.
To our disbelief, we were informed by Willium that &mdash;&nbsp;no, there are no bottles of water. 
And, to give a bit of extra context, at that point, we were on a deserted road, in the middle of Southern Tanzania, heading towards Nyerere Reserve. So, stopping by a mini-market was,&nbsp;unsurprisingly, not an option.
The 2 last hours of the drive to the camp were spent sitting quietly, wondering why were we never offered any water, and why there wouldn&rsquo;t be any in the car &mdash; especially since our safari experience was supposed to be all-inclusive.
<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Day One &mdash; The boat safari</h3>
Thirsty, weary, and feeling a little like three socks that had just tumbled through a 6-hour washing cycle, we staggered into our new home for the following two nights.
First impressions: it was nice! Rustic, but nice. There was a simple outdoor dining area, an algae-coated pool and a handful of wooden lodges. Oh, and a territorial troop of resident baboons roaming around the garden. Normal stuff.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf0gDuG_LM08yol655WUHK0AViRn907zWcJwHjdGYr548qSaUDu4j9fY4s-S2IYDFGQVLxyazqsqEmzv4JaUHyNivsjI-_wqEnjR0DuRLlMIBVHr-WjS6tqGxOtrJ0NeYK1sQx0pw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="445" height="445" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

We hopped our way across the garden, dodged the primates, and unlocked our front door. After such a long journey, we were relieved to see two freshly-made beds with mosquito nets &mdash; perfect to protect us from the unexpected millipede army that we noticed making its way into our room! At least there were no gigantic spiders in sight&hellip;yet.
Our relief disappeared when we realised there was no door to our (private?) bathroom. But hey, we were all friends (thank goodness) and there was no going back now, anyway.
Before we had any time to worry, there was a knock on our door. It was Willium.
&ldquo;Lunch? And boat safari?&rdquo;
We grabbed our things and followed him to the outdoor seating area. We were hastily served a simple rice, vegetable, and chicken combo (minus the chicken for vegetarians) and then ushered towards the jeep once again.
After a short drive, we reached the grassy banks of the Rufiji River. Fuelled up on food and with a renewed sense of excitement, we were introduced to our friendly boat guide. He led us onto a tiny motorboat, and we trundled out onto the murky waters.
After teaching us a bit of background info on the river itself, he exclaimed, &ldquo;Look, hippo!&rdquo;
We couldn&rsquo;t believe it &mdash; he was right! And not just one, but multiple big, chunky hippos gracefully floating by. It was incredible. To witness animals this big, and this powerful, just chilling in their own natural environment felt so incredible. We spent the next hour oohing and aahing at hippo after hippo, and a few less-chunky birds, while our guide taught us about the animals&rsquo; lives.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe-zcdi2cQr4OLuTrNN9mKPrHm25zhOW03dWsPvzSL6CuZFVwxKyQsDzswiWrrDc189_Egq_EeIGkuwtssFyz3XCI-OiKg78AmameQwjnIgqMK5mhXk21uB9HAT-1mxentO-o6a?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="382" height="618" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

As the sun began to set, we wrapped up our boat tour and made our way back to camp. After an exhausting day, and with an early alarm set for tomorrow, we doused ourselves in bug repellent, hit our pillows and passed out.

Day One

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Day Two &mdash; The Game Drive</h3>
The day began at the crack of dawn. After a lightning quick breakfast of eggs, bread, fruit, jam, and tea, we were ushered straight into the jeep and off towards Nyerere Reserve. During the drive, Willium did his best to keep our expectations low, warning us that the recent rains may make it difficult to navigate the park.
&nbsp;Before we entered the gates, our eyes were drawn to the immediate right, where there was a short dirt runway used by the tiny incoming planes from Zanzibar. Despite our curiosity (we are Flight Finders, after all), we were on a tight schedule, so onwards through the gate we trundled.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcLTUi6hc-jEVHjl8NM_HwB_mTToxQXHcwdlrQAIbTgNtSpKgtPSmVPi88RfKATMxaIxZUbBVOeZ_BxJwj-QcX8EG2KQ2mXa1OBp9MmMNezekWHas4iClSOFC7GBPM4NhQK2mD8Sw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="555" height="415" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Within the first minute, Willium began calmly pointing out little groups of gazelles. It was remarkable. We had literally just entered the park, and it was like we had been transported to another world, where wild animals had no fear.
We turned a few corners and bumped along the muddy road. Once again, Willium raised his arm, softly murmuring&hellip;
&ldquo;Look, giraffes&rdquo;&nbsp;
And there they were, and a baby! Eeeeeekkkk!
We continued&hellip;
&ldquo;Look, pumba&rdquo;&nbsp;
OMG, who knew warthogs could be so darn cute!
Suddenly, our excitement ground to an abrupt halt. We had reached a sticky, mud-logged traffic jam. Willium told us to wait while he got out to inspect the situation. Things didn&rsquo;t look great as we noticed another jeep to our right completely engulfed in the sludgy ground &mdash; he certainly wasn&rsquo;t going anywhere anytime soon!

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcn_avQmMTK4h36X08AqOGNkSdLRG34ARd2juBLfm4W6lRQ55rWLllSzVrNjgCwDamBpdRrPn77wFiBQv1LoTzZAlbrlbiYN2mPo40Yg23flS8_RQeMIuIEGGARUSxrpMfzD1OB1A?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="425" height="635" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Willium hopped back in the driver&rsquo;s seat and immediately put the car in reverse. I guess there had been a change of plan?!
Hitting the throttle full force, we launched over the uneven track and diverted into a side road full of greenery. At this point, we all realised our driver was a man with a plan. He knew this place by heart, and we knew we were in good hands.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfERByM9g3tXWdunVFm6bAeJk3GYBKBQeXWEdRPVsKv47-IAFCp3N4H_RBV0-BN6ViF7alMqsxvW8YkCtLuE2ap4Sa2YpzJX1S2D2GPW-zdyxDKKhkH5sJbemoxgDoOd7MobsHOcw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="424" height="558" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

This became all the more apparent when he jumped on the brakes, inched the jeep around a corner, and miraculously pointed out a camouflage elephant munching on some leaves. It was simply surreal. We were even able to open up the roof and peek out to get a better glimpse.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcoGCQU5EnaeHijB26vaBYpSYCMNt-b6BJKFQmtcWL_p18eS22StWVbh_GYGCzdaa2zeNLAKr9h950LpLn47EzX7HdxbbekryeRFHcmD7st4baVr7JMEaAqwzsnmh1ETEQlkZ4GMw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="479" height="479" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

As lunchtime approached, we drove up to a flat grassy plain scattered with picnic benches. One by one, Willium handed out a homemade packed lunch for each of us. A samosa-type snack, a hard-boiled egg, a banana, a sweet biscuit and a juice box &mdash; it was all pretty tasty and filling (and vegetarian-friendly!).

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe1XdxoppY3SaivtwuAu0OICCJQNlMULiPnGzk_h0FxtK1XDa3e3hWxmSgIYJfALg37ln1QHe-njQ7mcX6-NlqjxPptKiWSW7q70sBp-0Kp68r2bCHych989tTw6M1tvrFG_xhSUw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="412" height="552" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

From then on out, our day consisted of zig-zagging through bushes, hydroplaning through puddles and gazing at elephants, gazelles, giraffes, hippos, zebras, and monkeys &mdash; it was magical.
With our expectations blown through the roof and our camera rolls full of snaps, we passed once more the very same mud-logged jeep we were stuck next to earlier on in the day. To our amazement, it hadn&rsquo;t moved an inch. He had spent the entire day stuck in the mud. Thank goodness we had Willium behind the wheel!

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcqkNl4v3_Tc43-UWgZCbJ4yWu2anmwi0Tyfull319LAkhXsg99gQov8MvutkKfW8IapLomOUfq7Q05Q5QcFp9mazRTUk08cRsD9pG0H1Geug8b110EtsbpAcxO_Qf1iyOcUKf0DA?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="382" height="570" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<h3 dir="ltr"></h3>

Day Two Onwards

<h3 dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">Day Three &mdash; The Walking Safari</h3>
After a sleepless night of spider-related nightmares (we&rsquo;ll never actually know if what Lauren saw was a huge, hairy spider), and one last very rushed breakfast, we headed out on our last day.
Having opted out of the Masaai Village visit, which would have been the afternoon activity of our last day, the plan was instead to go for a 6am forest stroll with a Bush Boy (no, not <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/bush-baby">these fluffy guys</a>). Afterwards, we would be driven back to Dar es Salaam to hop on the 4pm ferry to Zanzibar.
After a brief 10-minute drive, we reached the meeting point. There, waiting for us, stood a small near-naked smiley man wearing nothing but a loose straw waistcoat and some leafy, breezy briefs.
&ldquo;Jambo! Nice to meet you, I&rsquo;m a Bush Boy!&rdquo;
*ring ring*
Suddenly, our Bush Boy produced an iPhone out of who-knows-where and began chatting away. Impressive, considering we&rsquo;d struggled with patchy phone signal for the past two days!

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcBLzpmPWKAIF423cxFZM6dXzBIW1FB79BGIzNsrRTXV3tcUaGl7-O3osIIgdVrzGUZOFC3LCwNgPBbkvCDvHWhmfBpyCwxrRa9YyYAPWbfDJHQAqr6JF_Lb5lNgE6XuLm3CoyKYQ?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="346" height="462" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

After a couple more tourists joined us, the walk started. The Bush Boy opened with some information about local insects, traditional medicine and plants. Plus, an unexpected monologue on the importance of&hellip; poop.
Yes, poop. The king of forest fertilizers, crucial for soil health, and biodiversity!&nbsp;
And as a finale, our guide climbed a massive tree, carved the bark off with his teeth and sucked water out of it. What a way to finish! If only we had known this trick two days ago&hellip;
And before we knew it, our 1-hour forest walk came to an end.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXei9i1jUX0pTcd3iypylEFghq6tf3jJ_6UWrx9gM4Y4apzTZQk2vhPF2MNDYk16LhGRz_Wjiz5QZSDAGGhYQUVsSfiY-TrwxIYhb7sT5Q_Sq2OLVitjlS_DvCTRGjUSitQhx8e7?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="504" height="378" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

After a quick lunch and a moment to thank and tip our lovely camp team, we were back on the road. Although we had been assured by Willium that he would buy the ferry tickets for us, we discovered that we would have had to purchase them ourselves upon arriving at the port.
Not what we expected, but at that point we were already used to plans changing. Plus, thanks to&nbsp; Willium's judgement, we were perfectly on time.
The journey back to the city was lovely &mdash; Willium decided to pick a different road from the one we took a couple of days earlier. This one was nestled in the lush Tanzanian hills, and four hours flew by while staring out the windows at the emerald green vegetation.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfZlIHwC9MoLbxSxM_W1L6EYN6R5qd-53CxqKFAIsdLPHTyhxuvfX5HykGgTI1EgwyPokeI-ESSoWRLezn4WPHzLXBOYBj5qv9xX-YfCwXthd6LgKIG7snSu5fqrTVJRgUnCNJF?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="360" height="479" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Our arrival in Dar es Salaam was&hellip;full of gridlock.
Willium had factored in our schedule plenty of time to be stuck in the city rush hour, but after staring at the colourful buses outside the window for over an hour and a half, we started worrying about missing our ferry.
&ldquo;How long till the port, again?&rdquo; we mumbled.
&ldquo;Soon&rdquo;, our guide answered in proper Willium fashion.
Shortly after, Willium turned to us and said &lsquo;I&rsquo;m gonna stop here, you&rsquo;ll come out and someone will bring you to the port to buy the tickets. Don&rsquo;t let anyone get your suitcase. Okay?&rsquo;
And there we were: in the hands of a random man found on the side of the street, heavy backpacks on our shoulders, trying to cross an incredibly busy road and navigate Dar es Salaam&rsquo;s port madness&hellip; all with only 20 minutes to spare before our ferry was set to sail off.
Sounds fine, right? Little did we know, the process of buying our ferry tickets as European passport holders was definitely not a speedy one. After a couple of, &ldquo;Portuguese? Cristiano Ronaldo!&rdquo; greetings, and some confused stares from locals checking our passports, we managed to get our tickets.
With only five minutes to spare, we rushed through the port security scans (something similar to a tiny airport security zone), our passports flying from one stranger&rsquo;s hand to another, alongside a thousand people throwing their bags (and their live chickens) on the conveyor belt.
"Andreia, are you there?!" "Lauren, LAUREN! Hold my hand!"
"Wait wait wait, my passport! Where&rsquo;s my passport?!"
After offering a tip to the man who accompanied us to the ferry entrance, we made it on board just as the doors closed.
A sigh of relief later, we stared at each other with weary eyes and extremely sweaty clothes, wondering what would come next, not knowing what awaited us on <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/jfcs-guide-to-zanzibar">Zanzibar&rsquo;s</a> idyllic shores.

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfSLVRVkug9SfjlNnpL-mMiePgCe9viaUq2rlyBliknxCUSrF9a32J3WqAs5DXiqKS0S4nhfBpEzlUVeprCbwVGJuS1yWn1OcQinjqxDU-Ol0xMZPIIuwpyDRSV6K8-vBqIjxtKzw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="407" height="540" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">So, was it worth it?</h3>
Well, considering Fran sent her mum and sister on the same exact tour with Willium a week after we got back, we&rsquo;d say yes!
Before embarking on this journey, we were worried we wouldn&rsquo;t see many animals, the tour would be very basic and filled with uncomfortable beds and creepy crawlies. But, in reality, it was one of the biggest, wildest adventures of our lives. We saw wild giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos and sooo many monkeys, all for around &pound;300. Our beds were comfy, the food was tasty, and the bugs were manageable (including those tiny neon-green frogs having a pool party in the toilet).

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfn-cjVaVnEnQilmA0kiOIGi6C_Xjp85Wykh76v_fBtdeNdhI_ren5s700bjJHxYwgkR26y39dGYTjdh-MeY8E46bqXCstih5H6y6WrHR8e7zlXWNqwIM1_DZDn-xypnyixzUitCw?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="345" height="517" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Our guide was definitely the silent type, but after discovering his driving skills and wildlife wisdom, we wouldn&rsquo;t swap the experience for any other.
Now, could we have paid more money to have a more luxurious experience? Well, most of the cars that we passed by had tons of people squished in them, and we had an entire cushioned jeep and a guide to ourselves. And, after chatting with some of the other tourists that did pay way more for the privilege, we realised that our camps were not that different after all!
Would we do anything differently? Welllll, our Flight Finder hearts can't stop thinking about that airstrip next to the entrance of Nyerere Reserve, but the budget backpackers within us are still wondering whether it would have been worth the extra &pound;120 just to fly into Zanzibar!

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfBIVtZMKhqiNrcaT3erhuUdVa1-zBFr28ouJWuK6DVY-I9mHiiVzGsTn0pEJ5iSIspQgnWcPGVqfUUeCl8PxCzre_Q_iBmBycOETQ7BrbgI353Tuz3-wuUCedSWKtt25Kuf7dN?key=a0jA6mnJzjDMWAcbVFmwFw" width="455" height="342" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

Would you book a budget safari like we did? Or have any of you ever flown on those tiny 6-person planes?
Please let us know how it went, as we're dying to know :-)

Day Three

We booked the cheapest safari in Tanzania and this is how it went…

Original content 

Test - Link Sections to a Post

Most of the email deals we send out tend to take travellers through a few quick steps to find the dates and cheapest fare for them. For this, we often use a combination of two handy tools: <a href="https://www.google.com/flights/?curr=GBP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Flights</a> and an online travel agent (OTA) price aggregator &ndash; most often either <a href="http://momondo.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Momondo</a> or <a href="https://www.skyscanner.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skyscanner</a>.
Both solutions have some advantages and disadvantages but work fantastically together. In fact, they work so well together that we&rsquo;ve gone ahead and built a super handy Chrome Extension to help you instantly convert flight searches from Google Flights to identical searches in Momondo or Skyscanner. It&rsquo;s free and you can <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flight-fare-compare-googl/mmhdlhieabmpkjcffmaagonallanjiad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grab it here</a> if you like.
This guide will take you through using both Google Flights and OTA price aggregators to find cheap flights.

<hr class="style2"><center>

</center>

<h2>Google Flights:</h2>
Good for:
<ul>
<li>Finding the best travel dates</li>
<li>Quick, broad searches</li>
<li>Using search filters</li>
</ul>
Bad for:
<ul>
<li>Finding error fares</li>
<li>Quick, broad searches</li>
<li>Using search filters</li>
</ul>
<h2>Skyscanner &amp; Momondo:</h2>
Good for:
<ul>
<li>Getting the cheapest price</li>
<li>Error fares</li>
</ul>
Bad for:
<ul>
<li>Finding the best travel dates</li>
<li>Using search filters</li>
<li>Searching quickly</li>
</ul>

<hr class="style2">
<h2>What is Google Flights?</h2>
Google Flights is a flight aggregator and search tool, showing routes and fares offered by virtually all major airlines around the globe. It&rsquo;s one of the handiest tools to find cheap flights.
<h3>Why and how to use Google Flights?</h3>
Google Flights is more often than not our first stop as they tend to have the most versatile search functionality, like their price-calendar tool, for scouring through many months of data to identify the best fares for each route.
Their pricing data also comes directly from the airlines themselves and therefore is generally quite accurate. It won&rsquo;t be perfect, but in an industry where prices fluctuate heavily and often, it&rsquo;s as good as we&rsquo;ve seen.
<h2>Using Google Flights to find the cheapest travel dates:</h2>
<h3>Step 1: Open the calendar tool</h3>
If you&rsquo;ve reached Google Flights using the example itinerary link in our flight alert, you should already see a sample search. Begin by changing your departure/destination airport as needed to suit your plans.
If you&rsquo;re preferred itinerary is different from our example, you can always change the details to suit your plans.
Then, to find all of the available dates offering the lowest price, begin by clicking the departure date in the search field. Within a few seconds (sometimes it can take up to 20-30 seconds to load), you should see the calendar populate with prices, like so:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/0a9318ffddd5f225def3a7af8efc41fd2639e9cc" alt="google-flights-calendar">
By using the Google Flights calendar tool, you can quickly see what the cheapest departure dates are, as they&rsquo;re highlighted in green.
<h4>Important: The dates highlighted in the calendar are the best departure dates for a trip of your selected duration (16 days in the example image above). Adjust the trip length to see the best travel dates for your desired trip duration.</h4>
You can find the option to adjust the length of your trip at the bottom of the calendar tool:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/6e70af5f4d29730ee8bcafe36fc104f071b545ab" alt="trip-length-tool" class="small-left">
If you&rsquo;re flexible, adjusting this trip length using the arrows is a good way to see all the cheapest dates to travel at a glance.
Once you&rsquo;ve selected your ideal departure date, the calendar will refresh to show you the total journey cost based on which date you decide to return on. Select your preferred date and you&rsquo;ll then be taken to a window like this one (below) where you can see the various fares for these dates.
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/34a724b1448926ff82e0eba52b48d9f9e8eb535c" alt="best-departing-flights">
Google will automatically suggest the &ldquo;best&rdquo; flights based on the price, total travel time and other factors.
Sometimes you&rsquo;ll see a great price on flights for the trip you plan to make, only to find that it&rsquo;s offered by an airline you&rsquo;re not interested in travelling with or involving a long layover:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/57f585ca640c3b80aef77597fa4bded101b3506f" alt="long-layover">
These kinds of flights will also show on the calendar tool, which can make it harder to find a flight that suits your plans.
Luckily for us, Google Flights has a powerful selection of filters we can use to remove these from the calendar and search results.
<h3>Step 2: Using Google Flights Filters</h3>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/01ba7b0af8cbe4a979543d52a95431370199ac75" alt="google-flights-filters">
You can filter out fares with particular airlines, departure times, number of stops en-route and even connecting airports.
Importantly, don&rsquo;t overlook the &ldquo;Flight Duration&rdquo; filter hidden behind the &ldquo;More&rdquo; menu. It&rsquo;s the best way to remove overnight layovers from your results.
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/2f5650ffb151bcd0b1313e732c155a05394b8846" alt="flight-duration-filter">
Once you&rsquo;ve set your filters, you can go back to the calendar tool to see the updated results. We&rsquo;ve found they do sometimes take a tad longer to load when multiple filters are set, so be patient!
<h3>Step 3: Select your route</h3>
Once you select your departure flight, you&rsquo;ll be shown a selection of return flights to pick from and the price for the total journey next to each of them.
Select your preferred option and Google will show you the best options to book, usually offered directly by the airline and sometimes a select few major travel agents like Expedia in the example below:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/id/ff5757ab14f61afe487259fd7c7e36a4caff9b00" alt="expedia-example">
At this point you can:
 Select one of the options above and book directly with the airline.
<ul>
<li>Direct contact with the airline for any booking issues can be a plus</li>
<li>Slightly greater flexibility should your travel plans change (i.e. lower change and cancellation fees), OR...</li>
</ul>
Check Momondo or Skyscanner to see if a lower price is available with an OTA (online travel agent).
<ul>
<li>Often a lower price than what the airline will offer directly</li>
</ul>
Our general rule: If a long-haul fare is at least &pound;30 cheaper with an OTA, we&rsquo;d usually grab the savings. That said, if you&rsquo;re the type of person whose plans change often, it might be a safer bet booking directly with the airline instead.
<h2>Using Skyscanner and Momondo.co.uk to find the cheapest price</h2>
<blockquote>If you&rsquo;re concerned whether it&rsquo;s safe to book with smaller websites found on price comparison sites like Momondo and Skyscanner, you can read our <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/is-it-safe-to-book-with-smaller-otas-from-momondo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q&amp;A on the subject here</a>.</blockquote>
You&rsquo;ve probably heard of Skyscanner already and Momondo works in a similar way. It is a powerful flight fare comparison tool that searches not only the price offered by the airline, but dozens of ATOL protected online travel agents for the cheapest possible fares.
Momondo often covers more booking agencies and displays more results, so we tend to use them a little more often than Skyscanner. That said, checking both is generally a good idea.
<h3>Here is how to use it:</h3>
Once you&rsquo;ve chosen your ideal travel dates by using Google Flights, head to <a href="https://momondo.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Momondo</a> or <a href="https://skyscanner.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skyscanner</a> and enter the exact itinerary you found on their homepage:
<center>Momondo Example</center>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Picture8.png" alt="Picture8.png">
<center>Skyscanner Example</center>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Picture9.png" alt="Picture9.png">
Click &lsquo;Search&rsquo; and within a few seconds your results will begin to appear, similar to this:
<center>Momondo Example</center>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Picture10-1.png" alt="Picture10-1.png">
<center>Skyscanner Example</center>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Picture11-1.png" alt="Picture11-1.png">
<blockquote>*Keep in mind, Momondo can take a while (up to 60 seconds) to search through all of the options and travel agents, so make sure you wait until the search shows as completed on the top left of the page:</blockquote>
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/content/uploads/2018/12/momondo-search-results.png" alt="momondo-search-results.png" class="small-left">
Both sites will ultimately display the <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/find-cheap-flights-to-anywhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cheapest fare</a> for your travel dates (each site searches through a selection of travel agents at once) at the top of the page. The example we&rsquo;re using is not a great deal, but you can see even in this example that the price offered by the cheapest OTA is around &pound;40 lower.
You&rsquo;ll notice as well that different sites can return different results, so we always aim to direct you to the one that offers the best available prices. At this point, we would generally pick the lowest fare and continue to book with whichever agent is offering it.
On Momondo, if you prefer to book with a different agent, rather than the cheapest one (in this case Apple Flights), click the arrow next to &ldquo;View Deal&rdquo;. You can then press &ldquo;+17 more&rdquo; (see screenshot above) to display all the other agents selling the flight.
On Skyscanner, just click the flight you&rsquo;re interested in and you&rsquo;ll be shown a list of all the available travel agents selling it:
<img src="https://d20k4h1q6oowm6.cloudfront.net/path/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Picture13-1.png" alt="Picture13-1.png">
Simply click the agent you&rsquo;d like to book with and you&rsquo;ll be taken to their website to complete your check-out for the selected flight.
<h2>Aaaand you&rsquo;re done!</h2>
<center>
. . .
Still have questions? Feel free to drop us a message on <a href="mailto:support@jacksflightclub.com%E2%80%9D">support@jacksflightclub.com</a>&nbsp;and we'll be happy to help.
Please note, while we do have links to other websites in our articles, none are affiliate links and we do not benefit from you clicking on them, we just think they are a good resource :)
</center>

How to find cheap flights using Google Flights 

As you might have noticed, many of the lowest fares we find are offered through an Online Travel Agency (OTA) aggregator such as Momondo or Skyscanner. 
If you've previously booked all of your flights directly with the airline, you might be wondering if it's both advisable and reliable to book your flight with smaller, lesser-known OTAs found on Skyscanner and Momondo. 
To address this, we've put together this set of FAQs to give you our take.
<h2>1. What are flight fare aggregators, and how do they work?</h2>
Momondo, Kayak and better-known websites like Skyscanner all function as flight fare aggregator engines. 
These tools collect and display the best fares for any particular flight route by comparing prices offered both by the airline and by the various Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) selling tickets for the same flight.
This is not dissimilar to what Google Flights does. The difference is that while Google Flights compares only fares offered directly from the airlines and other major booking sites (such as Expedia and eDreams), these aggregators compare fares from smaller booking sites as well.
These smaller sites are the ones that are more likely to sell flights at a discount to the price offered by the airline itself. They also sometimes include routes that Google Flights doesn't.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/ce08872475107063e61d69c2daa88994b9092537" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
<h2>2. Is it safe to book with these smaller Online Travel Agencies?</h2>
This question comes up a lot, and we remember how confused we were when these websites first began to pop up. Here's how we see it:
The biggest fear for some travelers is that an Online Travel Agency will take your payment and keep it, without ever issuing a ticket for your purchased flight. Based on our experience, this is an incredibly rare occurrence that only occurs as the result of an error. 
The OTAs listed on Skyscanner or Momondo are vetted for legitimacy to some degree before being listed on these aggregators, and do not do this on purpose. That's not to say that they are all ethical, pro-consumer companies, but they do not try to scam people in this way.
Online Travel Agencies are lawfully required to issue a ticket for the price at which you made the purchase in order to process your payment. Many OTAs in the United Kingdom are also<a href="https://www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection/"> ATOL protected</a>, which means you have an extra layer of consumer protection against any wrongdoing. EU countries have similar protection schemes.
If you want to be extra certain, simply google: "Booking site name + ATOL" to make sure they are ATOL Protected. You should see a verification similar to this:
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/b8b77033f2f4d52ee8c92be6689b7bfc67670c36" />
Or you'll be able to find this in the company's Ts &amp; Cs:
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/1d881fd56d6cea92d65aa5fc9b3840f5001feaea" />
In the US, though, there is no agency that booking agents can register under like the ABTA (for rail, cruise and coach holidays) or ATOL to protect consumers in case a company goes insolvent. But check out our guide on what happens<a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/what-happens-when-flights-from-the-united-states-are-canceled"> when flights to or from the United States are cancelled</a> if you are in search of some guidance on what else you can do to protect your booking.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/3e95fc6bb418eac711142fec72c534da3aa27a77" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
<h2>3. Are there other OTA tricks I should be looking out for?</h2>
Indeed, some of these sites are known to try and squeeze a few extra fees out of you in other ways. Here are the most common tricks to look out for:
<h4>Avoid booking over the phone </h4>
Most of these booking sites offer a phone number if you'd like to avoid booking online. When possible, I advise using the online portal instead. Phone agents, who often earn a commission, will sometimes see that you're trying to book a cheap fare and will try to find another way to increase the price you pay. Calling over the phone also opens you up to the next two items as well.
<h4>&lsquo;Fare no longer available&rsquo; trick </h4>
Every now and then, an Online Travel Agency will call you within a few minutes of your booking to tell you that the price you booked at is &ldquo;no longer available&rdquo; and you must accept a refund or agree to pay a higher fare. If that does occur, don't panic! Simply decline their new fare, accept the refund, and go on to book with another agency offering the next best fare.
<h4>&lsquo;Extra bag fees&rsquo; trick </h4>
Keep an eye on the bag rules throughout the booking process. While rare, we have heard of agencies claiming that you have to pay extra to add a checked bag, even on routes where bags were definitely included in the fare. Again, this generally only happens over the phone.
<h4>Extra service fees </h4>
Make sure you double-check all the passenger details you enter when booking tickets via an Online Travel Agency. Many of them will find ways to charge extra, often high, service fees for tiny changes.
<h2>4. Are there ways to save on airline baggage fees when booking with an Online Travel Agency?</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/4c176c96077bfeb5fc5b2f2e40416251bf4f88d7" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
In 2022, airlines will now charge you anywhere between 0 and 140 pounds or euros return, or as much as $180 RT from the US, to add a checked bag to your itinerary. The actual amount varies wildly by route &amp; airline.
Online Travel Agencies will often get incentives to sell bag-inclusive tickets and are able to sell you a checked bag at a cheaper fare than the airline. Some OTAs choose to do this, while others choose to keep the price the same or even mark it up in order to earn a higher margin on your ticket.
For this reason, it's important that you always compare the bag fee charged by the OTA you are booking with against the fee charged by the airline itself (or even other OTAs).
If an Online Travel Agency is offering the cheapest fare but is pricing up checked bags, you can always just buy the ticket from the OTA and add a checked bag directly with the airline after the ticket has been issued.
Note: It's also not uncommon for some OTAs to sell economy-standard ticket class fares, which include early seat selection, meals, checked bags, and other perks, for only slightly more than the airline itself sells economy-basic tickets, and the savings can be quite significant. We often see this with Virgin Atlantic, for example.
<h2>5. How are smaller Online Travel Agencies able to offer cheaper fares than the airlines themselves?</h2>
Firstly, many airlines - primarily major international carriers - offer incentives and discounts to third-party agents to market their tickets. This allows OTAs to pass some of those savings on to you in order to secure your business.
That said, not all airlines will do this, and there are other ways Online Travel Agencies can generate revenue, some of which are less consumer-friendly:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fees - Expect hefty service fees for making any future changes to your booking. That includes name changes, date changes, cancellations, etc.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reselling reserved tickets - OTAs are able to reserve a number of seats months in advance. Many will often hold a certain number of seats on popular routes at a low price, knowing that they'll be able to sell them at a higher rate later in the year.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Poor customer support - They tend to outsource customer support to third party companies in order to save on costs.</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/4268bb876f66e76a4f0ab97669ad7346adb91e97" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
<h2>6. What about all the bad reviews Online Travel Agencies have?</h2>
It's true that most OTAs, even well-known ones like Expedia, have plenty of negative reviews online. As a rule, customers will generally go further out of the way to report a negative experience than leave a positive review when everything goes as expected, resulting in a high rate of negative reviews.
While it can be a sign of poor customer service, it doesn't mean you won't get the ticket you purchased. As you've read above, some OTAs can be clever about trying to make as much as possible from each customer, but they won't (usually) take your money and run. You can find our reviews of the most popular OTAs <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/reviewing-the-most-popular-online-travel-agencies">here</a>.
<h2>7. When should I book directly with the airline vs. booking with an agency on Momondo?</h2>
This just depends on your situation. We reckon it&rsquo;s worth booking with an agent and saving the extra cash if your travel dates are set in stone, but here are some general guidelines for like-minded travelers:
<h3>Book with an Online Travel Agency if:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Savings exceed at least &pound;/&euro;20-&pound;/&euro;30 or $50-$60 for a long-haul fare.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You are 100% certain you will be taking the trip on these dates.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Book directly with airline if:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You're the type of traveler who is more likely to extend your trip later on or change travel dates.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The flight is with a budget or charter airline, such as Spirit, easyJet, Wizzair or TUI, none of which offer discounted fares to OTAs.</li>
</ul>
For more information on Momondo, Skyscanner and Online Travel Agencies, take a look at our <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/reviewing-the-most-popular-online-travel-agencies">reviews of the most popular OTAs</a>, or visit our<a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/find-cheap-flights-to-anywhere/"> ultimate guide</a> to finding cheap flights to anywhere.
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