It’s a nightmare every traveler envisions. Imagine you’re looking forward to finally taking a well-deserved vacation with the points you accrued using a credit card like the Ink Business Preferred but the day of the trip you take a second look at your ticket and realize you input the wrong dates!

No matter how experienced you are as a traveler, most of us worry about making some kind of unforeseen error when we book a flight. Most of us will double- and triple-check our personal info and dates to ensure everything is perfect. It turns out that such caution is well founded. Canadian booking site FlightNetwork.com analyzed over 42 000 bookings and discovered that mistakes cost travelers an average of over $200. Here are the 8 mistakes they found were the most common—and costly.

Duplicate Bookings

At the top of the list of frequent errors is making a second booking for the same flight. This often happens when a website times out when you are booking the flight. People will get too antsy (especially if the flight is a great price) and book the flight again without being absolutely certain that the first flight didn’t go through. Be patient and always confirm the first booking did not go through even if it means phoning the booking site or airline.

Not Reconfirming the Flight 24 Hours Prior To Departure

Don’t assume that the booking service or airline will let you know if a flight has been changed or cancelled. It’s always up to the traveler to ensure all is well and that their flight is on time. This is especially important if you have a connecting flight.

Not Realizing There May Be Additional Charges for Special Requests

Airline fees are becoming increasingly common. For example, don’t assume you get one checked bag for free only to get to the airport and be charged. You may even be charged for carry-ons by some discount airlines. Be prepared!

Not Contacting a Travel Agency or Booking Service If There is An Issue

We all make mistakes. Maybe you misspelled a name or got your passport number wrong. It’s imperative to remedy the mistake as soon as you are aware of it rather than wait until you get to the airport.

Not Checking Emails After Booking

Believe it or not but you need to read the emails the airline or booking service sends you. They could have to do with a problem processing your payment or with your flight connection.

Not Knowing the Cost To Change A Flight

Fees for changing a flight can be astronomical! Before you cancel or change the date of a flight make sure you completely understand how much if will cost you. It may even be cheaper in some cases to book a whole new flight.

Not Realizing You Need A Travel Visa

Don’t get caught off guard by discovering at the last minute that the country you are going to requires that you have a Visa. There are a surprising number of countries that require Americans to have a Visa to enter (and the number of countries is growing). Often you will need to get the documents in advance and may have to wait to receive them so make sure you plan ahead and do your research.

Not Checking Expiry Dates On Passports

It’s not enough to have an up-to-date passport. Many countries insist that a passport does not expire within six months of your entry into the country (even if you are only staying for a few days).

Sandra MacGregor Sandra MacGregor has been writing about finance and travel for nearly a decade. She is also a former magazine editor and an internationally-published writer, whose work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times,...
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Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.† Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year. Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit. Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡ Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡ Terms and limitations apply See Rates & Fees Breakdown Earn (pt.) Spend 3 months 0 $3,000 Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases 2.00 $1 All Purchases 1.00 $1 Apply Now
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