How to Book a Red Eye Flight
- 1). Shop around for the best deals. Check with travel agents, online booking websites, and the airlines themselves. Pick a time late in the evening but be flexible. Your best deal may be at 9pm but it could be midnight. Watch for discount offers from airlines and ask about getting a package deal (by booking a hotel at the same time) or student and senior citizen discounts.
- 2). Book your flight well in advance. The closer you get to the date of the flight, the higher the ticket price gets. Book a red eye flight at least 21 to 30 days in advance to get thee best prices.
- 3). Choose your flight and seat. Once you have found the best deal for you, ask for a window seat. This eliminates having someone disturbing you when they have to get up for some reason. Another thing you can do is request a bulkhead seat. These are the seats just behind the partition between business and coach. You don't have anyone in front of you---and these seats have more legroom. The only drawback is that you can't see the in-flight movie.
- 4). Pay for your ticket with a credit card. Most airlines have now switched to "electronic tickets" but ask to make sure. The airline should send you trip itinerary information anyway. Take this with you to the airport so you have it as a reference.
- 5). Take along a pillow, a book to read, and whatever else you need to be comfortable and pass the time. As with any other flight in this day and age, arrive early enough at the airport to allow time for security checks, getting your boarding pass, and finding your flight. Most of the time, though, lines late in the evening are fairly short (another advantage when you book a red eye flight).