Newbie trying a “deal-first” travel year: how do you vet a flash fare in 10 minutes? I’m flexible on destination and dates and I’ve started following deal feeds (like the Clark Howard travel page) plus Google Flights alerts. The dream is to let cheap fares decide where I go, but I don’t want to get burned by hidden costs or logistics. What’s your quick checklist or decision tree for saying yes/no to a deal within a few minutes, ideally from a phone? Stuff I’m trying to figure out fast: True all-in price: bags, seat fees, payment surcharges, transit to/from secondary airports Lodging reality check for those exact dates (avoiding big events/conferences price spikes) Weather/seasonality and daylight hours so I don’t land in monsoon/heatwave Entry requirements and visa/eTA timing risks if the trip is only a few weeks out Airport transport options at arrival times (late-night arrivals that force pricey taxis) Reliability of ULCC schedules and how to buffer self-transfers or positioning flights When to book direct vs OTA for speed vs support, especially on mistake fares Using 24-hour cancellation/hold options to “lock then verify” without losing the fare Tools you actually use for this? I know Google Flights and Rome2Rio; curious what you use for: Rapid bag-fee comparisons across airlines Quick lodging cost scans by neighborhood (not just citywide averages) Weather/seasonality snapshots by month Visa requirement checks that are accurate for layovers/self-transfers Creating “price floor” alerts (e.g., “anywhere under $250 from X region”) If you’ve built a sample month using this method, would you share your workflow? For example: depart from a couple of nearby airports, personal-item only, $1,000 total transport budget, 2-3 stops max. How do you sequence searches, place refundable holds, and sanity-check the ground costs before the 24-hour window closes? Bonus: packing strategies for mixed climates with just a personal item, and how you avoid FOMO without missing the truly rare deals.

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Newbie trying a “deal-first” travel year: how do you vet a flash fare in 10 minutes?

I’m flexible on destination and dates and I’ve started following deal feeds (like the Clark Howard travel page) plus Google Flights alerts. The dream is to let cheap fares decide where I go, but I don’t want to get burned by hidden costs or logistics. What’s your quick checklist or decision tree for saying yes/no to a deal within a few minutes, ideally from a phone?

Stuff I’m trying to figure out fast:

True all-in price: bags, seat fees, payment surcharges, transit to/from secondary airports
Lodging reality check for those exact dates (avoiding big events/conferences price spikes)
Weather/seasonality and daylight hours so I don’t land in monsoon/heatwave
Entry requirements and visa/eTA timing risks if the trip is only a few weeks out
Airport transport options at arrival times (late-night arrivals that force pricey taxis)
Reliability of ULCC schedules and how to buffer self-transfers or positioning flights
When to book direct vs OTA for speed vs support, especially on mistake fares
Using 24-hour cancellation/hold options to “lock then verify” without losing the fare

Tools you actually use for this? I know Google Flights and Rome2Rio; curious what you use for:

Rapid bag-fee comparisons across airlines
Quick lodging cost scans by neighborhood (not just citywide averages)
Weather/seasonality snapshots by month
Visa requirement checks that are accurate for layovers/self-transfers
Creating “price floor” alerts (e.g., “anywhere under $250 from X region”)

If you’ve built a sample month using this method, would you share your workflow? For example: depart from a couple of nearby airports, personal-item only, $1,000 total transport budget, 2-3 stops max. How do you sequence searches, place refundable holds, and sanity-check the ground costs before the 24-hour window closes?

Bonus: packing strategies for mixed climates with just a personal item, and how you avoid FOMO without missing the truly rare deals.