“I’ll find you cheap flights (again) for free.” All I’m asking is that you are thinking about doing something good for someone else 🙂 “That was the message to Reddit poster named “delta777er” posted this month, on a frugality subreddit.
Requests have poured in, asking for help finding flights from Seattle to Alaska, Melbourne, Australia, Salt Lake City, Utah, Cairo to London. “Hey man, I think it’s great that you do this for people who have a hard time doing it for themselves,” said one commentator, who got help flying from New York to Dublin . “Thanks so much for posting this!” said another, flying from Minneapolis to St. Louis.
Turns out delta777er is Nick Doyle, a 21-year-old at Cornell University studying computer science. He was able to respond to around thirty requests.
Nick Doyle interned for Southwest Airlines in software development.
Courtesy of Nick Doyle
MarketWatch asked him a few questions:
Market surveillance: How did you first get interested in finding flights online?
Doyle: Since I was about five years old, I have enjoyed aviation and travel, and it has always been a hobby of mine.
I always did this for myself, finding random towns and seeing what types of flights were available … like putting a dot on a map and trying to find a way to a faraway place. I thought that instead of making random cities for myself, it would be just as interesting to find them for other people.
Market surveillance: How did you decide to use Reddit, with your pay-forward instruction?
Doyle: I have done this several times, but have not had the same number of responses.
It was actually quite funny to see this post reaching a lot of people. Most of the time, it is a very confusing process if you are not keen on flying to find the best airlines to fly on. Some people in the comments said they were planning on going on their honeymoon or visiting family members they hadn’t seen for a long time. I thought it was really fun, and it’s cool how aviation connects everyone.
Market surveillance: What are your top tips for finding cheap flights?
Doyle: Rule number one is to be flexible.
One great thing about airlines is that they differentiate between business travelers and leisure travelers. They try to charge more for business travelers, who travel closer to the deadline and are less flexible. You want to be as flexible as possible, so that you don’t get pushed around by places like “business travelers”.
That’s why you want to book early and be flexible with your schedules. Also, fly to an airport that may not be the closest to your destination.
[Editor’s note: Flying John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Heathrow in London is one such example, Doyle said. But even more than routes, booking early is key to avoiding higher fares, he said. And flying on mid-weekdays can be less expensive than a Friday or Monday flight, when business travelers are more likely to be flying. San Jose and Oakland airports can also have cheaper fares than San Francisco International Airport, he said.]
What will happen inside your car after you stop driving
Market surveillance: What sites do you like to use to find cheap flights?
Doyle: I use Kayak US: BKNG
and Momondo, a Danish site. These are good if you have a specific route you want to take. Google Flights, or the lesser known Google site US: GOOG
ITA matrix. But for some people who don’t have a specific trip in mind, it is good to use Kiwi. This is perfect for more backpacking trips… it might not give you the most direct way.
Market surveillance: Are there any other blogs or resources you would like to check out?
Doyle:TheFlightDeal.com, they just post daily deals. I also read Skift, for articles on aviation.
Market surveillance: Is there a certain day of the week that you think is the best for booking flights?
Doyle:Wednesday is the best. But it’s not that it lowers the price so much. Booking early is much better than just booking on a Wednesday.
Market surveillance: What are the best trips you have booked for yourself?
Doyle: In second year, I found flights to Japan for $ 400, round trip from New York. I went with four other college friends, but I did the flights. It was during our six week winter break, right after New Years. We flew Air China through Beijing. We just got really lucky. We booked it seven months earlier.
We originally thought of Cancun, but saw the deal in July, and it was about the same price. We thought you couldn’t let this go.
Market surveillance: Do you have any favorite airlines?
Doyle: In international terms, Norwegian US: NWARF
is probably the best for the transatlantic. I went this winter to Ireland for $ 250. I thought it would be a lot worse. [Editor’s note: The airline doesn’t provide free food or beverages onboard. It also flies from Stewart International Airport, about 65 miles north of New York City, to Dublin.]
Market surveillance: What are your plans for the future?
Doyle: This summer, I’m going to San Francisco for my internship. I will be an intern at Apple. United States: AAPL
Then in the fall, I return to Southwest Airlines US: LUV
for my fall internship. Right now I’m taking it week after week, but I would like to work for a tech company or an aviation company. It’s cool to see how quickly technology is developing in the aviation industry.
