Make sure you get the best deal on flights every time you fly.

It’s been a rather frustrating time since we came back from Jebel Shams – that was an amazing adventure, but took it’s toll. The crippling cramp in my quads seems to have done a little more lasting damage. A week after the hike and a trip to the gym later and my left knee decided it didn’t want to work anymore. Luckily nothing more serious than an aggravated Popliteal region that was then pulling on ligaments going into my knee causing a lot of pain and swelling. So the last month has meant not a lot of exercise and not much getting out and about. It has been very frustrating because I’ve missed two canyoning trips up past the Hatta Pools and missing my squash and regular gym sessions.

What it has meant though is more time in front of the computer screen, getting work done for my existing business Maximum Net Gain as well as getting a couple more businesses ready to go online. It has also meant I was able to dedicate some time to my passions, which I have conveniently amalgamated into my day to day business and this blog! I am off to Canada soon and as such I was scouring the internet trying to get the best deal on our flights over there and have managed to come across some great resources. It got me thinking that I should share these with anyone that is interested in travel and so over the next few weeks, will be posting them on here for all. Please do share them with anyone you know that loves to travel, or indeed, some of the titles will be resources that anyone can use, whether travelling for fun, for business, alone or in a group, near or far.

I love to travel and I would love for as many people as possible to have the chance to change their environment, even for a weekend, go and experience something new, a new country, a new culture, or just a new food. And if my resources can help make it that little bit more affordable or convenient then that’s fantastic.

So, now that is out of the way let’s get down to the meat of this post. Whilst being in Dubai has it’s many advantages from a travel perspective, it’s situation is a perfect gateway to the sub continent, Africa and Asia, one thing you will almost certainly be doing, is taking a plane – even Oman is not always just a drive away. So with that in mind, and my recent attempts to get the best deal to Canada, below are some of my highly recommended flight resources. Some of them are for booking and some are insights into other elements you might want to consider (does your seat on a specific aeroplane recline for example)I’m going to break them down into groups of 5 so you keep coming back for more. I’ve got loads and I am sure you have got some too that I would love to hear about.

cFares – This is a great site for getting all the deals out there at once. Much in the same vein as other curation sites, you’ll get all your suppliers in one place. It claims to have the lowest prices with the widest selections. That’s the free service. The real value comes by actually becoming a member – check it out. They periodically have some issues with the membership sign up, but you can always contact them at support@cfares.com and they’ll help you out.

Airfare Watch Dog –  The customized e-mail fare alerts are ideal for travellers with a specific destination in mind. Just select your departure airports and the city-to-city alerts. You also can set the frequency for receiving alerts — daily, frequently (two to three times a week) or weekly. It’s one for my US based readers I’m afraid, but worth checking out for anyone holidaying in the USA too.

Hotwire – This one is an old favourite, and I am sure many reading will be familiar with it, but for those that aren’t, it’s one of the best at hunting down a good deal for you. Again, it doesn’t just focus on flights, so it may well appear in another list in the not too distant future. Remember to turn off your pop up blocker before you use it too, otherwise you’ll probably end up staring at a grey screen for a long time!!

SeatGuru – This one is a life saver for any of us, me for sure, that fly in economy class to most destinations – we are usually looking for the best deal which can sometimes mean flying on an unfamiliar carrier. Well Seatguru will let you check out the plane you are flying on and make sure that you don’t get stuck in a seat that doesn’t recline, is right next to the galley or bathroom, or where the TV set has not been working for the last 2 years. Invaluable resource for the world traveller.

Smartertravel – this is a great all round resource. It’s one of those sites that actually brings all the information you could possible want into one destination on the web. They do of course offer discounted airfares but they also bring some great industry information into their blog home page. As well as some inspiration when it comes to travel ideas. Have a look and save it in your ‘travel favourites’ folder on your browser.

So those are your first 5 resources for flights. I am sure you’ve heard of some of them, but for those that haven’t, these are gold!! But for those of you that have some great ones of your own, don’t be shy!!! Share them below. I am always keen to learn from fellow travellers out there. Who knows I might even get the time one day to collate them all into the Ultimate Travel Website Guide, or something.