FlightConnections.com is a powerful tool that every frequent flyer should add to their arsenal. It simplifies the process of finding which airlines fly to your desired destinations, making it easier to plan your dream trips. In this article, we will explore the features and pricing of FlightConnections and provide practical tips on how to use it like a pro.
FlightConnections Features & Pricing
FlightConnections is available in both free and paid versions. The free version offers most of the basic features you need, making it suitable for the majority of users. However, for more advanced features such as numerous filters, a full-screen map view, flight schedules, a faster experience, and an ad-free interface, you can opt for the premium version.
The premium service is priced at €2.99 per month but can be billed annually at €35.88 for the year. Investing in the premium version can enhance your user experience and provide you with additional tools to optimize your trip planning.
FlightConnections - Discover airlines and airports worldwide.
1. Find All Direct Flights from Your Airport
FlightConnections boasts a comprehensive database of airlines, airports, and scheduled flights worldwide. Upon visiting the website, you are greeted with an interactive world map featuring dots representing airports around the globe.
The dots are color-coded based on the size and prominence of the airports within the global route network. Blue dots indicate large airports with over 50 direct destinations, yellow dots represent medium-sized airports with 10-50 direct destinations, and red dots signify small airports with less than 10 direct destinations.
By clicking on any of these dots or entering your desired airport in the "From" box, FlightConnections provides valuable information on the direct flights currently available from your chosen airport.
For example, if you're based in Edmonton and wondering about direct flight options for your next vacation, FlightConnections will present you with a range of possibilities within North America, such as WestJet services to Hawaii and the lone KLM flight to Amsterdam. If you're open to connecting flights through a larger hub like Toronto, the options for onward flights expand significantly.
Find direct flights from your chosen airport.
2. Find Routings Between Two Airports
In addition to displaying direct flights, FlightConnections excels at showcasing logical routings between any two airports on various airlines worldwide. This feature is especially useful when you have a destination in mind and want to explore your options for flying to and from that specific location.
Suppose you're a Toronto-based traveler planning a trip to South Africa. By entering "YYZ" and "JNB" in the "From" and "To" fields respectively, FlightConnections showcases a range of one-stop routing options from Toronto to Johannesburg. The displayed routes are listed in order of their duration, from shortest to longest.
Discover the most logical routings for your trip.
While browsing through these options, you can consider factors such as the availability of award seats, preferred airlines, and loyalty program rules to determine the best routing for your needs.
3. Filter by Alliance (Premium Feature)
FlightConnections offers a powerful filtering feature exclusively for premium users. You can filter your search results based on airline alliances, allowing you to tailor the results according to your existing points currencies and preferred loyalty programs.
For example, if you're planning an Aeroplan redemption, you can filter for all Star Alliance airlines. If you're interested in Avios multi-carrier awards, you would look for flights within the Oneworld alliance.
Let's say you're a Vancouver-based traveler planning a trip to Morocco and Thailand using Aeroplan miles. By filtering for Star Alliance, FlightConnections instantly reveals all possible routing options on Star Alliance to get to Casablanca, your first stop. From there, you can explore direct flights to Asia and choose the best options for your itinerary.
Filter your search results based on alliances.
Using this filtering feature allows you to narrow down your options and focus on airlines and routes that align with your loyalty program preferences.
4. Filter by Airline
FlightConnections also allows you to filter flights based on individual airlines. This feature provides a detailed overview of specific airline routes, regardless of the origin airport. Whether you're interested in global carriers like Air Canada or regional airlines like Canadian North, FlightConnections offers a comprehensive view of each airline's routes.
Explore individual airline routes.
This feature not only satisfies aviation enthusiasts but also helps travelers determine where they can fly with a particular airline or explore new routes before booking their flights.
5. Filter by Class of Service (Premium Feature)
FlightConnections offers a class of service filtering feature, exclusively available to premium users. You can filter your search results to find flights offering First Class or premium economy, in addition to the standard business and economy classes.
For example, you can filter flights operated by Etihad Airways to see which routes offer a First Class cabin. This feature allows you to sample the best that the airline has to offer.
Find flights with First Class cabins.
This feature is helpful when you're looking for a specific class of service or seeking a more comfortable option, such as premium economy, on your long-haul flights.
6. Filter by Price (Premium Feature)
FlightConnections now offers a powerful feature that allows you to search flights based on price. This feature visualizes how far you can go on a certain budget for cash flights.
Suppose you're a traveler from Calgary who wants to explore destinations without overspending. By entering "Calgary" in the "From" field and clicking on "Prices," FlightConnections switches to a price-based view. Each destination is represented by a colored dot indicating different pricing bands.
Search flights based on price.
This feature helps you identify destinations that fit within your budget. You can even click on a specific dot to view a pricing calendar and find the cheapest non-stop flights on different dates.
7. Flight Timetables and Schedules
FlightConnections provides comprehensive flight information within the left-side information panel. You can access details such as flight distance, duration, and a weekly timetable highlighting the days of the week when the flight operates.
Access flight timetables, duration, and more.
Expanding this section allows you to explore flight schedules in greater detail, including flight numbers, arrival and departure times, and any changes in the weekly schedule over the upcoming months.
Conclusion
As an avid flyer and frequent traveler, FlightConnections is one of my favorite tools for exploring airlines and flight networks worldwide. With its comprehensive coverage, effective filtering system, and continuous improvements, FlightConnections is an invaluable resource during the trip planning process.
I encourage you to familiarize yourself with FlightConnections and unlock its full potential. Whether you dream of flying first class or simply want to satisfy your curiosity about flight networks across the globe, FlightConnections is the go-to tool for optimizing your travel experiences.
