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Man explains why you should never book a flight with this symbol next to it

Man explains why you should never book a flight with this symbol next to it

Turns out there's plenty of ways to trip up when buying flight tickets online

There's nothing better than getting a fantastic deal on a flight, but one savvy shopper on social media points out why you should definitely pay attention to a particular symbol if it shows up on your search.

Saving money on your flights is one of the best things you can do when preparing to travel, as it lets you use your funds on your actual holiday instead of tying them up in the process of getting there and back.

While you should definitely pay attention to things like your seat number - which could prove critical in a crash - and also what class you're going to end up in, one video on TikTok shows that one particular symbol could be the make or break factor if you're buying on Google Flights, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Travel expert 'tripdealsdan' on TikTok has made a video warning viewers of the 'caution' symbol that can appear next to tickets on Google's plane ticket marketplace, which you can spot by it's alarming red exclamation mark within a triangle.


This isn't always something that's going to make you not want to buy your ticket, but it's definitely something you're never going to want to ignore - especially if you're dropping hundreds or thousands of dollars on a flight.

He details that there are often four instances that make this caution symbol appear, and they are as follows:

  • An exceedingly long layover
  • A transfer from one airport to another
  • Mixed cabins/classes between multiple flights
  • An overnight flight

The first of which is something that almost everyone will want to avoid, as the prospect of a 24+ hour layover will either be incredibly inconvenient or end up costing you more in the long run. You'll either have to wait it out painfully in the airport, fork up for a hotel on site, or potentially run into visa complications if you plan on exploring the city that you're stuck in.

Visa complications can also crop up if you need to transfer from one airport to another as you're not just a transit passenger anymore, but Dan reveals that airports typically arrange shuttles for individuals in situations like this.

Additionally, mixed cabins can make what initially seems like a great deal not that attractive anymore, as the 13hr initial flight could have you stuck in economy class with a 1hr business connection at the end while you're stuck paying for what you thought was business all the way through.

You could end up paying a premium to have a better seat for a fraction of the journey (Lukas Barth/AFP via Getty Images)
You could end up paying a premium to have a better seat for a fraction of the journey (Lukas Barth/AFP via Getty Images)

Finally, an overnight flight is probably the least worrying thing on the list as a lot of people actually prefer it, but it can leave you landing on a different day than you took off which isn't ideal for some.

It's definitely something to keep your eyes peeled for next time you're on the hunt for a cheap ticket though, as a brilliant bargain could quickly turn into a nightmare if you're not paying attention to the small print.

Featured Image Credit: Images By Tang Ming Tung / Alexander Spatari / Getty