Parenting is, undoubtedly, the hardest job in the world. (Okay, as a website dedicated to sharing family stories, perhaps we’re a little biased.) But as parents, we know the challenges. We know how hard it can be to wipe runny noses and soothe scraped knees, to talk about the birds and the bees or why so-and-so decided to be a bully, to create space for your child(ren) to be themselves while also protecting them from pain, and to make travel plans when everything is stressful and expensive. (The list goes on).
With the latter—traveling—there are some unique obstacles that families face.
Booking a flight, getting accommodations, actually going on a trip—this isn’t as easy as the Instagram influencers make it out to be. When you’re a parent, you know that there is time, effort, and downright dedication that goes into making something amazing happen. You can’t just book your flight, pack your bags, and go.
At least, you couldn’t until PlaneAhead came around.
PlaneAhead is a company that’s disrupting the travel industry by making the flight booking process simple, affordable, and hassle-free.
Gone are the days of obsessively tracking flights with apps and subscription emails. Gone are the Tuesday mornings scrolling through airline websites, hoping for a cheaper price. And gone are the hours spent with multiple screens open on your laptop, comparing one-ways to round-trips and direct flights to multi-stops, hoping to get the cheapest option that won’t leave your family totally jetlagged before your trip even begins.
With PlaneAhead, you simply become a member (for only $99/year!), book your travel directly with your preferred airline’s website, send your itineraries to the customer service team at PlaneAhead, and wait for your refunds.
If and when a cheaper price on a flight becomes available, the PA team will automatically send you the difference. (Without changing your flight or times, modifying your seats, or doing anything that would mess up your plans in any way.)
You just receive credits when the price drops.
No hidden fees, weird sign-ups, re-booking on the airline website, multiple itineraries, or early mornings scrolling through flight options.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent hours trying to figure out travel for my family. I vividly remember nights I’d have ten or twelve different airline websites open, cross-checking takeoff and arrival times and comparing pricing. I remember trying to justify a three-stop flight with a total of 8 hours in layovers just because it was $83 per person. And let’s not forget the overnight flight I booked for my son and I, California to Florida, to see his dad when he was working on his first major dive job—only $78 per person, but I was so exhausted that I forgot my purse (with my wallet, license, credit cards, $250 cash, important travel documents, and phone charger) all on the plane when we landed!
Needless to say, booking flights has never been a preferred activity.
But with PlaneAhead, I book with confidence. I select the flight(s) and times I want (even if the price is high—because I don’t have to stress about it!), and I send the itinerary off without another thought. I don’t have to worry about finding the best price (the PlaneAhead team will refund me if the price drops!), I don’t have to wonder if there’s something better (I booked the time that worked best for my family), and I don’t have to think about anything changing (my flight stays intact—I just get credits back!).
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this whole company is built by a father who, like so many of us, has struggled with the financial aspect of travel.
“The company started while I was on paternity leave for my second child,” shares PlaneAhead Founder and CEO, Alex Malebranche, “Because of my family’s background of limited financial resources, I typically track my airline tickets on Southwest in order to see if I can save money. Then I thought, ‘I’m sure people like me (millennials and families) that are tight on time and budget would love if someone did this for them.”
As a father, Malebranche set out to make traveling easier and more affordable.
Now, all parents have the option to book without stress and outsource the back-and-forth about pricing to someone else.
As a momma and wanderlust junkie, and as the world shifts (hopefully!) out of the pandemic and into more frequent globetrotting… I’m excited to continue being a member of PlaneAhead and make flying with family possible.
Featured Image Credit: Alex Malebranche| Facebook
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