True Trip Cost
Put every itinerary on the same ruler.
A cheap fare, a direct fare and a long connection are different products. Normalize the parts that ordinary price lists leave outside the number.
Direct flight wins.
Once visible extras and the time value you chose are included.
of selected extras, time and probability-weighted recovery exposure in the winning itinerary.
Currency conversion uses the latest available ECB reference rate when reachable. Card-network, weekend and merchant conversion spreads are intentionally not presented as known.
Your time becomes an optional currency.
- A
Normalize party costs
Per-person fare, bag and seat costs scale with traveler count; trip-level costs do not.
- B
Include ground reality
Airport transfer, hotel and transit-document costs belong to the itinerary decision.
- C
Value time—or don’t
Set an hourly value that makes sense for you, or use zero to compare cash only.
Start from a real question.
Explore the Answer Lab ↗Can a Heathrow to Gatwick connection work?
Treat it as two journeys with a city transfer between them.
4H 30M+ DEFENSIBLE MODELED BUFFEROpen scenario ↗HND → NRTHow much buffer does a Haneda to Narita transfer need?
Build the itinerary around the transfer, not around the advertised layover.
4H 30M+ DEFENSIBLE MODELED BUFFEROpen scenario ↗$412 → $531+Why can the cheapest flight cost more in the end?
The cheapest headline loses when extras and disruption exposure exceed the saving.
+$119 EXAMPLE HIDDEN COSTOpen scenario ↗FlyPolicy is a decision aid, not a travel agency, airline or legal adviser. Prices and conditions can change before purchase. Verify the final fare and operating carrier on the seller's checkout page.