How to Fill In the Workbook
A field-by-field walkthrough of the free flight-cost workbook, including group costs, return journeys, currency and unresolved charges.
Open the file in Excel or a compatible spreadsheet editor with calculation enabled. It is a macro-free .xlsx file with no live price feed, external data connection or paid add-on.
1. Set one journey for every offer
Open Compare Flights. Set C6 to One-way or Return and C7 to your number of travellers. Add the route and travel dates in C8. There is space for four offers in columns C to F.
The count covers everyone whose costs you include. If travellers pay different fares, calculate the group ticket total divided by that count. Enter this average in the ticket field. Do the same for individual ground tickets when those prices differ.
All amounts must be EUR. Convert foreign-currency quotes yourself before entering them. Keep the exchange rate and date with your reference and count any conversion charge once. The file never combines currencies or updates exchange rates automatically.
2. Identify each offer
Give the offer a name in row 12. Record its exact airports and itinerary, quote reference and the time you checked it in rows 13 to 15. In row 16, describe the ground transport plan you will actually use. Put timing, comfort and ticket-condition notes in row 17.
Use a duplicate column when comparing two transport plans for the same flight. For example, one column can describe the rail plan and another the driving-and-parking plan.
3. Fill the gold input cells
Each cost category has a status row and an amount row. The label in column B tells you the unit.
| Cost category | Amount to enter |
|---|---|
| Ticket fare | Per person for the whole selected journey, including required taxes and fees |
| Baggage | Additional cost for the whole group and all legs |
| Flight extras | Additional cost for the whole group and all legs |
| Ground transport tickets | Per person for the whole selected journey |
| Shared ground transport | One total for the whole group |
| Parking | One total for the actual parking stay |
| Other journey costs | One group total, with a note explaining it |
For a return journey, enter both directions yourself. The workbook does not multiply amounts by two. Only the ticket and individual ground-ticket inputs are multiplied by the traveller count.
4. Give every category a status
Known: enter a numeric amount of zero or more. A blank, a negative value or text is unresolved. Zero is appropriate when you have confirmed there is no additional charge.
Not needed: use this for an optional category your chosen plan does not need, or for a service already included in the fare. Leave its amount blank or set it to zero. A positive amount with this status creates a contradiction and keeps the offer incomplete. The ticket category must be Known.
Unknown: use this when you still need to establish a cost. Entering a number alone does not change this status. The offer stays incomplete until you confirm it and select Known, or establish that it is Not needed.
5. Read the grey formula cells
Rows 19 to 23 show readiness, group total, average per person, the group difference from the lowest complete offer and the cost position. The calculation detail beneath the inputs shows how the categories become group amounts.
An incomplete offer has no final total or cost position. Its Known subtotal is only the sum of resolved categories, and Unresolved categories counts what remains. If just one offer is complete, its label is Only complete offer. Equal lowest complete totals are labelled Tied lowest.
Do not type over the grey formula cells. To compare another trip, save a fresh copy of the original file.
6. Check the decision beyond the total
Read the fictional Worked Examples, then use Before You Book. A lower calculated cost does not verify an itinerary, guarantee availability or decide how much time and convenience matter to you.
