When it comes to travelling, buying an air ticket can be a mighty expense sans other things. It doesn’t matter if you’re travelling on business or for pleasure. You usually spend a significant amount on your Credit or Debit Card just booking flight tickets. And that can be a good enough reason to get demotivated, postpone, or cancel your trip altogether.
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We understand everyone makes mistakes. But, if your mistakes cost you an exorbitant amount you need to take another look at the way you do certain things. Often, most people make silly mistakes when they’re booking air tickets and end up paying more than they should.
But, here’s the good news. There is a workaround for everything, even while booking air tickets. This means you can now travel even more than before without burning a massive hole in your pocket.
Here are 6 tips to help you nail those air ticket bookings:
Go Incognito
It begins with clearing your cache (on your computer). We will get to ‘why’ in just a minute. The first thing you must do while looking for flight tickets is to either clear your browsing history or search in incognito mode. And that’s only because most airline companies use a technology on their website that tracks your browsing pattern.
Now, how this works is that each time you click on their website to look at a certain flight, the technology logs in your search and increases the price on those flights instead of decreasing it. Worried that the price will spike, you quickly make a booking.
This is exactly why you may have noticed a rapid price increase for a flight every time you refresh the web page.
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Avoid Booking Sites
There are an infinite number of booking portals that promise you great deals and discounts while booking air tickets. Additionally, they also offer you the option to book hotels, taxis, and other things.
Naturally, you are tempted to get on these sites and marvel at the unbelievable prices they offer in comparison to what an airline website may offer. What you do next not only costs you a ‘booking fee’ but also hidden charges the minute you click on ‘Pay Now’.
A clever way to book tickets would be to use these booking sites and compare prices, and then get onto the airline’s website and book your ticket from there. Also, you can call up the airline office and talk to the rep to see if they can give you additional discounts. Never hurts to ask, right?
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Don’t Choose an ‘Expensive’ Day
It’s a given that most public holidays, festival days, and weekends are considered ‘expensive’ days to fly on. There are already thousands of people who prefer to fly in and out on these days. If your travel isn’t time critical, you can choose to fly on days that aren’t ‘expensive’.
Likewise, choosing a flight at a particular time also makes a difference so do your research well before you pick a flight. And if you have to make a booking, we recommend that you book return tickets as against booking a single journey as airlines offer cheaper fares for round trips.
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Don’t Choose an ‘Expensive’ Airport
This will apply mainly for international trips or for bigger states that have more than one airport. Now, here’s the thing! Some airports have higher taxes and airport fees. Subsequently, the flights flying into and out of these airports will be pricier than the rest. So, it will make sense to check all routes that connect to your final destination.
If you’re willing to put in more time and effort researching these tiny details, you could save a lot of money. If you’ve flown to the US or the UK, you’d see how it’s cheaper to fly into a smaller airport and then take a connection (domestic flight/ train) to the city of your choice instead of flying into a more ‘expensive’ airport.
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Redeem Your Airline Rewards/Miles
If you’re going to be nonchalant about your travelling, you’re going end up paying more for everything. Keep track of all the miles you’ve accumulated on your membership cards. While you’re at it, also sign up with the airline companies to get price drop alerts.
It’s possible to redeem miles and get half-price tickets, or better still, get a free ticket! Similarly, if you own a Travel Credit Card, you could redeem your points and use it to get a free flight ticket. Isn’t that cool?
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Don’t be a ‘Late Kate’
Experts say that the best time to book an air ticket is around eight weeks prior to your date of travel. However, it certainly helps if you book international flight tickets many months in advance. The early bird gets the worm, remember?
In rare cases, some airline companies do offer last minute sales or discounts if you’re lucky. But you don’t want to simply rely on luck, do you now? If you’re going to delay your booking, every minute spent procrastinating will painfully pinch your pockets.
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Hopefully, these tips will help you make an informed decision while booking air tickets. You shouldn’t be paying a ‘premium’ for anything other than on an Insurance Policy.
Oh, and while you’re at it, make sure you get yourself some Travel Insurance as well.