The days of cheap flights with free water bottles on board are over! Most Airlines are running on losses and there’s not much scope to reduce ticket prices further. Also as cost cutting measures, the number of flights have been reduced, resulting in full planes most of the time. And full planes means no price based incentives!
There’s no need to worry! Every day there are some killer deals out there you might fail to notice! Here we get you some tips on how to save when you book air tickets.
How to get cheap air tickets
1.Be flexible with travel dates
Unless it is a sudden trip, plan earlier and be flexible on travel dates. Most airlines hike rates in weekends as they get more flyers. Try flying in the middle of the week. Also, book your tickets if you can after a major holiday when prices will fall. Another important tip is to look for a late night or early morning flight which offers lower rates. Try to not fly in peak season if you are going as a tourist.
For.e.g.
- Europe has most flyers in August and the rates are pretty high. So make your trip just before or after that.
- A Hyderabad-Ahmedabad flight costs Rs 3,735 on May day while the same flight costs Rs.2,995 in March on a non-holiday.
2. Fly with Budget Carriers
Going abroad? Don’t just go by brand names! Traditionally, flying abroad meant the usual expensive players. But it’s no longer so. Budget Airlines are flying long hauls making travelling cheap, feasible. In Europe and Asia, it is easy to find such low-cost carriers unlike in America, so go for it.
- You can fly to the US and back to India for as low as Rs.55,283 with Saudi Airlines.
- You can fly to Australia and back for as low as Rs.55,000 from Srilankan Airlines.
- With AirAsia, you can fly from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur for as low as $30.
3. Check Different Routes for Best Prices
Try to be as flexible as possible with the route you take. There are so many budget carriers which help you fly at half the rates of the big ones. Work on various airlines and routes and save a lot. However, it a lot of work to figure out different permutations but absolutely worth it when you look at the money you save!
For instance, the flight ticket from Hyderabad to Amsterdam costs around Rs.35,000. The same flight if you fly first to London costs Rs.18,000. From London, taking a low cost carrier like East Jet to Amsterdam costs you 79 pounds.(Rs.7,505). See the savings?
4.Use Mobile Wallets
This is a trend most of us are aware of. All travel sites like Makemytrip, Yatra etc. offer the best Cashbacks if you book tickets using mobile wallets like Paytm, Mobikwik etc.
Now Makemytrip is offering Rs.1,500 cashback on Domestic Air ticket bookings. Surely this is a great deal.
5.Join a Mailing List
Here’s another way on how to get cheap air tickets! Don’t get annoyed about giving out your email to Airlines. Even if you mailbox is cluttered, you get emails on last-minute deals and special offers before anybody else. Some special or cheap flights will be available only for 24 hours, so check out emails you receive from all your preferred Airlines.
6.Join frequent flyer program and earn miles
Sign up for the Rewards program of various Airlines. Always keep earning miles as you fly. They can be used for you subsequent flights.
For e.g try out the Singapore Air KrisFlyer program which enables members to earn miles whenever they fly Singapore Airlines or any airline partners like Silk Air. You can redeem these miles for flights to over 1000 destinations. Cool, isn’t it?
7.Book Early, but not very early
While most of us book flights in advance to avoid escalated prices, book tickets as early as 6-8 weeks and not earlier because many airlines also slash their prices after initial days depending on demand. You might not want to miss out on some great discounts offered along the way.
Another good way to earn points is to pay using cards so that you can redeem points for flight tickets purchase. Many people tend to use cards instead of cash if they travel frequently. Don’t forget to take advantage of student discounts if you are eligible.
So pile up on your points and enjoy the discounts on your tickets. Are you planning a holiday and looking for flights? Makemytrip might be your best bet as they always offer good deals on both local and international flights which you can check out.