International and domestic flight prices are subject to change so often that it becomes tough even for regular travellers to predict if they will get the best deals on air tickets or not. Although air tickets are available online at varying prices, we have gathered a few tips and tricks that can save you some serious money. After getting vaccinations and staying at home for more than two years, many people are indeed planning to travel and look for last-minute flight deals to choose from. However, they always end up spending more besides getting limited destination tickets. Read below to know how you can get air tickets at cheap prices in India in the coming months to travel in a budget-friendly way.
Why do airline ticket prices fluctuate so much?
It can be frustrating to see when ticket prices change so much, especially when you attempt to book one for yourself. Prices may drop or rise hundreds of dollars in a day, and predicting the same is nearly impossible, so we end up buying whatever is left at the time. Changes in prices are sometimes irrational, and at other times they are due to several factors we are unaware of. Some of the potential reasons for which the air ticket price fluctuate are:
The growing popularity of the place
Airlines have always been striving to optimise their profit based on predicted traffic for a location. Prices normally do not change until the day of the trip, as long as their projections do not alter. Nonetheless, a destination’s popularity might skyrocket for a variety of reasons, such as a feature in a national magazine or a major event. When this occurs, flights may anticipate higher demand and adjust their fares appropriately.
Airline capacity
One of the factors that fluctuate the airline tickets is the passenger seating capacity i.e., when the seats get filled quickly, the prices go up. Consequently, when the sale lags, it results in a below occupancy rate and when the departure date arrives, the flight prices dip.
Flight Delays
Economic consequences, airline mergers, and geopolitical events can all lead passenger planes to be de-commissioned. When this occurs, the total capacity of a route is lowered, resulting in reduced seats available for filling. As a result, airlines will fear that flights will be more crowded and will raise ticket rates.
Tips and tricks to book flight tickets at cheap rates
If you seek to book yourself an aeroplane ticket in India at a cheap price, you can get a discount at any time of the year. All you need to do is follow the below-mentioned tips and tricks every time you book a flight ticket online.
Get an advanced booking
Although this may sound a bit clinched, this is one of the best ways to get air tickets at cheap prices in India. Whatever discount or deal flashes in front of you, just grab them and book a ticket in advance to get the best-discounted price.
Compare multiple websites before booking
When booking a ticket, whether advanced or on time, always compare the ticket price at a couple of websites no matter how much time you have. Many websites are available that offer the ability to book fast as well as special discounts, a list of travel destinations, and flight information. Also, never reveal any specific date for travelling rather select the entire month to know about days when the tickets will be cheaper.
Choose different airlines during early searches
Undoubtedly, booking a return ticket for your journey is the simplest way to purchase a flight ticket. Secondly, the widespread notion is that flight tickets are less expensive. The actuality, however, is rather different. Put the time to look into alternative airlines’ flights and be a little more flexible regarding the timing of your travel.
Search for Red-Eye Flight
Red-eye flight is when flights take off late at night or reach destinations early morning. If you do not have any issue travelling during these hours, you will surely get cheap air tickets.
Use incognito mode when booking the flight ticket
When you search for flight tickets online, usually the fares go up instantly. This is because of the website cookies which gathers your website data to check for the ticket prices. The automated system may shoot up the price if you search for a particular travel destination ticket price again and again. Therefore, it is always advised to turn on incognito mode as it restricts saving past searches and you can get cheap flight tickets booed easily.
Keep a record of airline newsletters and social pages for offers
Airlines design flash sales and provide coupon codes and discounts to encourage you in purchasing inexpensive airline tickets. You must subscribe to their newsletters and follow their social media sites to stay up to date on the precise dates of sale and the validity of the special offers.
Avoid weekend bookings
Booking a flight during weekends is not a good idea. If you observe the pattern, you will find that flight ticket prices start increasing on Friday and then plummets on Mondays or Tuesdays. Midweeks like Wednesday and Thursdays may be the best days to book a ticket.
Use authenticated airline website to book
Since airline ticket booking websites have increased considerably these days, you can easily choose between some reputed websites. However, these websites keep commission at hand and when you start the search, show you increased price than in actual. Ticket prices often increase when you book and are in the final stages of billing under the criteria of service charges, etc. So, next time you book a ticket, make an extra effort and compare the rates on airline official sites that may potentially save you extra bucks.
Buy the only one-sided ticket at a time
Whatever site you use for ticket bookings, open two separate pages for destinations i.e., one for one person and the other for the number of people travelling with you. If the single travelling ticket is cheaper than a combined booking, buy the ticket one by one and repeat it until you end up buying for all your travel mates. If the price increase gradually, you can opt for group tickets for the remaining seats at once or change the number of seats on the search page.
Look for refundable tickets if you are unsure about your trip
Refundable tickets are priced more as compared to normal tickets. The cost may differ from a few hundred to thousands of rupees depending on the destination and kind of flight you book like first class, economy or business. However, booking them can be a good option if you are unsure whether you will travel on the given date or not, especially if you are planning a business trip. The cost of buying one ticket will be good as compared to losing the price of an entire ticket as non-refundable tickets will not give you a penny for cancellations.
