10 Ways to Save Money on Flight Bookings

10 Tips to Save Money on Flight Tickets

Planning a trip involves a lot of things like booking hotels, and tour operators, buying an overseas travel health insurance according to the destination, flight bookings, etc. Many of you may assume that flight tickets are affordable during the off-season, but that is not entirely correct. Below are some tips for searching, comparing, and booking economical flight tickets: 

1. Use Incognito Mode or VPN for Flight Searches 

When you search for a specific flight online, your browser stores your cookies and browsing data. It means your search engine has all the details like the flight route, the number of passengers, and the journey date for which you are searching a flight. 

This data is shared by the airline and travel booking websites who will hike the price of the particular flight tickets seeing the demand. But you can avoid such a situation by using an incognito browser when searching for flights. It will block those websites from saving your cookies and browsing data. If you can, use a VPN to browse and book tickets.

This way your last searches are not tracked and you won't see hiked flight fares. If possible, use credit cards to pay for your flight tickets as they often offer plenty of discounts or cashback that you can use to your benefit. If you have a credit card with travel insurance, it will provide you considerable protection, hence saving you some money on travel insurance as well!

2. Be Flexible in Your Travel Dates

Planning a trip involves a lot of thinking and time. We suggest you be flexible with your dates. Avoid travelling during festivals like Holi, Diwali or Christmas, as the flight fares will be slightly higher than on usual days. Similarly, try to book tickets midweek as the ticket fares are comparatively lower than at the weekends. You can opt for the calendar view booking system on any flight booking app or website and see the entire list for upto a few months. This will help you find the cheapest flight tickets and let you save money on flight tickets.

3. Choose Local Airlines for Domestic Travel

To travel within India, you must prefer local airlines over international ones for air travel. While searching, some websites or apps may not show less popular routes or local airlines for domestic travel. Often, these international flights are also connecting flights with long layovers so they may be costlier than other flights.

We suggest you visit local airline websites and check their deals too because sometimes they offer lower fares than popular ones. Additionally, don’t forget to buy travel insurance for financial protection against any unforeseen situation like medical emergencies, loss of baggage, flight delay, etc. during your trip.

4. Use Social Media Deals for Booking Flights

It is possible to avail amazing discounts on flight bookings using social media. Follow the social media pages of your favourite airlines. They usually announce flash sales, promotional deals, coupon codes, or a last-minute ticket sales at unbelievable prices. 

Also, you can check your debit card/credit card, shopping applications and UPI payment applications for any offers or coupon codes. Hence, keep an eye out for any offers running on social media.

5. Become a Frequent Flyer to Use Air Mile Points 

If you are a frequent traveller on a particular flight, you can reap the benefits of air mile points as a loyal customer. The name of a frequent traveller on a particular flight is enlisted on the loyal customer list and can help you gain extra mile points while travelling in India or abroad. There are plenty of discounts and benefits available for loyal customers who travel frequently in a month. You can also buy a credit card that offers cashback on air miles. 

6. Search Flight Ticket Fare for a Single Person

Whether you are travelling with your family or a group of friends, do not make the mistake of searching for multiple tickets on a flight search engine. Instead, search for fare for a single person. This is because airlines eagerly wait to sell the tickets at the highest price possible and when they find multiple tickets together, they quote their highest price. 

If you’re a student, you can opt for student discounts offered by several airlines. You can easily save on flight tickets using these discounts given that you can provide a valid ID proving that you’re a student.

7. Avoid Direct Flights

While travelling abroad, look for connecting flights instead of direct flights. Booking a connecting flight guarantees you a lower price and is very convenient for your long-distance travel schedule. Sometimes, you also get lower flight tickets when you pick alternative routes. Therefore, decide the flight type according to where you are travelling to and book connecting flights instead of direct ones.

8. Compare Air Tickets in Different Search Engines

Gone are the days when agents use to send travel itineraries and book tickets for you. Now in a few clicks, you can plan an entire vacation sitting on the couch at your home. Using a single-flight search engine does not guarantee you the lowest flight price. Also, always check prices for one-way tickets first instead of round trips. It will show you the cheapest airfare for the flight and you can pick the least expensive one.

We strongly suggest you try different flight search engines instead of just relying on one. Do not forget to open the browser in incognito mode before searching on ticket booking websites. Here, you can search, compare and choose the right flight within your budget. 

9. Book Budget Airlines

Budget airlines offer significantly discounted air tickets than premium airlines. These economical airlines are perfect options for those who have tight budgets. You may have restricted luggage capacity or some other shortcomings but it will fit your budget. Keep an eye out for hidden fees, and also set fare alerts. It will notify you of the low-price hours and hence, you can choose the right budget travel flight for your trip. 

10. Book Tickets Early

Last-minute deals are great but unreliable. Often we think that booking at the last moment is going to be cheaper but it can backfire especially if you’re on a budget. It is advisable to book your domestic or international flight tickets at least 4-6 weeks in advance. 

Usually, budget airlines display their offer price as a baseline price, and this cost keeps on increasing day by day. Therefore, it is always the right option to book your flights as soon as you decide on your destination. Along with this, buy overseas travel health insurance to stay protected against any unforeseen financial loss in case of medical or travel-related adversities.

Summing It Up

Flights tickets are a major expense of a trip. So, make sure to consider the above-mentioned tips for saving money on buying flight tickets. But before you book your flight tickets with a budget airline, look into their safety record, maintenance issues, the frequency of on-time flights, and customer reviews & ratings. Moreover, plan your trip carefully and cover it under travel health insurance policy to secure yourself against any medical emergencies faced during the trip.