Airline travel in India has grown extremely well, with airlines trying to give the best airfares to passengers. Where and how can we get the lowest plane tickets? This is a major topic of discussion among deal seekers, and people are always looking for a solution to it. During any trip, people spend most of their time looking for inexpensive airline tickets. The majority of people in India are middle-class, and finding the best way to save money on flight tickets means going a step closer to the air travel of their desires.
You must have noticed that sometimes flight tickets are quite affordable and occasionally they become expensive. Whether you think of solo travel or a planned family vacation, affordable flight tickets are essential for everyone. But did you realise that the low cost of airline tickets is not a surprise? Everything has a reason behind it. Here are some of the tips following which you can get flight tickets at an affordable price.
16 Ways to Save Money on Flight Tickets
Choose Domestic Airlines
While searching the internet for cost-effective flight tickets, give preference to domestic airlines; tickets for these flights are available at low cost which can save you money. They usually choose the less travelled route. If you are planning a trip to an unfamiliar place, take the help of such domestic airline companies. You can get some great deals.
Search for Discounts
During working days and off-season, ticket costs are much lower than during the holiday season. However, this does not guarantee that this method will indeed work for you. So remember to keep the ticket pricing for the full week in mind. You may generally obtain a better discount if you buy your plane ticket Monday through Wednesday evenings. In terms of flight pricing, you can use services such as Skyscanner to compare travel ticket dates and prices from various airlines. If you are determined about the dates, you can be compensated with reduced flight ticket fares.
Be updated on ticket fares
Keep yourself up to date on fare alerts. When browsing airline websites, make sure to set up fare alerts. Once you’ve done that, you’ll receive phone and email notifications about updated flight ticket prices and special deals. Monitor the social media accounts of airlines to know about dynamic fare pricing.
Pre-book your tickets
Once you have scheduled your travel at a place and date, it is best to buy your airline tickets as early as possible. If you intend to buy flight tickets the day before the trip, the ticket prices will be much higher. Pre-booking your flight tickets can save you a lot of money which you can spend on other amusements.
Compare Ticket Prices
When comparing ticket prices, keep in mind that most search engines receive a commission from airlines when they display trip prices. When looking for low-cost tickets, it’s best to use search engines like Skyscanner or Google Flights. You may compare different flight fares by visiting these websites and selecting the lowest rate. It also forecasts whether the cost of flights to specific places and dates will increase or decrease.
Use Cashback Apps
Use the Cashback app to book flight tickets. This gives you cashback in addition to discounts, which can save your travel expenses. CashKaro is one such app that offers discounts on flight tickets as well as extra cashback. You can book any flight tickets through this app at the cheapest prices. CashKaro has partnered with several online travel booking companies like Make My Trip, Goibibo, Cleartrip, Happy Easy Go, and more to offer you great discounts and cashback on flight ticket bookings.
Avail a bonus of Rs 60 by signing up on the Cashkaro app and enjoy exciting discounts and Cashback on every purchase.
Reduce luggage to save money
Additional baggage fees are very costly, especially on low-cost airlines or when purchasing a basic economy flight. So if you’re travelling for a short duration or distance, pack lightly to save your money by travelling with only a carry-on. You can save a lot of money on your airline travel by reducing the weight of your luggage.
Set Incognito mode while browsing flight tickets
Do you frequently see an increase in rates when you repeatedly search flight tickets on Google for a particular route? This is all because of web browser cookies. They work in such a way that repeated search for flights of a route leads to an increase in flight rates. In Incognito mode, your cookies, site data, or history are not saved in the device. So the next time you search for flight prices, remember to use the incognito or private search mode.
Act quickly to catch mistake fares
Mistake fares occur when an airline company accidentally reduces a ticket to a price lower than planned and results in significant savings of up to 40-80% for passengers. Tickets booked at discount are usually not cancelled. However, these fares may disappear as soon as they appear, so you must be quick to find and catch them.
Use Airline Miles
Under the airline loyalty program, airline companies award air mile points to their regular passengers. You can use these miles or points to avail offers and discounts and save money on your next flight booking. Do note that most airlines require you to book directly with them in order to use miles.
Get Free Lounge Access
Airports, airlines, and certain third-party companies provide lounges where passengers can eat, use Wi-Fi, and relax. However, not everyone can make use of the service because access to such lounges is limited to subscribers exclusively, while others demand exorbitant fees from all others. Several good credit cards today offer lounge access at various airports in India and overseas. By owning these credit cards, you can get a complimentary lounge access facility.
Book flight in currency of the origin country
Airlines like to be paid in the currencies of the nations they are travelling to. Sometimes you can save money by choosing this payment option when booking flight tickets as they are way cheaper. When booking your next flight, try to pay in the currency of the origin country. If you choose this step, be sure to have such a credit card that does not charge you for overseas transactions. Otherwise, you may eventually spend more than you save.
Look for budget-friendly tourist destinations
If you want to travel but are not sure where you want to go. You can use apps like Skyscanner to find low-cost flight locations. Simply search the city, country, or continent you intend to travel to and you will be presented with a list of low-cost flight tickets to everywhere in the world. You can take your pick according to your budget.
Book connecting flights yourself
There will be instances when you will need to change flights to reach your destination. It is preferable to arrange such flights yourself rather than rely on airline companies. Skyscanner, again, is excellent for this purpose. It displays a variety of flight fares and routes. By booking two flights separately, you can save money.
Look for free stopover paid by the carrier
When an airline imposes a late flight owing to a travel schedule, the airline may provide a free stopover paid by the carrier (STPC), which may include a free dinner or hotel room. Some airports also provide complimentary layover tours for travellers in transit.
Carry your own food
Many low-cost airlines do not provide meal service; you must bring your own meals. Even if meals are provided, anything brought from home will not only be more cost-effective than what is given on board, but it would also taste much better as you cook according to your taste.
Other Money Saving Ideas:
Best Ways To Save On Electricity
Save Money On Headphones Or Earphones
Conclusion
To get the cheapest flight tickets, you have to smartly change some of your regular booking habits. You have to be prepared for affordable airline fares in advance so that you can apply your strategy and grab it.
FAQs
How to book flight tickets online?
You can book flight tickets online by visiting the official portal of airlines or through travel portals through CashKaro.
How to save money on Flight Tickets?
Follow some smart practices given in the article to save money on flight tickets.
How to find cheap flights in India?
You can find a cheap flight in India by comparing fares of different airlines on various websites.