Travelling by air is becoming increasingly expensive, and people need to cut costs while planning trips. Travellers have to search for and snatch the offers on holiday packages. Flight fares become a major barrier in planning a trip. Many times, travellers plan a trip to a fabulous place abroad but have to drop the idea after checking the air fares.
Those looking for cheap flight tickets for travelling in India or abroad should learn the art of finding affordable tickets. A report states that airfares in January 2025 were 12% higher than last year’s. By using the right strategies and tools, you can easily find airfares you can afford. You can follow these proven tips given by frequent travellers and travel gurus while booking flight tickets.
Tips for finding cheap tickets
- The first tip is to keep your travel dates flexible and not fixed, and check the flight fares for the entire month. You should check for flight fares on various platforms. You should mention one-way airfares and not reveal the destination to see the booking for the whole month. This will give you a clear idea about the monthly airfares and the dates that offer lower prices. You can avoid travelling during the peak seasons, depending on the destination. For example, travelling to Europe in the summer months of June, July, and August will cost more than travelling during the winter months.
- You can check the different search engines and compare the flight prices. However, it is a time-consuming process, but it can help you get the best deal on flights. Finding low-cost flight tickets requires patience and work. For example, you can check and compare the prices on different booking platforms before making a decision.
- Another way to find cheap tickets is to use the New Cognitive mode while searching. When you repeatedly search for flight bookings, the prices skyrocket. But when you use the New Cognitive mode, your previous history does not get stored, and you may find cheap tickets. You can also try booking tickets using different devices such as laptops, phones and desktops without accepting cookies. Website cookies store all the information about your preferences and history. The airlines use pricing algorithms that fix prices based on different factors like fuel prices, demand, weather and more.
- Keep an eye on the Frequent Flyer programs that can be useful in certain cases. You can use your loyalty effectively while booking tickets. You can select an airline, holiday package and points from your account to get reward points. You can redeem your points to get benefits like an upgrade, a free ticket and more. You can look out for any credit card tie-ups, as they can get you extra points.
- You should be flexible with destinations, according to travel experts. You should check if flying to a nearby destination a day before or after leads to savings. This option is available on most of the online search sites. If you want to save big, then you should be flexible with your destination.
- Sign up for fight-related newsletters and mailers to learn about exciting offers and deals. You should not miss out on them as they are for a limited period. If you are a student, then you can avail student discounts to get cheaper fares. Students can also use the special baggage allowance to save an enormous amount of money. You can subscribe to some of the airlines for fare alerts notifications to see and avail the offers before somebody else does. You can follow the famous airlines on social media platforms to get insight into the last-minute promotional deals.
- To get the best airfares to your destination, you should book tickets well in advance. This will allow you to fly to your destination during the peak seasons at affordable fares. If you plan to book non-refundable tickets, then you should do so in advance. The airline’s automated fare system is configured to see the later booking as a last-minute booking, which is costly. You can follow a 21-day rule while booking tickets. The prices of flight tickets tend to drop once the flight reaches the final 3 weeks. To get cheap tickets from the US to Europe, book 72 days before departure.
- If you are looking for cheap flights to a desired destination, then you can try booking tickets in a weaker currency. This will help to get a similar flight at reduced costs. For example, if you are living in the US and are planning a trip to New Zealand, then booking tickets in the weaker currency can get you significant savings.
- You can book tickets individually, even if you are travelling in a group, to add to your savings. The airline’s automated pricing system will try to look for seats with the same price and will give a quote. For example, if you want to book 4 seats, then even if the system finds 3 seats with a lower price then it will not favour it to maintain consistency as the query cannot be divided. If you book seats individually, then it may cost less.
- Booking direct flights to your destination can be expensive. Instead, you can book connecting flights to get cheaper fares. Usually, direct flights are more expensive as layovers are not convenient for all passengers. If you are flying to lesser-known places, then you should try to book local flights. You can search for local flights and book the one that fits your budget.
These are the top 10 tips to get flight tickets at lower prices to your destination and save money. By using the right tools and strategies, you can find the best prices for flight tickets.
