Flight booking is a foremost task for any domestic or international trip. Whether you are going on a business trip or a trip with family, everyone wants to save big on flight bookings. You should be wise enough to use the hacks in smart ways to maximize savings on flight bookings. In this blog, we are sharing smart tips to maximize savings on flight ticket bookings and let you travel securely.
Tips to maximize savings on flight bookings:
Book in advance
Mostly, ticket prices rise before 15 days before scheduled departure. So, if you book it in advance, there will be no significant changes in prices.
Airlines tend to follow dynamic pricing to determine ticket prices. Dynamic pricing refers to pricing a product concerning current market conditions. It is mainly influenced by customers’s buying behavior, competitor prices, weather, holidays, festivals, and peak seasons. This is due to mainly two reasons:
- Product capacity, i.e., the product or service is less likely to be augmented to accommodate higher demands and,
- Product expiry, i.e., the value of a product will be lost at a certain point in time.
According to statistics, early birds get the best deals. Last-minute travel bookings have increased due to immediacy.
- 44% of leisure travelers and 56% of business travelers book tickets last minute.
- 34% of these travelers book trips 1-3 days in advance.
- 72% of mobile bookings on websites/apps within a day.
If you are looking for cheap flight tickets last minute, this idea may disappoint you. But planning and booking tickets in advance can contribute to saving a good amount of money. It is advisable to be flexible with dates to travel and avoid traveling during festivals and peak seasons. Prices are likely to rise during such a period. Also, you should not attempt to book flight tickets on weekends. You will find lower fares and rush on booking websites on weekdays.
Airline loyalty programs
To save smart, you can also check airline loyalty programs. A good service leads to customer loyalty and retention in the long run. Airlines offer rewards to their frequent flyers to improve customer experience (CX). It is the best practice by the airlines that leads to successful business. In this program, customers collect loyalty points, which can be redeemed for travel collateral such as ticket bookings and upgrades, accommodation, car rentals, and more.
You can sign up for airline loyalty programs if you are a frequent flyer and consistently use the same airlines. It will not only maximize your savings but also give you a special feeling while traveling. Also, consider this to save money on international flights and get the best deals right away.
Top airline loyalty programs
- MileagePlus by United Airlines
- Advantage by American Airlines
- Rapid Rewards by Southwest Airlines
- Miles & More by Lufthansa
- SkyMiles by Delta Airlines
Credit/Debit Card Rewards
Using credit or debit cards while booking is another best practice to maximize your savings. Booking platforms and airlines partner with the leading banks, for such collaborations. It is possible via co-branded credit or debit card programs. Airlines partner with Visa and MasterCard to offer special discounts and cashback to their users while booking. It is a safe and secure way to redeem the points that you have collected over time.
Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines participated in Visa and Mastercard programs to offer exclusive discounts and deals to their cardholders. One needs to qualify for the eligibility for these cards. You can get the perks of being their customer by experiencing premium services such as free baggage check-in, luxury experiences, and priority boarding that reduce travel costs. It can be a valuable tool if you are a frequent traveler.
Airline sales and promotion
Airline companies often introduce significant discounts to hold sales and promotions. Signing up for the newsletter of your preferred airlines will keep you updated on their offers and discounts. You can make the most of their flash sales and limited-period promotions and maximize your savings. Third-party booking apps and websites also update such offers, which you can scoop. You have to be quick to get such deals, as it gets sold in no time. This is one of the best ways to mitigate your out-of-pocket costs when booking air tickets. You can check Cleartrip to get attractive offers to get the best deals on air tickets.
Flexible booking for fare types
Even if you are traveling on the same flight, the fares are not equal for all seats. This is due to various fare types. Typically, there are two driving factors behind different airline fare types. It works two-fold: firstly, the average price that someone pays to fly one mile, and secondly, to occupy as many seats as possible on the plane.
You can book cheap flight tickets by being flexible on fare types. Flexibility is the greatest asset when you are traveling. You will find different fares in economy, premium economy, and business class travel. You can explore MakeMy Trip to get offers to book flights. If you are subject to changing your travel plans, opting for expensive flexible fare types allows savings. And if your travel dates are confirmed, you can choose the non-refundable option to save those extra bucks.
Multiple airline search engines and comparison sites
You can use multiple airline search engines to compare air ticket prices. But being flexible with the timing to board the flight can also help you save some extras while booking tickets. It is one of the best ways to find affordable flight options. You can refer to booking platforms like Skyscanner, Paytm, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, ixigo, and Kayak. These booking aggregators compare and provide you with information from various airlines and travel websites in real-time. By using these platforms, you can identify the best time to book your flight that matches your budget.
Travel Insurance
When you opt for travel insurance while booking tickets, you tend to get refunds on pre-laid expenses such as accommodations and flight tickets. You must find the best travel insurance available while booking tickets and make sure to pay attention to its coverage. This gives you financial protection against unforeseen situations like accidents, luggage loss, medical emergencies, flight delays, and more.
Check with official airline websites
You can check the official websites of preferred airlines such as Indigo, AirIndia, Lufthansa, and more to cross-check the offers and discounts available in comparison to third-party websites and apps. Especially when you are traveling domestically, you can check with local airline websites to get lower fares. This way you can avoid middlemen, take advantage of the loyalty program, and access the early bird offers to maximize savings.
Major players in flight booking Comparison
Skyscanner
Skyscanner offers a user-friendly interface all over its website and app, with features that include price alerts and flexible travel dates. It has comprehensive search results with filter and sort options. You can save a good amount on online flight ticket booking on Skyscanner.
Goibibo
With Goibibo, you can track fare trends and find the best time to book your tickets. You can also find alternative or nearby airports for cheaper prices. Also, you will get the user’s review and ratings to determine the attributes of their services to make informed decisions.
Kayak
Kayak provides a comprehensive search option with an additional filter for seat type and baggage fee. It has a special feature that forecasts flight prices to make an informed buying decision.
Conclusion
Flight booking is the most important and expensive part of any trip. There are plenty of options available to maximize savings on flight bookings. But proper planning, research, flexibility, and using appropriate ways can save huge on flight booking. You can employ the mentioned tips and strategies to get the best deal possible. We hope this blog will help you to make informed decisions and substantial savings.