Save on travel expenses by booking cheap air tickets. Instead, spend your holiday money on exploring the destination. Searching for and booking cheap air tickets would not be a Herculean task if you follow certain guidelines.
Booking Cheap Air Tickets: The Ten Commandments
Significant savings can result from following these guidelines while booking cheap air tickets:
Book tickets in advance. Airlines usually offer cheap/discounted tickets if you book seven to 21 days in advance. For the maximum savings, plan your travel almost a month in advance.
Book a return ticket instead of one-way. Round trips tend to be a lot cheaper than two one way fares. Thus, it is advisable to book a return ticket while going on a holiday or a business trip if you know when you are likely to return.
Use frequent flyer programmes: If you fly a lot, join programmes such as JetPrivilege (Jet Airways’ Frequent Flyer program). Such programmes offer several long-term discounts, resulting in huge savings.
Keep your travel dates flexible. The flexibility of traveling a day before or after your proposed date of travel could help you save quite a lot of rupees.
Fly during the lean season. Air travel is divided in three seasons, namely high, low and shoulder. Consider traveling in the low season, if possible, as this can help you save 30% or more as compared to the peak season airfares.
Be flexible with your travel timings. Flights departing in the wee hours of the morning or late at night are generally cheaper. You can save by choosing to travel at these odd hours.
Be flexible with the airports. Your city of origin and destination may have more than one airport. The airfare to one may be lower than that to another.
Consider arriving at or departing from another city. It may be less expensive to arrive at or depart from an airport in an adjoining city. However, do your math to check whether the money saved justifies the trouble before considering for this option.
Choose a reliable airline. Although some airlines may offer lower prices, they may be prone to delays and flight cancellations. This could result in unforeseen expenses and obliterate the advantage of booking cheap air tickets.
Look for flights that leave during slow periods. Certain weekdays are considered slow periods and airlines usually keep their fares much lower during these days. Try to schedule your travel for these days.
Jet Airways, with the acquisition of JetLite and along with its Economy Class Jet Airways Konnect service, today has a combined fleet strength of 107 aircraft and operates over 449 flights daily. Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege programme offers numerous benefits that transcend beyond traditional forms of frequent flyer programmes. This world-class airline also offers concessions for several special groups, such as students, armed forces and senior citizens, resulting in substantial savings.