Travelling on a budget? Tricks to get affordable flight tickets

Airlines often offer discounts to frequent fliers. Representative image: iStock/anyaberkut

The Christmas holiday is coming up, and many people are in travel-plan mode. However, most people who want to go on vacations to their dream destinations often stumble at the exorbitant air ticket rates. It is quite a task to browse various websites for hours and try to book flight tickets at affordable rates. However, a few tricks could help you book air tickets without breaking the bank.
Incognito Mode
If you constantly check the flight ticket rates from your web browser, you might notice the ticket charges going up gradually. The websites would save cookies when you constantly browse for the same information to make browsing easier. However, the rates fluctuate when you regularly check for tickets on a specific route. When you notice that the rates have increased, you might book the tickets quickly, thinking it may keep increasing. So, browsing for flight tickets in incognito mode is better than using your regular web browser.

Clear the cookies
Cookies are small text files that websites store on your computer to remember your browsing activity. Clearing these cookies at regular intervals makes browsing easier. The flight ticket rates displayed to you depend on the cookies on your browser, as cookies save details about your most recent search history. So, before browsing for flight tickets or checking the ticket rates, do not forget to clear the cookies.
Non – refundable tickets
Non-refundable tickets are cheaper than refundable tickets. If you are sure about your travel plan and date, you could book non-refundable tickets, which will help you save some money. Besides, booking round-trip tickets is way cheaper than booking one-way tickets.

Frequent fliers
Trust and commitment are key for a relationship to thrive. The same could be said about air travel. Airlines often offer discounts to frequent fliers. Most airline companies have loyalty programs that add points to the accounts of frequent fliers or regular customers. You can then collect those points to get amazing discounts while booking tickets.
Book on days when tickets are cheaper
While booking online, make sure to book tickets when they are cheaper. Tickets for flights that operate in the mornings from Monday to Thursday are cheaper than other flights. This is known as off-peak travel. Booking air tickets by keeping this factor in mind will save you money.

Follow airline companies on social media
Social media platforms can bring significant changes in your lives as consumers. Make it a point to follow airline companies on various social media platforms. Some airline companies offer promotional deals, helping you book tickets without burning a hole in your pocket. You will get up to fifty per cent discounts if you are lucky. Besides, you could depend on connecting flights for long-distance travel as the tickets on those flights are cheaper than on direct flights. 

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