If you travel frequently, rising flight ticket prices can strain your budget. However, by adopting some smart travel tips, you can save thousands of rupees. Booking online, taking advantage of offers, and choosing the right time can make air travel much more affordable. Here are some essential tips. By following these methods, you can save thousands of rupees on both domestic and international flights.
1. **Embrace the Advance Booking Formula:** Flight tickets are always expensive at the last minute. Booking your ticket 30 to 45 days in advance can get you the best prices. Airlines offer discounts on early bookings and raise prices as seats fill up.
2. **Choose Flexible Dates and Times:** Flight tickets are more expensive on weekends and holidays. Traveling on normal days like Tuesday or Wednesday can reduce prices by 20-30%. Similarly, late-night or early-morning flights are often cheaper.
3. **Utilize Flight Comparison Websites and Apps:** Platforms like Skyscanner, Google Flights, MakeMyTrip, and Cleartrip show prices from different airlines simultaneously. This allows you to choose the cheapest options. They also have a price alert feature that sends notifications when the ticket price drops. Use the app in incognito (private) mode.
4. **Take Advantage of Bank Offers and Cashback:** Sometimes, booking flights with credit and debit cards can give you an instant discount of 10-15%. Banks like HDFC, SBI, ICICI, and Axis often offer deals in collaboration with airlines and travel websites. Similarly, cashback can also be obtained from wallets like Paytm and Amazon Pay.
5. **Search in Incognito Mode:** Sometimes, websites increase prices based on your browser history after repeated flight searches. Searching in incognito mode will show you the real and lower prices.