For decades the standard practice when looking for really cheap flights would be to contact your local travel agent or tour operator and book your flights through them.
Within the last five to ten years the advent of the internet and the widespread use of broadband connections have contributed to consumers looking online as their preferred method of finding the perfect deal.
Despite the shift of people to look online for flights, a whole new set of problems and obstacles present themselves when trying to master this new medium.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to the online revolution. Some of the benefits include being able to book flights any time of day or night, searching with ease and avoiding some corrupt travel agent practices.
Some of the disadvantages include some sites adding on extra taxes and fees without disclosing them immediately, the issues of customer care from less established sites and some scam sites which are only concerned with making a quick buck.
A quick search on the internet when looking for cheap flights will return millions upon millions of search results. For the average consumer this can be quite overwhelming and the amount of choice makes it difficult finding the right site. Who should you book with? Is it safe? Am I getting a good deal? These are just some of the questions the individual faces when looking online for flights.
Fortunately, with the advent of modern technology, a new type of site has been developed and is fast becoming the single most popular form of finding the best deal amongst savvy internet consumers. These sites are known as flight comparison sites.
In essence they are sites which use an advanced form of technology which search numerous travel sites for their best up to date deals and return the results to you in a matter of seconds. This is all achieved by filling out one simple form with your flight requirements rather than scouring through numerous different sites one after the other monotonously checking their offers.
The downside to this form of site is that they have not always allied with every single site on the net therefore they cannot make the claim that they have searched the entire internet.
If there was a competition between a high street travel agent who typically only has a limited relationship with airlines and online flight comparison tools, it is highly likely the online sites will beat the traditional method simply due to the vastly superior itinerary of flights they have at their disposal representative of anything from 10 – 400 major travel agents.
Flight comparison sites typically only ally themselves with reputable companies and are usually partnered with well known sites which spend millions on customer care, advertising and offering efficient product services. The trick is knowing which are the best flight comparison tools to use.
Out of all of the flight comparison tools out there we recommend you try Skyscanner and Cheapflights. Both of these sites search a large number of major travel agents, airlines and tour operators.
You should also complement these tools with some recommended online travel agents such as eBookers. This is because they have direct commercial relations with airlines and can offer their own special deals.
Remember, the secret to finding cheap tickets is by exploring and checking numerous sites, not just one. Therefore, we recommend you use all of these sites to find the best possible deal.
Here are some other strategies and techniques that have the potential to save significant amounts of money on your next airline ticket.
Capitalize on your circumstances – airlines typically offer discounts for people in the following groups: students, children, groups, the elderly and the bereaved are all eligible for discounts from many different airline companies simply because of their status.
Maximize your frequent flyer miles – numerous airlines the world over offer frequent flyer programmes which offer free miles back to the traveller as a reward for flying with their airline. Once you have accumulated enough air miles you can exchange them in return for numerous products, including free flights. If you find that you do not have enough air miles to reach a particular destination you can pay for some extra miles on top to make up the difference. Nevertheless, you will still end up with a heavily discounted flight.
Consider a charter flight – charter flights typically operate from secondary, less busy airports and can potentially offer significant discounts to particular tourist destinations. Sometimes the whole holiday package is included with the flight including accommodation. (Many years ago we got a return flight to Cancun for £125 which made our 3 week trip to Guatemala an absolute bargain)!
Seasons, time & day – It is important when contemplating a trip somewhere to consider the season you are planning to depart and how busy your destination is likely to be. These factors play a significant role in the overall price you could pay for your airline ticket. There are times when certain destinations in the world have their ‘peak seasons.’ These are times when travel to these regions can be expensive. This is due to the demand associated with such destinations for that particular time of year. It is best when looking for cheap tickets to particular destinations that you research what are considered ‘off peak seasons’ to travel and plan your trip accordingly.
Another factor to consider when searching for the cheapest airline tickets is the time of day you plan to depart. Very early morning flights and late evening flights tend to be cheaper than those during busy periods of the day. This is due to fewer flights being available at those times and the general dislike of passengers to fly at those hours. The airlines want to fill as many of their seats as possible so they sometimes drop the price of tickets departing at those times. Our advice would be to experiment with departures at different times of the day and see if any discounts can be acquired.
Another factor to consider when looking for cheap flights is the actual day of the flight departure. Particular days of the week are considered busy periods and flights tend to be more expensive during these times. Weekends are generally more expensive than weekdays. The best time to look for departure flights would be either on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. No guarantees can be made for finding a cheaper flight but it’s definitely worth a try.
Vary the airports you arrive and depart from – check at least three different departure points to the same destination. Check those airports which are in close proximity to your initial departure point and check the prices. Likewise for the destination you are planning to travel too, check secondary airports to the initial destination you plan to go to, for example, if travelling to Bolivia, check Santa Cruz as well.
Fly from major hubs – if you are flying to an remote location it may be worth exploring two separate flights to your destination by flying first to a major international hub and then flying on from there to your remote location.
Begin your search early – have you ever seen a ridiculously low price offered on the TV or internet only to find when you look for it, that it has completely disappeared! Well, you may be thinking the agency has lied just to pull in consumers, but that is not the case. What the airlines tend to do is price a few seats on their plane for the ridiculously low rates they advertise in the media. You need to be extremely quick to get those seats as very few are available in the first place. The best way to assure yourself a chance at acquiring these seats is to start your search as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts – experimenting is the key to finding the best deals on the internet. Feel free to use any of the information presented in this post and the sites mentioned above as a base to begin your search. We are confident the advice given will save you money on your next airline ticket.