There are several studies and research on how to go about booking lowest priced flight tickets, discount flight tickets and cheap flight tickets. The basic steps in figuring out the best way to buy flight ticket is deceptively simple but works like a charm. To ensure you get the maximum bang for your buck while booking a flight ticket, follow these 7 steps.
Plan in Advance :- This is singularly the most vital step that will help you in booking cheap flight ticket. Plan at least 3 months in advance of your departure date and start signing up for email and social media alerts about sale on flight tickets. The key here is specificity, since airline fares vary widely from destination to destination, it is imperative that you sign up for an alert for the exact destinations you are flying from and to. The best tools for this are Yapta and Airfarewatchdog, both of them have the option to alert you when the prices for a flight ticket drop for the nearest airports of your destination.
Know the Best Time :- This is a highly debated and discussed subject when it comes to flight booking and not without a reason. The time period of booking is a prime factor that determines your flight ticket fare. The general consensus is that 3-5 month period is the ideal booking window when you should do the booking. Again, this is very destination specific, so check how the fares have been behaving for your destination using an airfare calendar and you will have a fare idea on when is the best time to book.
Know when the airfares are lowest :- Airliners typically release new airfares on Mondays so agents can get an early whiff of the demand for that specific routes. These rates are then matched by the competitors on Tuesday. This means your best bet at finding the best rate for your flight ticket is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Customize your trip :- Rather than booking a round-trip flight ticket, try to search for two one way tickets. Often unaffiliated carriers will give you a lower price while purchasing separate ticket. Search for flights at odd times. The decreased demand usually force airliners to reduce fares for these flights. If you need to fly during the holidays, keep in mind that it will be cheaper to fly on the day of the holiday. The reason is the lack of demand due to people preferring to spend time with their families rather than waste it on flying.
Use metasearch sites :- Price aggregator sites like Kayak are one of your best tools while hunting for a discount flight ticket. The other recommended sites are airfarewatchdog, ITA by Google and FareCompare.
Martin Wynn
