The costs of air travel are rising. Here’s some tips to keep costs down.
If you have tried to book a holiday in the past few months, you would know about the rising expenses of booking a flight and travelling by air. Air travel can get even more expensive over the summer as flight demands increase. So, even if you take a short trip by air, it can leave you with a significant dent in your pockets.
It doesn’t mean you can’t travel by air anymore. You can use some tips and tricks to save money on air travel. Some of these tips can lead to more savings and cheap flights. So, if you don’t want to burn through your savings the next time you travel by air, keep reading to know more.
Choose the Right Companies
Not all flight companies are indeed made equal. You will get different rates from different companies. Some might be cheaper than others, while some flight companies give discounts or special offers for a limited time.
Before booking a flight with your favourite company, research and look for the prices of flights from different companies, and choose ones that have some discounts or those sold cheaper.
Also, check the quality of your chosen flight. Don’t compromise on the quality of your travel to save a few bucks. Make sure to research and look for reviews for the company you want to choose.
Apply for Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
You should also always check the flight policies after you have chosen the company to know your rights in case of delays and cancellations. Most flight companies offer some kind of compensation for flight delays and cancellations under certain conditions.
Most passengers don’t know about their right to flight delay compensation and other benefits. When you have a delayed flight, you can get up to $700. This compensation is valid for most EU flights. However, there are certain conditions under which these rules are valid.
The flight must have been delayed for more than three hours. It should have happened due to the company’s fault and not because of some natural disaster. Along with a few more regulations, you should have arrived at the airport on time without any delays.
The compensation does not include the refreshments and other amenities the airline provides. The exact compensation you get will depend on factors like how long the flight was delayed or under what circumstances it was cancelled.
For example, a Compensair compensation will give you up to 600 euros on cancellations and some other cases. Make sure to read the complete policies for better understanding. It can save you a lot of money that could go wasted in delays and cancellations.
Choose Less Popular Dates
You can save the most money if you choose the dates and the time of the flight right. Some timings and days for flights are high in demand, leading to expensive fares if you travel during one of these times.
When you plan a trip, leave a week before and after the chosen date so you can be flexible with flights and choose ones on the cheaper date. You can save a lot of money if you fly in the middle of the week, such as on Tuesday or Wednesday, rather than on Friday or over the weekend.
Early morning and late night flights are also not very popular and mean another chance to avail yourself of huge discounts. You can save as much as 50-75% of the original price by being flexible with dates and times.
Collect Miles and Use Them
Most credit card owners just use their plastic money for shopping purposes. They don’t know about the associated benefits attached to the credit card. For most cards geared towards travelling and travellers, you can avail of great perks like free lounge access at airports, upgrade to first-class flights, free snacks, better hotel deals, and more.
Another benefit of having a travel credit card is you can collect miles. As you use the card, you keep collecting points. You can convert these points into free miles. In some cards, these miles don’t expire. You can accumulate them over the years and enjoy free flights.
Choose Off-Season Flights
The peak times of the year when everyone travels can get congested until airlines raise their fares to limit passengers. When travelling during one of these times, getting cheap flights would be extremely difficult. An example is travelling to New York for the New Year or taking a trip during the Christmas holidays.
So, the best way to save money on these flights is to travel during the off-season when there is no heavy load of passengers, and you can simply get big discounts.
Key Takeaways
It is not difficult to get cheaper flights so you can save big on your air travel. You can stick to several tricks, such as booking flights in the off-season and during midweek when the flights are supposed to be cheap.
Choose the time of the day when the crowd is least expected, and you can fit in with a discount. Use the free miles on your credit card, and most importantly, be vigilant. Do your research and choose flights only after proper comparison.
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