You Paid How Much? Airline Ticket Buying Strategies
As you have probably discovered to your annoyance at some point there seems to be an art to finding the airline ticket you want at the right price, and if you get your timing or strategy wrong, it could end up costing you dearly or even missing out altogether.
Here are some useful tips and strategies that could help you beat the system and get the best airline ticket deals, including a look at why booking early doesn’t always work out best, how internet searches might work against you, plus the best tip for regular access to low prices.
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Focus on the right booking strategy
Most of us have been conditioned to the idea that the best way of snatching the cheapest possible airline deals is to grab the bargain prices as early as possible when a sale is announced.
You may well succeed in getting a good deal if you act swiftly to any promotional deals, especially if you are flexible about when you want to travel, but there is no need to take a blinkered approach and think that your only chance of a great deal is to book as early as possible.
The reality is that most airlines release discounted tickets for flights at regular intervals right up to the time before the flight is scheduled, so your approach should be more about focusing on checking prices regularly rather than believing that scrambling for an early deal is the only way that works.
Do cookies matter?
By comparison, booking at a hotel like Marriott Tysons Corner Virginia should be straightforward in terms of the price you pay, compared to working out when to click the accept and pay button on your flights.
A common question that many of us ask is whether were are penalized for checking airline prices regularly?
Internet cookies remember your previous search criteria, which is useful when you revisit a site, but it can also mean that airlines and travel companies know what you are specifically searching for and could push up the price as a result of this privileged information.
Some travel sites only display prices directly retrieved from agents or airlines so cookies won’t work against you in that scenario, but searching some sites could reveal your travel plans and potentially preclude you from the best deals.
Searching in private browser mode is a way of getting around that issue if you suspect that cookies are spoiling your chances of the best flight price.
Flexibility is the key
If there is one strategy for getting the best flight deals that work better than most it is the suggestion to be as flexible as possible with your times and dates.
You are much more likely to find cheaper flights that are going at unsociable hours and not at peak travel times. If you can travel on any day within reason and at almost any time of the day or night, you are opening up a world of possibilities in terms of cheap flights.
Follow some of these airline ticket buying strategies and you probably won’t be so hesitant to reveal to a fellow passenger how much you paid for your seat.
