We have all heard the story of the confident traveler who ends up booking themselves to the wrong city and only discovers this when it is too late.
Recently we did an airline rescue of a passenger who in their elation to go to Sydney Australia had self booked themselves to Sydney Nova Scotia in Canada instead.
They were disappointed in the lowest $1,400 roundtrip fare we could offer them at that time and came to us in real triumph when they found a “much cheaper $850 flight” instead.
We were a bit baffled on why they were uncomfortable in letting us check to see what they had found so that we could assure they had gotten the best fare. As that $850 price had seemed low to us we had wanted to make sure nothing was amiss. However, only when the plane continued on a prolonged trip headed northeast instead of southwest did they realize that perhaps something was indeed wrong and came back to us for help.
Secret # 1 Double Check.
Always double check that you have the correct destination country before hitting the complete booking button of your online purchase.
With airline ticket prices known to fluctuate wildly from minute to minute knowing when to book is critical.
Secret # 2 Timing.
Just as you can wait too long to book air tickets so too can you book too early.
Many think if they book their air far in advance this will save them money. As such we have heard of some who book their air a year out. However, because flight inventories are rarely released that far ahead, you’re likely to pay a premium cost for higher fare classes. Instead the sweet spot to purchase your tickets tends to be in the three to six month in advance time frame.
In search of that ever elusive “cheapest fare” many also just pull up the inventory see the “cheapest” price and immediately hit… Book Now! Like the first two mistakes this also can be an expensive error.
Secret # 3 Read the fine print.
When you see a super cheap fare or a “great deal,” listen to your gut and realize there must be a reason for that.
Most online sites will bring you a great fare by flying you into a large city and then connecting to another flight with either an extended multi hour layover. Or worse have you fly into one airport only to connect to an outbound flight from another airport (in the same city) that is an hour or more away! By not looking at the fine print, you may have a very large additional cost which wipes out any savings and perhaps costs you above and beyond what you may have paid otherwise.
Secret # 4 Seasonality.
Air ticket prices will vary widely depending on the time of year you are flying to a destination. Peak times will always be much higher than off season times. Therefore, consider traveling if you can when the weather will still be enjoyable but you are far enough away from peak season to get a lower price.
Likewise related to this is to always avoid holiday seasons when pricing will always be higher. A good rule of thumb to remember is if kids are out of school than family travel will usually be at its peak and thus travel prices are also likely to be high. It is best to avoid travel at these times if you can.
Secret # 5 Open Jaw Tickets.
An open jaw tickets is when you fly into one city and fly home from a different city. Sometimes this can offer you great pricing as it can allow you to avoid high taxes.
Particularly when you are flying on the same airline, and will be visiting multiple destinations this secret can work. However, if this leads you to fly one airline in one direction and a second airline home this practice may not work as well. Whether this will find you a great price break will vary but it may be worth a look to see what the comparison is.
A bonus secret is to always book your seats in advance when you can…even if it means paying extra to do so.
Why?
Because, airlines often over-book expecting no-shows to occur. If more people show for the flight than the airline had expected in their no show models, then those without assigned seats become the losers. Therefore, it is always best to assure yourself an assigned seat.
For more secrets on how to truly Travel N Relax give us a call to let us help you with your travel bookings. At Travel N Relax our mission is to truly make your travel smooth and hassle free. Let us take care of all the details so you can truly Travel N Relax!
