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5 hacks to get the best rates when booking travel tickets
Most of us, if not all, love to travel but it can be quite confusing and sometimes even intimidating. You may need extensive research to plan and managing your budget is always one of the biggest problems. Thus, booking travel tickets can be a daunting task for a lot of folks.
However, “Booking a flight at the best price isn’t as tough as it used to be,” says Himanshu Periwal, VP, Growth at ixigo.com, “All you have to do is follow some simple hacks, and you are bound to crack the best deal.” Here are some tips to get you started –
1. Know when to book tickets
If you thought planning your travel in advance is always a good idea, then think again! Sometimes waiting a bit can prove to be profitable too. For instance, if you’re booking your flight ticket through fare prediction methods, it could tell you whether you should book immediately or wait for the prices to fall further!
2. Travel during off-season
Sometimes it’s best to avoid visiting mainstream destinations during the peak season, because flight prices are likely to be very high around that time. Instead, opt for year round destinations, where you won’t have to bump into too much crowd and also end up getting tickets that are friendly on your pocket.
3. Set fare alerts
Why worry over repeatedly checking for an air ticket fare to fall when all you have to do is set a ‘Fare Alert’. Travel portals such as ixigo allow you to set fare alerts and also monitor fares for your recently searched flight sectors around the clock. As soon as the fare drops, you get an alert! Isn’t that simple?
4. Sign up for newsletters
It’s always a great idea to sign up for newsletters, emails and push notifications from travel websites. They regularly run offers and often create personalised deals as per your location, travel preference, etc. It’s a good way to stay informed and book as soon as the right offer comes your way.
5. Book one-way
Gone are the days when booking a return flight would promise you cheap air fare. “Many travel portals, give you cashbacks on the basis of a booking PNR. So say the running cashback amount is Rs.600, if you book two one-way tickets instead of one return ticket, you can get a total cashback of Rs. 1200,” Himanshu adds.
