 "Flying for cheap: Tricks and tips to get best deals on airline tickets")
If you plan to fly soon, tickets will be expensive. Airfares on major domestic routes like Kolkata-Bagdogra, Delhi-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Mumbai increased by up to 12.7 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in May this year, according to data compiled by Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel.
Vistara's announcement of scaling down operations by reducing 25-30 flights a day, roughly 10 per cent of its operating capacity, has pushed up airfares. GoAir has grounded some flights, 72 IndiGo Airbus A320 planes are barred from flying due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines and SpiceJet is reportedly operating reduced flight schedules.
"While the prices are peaking at the moment due to cancellation of flights, DGCA guidelines on pilots, etc, the same would be resolved in the coming weeks and the airfares are expected to come down eventually,” Bharatt Malik, senior vice-president - air and hotel business, Yatra Online Limited, told Business Standard, referring to regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation. “Considering we are in the middle of the summer travel planning season, due to high demand the fares would still be relatively on the higher side across the coming weeks."
Ways to beat air fares
Use incognito mode to book tickets online: Most aggregator or airline websites follow your search patterns through cookies and internet protocol addresses. If you check a flight price on a website and return to it later, you are likely to find a higher rate. To avoid this, you can use the incognito mode of your browser or delete all cookies after use.
Fly mid-week: Consider flying in the middle of the week instead of the weekend. Early morning and late-night flights are usually cheaper too.
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Fare alerts: Subscribe to alerts on travel booking platforms or airline websites to stay informed about price drops or special offers, allowing you to secure cheaper flights.
Airline programmes: Consider acquiring co-branded or generic credit cards with rewards programmes or subscribe to airlines' frequent flyer miles programmes. These initiatives enable you to accumulate reward points that can be converted into air miles, effectively lowering your flight fares.
Mix and match airline: Don't always book a roundtrip with the same airline. Mix and match: Fly out with one airline and return with another.
Track social media: Follow airlines on social media to avail of their promotional deals and discounts throughout the year.