In this age of technology and internet, more and more people are becoming self-sufficient. Those who previously required the use of travel agents to buy their airline tickets now are opting to make the purchase themselves online. This self-reliance means you perform everything yourself from step 1. Even though the entire process has been made easy over time but there are still some mistakes that one should be aware about when making the purchase. In this article, we have compiled a list of the seven most common mistakes committed during the booking process.
1. Purchasing a weekend flight
Most travelers have yet to realize that weekend flights are generally expensive as opposed to weekday flights. This is probably one of the few downsides of not hiring a travel agent. A travel agent is well aware of the price fluctuations on different days. But now that you know, avoid weekends. In fact, experts recommend flights flying out on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
2. The hidden airline charges
Amateur travelers are often tricked into buying flights keeping in mind the cost shown in big bold font. Once they book the flight, the hidden charges suddenly show up. The most common hidden charge is the baggage fee. Make sure you find out about the total amount you would be paying the airline including baggage fees and taxes. It is better to know beforehand than be surprised later.
3. Inflexibility
The airline miles will help you save money on airfare only to a certain extent. Flexibility is your real key to saving up big. Being fixed on flying at a certain date to a certain airport will hinder your efforts to finding a good deal. All expert travelers believe that flexibility as well as airline miles are the two most important ingredients for a cheap flight.
4. Booking an ideal time flight
As ideal as the timings sound, you must not rush to booking such a flight. Chances are, you will a way cheaper flight on the same route but with different timings. If you are traveling on a budget, then prefer late night flights.
5. Shopping in the day time
Basically the trick is to shop in the day time and fly at night time. Budget travelers should initiate their hunt in the day as this is when airlines and other travel sites post the cheap flight deals. There are limited cheap seats on every flight and they are all booked by night time.
6. Buying at the last minute
Don’t be too spontaneous when it comes to purchasing airline tickets. The closer you are to your scheduled flying date, the lesser chance there is to finding a good deal. Generally flights get expensive with time.
7. Being loyal with one airline
Like mentioned before too, being fixed never helps. If you only fly with one airline, you will have limited choices. Keep your options open to avail the best possible deal.
