No more than a few decades ago, air travel was considered a luxury available only to the distinct few who were able to afford it. But just as any technology eventually finds its way to the masses, the 21st century brought advances in technology and standards of living that created the significant increase in people choosing and being able to travel by air. As the world gets smaller and companies get bigger, more and more people constantly rely on this mode of transportation for professional or personal reasons.
Frequent air travel is still costly, however; it’s always a good idea for anyone doing it to find ways to manage and reduce overall costs. Discover four simple ways to cut your air travel expenses.
Book Your Hotel Along With Your Flight
Many frequent air travelers also require other services at their destinations, the most obvious being accommodations. A great way to lower your overall travel costs is by securing all of them from a single vendor.
Did you think travel agents were something from the past? Well, think again. This service can help you get a package deal for flights, hotel, car rental, restaurants, and other travel necessities for a considerably lower price than what they would cost if you bought them separately.
Learn to Use the Internet to Your Advantage
The rise of the World Wide Web undoubtedly helped the increase in air travel as people learned to use the internet to browse and compare flights and airlines to find the best deal. But as customers got smarter, so did the merchants, and they’ve developed subtle ways to pressure you to book a flight at a price that’s higher than it could be.
One of those ways is increasing a flight price after repeated searches for a specific route, with the intention of pressuring you into booking before the price goes higher. These merchants can do that using the cookies in your browser. The quickest and most effective way of getting around that obstacle is always searching for flights in incognito or private mode.
Avoid Unnecessary Spending in Airports or on Flights
Although no other mode of transportation can get you to faraway destinations in such a short time, air travel inevitably requires plenty of waiting, either in airports or on the plane. Merchants have taken notice of this wait time. A range of temptations, from newspapers to sandwiches, are available in airport waiting lounges and different expensive in-flight data packages can be purchased to make the time spent on the flight pass smoother.
If the solution for airport spending is buying everything you need before arriving, certain offers and packages such as Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi from T-Mobile can get you quality inflight Wi-Fi for reasonable prices. Coupled with T-Mobile’s reliable network, faster than its competitors, according to a recent OpenSignal report, you’ll enjoy the freedom to stay connected when you’re in the air.
Hunt for Discounts
You can take advantage of airlines offering their lowest possible ticket prices in many ways. One of them is looking for tickets on Tuesdays, which is generally the day when airlines announce their latest fares. Mid- to late Tuesday and early Wednesday is the best time to find great deals. Other items you can look for are one-stop flights. Although these types of flights will take you a little longer to get to your destination, they can save you money. Another alternative would simply be buying two one-way tickets instead or a round-trip ticket, with the first option being cheaper in many situations.
Air travel has opened up the world and has enabled us to safely and quickly travel for work or pleasure to destinations that seemed out of reach only a few decades ago. Although ticket prices are constantly getting cheaper, that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart and well-informed enough to get the best possible deal without compromising the overall experience. We may also be able to manage to save an extra buck for a few more cocktails on the beach or a great souvenir for our loved ones back home.