Jan
11
2024

Insider Strategies to Save on Flight Ticket Bookings

Scoring affordable airfare allows Indians to explore more destinations, visit families across the country, and stretch travel budgets further. With strategic planning, bargain-hunting skills, and smart comparisons, low-cost flight ticket booking is easy through airline sites and leading portals like Cleartrip.

Follow these pro tips when searching for the cheapest flight ticket booking available for upcoming journeys across India and worldwide.

Set Flexible Dates in Advance

Most travellers have some flexibility around exact trip timing, whether venturing for business or leisure. Avoiding the most popular travel periods in favour of lower-demand shoulder seasons will immediately reflect in much cheaper flight rates.

Additionally, planning vacations for the middle of the week – flying out on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays – reveals cheaper flights and consistently overcrowded weekend departures. Even shifting your ideal dates earlier or later by 2-3 days makes a difference in locating deals.

Savvy passengers start searching for the best fares 60-90 days ahead of intended travel and remain open to nearby dates for ultimate savings. Sign up for fare alerts, too, so you never miss out on new discount seat availability matching your origin, destination and flexible travel timeframe.

Try Nearby Alternative Airports

Major metropolitan areas often have multiple airports serving extended regions around cities. Sometimes, flying into or out of smaller regional airports reveals drastically lower ticket prices than overcrowded major airports.

For example, Mumbai has two airports in Santacruz: International (BOM) and Domestic (BMC). Exploring flights to both instead of only your closest hub uncovers extra savings opportunities. Factoring in added ground transportation costs, overall savings still make the extra commute worthwhile.

Carefully Select Ancillaries

Basic economy class tickets from low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet set baseline bargain airfare pricing. However, these restrictive fares sometimes limit previously free perks now charged extra – like assigned seat selection, snacks onboard or checked baggage allowance.

When searching on Cleartrip, always click through to understand the complete restrictions before purchasing the cheapest tickets. Opting for regular economy seats may cost just ₹300-500 more while including far more valuable perks offsetting extra ancillary fees later.

Use Points and Rewards

Loyalty programs through preferred carriers or co-branded airline credit cards help you save substantially on the base fare component. Many allow “Cash + Miles” bookings to cover just taxes out of pocket. Signing up and earning points during non-urgent trips pays dividends on expensive routes booked at the last minute.

Similarly, popular travel credit cards from banks like HDFC, ICICI and Axis offer signup bonuses upwards of 10,000 points – redeemable for ₹6,000+ flight vouchers. Charging routine household expenses easily racks up more points for future savings.

Adjust Journey Connections

Nonstop flights universally fetch higher fares than journeys with a stopover connection halfway to most destinations. The extra hour or two of total travel time gets rewarded handsomely with 30-50% discounted pricing in most cases.

Additionally, check “Use My Layover” or “Long Layover Tours” program to enjoy discounted tours, and hotel stays booked during lengthy layovers at hub airports worldwide. Making journeys more rewarding can ease the stress of added connection time en route.

Conclusion

Getting strategic with flight ticket booking tips leads directly to big savings. Follow these guidelines when booking at Cleartrip or your preferred platform, and enjoy affordable air travel every time you fly.