5 Tips to Book Cheap Air Tickets

Owing to changes in economy as well as lifestyle, air travel has emerged as a popular mode of transportation. In recent years, a number of new technologies have been introduced that add to the convenience of travellers. In addition, it has also affected the pricing of flight services, making it cheaper and affordable. However, air travel can prove to be a costly affair if tickets are not booked on time. Here is a list of tips, given by frequent travellers, that can prove be quite handy in the search of cheap air tickets.

Low-cost Carriers (LCCs)

Airlines such SpiceJet, GoAir, IndiGo and AirAsia are called LCCs as they offer their services at the lowest possible cost. In addition they practice the de-bundling of services that allows travellers to skip amenities, which are not useful for them. For instance, many people do not prefer meals in case of short-haul journeys. Hence, the cost of meal is not added in air tickets, making it cheap. This does not mean that they cannot relish on delicacies while travelling, all they have to do is pay some extra amount and avail the service. This is the reason that experts advise on making reservations with LCCs at the lowest airfare.

A Thorough Research

Many LCCs based in India offer low cost flights and selecting the best can be a strenuous task at times. To get the best deal available in the market, travellers are suggested to check all the options available on a specific route. They can easily get the list of all the services on the travel portals, such as Yatra.com.

Evaluation of Options and Short-listing

Afterwards, they can evaluate these options on the basis of flight fare, in-flight amenities and time duration. The number of services can range from 10 to 100; hence, the next step is to short-list the best ones. It can be done by taking average of the cost of the preferred choices. All the options which cost less than the derived average, people can consider them.

Deals and Offers

At times airlines as well as online travel agencies offer deals and discounts on making the flight booking. These low cost flights can be even more economical by availing such offers.

Mode of Payment

In addition to flat discounts, people can reduce the air ticket price by making payment through special cards. For instance, travellers can get 10 per cent cashback on flight booking by making payment through Standard Chartered Yatra Platinum Card.

People can book flights at the cheapest airfare by following these tips. 

Booking Cheap Air Tickets with SpiceJet

SpiceJet is a major airline based in India, and it is known for offering value for money services. This low-cost carrier (LCC) has undergone a sequence of changes in the past few months. From managerial to operational level, new strategies and resources have been introduced to improve the efficiency of the carrier. By operating over 270 flights everyday, this airline connects around 41 destinations all across the globe. It is the second largest carrier of the country as far as market shares are concerned. Thousands of people book cheap air tickets offered by this service provider for a convenient and comfortable journey.

This Gurgaon-based airline operates many of its flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport, its primary hub. It already has a strong presence in metro cities, and the carrier is looking forward to extend its network in Tier II and III cities as well. This will allow travellers to book the cheapest air ticket on new routes. However, the financial setback in the end of the previous year hampered its growth plan. It is commendable how this company dealt with the crisis and emerged as a more efficient service provider. To celebrate the revival of the company, it also offered cheap flight tickets to its customers, who did not loose faith in it.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently approved the monsoon schedule of the carrier. After the approval, this LCC announced sale on its air ticket price under the name Travel Light Save More. As the name suggests, it promotes light travel and allows passengers to carry 7 kg. However, if the weight of the baggage exceeds this limit, travellers have to pay fee as per the airline terms. Travellers can make reservations at INR 999 for selective destinations. This is a limited period offer, which allows people to travel at the lowest airfare on selective routes. Under this recently launched scheme, the cost of making reservations is lower than train tickets (2nd AC) on many routes. In addition to this offer, travellers can avail services of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to book online cheap air tickets in India.

Such OTAs offer flash discounts on air ticket or cashback, reward points and cash, which in turn increases the value of the money paid by travellers. They are suggested to go through all options offered by various service providers and evaluate them on the basis of cost and services to travel at the cheapest airfare.

Vistara Flight Schedule and New Services

Vistara is the newest carrier that started operation in the Indian aviation market. It is owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA), owning 51 and 49 per cent shares, respectively. The carrier promised a new experience to travellers, and its flights fulfilled all of them. It offers many personalized services for the convenience of fliers. The maiden flight showcased a number of innovative features, including automatic check-in and digital boarding passes. Currently, the Vistara flight schedule includes operations for three destinations only, namely Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, but will soon add other cities of the country in its booking list.

As per reports, the airline will add options in the booking list by the end of the month of February as skies will be clearer at that time. It is expected that the company may capitalise the demand of DomesticFlight Bookings with Vistara Flight for air travel in Tier II and III cities, including Patna, Goa, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Flawless services of Vistara can be enjoyed by people travelling between these cities. The objective of the airline is to connect small cities of the country with metropolitan ones. With the increasing number of business as well as leisure travellers, and reduction in the cost of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), the carrier may add good numbers in its revenue column.

This carrier is credited with the introduction of the Premium Economy Class in the Indian aviation market. In this seating arrangement, fliers are offered more legroom as compared to Economy Class. The seat pitch is 33 inches in this class, whereas Business Class seats are installed at a distance of 40 inches. This ensures top-notch services and on-board facilities at the lowest airfare possible. In addition to this, it also followed the sequential boarding procedure. As per it, fliers who are offered seats in the last few rows are allowed to board first as this reduces the chaos. This airline is also planning to install more options for the entertainment of travellers. It has received the delivery of three Airbus models and is expecting the arrival of around 10 aircraft by the end of this year.

Government Approval Awaited for Lowest Airfare

SpiceJet is the largest airline of the country on the basis of load factor and second largest when market share is considered. It is one of those carriers, which offer seats at lowest airfare. With more than 300 daily flights catering to around 49 destinations, this low-cost carrier (LCC) is grabbing market share at a fast rate. It has a fleet size of around 53 aircraft that includes Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft and Boeing 737s. The carrier has placed an order for 57 more aircraft to be delivered in a couple of years. As soon as these new models will be delivered, the company may start operations on new routes including international ones. Apart from this, the carrier is planning to lower ticket prices for passengers who travel without check-in baggage.

However, it has not been approved by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Its rival AirAisia is also looking forward to introduce this offer as soon as DGCA clears the proposal. Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SpiceJet said that this move will encourage travellers to come up with lighter bags, which in turn will reduce the fuel burn. It may increase booking in the coming months, as SpiceJet flight fares will be reduced after approval, attracting more business travellers. As per reports, AirAsia asked for the permission regarding this offer as soon as it initiated operations in India.

The unbundling of services reduces the cost of a ticket and gives passengers an option to pay for the services they are willing to avail. This step will benefit both travellers and LCCs; hence, the civil aviation authorities are considering this proposal. Global airlines such as British Airways already practice this method of pricing and it is quite successful over there. As per industry reports, more than 40 per cent people travel with no baggage and new pricing strategy would a boon for them.