Flights may be the most convenient way to travel but they may not always be affordable. Often, high prices of flight tickets can throw the entire holiday budget out of limits! Does that mean you should consider other forms of transport? Not necessarily, if you do not wish to waste precious holidays in transit. Opting for a flight booking from Mumbai to Delhi over a rail trip, for instance, will save you close to 12 hours, one way!

The best alternative is to book flights at cheaper rates. We look at some ways to ensure the best prices for air tickets.

Be an Early Bird

We all know that air tickets become expensive as we move closer to the day of travel. Booking in advance is, therefore, a necessity. You need to start looking for suitable alternatives, about three to four months ahead of your date of travel. Keep checking how the pricing fluctuates over weeks or even days. With experience, you will be able to identify the “sweet spot” when the prices are the lowest. This would be around a couple of months ahead of the departure date. When booked early, Mumbai to Goa airfare, which is a very popular route, can be almost 30% cheaper compared to when booked a couple of days in advance!

Have Flexibility in Terms of Dates

Being flexible with dates will help a great deal in securing the cheapest flight ticket deals. Airfare will typically cost more on weekends as compared to weekdays! Consider zeroing in on a date that falls mid-week, for the best bargains. Mondays or Fridays are not great choices because they can be clubbed with weekends. Similarly, give national holidays like Independence Day or Republic Day and festival holidays like Holi or Diwali a miss!

Try Incognito

Search engines and websites you are using to book from, store the data and cookies of your previous searches through your browser. So, when a particular route, for instance, flight tickets from Mumbai to Goa is searched repeatedly, you will be manipulated by the website by creating a sense that prices might rise further. This is done so that you book instantly at whatever price point is being offered at that time. This can be avoided if you use the incognito mode available in your browser settings.

Book Directly from the Airline Website

While you may search across several travel sites, booking directly from the airline website can sometimes offer you a cracking deal. Make sure to take a good look at the deals offered here before taking your pick.

When looking for the best rates always search for a single flyer first and then add up the number of travellers once you have selected your deal.  If you fly pretty regularly, signing up for “frequent flyer” programs may also provide smart discounts. Special discounts are also on offer when you book through certain debit or credit cards. Check if you have them. Try mobile apps of travel portals for some added discounts. Sometimes, apps provide more competitive rates compared to websites of the same platform!