How to buy air tickets profitably - 18 irreplaceable life hacks

It is not difficult to buy a plane ticket these days - a simple query in a search engine will immediately give you dozens and even hundreds of links to sites where you can make a purchase. These can be official websites of airlines, websites of travel companies and agencies. But how to choose the optimal from the whole variety of proposals? How to search for cheap flights? How to save on the purchase of air tickets? How long before departure is it better to buy? Having studied our own experience, the experience of fellow travelers, as well as information from various airlines and agencies on the Internet, we have collected answers to these and other questions in the form of 18 life hacks. After studying them, you will gain the necessary knowledge in order to buy the most profitable air tickets.

Search on ticket aggregator sites

To quickly and easily find the desired air ticket at a bargain price, it makes sense to use metasearch engines or, in other words, aggregators. These are sites that do not themselves sell, but perform the function of collecting information from the sites of airlines and travel companies. Thanks to this service, you can literally in half a minute see the offers of various carriers for the desired flight, sorted in ascending order of price, and choose the option that suits you. In addition, you can customize the search filters to suit your wishes. For example, show offers only with direct connections, select only the evening departure time, show only certain airlines, and so on. In a word, customize the search for yourself and get only offers that satisfy your own requests.After the choice is made, the aggregator site redirects you to the website of the airline or the selling agency to pay for the tickets.

The most popular and convenient flight metasearch engines are Aviasales and Skyscanner. See how it works - try looking for the direction you are interested in:

Aviasales has a very convenient mobile application that is pleasant to use both on iOS devices (download) and on Android devices (download).

Use incognito mode in your browser

Modern browsers with which you look at pages on the Internet save your browsing history, and sites selling air tickets can easily use it. For example, for several days in a row you track the prices of tickets for the direction you are interested in, and the system gradually increases the cost, or displays a message that tickets are running out altogether and there are only a couple of seats left. All this is done with the sole purpose of giving you the impression that prices are rising, seats are about to run out and to prompt you to buy a ticket as soon as possible. You can work around these tricks by turning on incognito mode in your browser, which does not store or account for your browsing history and cookies. To start this mode, you can use the keyboard shortcut, depending on your browser:

• Chrome or Opera: Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows), Cmd + Shift + N (Mac).
• Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows), Cmd + Shift + P (Mac).
• Safari: Shift + Cmd + N (Mac).
• Internet Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows).

The same function is available for smartphones as well. For example, if you have an iPhone, then in the Safari browser for iOS it is called "Private" or "Private Access" in Russian translation. And if you have an Android smartphone, you can use the "New incognito tab" in the Chrome browser.

Browse the Internet anonymously

The incognito mode described above does not take into account the history of your previous visits, but at the same time it does not hide other available information about you. This can be the browser and device from which you access the site, as well as your physical location. For example, if we try to access the Skyscanner flight aggregator from Indonesia, we will automatically be presented with an Indonesian version of the site, and the local currency (rupees) will be selected to display all prices. Hence, we conclude that information about us is available and successfully applied. But it can be used not only for the convenience of users, but also for separate pricing. It is highly likely that Macbook owners (as an expensive product) or people in a developed country (USA, UK, etc.) will be offered higher prices.

To avoid this, you can use a service called VPN (Virtual Private Network), in Russian it is a "virtual private network". The service allows you to replace your real IP address with a virtual one, so sites will not know your actual location, as well as the device from which you access the Internet.

One of the most popular and easy-to-use services is Hola. It is installed as a browser extension and supports all the most popular ones - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Android, Internet Explorer. Through Hola, you can choose the country yourself, the IP address of which we will simulate. Thus, you can, for example, use the Yandex.Music service, which is available for free only to people in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus or Kazakhstan, even when outside these countries. And also compare the prices of air tickets for different countries. Of course, it makes no sense to watch all the countries of the world, it is enough to check one developed western country (Great Britain, Germany), one Eastern European (Romania, Hungary), one Asian (Thailand, Vietnam) and Russia. And choose the cheapest option.

Don't fly in high season

In modern pricing, the principle of seasonality is almost everywhere involved, in which the highest price is offered during periods of greatest demand. For example, if we go to the cinema on Friday or Saturday night, we will overpay 2 or even 3 times more for watching the same movie compared to Monday morning. The same thing happens with air tickets. For departures from Russia, the high season is the end of December, New Years, May holidays, and almost all summer. During these periods, you will have to significantly overpay for tickets in almost all directions. The most favorable time for departures from Russia is the period from mid-January to the end of February, as well as from the beginning of November to mid-December. During this time, you can save up to 30% compared to high season, and sometimes even more. Do not believe me - compare the prices yourself. It is clear that many people find it difficult to find the opportunity to go to the cinema on Monday morning or go on a trip in November, but with a strong desire and a limited budget, nothing is impossible! Alternatively, try intermediate options such as September or October.

Fly in the middle of the week

The same goes for the days of the week. Weekends are traditionally in higher demand, because most people usually fly on vacation on Saturday or Sunday, after the end of the work week, and return on the same days, at the end of the vacation and the start of a new five-day work day. Monday and Friday are popular days for starting and ending business trips. We conclude that the most favorable days for flights are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Don't be tied to specific dates, be more flexible

It often happens that we plan a flight on a specific day and do not consider any other options. However, it may well be that by checking the dates a couple of days earlier or later, we may be able to find a much cheaper ticket. The largest aggregators Aviasales and Skyscanner have a low price calendar function, which clearly shows in the form of a table or graph the most favorable dates for flights in the desired direction.

Fly low-cost airlines

Low-cost airlines are airlines that offer lower prices for tickets, while cutting down on service and all additional services. On such flights, the price does not include luggage (only hand luggage), there is no free meals on board, there is no option to return a paid ticket, self-pre-registration online and a printout of the boarding pass are required. If you are not confused by any of the above nuances, you can save a decent amount. The most popular low-cost airlines are RyanAir (all of Europe), easyJet (Europe), WizzAir (central Europe), AirAsia (all of Asia), TigerAir (Asia), GoAir (India) and many others.

Fly from major transport hubs

There are many cities in the world that are large transport "hubs" with large developed airports and a huge number of flights in various directions. In this regard, since there are many more options for flights and more competition, it is often much cheaper to fly from such large hubs. In Russia, as you might guess, such a city is Moscow. Therefore, if you are going, for example, to India, then, even living in St. Petersburg, do not be lazy to check the flights from the capital. You can get from St. Petersburg to Moscow by train or bus, spending only 1000 rubles, but on a flight from Moscow you can save a much larger amount. There are quite a few similar examples. If you are in Phuket Thailand - check flights from Bangkok. If you are in Penang Malaysia check out departures from Kuala Lumpur. Etc.

We demonstrate, using the example of air tickets to Bangkok, flights from Moscow are much cheaper than from other large Russian cities:

Split your route and use local low cost airlines

Sometimes, to save on flights, you can try to split the route into 2 or more segments. To begin with, you can fly to one of the major transport hubs described above, if you want to stay there for a day or two, and then fly to the final point on the plane of local airlines. This method can be much cheaper than a direct flight. For example, we are from Moscow and want to relax in Thailand on the island of Phuket. Instead of taking a more expensive direct flight, we can first fly with the same Aeroflot to Bangkok, see the capital of Thailand, and then get to the final point with the local low-cost airline AirAsia. The money saved will just allow us to live one or two days in Bangkok.

Consider information about the exchange rate

If your future flight is international, then the ticket price in rubles will be calculated based on the dollar or euro exchange rate. Where does this course come from? Most often it is set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) once a week. This happens on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. The new rate is formed from the rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation rounded to the nearest 50 kopecks and begins to operate at 0:00 every Wednesday. The established rate will be valid until the end of next Tuesday. Accordingly, for example, if you see that the ruble is growing, then it makes sense to wait until next Wednesday to buy a ticket at a better rate. If the ruble falls, then, on the contrary, manage to make a purchase before the end of the next Tuesday. However, it is worth noting that the IATA rate is not compulsory for use by airlines, some can calculate it themselves.

Use search across the board

If you are still undecided where you want to go and are free to choose your destination, try searching in all directions. It will show you all the airports you can fly to from your current location in ascending order of price. With this approach, you can find the optimal solution that will combine your desires with your current financial capabilities.

Buy tickets in advance

How long before departure is it best to buy tickets? The question is rather controversial. The well-known American airline company CheapAir conducted a major study, examining the data of 1.3 billion fares for almost 3 million flights (a flight in their case is a round-trip route from point A to point B with fixed dates). As a result of the study, the optimal time for buying tickets was calculated - 54 days before departure. According to statistics, it is then that they have the lowest cost. Of course, this is an average result and may not work for each specific case. Therefore, for greater clarity, CheapAir has allocated 5 time zones for the purchase of air tickets. Airlines, as a rule, start selling tickets 11 months before departure, setting rather high prices, which tend to decrease in the future. The reduction can continue until the time when there is only 3 weeks left before the flight. The most favorable period for a purchase is 21-112 days before departure, and the least favorable period is 0-13 days before departure. It is clear that the spread of the optimal time was almost 3 months, which is quite a lot. But it is at this time that it makes sense to most actively check for changes in ticket prices.

Check charter flights

If you like to buy tickets at the last moment, a few days before departure, or you simply have such circumstances - you urgently need to fly in the very near future, then it makes sense to try to find an inexpensive charter flight. Such flights are usually redeemed by travel agencies and are intended for package tours. But almost always, in the last days before the departure date, there are still vacant seats that are put up for sale at very attractive prices. The most popular site for finding last-minute tickets for charter flights is Tourdom.ru. Of the minuses, only popular tourist destinations can be found there. For example, from Moscow they usually fly to Bangkok, Phuket, Goa, Nha Trang, Rhodes and other places that are in great demand among Russians.

Subscribe to the price update mailings

The largest flight aggregators Aviasales and Skyscanner have a subscription to price changes. By choosing the direction and date of the intended departure and leaving your email address, you will receive an e-mail when the cost of tickets changes. Do not be afraid, letters will come no more than once a day. As soon as you understand that the price suits you, or you get tired of waiting for it to go down, you can proceed to the purchase!

Follow the promotions of airlines

Airlines like to arrange various promotions and special offers when tickets can be bought at very interesting prices. These promotions bring them a significant percentage of sales, so they arrange them quite often. To keep up to date and not miss out on a profitable ticket, you can subscribe to our newsletters. However, we hardly want to clog up our mailbox with hundreds of letters from all possible airlines, so it makes sense to look at sites that find and collect interesting promotions in one place. Try it vandrouki.by, 100500miles.ru and piratesru.com.

Buy round-trip tickets

If you know the date of the return flight and are sure that you do not want to stay where you are flying for longer, feel free to buy a round-trip ticket. It will always cost an order of magnitude cheaper than if you took the flights separately. See for yourself on the example of the flight Moscow-Phuket:

Earn miles

Many airlines have bonus programs. If you fly frequently, then by participating in such a program, over time you will be able to accumulate enough points (miles) for a free ticket. Aeroflot, S7, AirAsia and many other airlines have similar programs. If you are an avid traveler, do not be lazy to register and indicate your account number with every purchase. It will take a minimum of time, but in the future there is a chance to fly for free.

Miles can be earned not only by buying tickets, but in general on any purchases - many airlines cooperate with banks that issue special debit or credit cards. By paying with them, you can accumulate cherished miles. An example of such a card is "All Airlines" from Tinkoff Bank. By registering it, you will immediately receive 1000 welcome miles to your account. Further, by paying for any purchases with this card, you will receive 2% of the total cost in your account in the form of miles. And for certain purchases, the amount of bonuses can be 5% or even 10%. When you have accumulated enough miles for your desired ticket, you can hit the road for free!

Act wisely

And finally, the final, but no less important advice - act wisely. There is no point in spending a few hours bothering with VPN and so on in order to save 300-500 rubles on a Moscow-St. Petersburg flight. Most likely, you will earn more if you spend this time on your job or your business. Compare the time spent looking for the best tickets and the benefits that you can get as a result. And if you feel like it's not worth it, just make a choice and make a purchase.