Prices in Dynamics
Airlines have long been using dynamic pricing, the principle of which is to calculate prices based on demand and user data. The main principle of this approach is the dependence of pricing on several groups of factors. Seasonality, day of the week, and the principle of seat occupancy are taken into account: the higher the demand for seats on a particular flight and the fewer seats left, the more expensive each subsequent seat, explains Alexander Sizintsev, CEO of Biletix.ru.
“In the airline industry, there is a saying: it’s hard to find ten passengers on the same plane who paid the same amount for a ticket,” Sizintsev chuckles. Sometimes the ticket price can rise specifically for you if you have checked the data on it several times on the website. The price can also depend on other variables: purchase time, purchase history, country of location (all calculated by IP), and sometimes even the model of the computer.
Different airlines and ticket search engines use different pricing algorithms, so to save on a ticket, you will have to “play” with the input data: hide or change your computer’s IP, and most importantly, do not request tickets for the same destination with the same dates without the intention of buying, because the pricing program may perceive such a number of requests as increased demand and raise the ticket price.
On travel forums, they advise changing your IP to a German one, since tourists from Germany are known for their rational approach to travel planning, or to an IP from countries with low incomes. The main advantage of the dynamic pricing system is that in case of low demand for tickets, you can buy them at a low price even a few days before the flight.
Travel Off-Season
You can seriously save on airfare if you avoid traveling during the high season – the period of national holidays and weekends, school vacations. Or on destinations whose demand depends on weather conditions. New Year or May holidays for many airlines, even when buying a ticket in advance, cost travelers more than flights on weekdays. Most airlines take into account the seasonality of demand and offer significant discounts on air tickets during periods of low tourist activity.
The downsides to this way of saving are also significant – you can end up on a beach in rainy and cold weather or spend unbearable heat in a stuffy city. Nevertheless, there are many advantages to off-season travel: due to the small number of tourists, you have the opportunity to get to know the true face of the city and country, to learn how and what the locals live by.
Keep a Finger on the Pulse
Those wishing to save on a flight need to constantly monitor the air ticket market and be aware of promotions and sales from airlines. It might even be worth subscribing to their newsletters. Buying tickets on promotion can save up to 50% of the ticket price, but one should not forget the nuance that the cheaper the ticket, the stricter the return conditions.
In most cases, a low price for a flight implies a non-refundable fare. There are always a small number of tickets at promotional prices; airlines conduct such advertising campaigns to attract attention or fill flights that are unclaimed due to seasonality. Therefore, you need to act quickly: the most interesting price offers end literally a couple of hours after the announcement of the start of the promotion.
Charters
Unlike regular flights, charter transportation is organized mainly to form a comprehensive tourist package by tour operators. Such flights are set to popular destinations that are in mass demand. Tickets for charter flights cannot be bought on airlines' websites, as they are only the operators of the flights, and sales are carried out by tour operators and travel agents as part of tour packages.
“Experienced travelers even specifically buy a tour just for the charter – often a package holiday with accommodation, transfer and meals turns out to be cheaper than tickets for a regular flight,” note the online tour purchasing service Level.Travel. In case of low demand or an unfilled flight, tour operators offer charter air tickets for sale without a tour package.
This is another significant difference between regular flights and charter flights: while tickets for regular flights in most cases become more expensive closer to the departure date, charter tickets, on the contrary, become cheaper the closer the flight date. They mainly go on sale not a couple of months, but a few weeks or days before the flight. The main disadvantage of flying on a charter is the risk of flight delays, which occur more often here than on regular flights, because airports give priority to the latter. In addition, the schedule of charter flights can be significantly changed a day before the flight.
Take What’s Offered
The main way to save on air tickets is not to be tied to specific destinations or dates. If the main goal is to go on an inexpensive trip, then you should start from the cheap tickets available for sale.
For example, in July you can take a large-scale trip across Europe: you can start with a flight to London, for which budget airlines offer cheap tickets. After a couple of days in the British capital, you can take a direct train from London to Marseille (price – 67 pounds sterling), which goes through the underwater tunnel under the English Channel and arrives at the South France station 6 hours after departure. From Marseille you can take a ferry to Corsica (price – 51 pounds), and from there to the Italian port of Livorno (25 euros) and continue your trip through Italy, flying back from Rome.