Unlike bus or train tickets, air tickets adopt a system called dynamic pricing that can vary depending on the number or absence of passengers on the plane. As a result, the price of tickets for this mode of transport can change in a matter of days or even in a matter of hours. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are different ways to get cheap plane tickets.

Here are some tips for getting cheap plane tickets:

1. Determine the date and destination of the holiday

The most important thing in the hunt for cheap air tickets is to determine the date and location of the destination. Airfares are likely to get more expensive ahead of peak season, such as weekend, school holidays, christmas and new year holidays.

On the contrary, cheap plane tickets will be easier to obtain if you go on vacation at the time off season (when it's quiet) and booking tickets for weekday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. In addition, it is also a good idea to book tickets from afar at least two months before the day of departure. According to some sources, prices will get more expensive ahead of the departure date but will be quite expensive if booked three or four months before the departure time.

2. Use the aggregator app

The next tip is to use an air ticket price aggregator app, such as Skyscanner or by turning on the feature”tracking” on Google Flight. Both technologies work to bring together airfare data from different platforms and provide daily email recommendations on the cheapest airfare prices. So, you nope It is necessary to frequently check the price of the plane ticket one by one.

3. Using the airline low cost carrier (LCC)

Broadly speaking, the aircraft airline industry can be divided in two i.e. Low Cost Carrier (LCC) and Full Service Carrier (FSC). Examples of airlines Low Cost Carrier (LCC) operating in Indonesia, such as Lion Air, AirAsia, Scoot, Jetstar and many others.

Airline  Low Cost Carrier (LCC) tends to be cheaper compared to airlines Full Service Carrier (FSC), such as Garuda Indonesia, Qantas or Singapore Airlines. This is because on LCC airlines, you only book seats on the plane and do not include baggage, dining and entertainment facilities, while these facilities are generally included in the price of FSC airline flights.

But, the challenge of buying a plane ticket on LCC airlines is baggage. In this type of airline, baggage that can be carried on board is limited to only 7kg gross per person and if you do not book your baggage in advance or find that your carry-on baggage weighs more than 7kg, you will have to buy luggage at a higher cost.

4. Combination of airlines

The next tip to get a cheap plane ticket is to combine FSC and LCC airlines for the return trip. For example, because leaving still brings nothing, you go on vacation on an LCC plane, while returning on an FSC plane. It will certainly be cheaper than going round trip using a full service plane.

5. Take advantage of discounts

Discounts on air tickets can come from several parties, namely:

1. The airlines themselves. To get a discount from the airline, you can subscribe to the newsletter of the airline, following its social media or by redeeming points earned from your previous flight.
2. Travel app. Travel apps, such as Traveloka and It's Booking.com It is not uncommon to also offer discounted airfares at certain events.
3. Credit card. The acap kali credit card also offers airfare promos for its users. Honest credit card for example, offering discounts on airplanes directly and through the travel app. Not only that, this credit card app also offers Free transaction fees while you are abroad and cashback. So you can be more economical when shopping in someone else's country.

You can download all travel apps to observe changes in ticket prices and discounts. But, if you don't have time, you follow social media account for backpacker and traveler because members of such groups will not infrequently notify if there is a discount on flights or hotels.

Some airlines also offer special student discounts (student). It's just that in order to get this discount, you need to have a student card or an active student card and it can be verified by the airline.

6. Using connecting flights

Ticket prices connecting flight or connecting flights are generally cheaper compared to direct flight price tickets. For example, a flight from Jakarta to Melbourne, Australia directly costs IDR 5,000,000 on a full-service plane. However, if using connecting flight It can be reduced to Rp 4,000,000.

However, you must first transit in certain areas for some time, so generally the duration of the flight will be longer. This strategy is suitable for those of you who want to explore other countries and have a lot of free time.

In short, finding cheap airfare abroad requires extra strategy and patience. In fact, some people get cheap tickets when they check plane prices in the middle of the night. You also need to compare ticket prices from one platform to another.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to get cheap plane tickets during the holiday season?

The trick is to book a plane ticket all the way through the day. Also take advantage of the promotions provided by the airline, both through social media and promos from certain banks.

2. Can I buy a plane ticket now and get paid later?

Can, as long as you use a credit card or paylater. Installment options for air tickets are varied, they can be selected as needed.

3. How much budget should be prepared for air tickets abroad?

Adjust it to the country you want to go to, then calculate how much the estimated budget needs to be spent on PP (round trip).

4. Can an already booked flight ticket be cancelled and rescheduled?

Depends on the policies of each airline. Some airlines allow passengers to cancel or change departure schedules.

5. Can an already booked plane ticket be cancelled?

Can. Some airlines even refund passengers part or even the entire total price of the ticket paid.