HOW TO BOOK THE BEST FLIGHT

Transcription

1 HOW TO BOOK THE BEST FLIGHT

2 How to book the best flights Travelling to remote locations in order to pursue your dream career can be a very expensive and time consuming exercise.. It is for this reason we have done the research for you, to help you be able to find the best and most economical flights. What follows is the best practices when booking a flight as well as a list of online resources that you can use to plan your trip effectively and more important save money while doing it! When joining one of our programs here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Mossel Bay based programs; your final destination is George Airport (GRJ) 2. Durban based programs; your final destination is King Shaka Airport (DUR) 3. Mozambique based programs; your final destination is Inhambane Airport (INH) 4. Airport transfers on the 1 st of the month are included in your program fee 5. We can arrange for transfers and accommodation should you wish to arrive early or depart later than the 1 st of the month Now on to booking your flights! 03

3 1. What is the best day to shop? There are two schools of thought for this with differencing results. Some claim Saturdays and Sundays are best due to airplanes catering for hard to woo leisure travellers. Others claim that shopping on Tuesday or Wednesday can be the best, as many airlines try to match Monday specials. 2. What is the best time of day to shop? Early morning is the time you will see the most deals. Although some airlines release discounted tickets through the day. 3. How long before the flight date should you buy? This differs for domestic and international flights. Keep in mind that travelling to Oceans Campus will include both. Research suggests that the sweet spot for domestic flights is around 49 days in advance, whilst for international flights it is 81 days. 4. What is the bet day to fly The best days of the week to fly for cheap are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This is because there is typically a lower volume of travellers and thus planes are trying to fill seats. 5. Best time of day to fly? The first flight of the morning is usually the cheapest. The next cheapest flight time are during or after lunch or around dinner time. 6. Checking flight fullness Start to buy a ticket, and then investigate the choose your seat option. This will tell you how many others have booked. If there are plenty of empties, then the price may drop further. 7. Flying during day or night The red eye flights are the absolute cheapest; but they are only offered on limited routes 8. Remember it s a gamble When in doubt, booking earlier is safer. If you wait, fares could go up or down, and usually fares go up more than they go down. Only bide your time if your flight isn t too full and you know the price is a lot higher than it should be 04

4 FLYING THROUGH SECURITY CHECKS 9. Great tip use the 24hr rule After you book, check the following morning to see if the price of your airfare fell. If it did, give the airline a call to cancel your flight and often you can rebook without penalty. 10. Follow airlines on social media Some Airlines promote one-hour sales on Facebook or Twitter only, so follow an airline for the best deals. Remember these are blast deals, take them immediately or they will go 11.Fly multiple airlines Sometimes it s worth it to mix and match. Most airlines now sell one-way flight are reasonable prices, meaning one might be cheaper for the outbound flight while the other works better for the return Become a frequent flyer Coy up to your airline of choice. Become an elite member of the airline s frequent flier program or use a credit card that s tied to the aireline to get great benefits. In South Africa, Star Alliance, works with the national carrier SAA.

5 HOW TO SURVIVE TRANSIT! 13. Rack up free miles & rewards E-Rewards give player tickets they can cash in for miles, while other sites like e-miles let people cash in free miles for airfare and hotel perks. 14. Search on airline sites This is an often overlooked option, but airline can host private sales, reserving the cream of the crop for their very own websites. Even without discounts, these fare can be bargain bin-low. Also, buying direct from an airline site allows for more flexibility in exchanges 15. Search Multiple site Relying on only one site to give you the low-down for low cost airfare is silly. Check the biggest online ticket sellers like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. Other options include, Kayak, Airfare, Watchdog, Yapta and Hipmunk. 16. Be flexible Try adding a couple days to your trip on either side, before or after peak travel day to enjoy a lower fare. 17. Check flexibility, return policies, and exchange fees Frequently students book their flights, then once in South Africa find other opportunities or want to extend their stay. Before booking your flight, check these policies so you can have flexibility for changes in the future. 18. Do your home work Do your homework before booking any flight, and make sure you ve got the right tools to set yourself up for the best fares. 07