How not to pay extra when booking flights online

The easy access to booking flights at the click of a mouse without leaving the comforts of your own home, and not having to waste precious time standing in queues has simplified the way in which we make travel arrangements. This convenience also brings with it another benefit that is of great interest to travellers – how to save on the cost of flight tickets.

Seasoned travellers believe that there is a science to booking flights online so that you not only save time, but not having to pay unnecessary extra fees, means savings in money too.

What you should know when booking flights online

Booking flights online offer the welcome advantages of blissful convenience – no waiting on hold to be assisted while listening to annoying melodies, or standing in mile length long queues. In order to benefit from booking flights online, there are some measures to put in place:

• All activity on the web is traceable and this holds true when booking fights online too. Airline companies are able to track when you have visited their websites and what you have searched for. They use the IP addresses of your computer to monitor your behaviour on their websites.

What does this mean for you if you are shopping around for the lowest available flight ticket price? The price of those flights that are searched frequently can increase every time you return to a particular airline’s website. Getting around this is easy. You need to remember to clear the cookies cache on your computer each time you visit a website, or alternatively book from another computer.

• Extra options offered by airline companies can include cancellation and refund policy, travel insurance, airline liquidation protection and visa denied service. These options can hike up the price of your flight.

Opting instead for a comprehensive travel insurance policy, such as those offered by Regent, can include financial protection against these situations at a much more affordable rate. Not only does this keep the price of your ticket as low as possible, you will be adequately protected by travel insurance which is an essential item for the modern traveller.

• Surcharges applicable when paying by credit and debit cards need to be weighed in as these affect what you will be paying for the ticket. While these may be unavoidable, it should be taken into consideration in the total price of your ticket.

There are a number of factors that play a critical role in determining the price of your flight tickets when booking online. These include the day and month on which you book, as well as the time of day. Travellers who have the advantage of the flexibility of travel dates can benefit from the easier-on-the-pocket off-peak days such as midweek flights.
Extra charges rapidly raise the cost of flights. Unaware travellers booking flights online can be caught unawares by the additional fees and may even duplicate cover if they purchase travel insurance too. Travellers may also not be aware that one travel insurance policy can cover these extra costs in one policy.