Is it possible to purchase tickets? What is the best day to buy air tickets?

Do you want to buy air tickets without overpaying unnecessary intermediaries? Now we'll talk about where it makes sense to book plane tickets. What to look for when purchasing. And what tools to use in order to fly profitably.

One day recently I was meeting with friends in the city center. And we passed by the ticket office where air tickets were sold. I noticed that there were even queues there. This amazed me.

I just saw how many people took the time to come to these ticket offices. And in fact, buy tickets with a markup, at the most unfavorable price. And then I just had the idea to talk about how and where to buy profitable tickets.

Let's get a look, where can you buy air tickets?. There are two main options here.

The first one is offline. That is, just through ticket offices or other agencies. And also at the airport counter. This option is precisely the most unprofitable. Why? Yes, simply because the agent charges a fee for his services. He also needs to pay office rent, employee salaries, etc.

And even if for some reason the agency does not take a commission, there is still no motivation to find you the most profitable tickets. So you are still overpaying. And you also waste time getting to the agency. Often serious.

The second option is to buy a plane ticket online. In other words, via the Internet. And this method is just significantly more profitable.

Because, firstly, with the help of special filters and settings you can choose the best option. Secondly, you do not waste time getting to intermediaries. Or maybe you’ll also have to wait in line for them. And, thirdly, you also don’t overpay to unnecessary intermediaries.

Okay, that's sorted out. Now let's see which sites you can buy air tickets on. There are also several options here.

How to buy air tickets online

The first and obvious option is to buy tickets on the airline’s website. It would seem that on the official website of the airline, tickets should be cheaper, because there are no intermediaries here. But in reality this is not the case in most cases.

The fact is that airlines sell tickets not only on their website, but also through special agencies. So, the competition among these agencies is very strong. And to attract buyers, they reduce the ticket price by reducing their affiliate commission.

Therefore, it is appropriate to buy tickets on the airline’s website only when they are holding some special promotions. And tickets for this promotion can only be purchased on the airline’s website.

The next option is agency websites. They sell tickets for a large number of airlines. And they get their commission for it. This option is already more profitable, but there is also one caveat here.

There is no such ideal agency that always has the lowest prices. The situation on the air ticket market is very dynamic. Therefore, there is no point in manually comparing where to buy tickets from which agency is more profitable. This will take a lot of time.

But just to compare prices, there is a third option. Search aggregators for air tickets or simply search engines. These are the ones I recommend to you. That is, these are special search engines for a variety of airlines and agencies.

You enter the direction you are interested in and choose the agency that is more profitable. It is worth noting that search engines themselves do not sell tickets. They are looking for the most budget option. And then you go to the website of the airline or agency, where you make a purchase.

Instructions - how to buy air tickets online

What search aggregators are there? Now there are many sites where you can buy air tickets online. This option is also available on my website. But in fact, most sites have a search form installed on either AviaSales or SkyScanner. These are the two largest search engines.

Moreover, in the Russian market the undisputed leader is AviaSales, and in the global market – SkyScanner. Yes, there are several other search engines, but their share is significantly smaller. So, no matter where you look for tickets, you essentially see the results of one of the named leaders.

What search engine should you use? There is no fundamental difference here. Prices are basically the same. Plus or minus tens of rubles. So choose the one that just feels better to you. I mainly use the search form from AviaSales, which is installed on my website.

Now let's see how exactly to buy air tickets profitably. Our first tool is the search form itself. You should start with it. Just enter the city, number of passengers and date into it. And the search engine will give you a list of agencies where you can buy tickets. And the most profitable ones will be on top.

If for some reason you are not satisfied with the first search result, you can change the dates, plus or minus a few days. And try again. But the best tickets come across if you do a sufficiently large number of searches. But it’s not always convenient to click like that and change dates.

Therefore, there are several more auxiliary tools to help. Firstly, this low price calendar. That is, a special calendar where you can see all the prices for the period you are interested in. It displays results from users who, like you, searched for tickets to this destination.

The next tool is low price card. Its operating principle is similar to a calendar, only you are looking not at specific dates, but at directions. That is, a map of low prices for those who do not care where exactly to go. And they focus more on the cost of air tickets.

Another good tool is subscription form. This is when you enter your email address into a special form. And then you receive notifications about price changes. With recommendations - is it worth buying a ticket now or is it better to wait. The service generates recommendations automatically based on an analysis of the average market price for this direction.

This is exactly what it is a basic gentleman's set that allows you to find profitable air tickets.

Okay, you found the tickets. How to buy them? In fact, everything is very simple. Once upon a time, when I had just left travel agencies and started traveling on my own, I was very afraid of this moment. What if I do something wrong and the whole trip turns into a disaster? And here the most important thing is to carefully fill out your passport information. That is, write everything as in a foreign passport.

And, of course, carefully check the dates when you fly out. And the direction is the city where you are flying. And also make sure that there are no unnecessary checkboxes anywhere.

Namely, when you have filled out all the information for the air ticket, see if the amount left at the end is the one you found through the search engine? Or they quietly ticked you some other box. And they connected an unnecessary option like in-flight insurance or notifications about flight delays, etc. Now, by the way, by default, most Russian agencies have all these checkboxes unchecked.

But some time ago they abused it. Now, apparently, there has been a strong negative response to all such additional payments. And they listened. Still, it's worth keeping an eye on.

Thus, you select the necessary tickets in the search engine and click on the “Buy” button. And already on the agency’s website you fill out your data. Next you need to select a payment method. As a rule, this is a map and several other options.

And here, too, carefully look at how you filled out the payment instrument data. It is important to correctly indicate your contact e-mail, because this is where confirmation of your flight booking will be sent. And in case of any changes in the flight, agencies send notifications there.

I recently bought tickets to Morocco. The flight was delayed 10 minutes. And I received a notification saying, please read. And confirm on the site that you agree with this. Or refuse. I simply clicked on the link in the email, went to the website and clicked “Agree.”

Have you filled out your passport details, details of your payment card or other instrument, or entered your email? Now click the “Pay” button.

It will take a few seconds for the card details to be verified. After which the system will give you a result that the payment was completed successfully. And some other data. For example, your order number. After which you will receive a confirmation letter. That's all. Now you know how to buy air tickets online. Without overpayments and unnecessary intermediaries.

Of course, I'm touching on the basics here. But by using them, you will already save significantly.

There are many options to pay less for your airfare. One of the most common ways to save money is to buy tickets in advance. When purchasing tickets six months or at least no less than a month before the planned departure date, you can pay twice or sometimes three times the price. However, it is important to understand when exactly is the best time to buy air tickets, since the cost of a ticket often changes in waves.

Buy in advance = save

Most experts argue that price reductions for domestic flights begin four months before the departure date, and for international flights – five months before. The Kayak website claims that for domestic flights within the country, prices will be optimal 21 days before departure, for external flights - 34 days.

Journalist and traveler Peter Ginberg answered the question “When is the best time to buy plane tickets?” - answers that it is important not to buy tickets more than 45 days before departure, since ticket prices are formed by automatic programs that are not able to calculate the current cost for more than 45 days. All prices before this date are based on last year's occupancy of a similar flight. However, if in 2017 the Eurovision took place in Kyiv and prices in this direction were very high, then in 2018, going to Kyiv in May and booking tickets, for example, in March, a passenger risks paying for last year’s influx of tourists.

The journey begins with the purchase of tickets.

Most airlines release tickets 330 days before departure, but there is no point in buying them in advance, since prices will definitely drop closer to the date.

Important! Don't miss the moment when it is profitable to buy plane tickets, after which prices will go up again. 3 weeks before departure the ticket price increases by 20-25 percent, and in the week before the flight - by 40-50 percent.

Immediately in the days preceding departure, the price can either rise to its maximum, since only the highest class and/or the most expensive seats remain free, or, on the contrary, drop if there are not enough passengers and the tickets need to be put somewhere. But it’s still not worth the risk, since at best you can overpay for a ticket, and at worst there may be no seats left at all, especially if you plan to visit the resort in high season.

Of course, there is always the opportunity to buy tickets at a promotion. Air carriers most often organize promotions and reduce prices when they cannot predict the loading of the aircraft.

Note! Relying only on promotions is not a good strategy, especially if the passenger would like to be sure that the trip will take place.

High and low season in the country of destination

Ticket prices also depend on the time of year, high or low tourist season at the destination. For example, for Egypt the tourist months are March-April, October-November, and for a beach holiday in Italy - June-August, while in Thailand the high season lasts from November to March.

Airlines increase ticket prices on days when an event is planned in the destination city that can attract many tourists: a concert, championship, marathon, etc. For example, in Munich, from September 22 to October 7, 2018, the world's largest beer festival will be held, attracting tens of thousands of people. Tickets from Moscow to Munich with the German airline Lufthansa on September 29, 2018 cost from 14,200 rubles, and on October 16 - from 11,300 rubles.

Flight price ratio

When is it more profitable to buy air tickets from Russia?

According to the search aggregator Skyscanner, it is cheapest to fly from Russia from mid-November to mid-December and from mid-January to the end of February, and prices peak in the summer and during the New Year holidays. It is worth understanding that tickets from Moscow, St. Petersburg or Novgorod in any case differ in price.

It is better to take tickets for May-June to Asia, Thailand, Cuba, or other distant countries mainly for beach holidays in November. After February, tickets from Russia to these destinations will become more expensive, and low prices will not appear until next November. During these same months, it is worth buying tickets for the summer in the direction of Bulgaria, Georgia, Montenegro, and Cyprus. It is important to book your flight at least three months in advance, otherwise you will not be able to save up to 30 percent of the ticket price.

Note: If you are flying outside the high season, the weather can be unpredictable, so you need to check in advance whether it is worth flying to this country at this time of year.

In the direction of Old Europe, it is better to buy tickets six months before the flight: in January-February it is worth buying air tickets to Europe (Czech Republic, Italy, France, Spain, Hungary), if you decide to fly there in May or summer.

Flights to the United States are also the most expensive in the summer, so tickets for transatlantic flights should also be purchased in advance. Two months before departure, their cost increases by 30 percent and continues to rise thereafter.

Flights that depart and/or arrive at inconvenient times will also please those who want to pay a low price for the flight. It is advisable to book round-trip flights, as both tickets will be cheaper. And if both flights are on the same day of the week, you can save a little more.

Payment methods for air tickets on the Aeroflot website

It is important that there is a time gap in trip planning, that is, the possibility of shifting departure and arrival by two or three days, since tickets for regular flights on different days of the week can vary greatly in price. Paying for air tickets by bank transfer via the Internet is often more profitable than buying tickets through ticket offices. Cashless payments are more convenient when paying for air tickets for legal entities.

What days of the week are best to buy tickets?

Most airlines raise prices on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays because these are the days when most business travelers on weekend trips fly. Accordingly, they are not so flexible in choosing departure and arrival days. And the cheapest days are Tuesday and Wednesday.

Important! Sometimes prices for the same flight may change several times during the day.

According to experts, airlines most often offer discounts at 15:00 on Tuesdays, and the most favorable time for booking or purchasing air tickets is between midnight and one in the morning from Tuesday to Wednesday according to the time zone of the city where the airline's main office is located. The odd timing is due to the fact that discounts are often offered between Sunday and Monday evenings, and on Tuesday, those tickets that were not redeemed from the reservation are again entered into airline databases and appear on websites at a reduced price.

What is a suffix when buying an air ticket?

After the desired ticket is selected, the passenger must enter his personal data into the ticket. It is extremely important to correctly issue a ticket and enter personal data in full accordance with how they are indicated in the passport. However, if everything is clear with the “Title” or “Last Name” fields, it is not particularly clear what the “Suffix” field may mean, which Aeroflot and some other air carriers require you to fill out.

Suffix for airline ticket

Suffix when buying an air ticket - what is it? The answer is very simple. The suffix for airline tickets is filled in if two passengers are flying with the same first and last name, for example, father and son, mother and daughter. In this case, it is possible to indicate “Senior” (...), “Junior” (...), “First” (...), “Second” (...). And if previously passengers with the same first and last names could encounter unexpected difficulties, for example, based on this personal data, the system found a ticket for only one passenger and stubbornly ignored the second, now the “Suffix” field allows you to avoid such unpleasant situations.

When is the best time to buy air tickets in Russia?

Flights across Russia are most actively used in the summer, and passenger traffic in tourist destinations especially increases, since it is possible to relax near the sea without traveling abroad only in the summer. In addition to vacationers, people also go to the sea for seasonal work, as a result, several million people visit Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory during the three summer months.

Note! It is better to buy tickets to Crimea in advance, in February-March: it is not difficult for airlines to predict what demand will be, which is why prices for flights on routes within the country often increase by 50 percent or more.

Since the weather at the beginning of June is often unpredictable, and the sea has not yet warmed up to a comfortable temperature for swimming, tickets for this time are 10-15 percent cheaper. And from the beginning of July to the end of August, prices for flights on tourist routes are at their highest, and there are practically no discounts. Cheap tickets can also be bought for September, when the sea is still warm and the main flow of tourists has already subsided.

Comparative table of prices and flight destinations from Russia

It is advisable to plan flights with Russian airlines on domestic routes 7 months before the trip, that is, buy tickets for the July trip in November-December and no later than April. Airlines pre-check demand, plan the launch of new flights, so there are often options with prices from last year, and there is an opportunity to save about 20-25 percent of the ticket price. 10 weeks before the departure date, airlines set the final price, after which it is almost impossible to find cheap tickets. It is also quite expensive to travel around Russia during the May and New Year holidays.

Important! In the first month of autumn, you can find flights 10-20 percent cheaper than in the high season.

However, it is almost pointless to buy flights within Russia not in tourist destinations and not in the high season; often the ticket price is reduced a week before departure.

Thus, how long before you can buy airline tickets profitably depends greatly on your destination. However, purchasing tickets in advance is a great way to save money.

It would seem, what kind of question is that? The sooner, the better. But this statement is only partly correct, because there are other factors besides the amount of time. Let's figure out when it's cheaper to buy plane tickets.

There are many authoritative studies that convincingly demonstrate how profitable it is to buy air tickets as early as possible. This causes many travelers to go out of their way to plan a trip a year from now, only to be disappointed when they find out that they could have saved the same amount (and sometimes more) by making the purchase a couple of months before departure. Why is this happening?

When can you buy the cheapest air tickets?

If you buy a ticket a year before departure, then this benefits, first of all, the airline, and not you. The carrier gets a guaranteed passenger and working capital, and you get a headache, because, you see, it’s not easy to predict the date so much time in advance.

• Do not miss:

Experienced travelers advise starting to think about buying an air ticket no earlier than 4-5 months before the desired date. It is at this time that airlines, based on the percentage of flight occupancy, begin to “throw out interesting offers to the market.”

Most tourists consider the optimal time for purchase to be 90 days before departure, plus or minus 10 days. American journalist and traveler Peter Greenberg claims that the cheapest way to buy plane tickets is 50-60 days in advance. In his opinion, it is at this time that statistical data is updated and prices temporarily decline. But long-term statistics from CheapAir even give the exact date - 54 days.

When there are less than 50 days left before departure, the chances of buying a profitable ticket are rapidly disappearing. Apparently, not everyone knows this, since this is when the peak in demand begins. According to statistics, most tickets are purchased 30-40 days before departure, when they are almost the most expensive.

If you missed the 50-day mark, then there is still one more chance to get a cheap air ticket. True, the chance is quite risky, so you should resort to it only if the crash is not critical. You need to calmly wait for the time, and on the eve of departure, start “live” on the airline’s website, in the hope that someone will cancel the reservation and the ticket will be put up for sale at a bargain price. This happens, however, like miracles, it is very rare.

What days can you buy the cheapest air tickets?

Yes, don't be surprised. The day, and even the hour, of purchasing a ticket plays no less a role than the time remaining before departure. The cost of the same air ticket purchased, say, on Thursday evening and Friday morning, may differ by 10-20%.

The best days for shopping are Tuesday and Wednesday, when airline bases are updated. The already mentioned Peter Greenberg claims that the ideal time is one hour after midnight, on Wednesday. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but there is a certain sense in the fact that it is more profitable to buy plane tickets at night.

• Read also:

Most people look for cheap air tickets on so-called aggregators, such as Aviasales.ru. These are sites that collect information from different agencies and operators by downloading prices from their pages. If you visit such a site during the day, when the load is increased, there is a possibility that it simply will not have time to load all the data in the allotted time. As a result, some of the tasty options may simply not be included in the search results. At night the load is minimal, which eliminates this possibility.

Thus, knowing when it is cheaper to buy plane tickets, you can save from 10 to 40% of their cost and fly more often to the countries you plan to visit.

Additional tools for finding cheap flights:

You should contact ticket offices or sales agencies only as a last resort, since buying a plane ticket via the Internet yourself is much more convenient and profitable.

The secret is that ticket offices are ordinary intermediaries. These companies obtain information about flights and prices from the Internet, but charge a commission for a couple of minutes of attention spent on the buyer. Anyone can find a great option if they spend a little time researching flights and prices - they are easy to find and compare using aggregator search engines.

Those who do this for the first time have many questions: what is an air ticket reservation for and how to book an air ticket correctly, is it possible to buy tickets cheaply via the Internet using a reservation, how to receive and where can you pick up an order, how to register an electronic ticket - we will try to answer everything straightaway.

How to book a plane ticket online

There are two ways: buy it directly on the airline’s website, or use the services of a booking site, for example Avia.tutu, OneTwoTrip, Ozon.Travel, AnywayAnyday, Sindbad.

Buying directly will not always be cheaper: online ticket offices often offer a more profitable option.

Take note: both booking sites and cash desks, where the buyer must appear in person, are intermediaries. However, purchasing an electronic ticket on the website is much more profitable. At a regular ticket office, the future passenger always pays a commission.

A Visa or MasterCard bank card is best for payment. You can pay with them on the website of any company. Many accept Mir and Maestro cards, Yandex.Money and Qiwi.Wallet electronic wallets for payment.

You can often use the WebMoney electronic wallet. Payment by bank transfer is available, but this is not the best option: the bank charges a commission.

How to buy air tickets online - detailed instructions

Let's look at each step in detail.

Where to begin

So, let's figure out how to buy cheap plane tickets online.

The first step to purchasing an inexpensive ticket for a convenient flight is to type four words in the search bar: “buy a plane ticket.”

The search engine will return many results.

First of all, you need to pay attention to aggregator search engines, for example: Yandex.Air tickets, Momondo, Skyscanner, Aviasales.

What are the benefits of search engines?

1. They have obvious advantages:
2. They are a great time saver: they immediately show you the best deals. There are a great variety of airlines and ticket booking sites. An unprepared person will need a fair amount of time to figure out the issue without the help of a search engine.
3. They offer all flights from point A to point B. By visiting the website of at least one search engine, you can find out which carriers’ planes fly to the desired city/airport.
4. Using the above search engines, you don’t have to be afraid of falling into the trap of a fraudulent site.
5. Shows prices of all airlines and booking sites selling tickets for a specific date to a specific city/airport.

The lowest price is shown first and highlighted in bright font. Sometimes the cheapest option is offered by the airline itself.

Example of booking and paying for a ticket

1. Here is one option for finding a cheap ticket from the Russian capital to the Northern capital:
2. The search engine aggregator Yandex.Air tickets received a request for the route Moscow - St. Petersburg on 03/01/2018.
3. The cheapest and most convenient flight is operated by Aeroflot.

Note: The lowest price at the time of search was offered by the air carrier itself.

This is where the search engine's mission ends. Tickets can be purchased on the booking website or directly from the airline. Just click on the “buy” or “book” button, and Yandex.Air tickets will redirect you to the Aeroflot website.

Checking route data

To issue and buy air tickets online, you need to enter all the data correctly. How to do it?

• In the window that opens, the flight parameters are visible:
• departure/arrival airports;
• travel time;
• aircraft model (this is approximate information, the airline may put another aircraft on the flight);
• transfers (or direct flight);
• tariff (in the above example: economy budget);
• baggage limit (in this case 23 kg);
• ticket price.

If you are satisfied with all the flight parameters, you can go to the booking page and enter passenger information.

It is worth noting: Many companies and booking sites automatically add some surcharges to the indicated cost: for example, baggage insurance. If you do not carefully read the booking form and do not disable unnecessary services, you will have to pay an inflated amount.

Passenger details and booking

How to enter your data:

1. Aeroflot obliges to enter the passenger's first and last name in Latin letters, even for Russian citizens on domestic flights. You must indicate your citizenship and passport number, date of birth and gender. Many foreign carriers do not require such detailed information: on their websites it is enough to indicate the passenger’s first, last name and passport number.
2. You can order special services: for example, a wheelchair.
3. Then you need to enter your contact information: phone number and email.
4. Next step: you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for booking, payment for air transportation, and baggage transportation. Without confirmation of agreement with these rules, it is impossible to book a ticket.
5. After correctly filling out the booking form, the payment page will load.

How to pay for an air ticket online

You need to buy a ticket within a certain period; with Aeroflot it lasts 30 minutes. If the money is not transferred, the reservation is cancelled.

The form of payment is more or less the same on all booking sites: you need to enter the name of the card holder, its number and expiration date.

If the banking transaction is successful (usually there are no problems), the buyer is sent an email confirming payment and an electronic ticket. After you have purchased an Aeroflot plane ticket via the Internet, you can print it on a printer directly from the website or from a file attached to the letter.

Many airlines offer to choose a seat online immediately after payment. And for some, this is only possible during check-in for the flight, which begins on the website 24 hours before departure.

Please note: Now it is not necessary to have a printout of the ticket with you, since all the passenger data is already in the airport check-in system. But it’s not difficult to print out a sheet or two, just in case.

Rules for purchasing air tickets online

So, in order not to fall for the bait of fraudulent sites, choose the most advantageous offers and not get confused, follow these recommendations:

1. It is advisable to view offers in different search engines. They wouldn't exist if it weren't for the constant price fluctuations. This is especially true for foreign airlines and long, expensive flights. In the latter case, the exchange rate will also play a role.
2. It is better for an inexperienced person not to buy a ticket at the first reasonable price that comes along. You need to observe the change in value for some time: of course, if possible.
3. It’s a good idea to subscribe to the mailing list of offers from your favorite airline if your expected travel time is not limited to specific dates. Many of them regularly hold sales at attractive prices.
4. There is no need to purchase a separate ticket for each passenger. You can enter the details of several people (up to four) on the booking form.
5. You can get a refund for a ticket only if it was purchased at a refundable rate.

How to save money when purchasing - some secrets

The solution to the savings issue can be implemented as follows:

1. You can purchase a ticket at a favorable price no later than two months before departure.
2. You need to choose the “right” departure time. Lowest prices on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. The low tourist season also reduces the cost significantly. Night flights are always cheaper.
3. Now that you know how to buy a plane ticket online, remember that low-cost airlines have the best prices. There is only one such company in Russia - Pobeda. Famous foreign ones: Ryanair, AirAsia. But a truly symbolic amount can only be spent if you purchase a ticket 3-4 months before departure. You need to constantly monitor the offers of these companies.

Now you know how to book a plane ticket online. Doing this is no more difficult than buying something in an online store. A little attention, a calm attitude towards the continuous fluctuation of prices, the presence of a sufficient amount on a bank card - and the desired ticket at an affordable price will definitely be purchased.

Watch the video that explains in detail how to buy a plane ticket online:

Good afternoon, my readers! Any independent travel begins with the purchase of air tickets. Today I will tell you how to save as much as possible and what tricks you can use to buy a cheap air ticket.

I have been traveling independently without the help of travel agencies for almost 10 years and always try to buy tickets abroad at low prices, which I search on the Internet on various sites.

There have been times when I accidentally ended up in very interesting countries and cities thanks to the inexpensive air tickets I purchased.

Do you want to fly to different countries as often and cheaply? I will reveal all my secrets and teach you the tricks of purchasing cheap tickets.

Where to buy cheap tickets?

The most convenient way to buy cheap air tickets is through the Internet in the following ways:

• on the official websites of airlines,
• on the charter exchange,
• on search aggregators.

To purchase cheap tickets on the website of a certain airline, you need to subscribe to their newsletter and receive news about promotions and discounts.

Several times a year, large companies hold very profitable promotions with discounts of up to 50%, follow the newsletters and buy much cheaper than the standard price. Most often, airlines hold promotions and ticket sales during the off-season – in February-March and October-November.

A great way to save money is to purchase a cheap ticket on the charter airline exchange, where travel agencies dump their unsold offers.

Charters are irregular flights with departures on certain days and can sometimes be postponed or cancelled, you need to be prepared for this.

Look for flight tickets on the following websites:

• chartex.ru,
• aviacharters.ru,
• tourdom.ru.

On search aggregator sites you can see all airline offers and compare their prices. To choose the most suitable and cheapest option, you can subscribe to a destination you are interested in or connect several options: find a low cost, buy inexpensive air tickets, use a map and a price calendar.

The best services for finding cheap air tickets are:

• Momondo,

To stay updated on new budget tickets for the destination you are interested in, you can subscribe to one of these sites by leaving your email.

Buying tickets online is much more convenient and saves you time and money. You don't need to go to the office, you can be anywhere in the world and pay via the Internet. You will receive all information about the flight and an electronic ticket by email, all you have to do is print it out and come to the airport with it and your passport.

When to buy air tickets?

Plan your trip and purchase tickets in advance if you want to get them at a good price. Usually the price increases every day in the last two weeks before departure, and when purchasing 2 - 3 months or earlier, there is a chance to save 30% of the cost of the flight. If you are planning your summer vacation in advance, it is more profitable to buy tickets in December.

In rare cases, you may be lucky and get an inexpensive ticket a day or several days before departure. If you are not too attached to specific numbers, always look at the price for a neighboring date, it may turn out to be 20% cheaper.

A very important point is the choice of day of the week and departure time. Tickets are usually sold at the lowest prices for morning and evening flights and midweek (Tuesday to Thursday). On weekends prices rise for obvious reasons. Also, during the holiday season and holidays, air tickets are more expensive, but in the off-season they can be purchased much cheaper.

Don’t forget to buy round-trip tickets, it will be 20–30% cheaper than if you buy separately in each direction.

When choosing a city of departure or arrival, compare prices for air travel in neighboring cities; they may turn out to be much cheaper and can be reached by land transport (by train or bus).

For example, flights from Moscow are cheaper than from St. Petersburg. It’s the same in Europe - you can fly cheaply to Brussels and from there, in a couple of hours, get to Paris by bus, or fly to Girona and get to neighboring Barcelona by bus.

It is better to make the purchase itself at night or in the morning before the start of the working day - at this time there is a greater choice of flights and prices are lower.

The best time to buy a ticket is on Wednesday at 1 am. This is due to the fact that many airlines post discounts and special offers on Sunday or Monday evenings; you can redeem them using your reservation within 24 hours, and after that, on Wednesday, tickets appear again at a low cost (if they have not been redeemed).

Map and calendar of low prices

For the convenience of searching and booking cheap air tickets, aggregator sites have a convenient low-price calendar function, where you can see all offers by month and select the cheapest option for specific dates. Using filters, you can exclude inappropriate options and find out information about interesting events, events and holidays in certain months.

Another convenient and original function is the low price card. It will help you find all the inexpensive options on the world map according to the given parameters. By specifying travel dates, specific or approximate range, desired budget for air tickets, turning on the visa filter, you will see all the most budget prices for flights to different countries.

A price map and low price calendar are available on the Skyscanner and Aviasales websites.

What are low-cost airlines?

Low-cost airline is a low-cost airline with minimal service. The low cost of flights for low-cost airlines is set due to the lack of additional services and opportunities: non-refundable tickets, a minimum amount of luggage, paid meals during the flight.

Air tickets for low-cost airlines cost from 10 euros if purchased in advance or on special offer. But in order to fly at a really low price and not face unexpected surcharges at the airport, you need to carefully study all the rules of the low-cost airline and follow them.

First of all, this concerns luggage transportation. You are allowed to carry only hand luggage with a total weight of 10 kg on board the plane and your suitcase or bag should not exceed the dimensions of 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Carrying additional baggage is paid separately and is quite expensive. Therefore, think over this issue in advance and it is better to pay for baggage transportation on the website online than to face this requirement at the airport itself and pay a much larger amount.

Air tickets for low-cost airlines cannot be returned, and for changing the date you will be asked to pay a fine, that is, if there are changes in plans, it will be much easier to buy a new one.

Also pay attention to the location of the airport you are flying into. For example, when flying to Milan, Dusseldorf, Munich, you do not arrive in the city itself, but in a neighboring suburb, which may be 50 km away.

In this case, you will have the opportunity to see a new city and save on housing, which will cost much less than the neighboring tourist city of Milan.

If you don’t have the time or desire for this, then find out in advance how to get by train or bus to the city you need and check the schedule so you don’t have to pay for an expensive taxi.

Low-cost airlines flying from Russia to Europe:

• Victory,
• EasyJet
• Wizz Air,
• AirBaltic.

Low-cost airlines with flights within Europe:

• Ryanair,
• EasyJet
• Germanwings,
• Wizz Air,
• Air Italy
• AirBaltic.

You can find out more about other low-cost airlines in our next article.

Cheapest flights

The cheapest flights can be found on search aggregator sites by choosing a flight with transit or stopover. A transfer at the airport can last from several hours to several days, which will give you an additional opportunity to visit another country.

You can choose a long transfer from a day using a stopover, connecting it for free or for a fee depending on the number of days of transit.

Not all airlines provide this service; to do this, when booking, you must select “multiple or complex route” or the “multiple destinations”/”multicity” buttons. If you need an additional transit visa, the airline will help you obtain it, and also provide a transfer and a discount on hotel accommodation.

Most often, transfers and stopovers are used for trips with long flights to countries and destinations such as the USA, Canada, Southeast Asia, Latin America with transfers in Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, New York, Bangkok, etc. This long-term transfer service is most often provided by large airlines, for example, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Etihad Airways.

Buying air tickets with transit or stopover not only reduces their cost, but also allows you to take a break from long flights and see another country for the same money.

How to use airline miles?

If you fly with the same airline often, save up miles and buy cheaper tickets. A mile is the distance of your flight. Accordingly, the further you fly, the more bonus miles you will receive.

The most popular loyalty programs for purchasing air tickets:

• Aeroflot Bonus,
• Lufthansa Miles & More,
• S7 Priority,
• Panorama Club.

Using the accumulated miles, you can get new tickets, use business class instead of economy class, or receive pleasant gifts from partners in the form of a discount to a restaurant or spa.

Large banks cooperate with many airlines (Sberbank, Raiffeisenbank and others) and have a joint loyalty program (for example, Aeroflot bonus together with Sberbank). By making purchases using their joint partner card, you can also receive bonuses, which you can then spend on purchasing an air ticket.

Now let’s take a closer look at how to accumulate miles and use them correctly:

1. You must register in the loyalty program and subscribe to the newsletter to receive all the news about ticket promotions, partner programs and all changes in the bonus program.
2. Earn miles while flying. To do this, during online check-in or at the airport, enter your card number in the loyalty program.
3. Earn miles without traveling. Use cards to pay and receive bonuses. You can view the entire list of loyalty program partners on the website and use their services. This can be not only banks and their cards, but also hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, etc.
4. Make the most of all the benefits of participating in the loyalty program - you can spend time in the business class lounge, skip the line at boarding, and take extra baggage for free.
5. Keep an eye on current sales and promotions to make sure you use your miles correctly. You can redeem your miles for an air ticket and fuel surcharges, or just for the air ticket and pay the surcharges separately. Or take advantage of the opportunity to fly business class over long distances. If you are a Miles & More member, you can use your accumulated miles to make purchases in the Miles & More Shop or pay for hotels.

How can I get some money back from purchased air tickets?

Recently, it has been very popular to return part of the purchase price using an affiliate program. The same goes for air tickets.

To do this, you need to register in the affiliate program on one of the sites, follow a special referral link, purchase a ticket and receive compensation for the purchase in the amount of several percent. The larger the purchase amount or the number of flights, the more money you can get back.

This is a great option for saving money. From each air ticket you can return 0.5 - 3% of the cost. This will be more noticeable if you fly frequently.

You can get cashback on the following sites:

• Momondo,
• Anywayanyday,
• AirBaltic.com
• Qatarairways.com
• City.travel,
• Travelplanet24.com.

The most important tricks when buying air tickets

With every purchase or search, the computer remembers all your actions, and the next time you contact you, you will see prices with an increased cost.

To avoid this and outwit the system, while saving a lot, I have a few tips:

1. Turn on incognito mode so that the browser shows new data every time and does not remember your past requests. To do this, use the keys Ctrl + Shift + N in the Google Chrome browser, Ctrl + Shift + P in the Internet Explorer browser, and in the Opera browser select “Tabs and windows” and “Create a private window.”
2. Clear the cache on your computer - this is necessary to clear your browsing history. If you have already searched for low-cost flights, then when you make a similar request “Buy cheap tickets” again, the system will remember your data and give you limited results.
3. Use anonymizers (hideme.ru, hideguard.ru, hidemyass.com or others) to hide your location.
4. Don't use a MacBook when booking and purchasing airline tickets - many airlines are tailored to a specific laptop model, and if you buy with a MacBook, you will be shown the most expensive options.
5. When booking on special search sites, use complex (composite) routes. By choosing several cities for your trip, you can save a lot.

I hope my article was useful to you, and my tips will help you travel more often and inexpensively. If you also know some tricky ways to buy cheap air tickets, write in the comments and share your experience.