Wedding, exhibition, corporate trip, or something else – whatever is the reason behind your group travel, you would like to reduce your travel bill. If you are traveling by air, here are 7 tips to help you cut the group flight ticket booking invoice.
1. Check fares with trusted 3rd party travel agencies
It’s a surprising fact that airfares are generally cheaper on third-party agent’s sites than that on the airlines websites. There could be different factors. The most important one is that airlines try to make the best of their market authority. They know that customers would trust them blindly. However, always book your
group flights with an ARC-certified travel agent. ARC mediates the transaction processed between the airlines and the travel agents. In case of any ticket cancellation or refund scenario, it notifies the airlines and agent both.
2. Track Fares with Airlines Sites
Booking your flight with airlines is one of the most reliable ways to confirm your group flight. However, it’s important to pay attention towards the fares. Take a note of the On-Time Performance (OTP) of the airlines you booking your flight ticket. OTP refers to the punctuality in departure and arrival. Take a look at the OPT of top 10 airlines as per the OAG’s punctuality report 2018.
Note: Individually checking the fares with multiple airlines could be a tiresome job. Make it easier with Google Flight, which works similar to Google Search engine. Against your flight search query, it presents a list of departure and arrival and fares from multiple airlines.
3. Go with a Red-Eye Flight
If you are new to the term, let me introduce you to it. Such
flights depart late night and reach their destination in the early morning hours. This helps business travelers and professionals to save their day time for useful tasks and spend their night in flight. If your group is ready to sacrifice some sleep, it could be the best option for you.
4. Look at Fare Comparison Sites
Google search can easily help you find top flight comparison sites like Skyscanner, Momondo, Kayak, Jetradar, and Liligo. They are like business directories. Check group flight deals with multiple merchants before you book your flight ticket. The flight booking is processed on the merchant’s website.
5. Early Booking Helps
If you are planning a vacation on or around
Presidents Day,
Rio carnival,
Mardi Gras, Good Friday or any other major event, you are in the know of your departure or arrival date. So book your flight in advance. The fares usually go up as the departure date approaches because the airfares are dynamically defined based on the availability and demand of flight tickets.
6. Look for Corporate Deals
If some travel agent is affiliated with your company, getting your
group flight tickets issued by the agent can be helpful. However, make sure you cross-check the fares before giving your nod. Flexibility with airports or airlines can help you reduce your group flight booking bill.
7. Skip Event/Festival Dates
Event or festival are peak times of tourism. Not just the fares but also the hotel rentals go up significantly. It would be wise to avoid clashing your departure dates with the event or festival date if that is not your reason to holiday at the destination.
