Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tips to reduce the cost of your travel to India

If you are amongst those who travel frequently to India and are tired of looking for cheaper fares then here is some help for you to slash your travel costs.

Flexibility is the key if you want to keep you travel costs low. Unless on a tight schedule, try to be flexible with the date as well as the time of your flight. Tickets on early morning or late night flights are usually cheaper as fewer people prefer to fly during these unearthly hours.

Try flying mid-week instead of weekends as many airlines charge a weekend surcharge. The weekend surcharge is applicable separately for each leg of your travel – outbound and inbound. Opting for connecting flights is always an economical option instead of flying direct. But ensure that you fulfil the set transit criteria relating to your nationality and visas while booking a flight which involves a connection as certain countries have stringent norms for such transition or connection. If you are looking for cheap flights to India from Europe, Australia or America then a connecting flight from Middle East, Bangkok, or Colombo that lands in any major Indian city will surely prove to be a lot cheaper.

Flying by the carriers of the destination country is a good idea as there are generally less taxes levied on tickets of these airlines. The Indian carriers that operate flights to India from the UK are Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher. By enrolling in frequent flyer programs of your preferred airline you can redeem the points earned to buy free tickets or holidays. Another smart idea to lower your travel cost to India is to purchase the tickets them from the web portals of airline consolidators who buy tickets in bulk and sell at discounted rates. It would be sensible to avoid booking tickets on dates which coincide with any important national holiday or religious festival as most passengers would want to travel on these days leading to a spike in ticket prices.

Even the choice of airport has a bearing on the price of your air-ticket. If you choose a lesser known airport for your arrival and departure then that would also translate into significant cash savings. If it’s not urgent, try booking your tickets a few weeks in advance to get the best rates. Do not procrastinate at any cost; grab an exciting deal as soon as you see it flashing on your screen either as a banner advertisement or as a clickable link and ensure that you keep the print out of your confirmation code safely till you embark on your journey. Delay in these matters would prove to be costly as these blink-and you-miss it deals will vanish by the time you return from your tea break.

If you happen to be a frequent flyer to India then getting email updates about the latest offers would help you get the best deals all throughout the year. A little bit of smart work would enable you to slash your travel budgets significantly and help you make the most of your vacation. Good luck in your search!

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