Some people choose to travel when traveling. However, in some places that are not very far away, it is actually cheaper to buy cheap air tickets than trains. So now the editor will tell you how to buy them. Air tickets, everyone is watching. One kind
1. Pay more attention to the air ticket price trends of your favorite destinations and understand the appropriate prices for each destination:
Because I love to play, I have too many longing destinations in my mind. , so I developed the habit of checking in for air tickets when I have nothing to do. As time goes by, I naturally become more and more aware of the price trend of air tickets from my place of departure. I have a concept of low-price areas in my mind, and I can even basically confirm which flights are more suitable for my travel options.
In this way, when you really need to buy a flight ticket, you can do it with a "certainty".
Use the picture below as an example:
This is a flight segment I searched through a certain air ticket agency platform. This is my target segment for the Spring Festival next year. Now the Spring Festival tickets are still High-priced tickets of only a few thousand dollars. But by searching the prices in recent months, we can see that the current low-price tickets have been released to the end of October, and the price should be around 500 yuan. Then I will keep an eye on the changes in ticket sources and fares at any time, and wait for the tickets to be issued.
2. You can properly search for air tickets from cities that are easily accessible around your location, and you may be surprised:
Although I live in Beijing, when searching for air tickets to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, Sometimes we consider starting from Tianjin or even Shijiazhuang. For example, during Qingming Festival this year, I got a round-trip air ticket from Kutian Tianjin to Singapore for 1,200 including tax. Because Shijiazhuang and Tianjin around Beijing have opened air-rail combined transportation with Beijing (the air-rail combined transportation discount has been stopped, but if you are departing or arriving in Shijiazhuang, if it is a Spring Airlines flight, you can continue to purchase free train tickets for connecting trains through the Spring and Autumn official website ), and rail transit can go all the way to the local airport. The passenger flow here is far less than that of Beijing, and there are many low-cost airlines that do not stop in Beijing and will choose to stop in these cities. Therefore, if you expand your thinking and spend an extra 1-2 hours on the way to the airport, you may really be able to get there. Take a cabbage-priced flight.
For example:
The same vote count during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the comparison between "Beijing to and from Singapore" and "Tianjin to and from Singapore" (only direct flights and flights within 10 hours are considered) lowest price for connecting flights). Of course, the specific route needs to be analyzed in detail, including factors such as whether to stay for one more night, the time of the outbound and return flights, etc., all need to be considered comprehensively. Not all flights are necessarily so cost-effective, but this can give you one more choice.
3. Check the price on the agency platform, then go to the official website, and pay more attention to official website activities:
The agency platform is a good thing. It can easily summarize all the prices between the two places. Let me give you a basic idea of ??prices and routes. But in fact, the price purchased through an agent can usually be obtained at a similar price on the official website.
(1) The time combinations of tickets may not be as rich as those on the official website:
For example, if you find a transfer route like "Beijing-Hong Kong-Kuala Lumpur", a price will be given on the agent platform It looks good with a time combination, but the stay in Hong Kong rarely exceeds 24 hours, and it is impossible to satisfy the idea of ????staying in Hong Kong (if you have a departure ticket to a third country, you can stay in Hong Kong for 7 days without a visa. Therefore, many people will take this opportunity to play in Hong Kong). If you are on the official website at this time, you can adjust the transit time to two or three days, and the price will not change. In the same way, this can actually be done for many connecting flights. For tourists who want to stop by and visit one more place, this method can be considered.
For example:
The picture below is the search method for multi-segment connecting flights on Cathay Pacific’s official website. As you can see, the advantage of this selection is that you can choose any period and the length of stay is also up to you. decided. It is not like using a search platform to find only those who stay no more than 1-2 days at most. This provides more flexibility for travel.
(2) The ticket price may not include luggage:
I encountered this situation when I purchased Polish Airlines tickets on an agency platform. The price on the agency platform is slightly cheaper than the price on the official website, but after careful consultation, I found that the agency platform actually does not include checked baggage allowance. If you buy a ticket and then buy the baggage allowance alone, the ticket price is not actually cost-effective. Since the official website will provide clear instructions when purchasing, this option will naturally be added when purchasing, and the price of the combination ticket will naturally be more cost-effective and reliable.
(3) Pay more attention to the official website:
Everyone can determine several routes that may be needed in advance according to their own needs, as I wrote in the first article. In this way, you can check the flights that suit you in advance, and you can also pay attention to relevant airlines in advance. No matter what airline it is, there will be one or two big promotions every year. Collecting information in advance and snapping up tickets at regular intervals is also the most common way to buy air tickets.
For example:
This is the latest discount information list found on the official website of Qatar Airways. If you happen to be in demand, you may find Tuhao Airlines’ cabbage-price tickets.
4. Pay attention to free travel products:
What I call paying attention to free travel products does not actually mean buying free travel products. I personally buy very few free travel products. rare. Some self-guided tour products are indeed very cost-effective. I once bought a 4-day, 3-night self-guided tour to Hong Kong for my parents on Mafengwo. It was really a price that I couldn’t get through other channels. It was very good.
But sometimes, although the price of independent travel products is amazing, because it already includes the hotel price, when you buy 2 products, you have to pay double the hotel fee, which will make the price/performance ratio at a certain level. degree reduced. Therefore, when I see a good independent travel product, I usually go to the official website and agency platform to search for fares based on the flight time of the product, and then book the hotel myself. This way, hotel options are flexible and prices are usually lower.
5. Some irregular methods:
(1) Pay more attention to the opening information of new routes:
I once helped a friend buy a round trip from Beijing to Prague for 3000 + Hainan Airlines direct flight tickets, the reason is that I knew that Hainan Airlines was going to open this new route, so I guessed that there would be a discount. ps: I only found out about the launch of direct flights between China and the Czech Republic when a Czech TV station approached me for an interview to produce news about China-Czech flights. So this source of information is a bit unexpected and has no reference. However, you can still flip through the magazines in front of you when flying. There are usually introductions to the company's new routes, which may be useful to you.
For example:
After searching the official website of Air China, I can see that there are certain promotions on new routes recently.
(2) Pay attention to the exchange rate and buy air tickets:
I bought Beijing last year
Round trip to Moscow, direct flight to Aeroflot during the National Day, the price is very low to 4000. I bought this ticket in January of that year, because the ruble depreciated sharply at that time, and Russia's prices did not have time to adjust. Almost all items related to Russia are in a very cost-effective state. If you sell them at that time, you will only make a profit without losing money.
ps: After arriving in Russia, the ruble continued to depreciate, so I bought a lot of European products. The prices were even 1/3 cheaper than buying them in the country of origin. However, Russia has adjusted prices this year. There may not be anyone left to check for leaks.
Note: 1. Generally, you will buy in March-April. There are many promotions and low prices. Prices will rise across the board starting from May Day. During the winter and summer vacations in July and August, there will be more people traveling and accommodation will also increase a lot
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2. Air ticket prices are relatively low from Monday to Tuesday, while air ticket prices from Friday to Sunday are relatively high
3. Calculate 2-3 plans based on the arrival location, which one is shorter and more cost-effective for transfer As for where to depart from, there are few international flights from Kunming. We can only transfer to surrounding countries. Kuala Lumpur is the first choice (visa-free within 8 hours, transit visa for 120 hours). For overseas transfer flights, you will choose some local airlines. For example, Thailand will choose nok p>
air, the price is lower than Air Asia, you can also bring 15kg luggage, and there are simple snacks to eat, and the aircraft spray painting is also cool! You can download the app and bind your credit card to make a reservation.
I will book Malindo Airlines in Malaysia. The price is good and the food on the plane is delicious. However, the work efficiency in Malaysia is not very high. You need to leave more time to change the boarding pass. Otherwise, the plane has flown away and you are still waiting to change the boarding pass. Search the brand first and then the official website
Whether I go to China or abroad, I will first compare prices on various search platforms; then go to the official website, official website, and official website to search for prices (say important things three times) , if it is similar, it is best to buy it on the airline’s official website;
Firstly, the tickets issued in this way are very guaranteed (refer to the previous Ctrip incident);
Secondly, the refund and change policy They are all relatively lenient. If you really return or change a ticket, the loss will be much smaller than buying from an agent~
Introducing several price comparison platforms that I have searched:
Domestic search——
Everyone knows it, so I won’t list it, otherwise it will be like advertising; just like
Ctrip, Qunar, and Qua;
Foreign search——
1 Skyscanner: This website has a useful function, that is, when only the departure point is determined, you can check the air tickets from the departure place to any place in the world, and the air ticket prices can be sorted from low to High ranking;
If you are undecided, you can consider going to a destination with relatively cheap air tickets~
2Expedia: It may be slightly higher than the price searched by Skyscanner; however You can book some air ticket + hotel packages, and there may be more cost-effective combinations; follow the airline’s Weibo or official account
In fact, I have bought several cheap air tickets that I was very satisfied with. On the airline’s official website~
For example: 2,290 yuan for a round trip from Beijing to Osaka ANA, March 30 to April 6, the most popular cherry blossom season~~
2,750 Yuan round trip from Beijing to Taipei with Cathay Pacific is during the National Day holiday~~
So I always feel that although there are so many ways to book cheap air tickets now~
The official website is the most considerate. ~
So how do you get such cheap air tickets on the official website?
★Usually pay attention to the official Weibo and WeChat public accounts; you can see any promotions at any time;
Recommend several airlines that often hold activities:
Southeast Asia:
AirAsia - the red and black seats you are most familiar with and just for Freeze your super air conditioner;
★Can fly to Malaysia, Thailand and other places; famous for low prices;
★But be careful: there will be many additional costs, such as seat selection and luggage Box restrictions; be sure to purchase luggage tickets on the official website in advance; this low-cost airline has strict luggage control. Once it is overweight, it will be super expensive to buy luggage at the airport~The price advantage of air tickets will disappear~Flight schedule analysis
< p>Criteria based on Guangzhou as the place of residence1. Flights departing from Guangzhou after 10 a.m. are preferred because there is no need to go to the airport early in the morning, and the flight time is less than 4 hours. The place is just right for hotel check-in, so you can put down your luggage and start your trip easily, how comfortable it is. For the return trip, flights departing before 18:00 are preferred. It won’t be too late to return to Guangzhou, so don’t worry about the airport bus.
2. If you choose to depart from Hong Kong or Macau, the 14:00 pm flight is preferred, because it departs from Guangzhou early in the morning and it is already noon when you arrive at the airport. You must give priority to the one that connects on the same day. You don’t want to pay for an extra night’s room in Hong Kong and Macau. The cost is so high. When choosing to fly to Hong Kong, you really need to consider the time and corresponding costs. Don’t be fooled when you see the net price is cheap. It's hot. For the same reason, you must choose a flight that takes off before 16:00 for your return trip, so as to ensure that you can return to Guangzhou on the same day.
3. What do you think about red-eye flights?
Personally, I think that not all red-eye flights are optional. The only ones I would not consider are flights arriving between 1-6 am. , at this time when there is no place to go, no place to go, no place to go, it is tiring and boring.
However, if you are energetic and have amazing physical strength, it is not a bad idea to take off in the middle of the night and arrive after 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning. You can play for a whole day immediately after sleeping, saving accommodation and time. Yes, why not do it?
The same goes for the return trip. You can take off in the early morning and land in Guangzhou early in the morning. You can go home and take a shower and still go to work normally. For working people with limited holidays, it’s really a good idea What a super good choice.
Tips
1. Everyone knows to book flights in advance, but it is cheapest 53 days in advance
2. Use these price comparison websites to find the lowest price
3. The APP version of the price comparison website will be more cost-effective
4. The airline official website is cheaper and has the best price guarantee
5. If the number of people traveling reaches 10, consider group air tickets
6. Try "***Flights", the same plane and the same location, it may be cheaper
7. Sometimes first class is not much more expensive than economy class
8. Make good use of credit cards and earn a few free air tickets every year
9. More channels to obtain special air tickets
10. The refund pitfalls of cheap air tickets
11. 11 tips to save money on cheap flights
12. The ultimate trick for buying air tickets that most people don’t know: Member Days of major airlines
13. Tianjin is amazing, flying Many cities are cheaper than Beijing
According to the survey results of Momondo, a British air ticket comparison website, tickets purchased 53 days in advance are 26% cheaper than the fare on the day of departure. Based on this result, the booking time can fluctuate up or down. Tips
For those who are short on time:
The Tuesday before departure may be the cheapest!
Airlines usually offer the cheapest tickets on the Tuesday before departure Flights are checked on Tuesday to see if they are full, and if there are still a lot of empty seats, they usually drop prices on that day.
For those who have plans and plenty of time:
It may be cheapest to book domestic flights 30 to 60 days in advance, that is, 1 or 2 months before departure. This is the time when domestic flights centrally monitor the ticket issuance rate, and will make price reduction adjustments to ensure that the tickets can be sold out.
International flights are booked about 170 days in advance, that is, 5 to 6 months in advance.
TIPS:
Thursday to Monday return may be the cheapest combination of international airlines, 20% cheaper than other time periods.
When you are very sure about your destination and travel time, using price comparison websites is a way to improve efficiency.
But check at least two price comparison websites to find the lowest price.
Skyscanner.com - low-cost airlines, international air tickets, special air ticket inquiry and booking, Skyscanner China
1. Skyscanner prices are relatively low (may not be the lowest), but all prices are The price includes tax, so you don’t have to worry about an extra 200 yuan in tax after placing the order.
2. As the service website in China of the world's largest air ticket comparison website "Skyscanner", it covers more than 1,200 airlines and travel websites, and is the website with the most comprehensive coverage.
3. Support fuzzy search (Qunar also has this function). When you are not sure about the specific time and place, this function can help you see the cheapest fares in a certain country in a certain month.
Get the cheapest trip to San Jose in the United States in October:
Cheapest ticket booking: Fliggy, formerly known as Ali Travel
Fliggy: air ticket booking , hotel inquiries, inns and B&Bs, travel vacations, tickets and visas
As we all know, airlines often do some activities with very strong discounts to attract customers, but these activities are only released on their respective official websites, which is difficult for ordinary people to Get information in a timely manner.
Be aware that Fliggy relies on low prices to attract attention. There are often air tickets for dozens of yuan on the home page. But these are all prices excluding tax.
Major pricing websites such as Skyscanner, Ctrip, Qunar, and Alibaba Travel all have mobile apps. If you decide which website to book tickets on, be sure to download the app to compare prices.
Because sometimes in order to better acquire mobile users, the price of the APP will be cheaper than the web version!
And there will be more exclusive activities on the APP.
The best price guarantee means that if you buy tickets on a third-party booking website cheaper than on the official website, our airline will give you a more favorable price!
This is why we have repeatedly emphasized that The reason for looking at the official website is that China Southern Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines have such a guarantee mechanism:
How to apply for the best price guarantee?
The rules and procedures for applying for the best price guarantee are basically You can refer to the picture below (from the official website of China Southern Airlines):
The service standards of these airlines are also somewhat different:
1. The seats are relatively small.
2. Low-cost airlines generally do not include checked baggage, and checked luggage needs to be purchased separately. Generally speaking, pre-purchasing checked baggage online is much cheaper than purchasing it before boarding the flight.
3. Low-cost flights do not include free meals. Can only be purchased.
4. Many low-cost airlines have different terminals than non-low-cost airlines, and some are separate terminals. This requires special attention.
How do you know that an airline is doing a promotion?
Special air tickets and promotions will be released immediately on the airline's official website, which is not available on other agency websites. At this time, you need to register as a member. Once the airline has activities, it will send you a text message or email immediately.
i. In addition, you can also follow the WeChat public account "Travel Radar".
If you are traveling with more than 10 people, you can consider applying for group tickets.
Group air tickets refer to air tickets booked for more than 10 people. Generally, an application must be made in advance. Each airline will confirm the discounted cabin and fare based on the current flight sales situation and the number of people in the group.
Advantages of group air tickets:
1. Most of the time it is cheaper than individual tickets.
2. You can use the group channel when checking in, which is convenient.
TIPS:
Choose the airline’s official website or a website with the airline’s authorization mark (with a certification qualification certificate issued by the China Air Transport Association CATA to air transport sales agents) to purchase.
Don’t trust bank transfer numbers that start with 400.
Always choose third-party payment method for payment.
It is most recommended to call the airline’s official website to make manual reservations.
If you confirm your departure time and destination, and know which flight you like best, "***Flights" are a good opportunity to enjoy low prices.
Special flight means that if A and B establish a special flight, you can book B's flight on airline A. These flights often have lower discounts.
For example, a round-trip flight from London to New York in September booked with American Airlines in March 2016 cost 536 pounds, but it only cost 496 pounds when booked on the official website of an American Airlines partner.
When booking an exclusive flight, be sure to check the prices on the official websites of both partners
The prices of exclusive flights on the websites of partners A and B may also be different. , someone once posted this question on Baidu:
So be sure to check the prices on the official websites of both partners.
Everything is based on registered membership
First of all, it is still important to register as a member of the airline first. If you have enough points, you can upgrade;
And each airline The company will occasionally offer low-priced first-class flights to attract consumers to register as members and become the company's frequent flyers.
Taking Air China as an example, it is currently launching a "1-yuan upgrade for Zhijie members" activity:
Arrive at the airport a few hours in advance
and then check in at the corresponding When checking in at the airline counter, if there is an empty first-class seat, the airline will most likely upgrade you to first-class at a very low price, or even for free, in order to increase aircraft utilization.
Regular management of reservations
After you book a flight, it is recommended that you enter the airline's website from time to time to manage your reservation, because some airlines will do some activities to attract users to upgrade. cabin, or have the chance to grab a free upgrade.
United Airlines, for example, will offer discounts to passengers after booking to entice them to upgrade to first class at a cheaper price.
The greatest value of credit card points is to redeem airline miles.
This is good news for people who usually have credit card consumption habits!
Like Shanghai Pudong Development Bank’s American Express Platinum Card, you can redeem it if you spend 100,000 yuan with this card A round trip ticket to Dubai. Or fly to Hawaii or Sydney for a beach vacation.
How to apply for an airline credit card, reference link:
Which bank is better for applying for a credit card? - Wise’s answer
How to maximize points
Multiple points on birthday, birthday month, designated channels, etc.
Apply supplementary cards for family members, collect points together, help relatives and friends to swipe cards, etc.
Notes on exchanging points for miles
Many people have reported that there are many pitfalls in exchanging credit card points for miles. If you don’t want to waste points in vain, be sure to read the following notes:
1. Pay attention to the validity period
China Eastern Airlines - mileage will expire at the end of the year after 3 years of being recorded;
Air China/China Southern Airlines - mileage will expire in the same month after 3 years of being recorded. Cardholders are advised to redeem their miles for frequently used air tickets before they expire.
2. The airline's free ticket change policy:
Air China: A change of domestic ticket costs 100 yuan; a change of international ticket costs 300 yuan.
China Southern Airlines: Free of charge once within the validity period (one year).
China Eastern Airlines: Unlimited free changes within the validity period (one year).
3. Pay attention to the small traps when redeeming points for miles
The "Airline Discounts" and "Aviation Story Selection" columns of the "Jiu" APP provide centralized updates on major special air ticket events. Remember to turn on the push reminder!
Download the "Air Ticket Comparison Network" APP, you can compare prices on the three major price comparison websites, Ctrip, Qunar, and Kuxun, at the same time, which is very convenient.
When it comes to refunding the special tickets of major low-cost airlines, there will be pitfalls such as handling fees
1. If you are a person who lives abroad all year round, you must know that EasyJet Airlines book flights to Europe. This is a very famous low-cost airline in Europe (but there are no flights to China).
2. For domestic people, 9 Yuan Airlines 9 Yuan 9 Yuan Airlines official website is basically the cheapest for flight ticket inquiry and booking, but the routes are very limited and the routes are all domestic.
3. Book 120 days in advance to enjoy flexible fares
Because fares vary greatly with the off-peak and peak seasons.
Easyjet has "Flexifares" that allow you to be flexible in your travel time for up to 4 weeks without paying extra.
If the price of the flight you booked drops within 4 weeks, you can change the travel time for free in exchange for a cheaper fare.
4. Low-cost airlines generally charge for checked baggage
If you have too much luggage, it is recommended to purchase the baggage check-in fee on the official website first, which is cheaper than on-site check-in fees.
If you bring a lot of clothes, you can wear them on your body to reduce the weight of your luggage.
5. Passengers must appeal for flight delays due to flight delays
Foreign airline EasyJet still has many detailed rules for handling flight delays. You can request compensation. Click to view the detailed rules: Whattodoifyyourflightis
delayedorcancelled
The 9 yuan domestic airline is less responsible for passengers, but who makes it cheaper? So it is recommended to buy a delay insurance by yourself:
6. When there are regulations on the size of suitcases, it is very necessary to learn how to pack them
EasyJet requires 56×45×25 cm. How can you maximize the space of your small luggage? suitcase, click on the high-energy video to view:
Ultra-practical clothing folding skills, packing in this way can make the suitcase contain 30% more items
7. Low-cost airline insurance is too expensive, so do it yourself Cheaper to buy
Here is a recommended place to buy cheap travel insurance, Qyer.com: Qyer.com Travel Insurance
8. Line up early to board the plane, otherwise your carry-on luggage There may be no place to put it
The luggage compartments of low-cost airlines are usually very narrow, so board the plane early to get a seat.
9. Although you cannot bring liquids with you on the plane, you must bring something to eat.
Basically, low-cost airlines charge for food on board, so it is more cost-effective to bring your own food.
10. EasyJet needs to register on the official website 30 days in advance.
Because EasyJet’s free seat selection period only ends 30 days before departure, charges will be charged after this time.
11. If there are many people traveling together, it is recommended to pay everyone at one time.
Low-cost airlines generally charge a certain management fee. If you buy tickets one by one, you will be charged management fees for multiple people. If you pay in one go, you will only be charged one management fee.
All major airlines have their own member days, and on this day the air ticket prices are almost the lowest on the entire network.
Let’s first take a look at how to get a big deal as quickly as possible.
The first step is to register as a member in advance
For most airlines, there is no threshold for registering as a member. You only need to go to the official website to register as a member and you can book special tickets on member days. .
China Southern Airlines: China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd.
Air China: Registration
The second step is to remember the membership dates of each airline
Under normal circumstances, the official website of each airline will release member day activity information on the official website at least 2 to 3 days in advance.
Hainan Airlines’ membership day is on the 8th of every month;
China Eastern Airlines’ membership day is on the 18th of every month;
Spring Airlines’ membership day is on the 27th of every month;
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China Southern Airlines’ date is the 28th of each month;
Air China’s date is “the same day of the month”, that is, “January 1st, February 2nd”, and so on.
The third step, don’t panic if you can’t get a ticket, be sure to check at multiple times!
The membership day ticket grabbing event usually starts at 0 o’clock on the same day, but if you don’t get a ticket , don’t panic, wait, check at multiple times, sometimes some people grab tickets but don’t pay, you can also find something missing.
By doing this, you can grab tickets before others.
Become an elite member: Elite members of various airlines also have benefits and can enter in advance. For those with fast hands and slow hands, the probability of success in buying will definitely be greatly improved.
For example, China Eastern Airlines started offering “Eastern Miles” platinum, gold and silver cards from 18:00 on August 17, the day before last month’s Membership Day promotion on August 18. Ticket purchase is open for card members.
If you are a regular card member: You can also use miles to redeem the qualifications for early purchase tickets. Of course, this depends on whether the ticket price is cheap enough to be worth redeeming with miles.
Whether flying from Tianjin or arriving in Tianjin, many air tickets are almost much cheaper than flying from Beijing.
This is a round trip from Beijing to Changsha for RMB 1,137:
On the same day, the round trip from Tianjin to Changsha is RMB 641, which is nearly 600 yuan cheaper!!!
Also Flying from Tianjin to Harbin, Changchun, Qingdao, Xi'an and other cities is cheaper by 200 to 600 yuan!
So if you are in Beijing, I suggest you check the flights from Tianjin. If there is a cheap one, congratulations, you only need to spend more than 50 yuan and take an hour's high-speed train to Tianjin to enjoy cheap air tickets.