Chasing After Cheap Tickets
These days' airline tickets aren't cheap. I checked prices for Abu Dhabi last week and I rechecked the price again last night and I was shocked at how quickly the price had jumped. The price increased 10% in less than a week. How is that even possible? I was happily thinking of leaving for Abu Dhabi on 8th September and the rate the ticket is now has left me so frustrated and extremely heartbroken.
There are a few websites that offer discount flight tickets and I'll probably end up using one of them. The discount isn't extravagant though just 2-5% off the original price. At this point I'll be happy with any discounts.
I've always heard people say that one should book their tickets at least thirty days before departure. It's when the ticket is supposed to be at its cheapest. I still have more than thirty days before 8th September and I was convinced that I was going to get a cheap airline ticket and boy, was I wrong. Over the years so many surveys have been conducted and all of them came out with a different result.
A research conducted by Kayak found that the optimal timing for a cheap-ticket purchase is 21 and 34 days before domestic and international flights, respectively. But 2012 analysis on another website concluded that on average the cheapest fares are found 49 days before a flight. Meanwhile, researchers at Texas A&M University simply found that Saturdays and Sundays are best for finding discount fares.
So what is the golden rule for buying discount flight tickets? Well, my experience tells me one should buy the ticket the moment you think you can afford it easily. I have been comparing prices for months now and the minute I think I've found a price that I can afford, I relax and tell myself I'll buy it in a day or two and when that time comes the price has increased. Has this happened to any of you before?
I can't postpone my trip till October because that doesn't suit me. It's either September or the plan is off. A lot of mistakes are made in the name of saving some money. Lesson learnt, I shall try not to save up so diligently because I only end up spending more because of the "save more spend less" mantra. It's stressful, frustrating and not easy on the wallet. So who is it helping? Definitely not me!
Try to look for discounts when possible but just take the plunge when you think you can easily afford it. I went to Dubai last year and I was prepared to buy an expensive ticket and at the last minute I ended up saving 10% (I bought it a day before I left. No joke). It felt really good, and I used that money in Dubai. This time I'm trying to be extra careful on buying the ticket and it keeps backfiring every time. My original plan was to go in August and then that got postponed because of the price. Later, I found a cheaper price in September and week later that price escalated. Will let you know if I ever get my hands on this ticket!
These days' airline tickets aren't cheap. I checked prices for Abu Dhabi last week and I rechecked the price again last night and I was shocked at how quickly the price had jumped. The price increased 10% in less than a week. How is that even possible? I was happily thinking of leaving for Abu Dhabi on 8th September and the rate the ticket is now has left me so frustrated and extremely heartbroken.
There are a few websites that offer discount flight tickets and I'll probably end up using one of them. The discount isn't extravagant though just 2-5% off the original price. At this point I'll be happy with any discounts.
I've always heard people say that one should book their tickets at least thirty days before departure. It's when the ticket is supposed to be at its cheapest. I still have more than thirty days before 8th September and I was convinced that I was going to get a cheap airline ticket and boy, was I wrong. Over the years so many surveys have been conducted and all of them came out with a different result.
A research conducted by Kayak found that the optimal timing for a cheap-ticket purchase is 21 and 34 days before domestic and international flights, respectively. But 2012 analysis on another website concluded that on average the cheapest fares are found 49 days before a flight. Meanwhile, researchers at Texas A&M University simply found that Saturdays and Sundays are best for finding discount fares.
So what is the golden rule for buying discount flight tickets? Well, my experience tells me one should buy the ticket the moment you think you can afford it easily. I have been comparing prices for months now and the minute I think I've found a price that I can afford, I relax and tell myself I'll buy it in a day or two and when that time comes the price has increased. Has this happened to any of you before?
I can't postpone my trip till October because that doesn't suit me. It's either September or the plan is off. A lot of mistakes are made in the name of saving some money. Lesson learnt, I shall try not to save up so diligently because I only end up spending more because of the "save more spend less" mantra. It's stressful, frustrating and not easy on the wallet. So who is it helping? Definitely not me!
Try to look for discounts when possible but just take the plunge when you think you can easily afford it. I went to Dubai last year and I was prepared to buy an expensive ticket and at the last minute I ended up saving 10% (I bought it a day before I left. No joke). It felt really good, and I used that money in Dubai. This time I'm trying to be extra careful on buying the ticket and it keeps backfiring every time. My original plan was to go in August and then that got postponed because of the price. Later, I found a cheaper price in September and week later that price escalated. Will let you know if I ever get my hands on this ticket!
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