With the growth of the aviation industry, traveling to different countries has become so easy. Also, with the reduction in airfare, due to the growing competition among the airlines, more and more people are opting to fly to their destinations than choosing other means. However, for those who aren’t aware how to find low-cost airline tickets, here are some handy tips for you to keep in mind. They’re quite useful, especially if you’re looking to book tickets for a group or your family.

For starters, search for airline tickets after 11 pm, as this is when most airlines offer discounted prices. However, if you’re one of those who need to make a last minute booking, then you should browse through online travel portals. This is because those websites offer deals on cheap group flights.

As you’re already aware, there are many websites that offer the services of a travel agent, hence you have to browse through different sites before you make the actual booking. What people usually do is check for tickets on only one travel portal and book their tickets. This is one of the biggest mistakes that travelers make. Before booking airline tickets online, check a few websites and compare prices. This will help you view different options and get the best flight deals. Although there’s no harm in speaking to your local travel agent about flights, the Internet proves on average to be better in this regard, since travel agents may not always find the same prices in their reservation systems.

Unless it’s a family emergency and everyone needs to fly at the last moment, try to book your tickets at least four to six weeks in advance. In most cases, the airlines want to book the unsold tickets and are ready to offer their customers discounts, especially on a group booking.

If you’re a frequent flyer, make use of your award points. Different airlines generally allocate a certain number of seats to their award fare quota and will want to book these a few months in advance.  However, you should try to avoid booking these award seats a week prior to flying, or else be charged with an “expediting fee.”

There are also times when your family hasn’t decided on when to go on holiday, let alone on a destination. In such a scenario, it’s best to opt for booking your tickets directly with the airlines instead of approaching a travel website, as most of these will charge hefty fees on changes to reservations.

Other points to consider:

• Be flexible with your dates.
• Think about flying on a Wednesday.
• Take a flight that departs first thing in the morning.
• Check for promotions early in the day. When you find a good one, then book it (it may not be available in the afternoon).
• Don’t rule out budget carriers.
• Be creative and look at different route options, especially when traveling to overseas destinations.
• Clear your bowser’s cookies before booking flights online because many airlines and many booking sites ( ex.Expedia, Kayak) keep track of how many times you’ve visited the websites and offer different prices which are almost higher than your 1st offer. To get the best prices, Clear your browser cache which gives the booking sites that you’re visiting them for the first time and you are more likely to see better prices for your next flight.

With these tips you’re sure to get a good deal on booking your next airline ticket!