You can get an airline ticket to Perth, WA cheaper than you think by following these tips. It is not exactly cheating the system, but airline companies are not advertising it either. They would rather you pay more for your air travel.
Thanks to the internet, we are no longer dependent on travel agents to book cheap flight tickets to Perth. You can book directly with the airline. This in itself saves you money, because we are cutting out the middleman and his service fees.
If you are travelling to Perth in the near future, there is potential for you to cut down on your travel expenses. Airlines make a good portion of their profit from the fact that you are disorganised – money that should be in your pocket for your holiday instead of feeding a billion dollar industry. Rather than being left out in the dark, beat them at their own game by knowing the rules. By observing the following tips, we assure that you can reduce the cost of your next flight in Australia.
When to book
There are two schools of thought about this. One is that you should book as early as possible, while the other suggests you wait 6 weeks prior to the flight. Let us have a look at both options.
Early as possible
Airlines have only a limited amount of seats available on each flight. Out of these seats, a fixed number of them will be cheaper than the rest. Once these are sold, they will sell at their normal price, which will eventually increase and peak to capitalise on people that need to travel at the last minute. Therefore, it makes sense that you will get the cheaper airfare the earlier you book.
6 weeks out
This idea debunks the commonly held believe to book as soon as possible. It comes from a study from the Airline Reporting Corporation that indicate prices drop below the average fare a mere 6 weeks before departure.
Which one is better?
It is apparent that you could get a red-hot deal with the 6 weeks strategy, the only major disadvantage is that it could get booked out and you could miss out together. It really depends on whether you are willing to risk it. If you are not, go with advice from the managing director of Expedia. “Generally flight prices go up rather than down the closer you get to travel, so the earlier flights are booked, the better.” (source)
Dates and times
We get it; sometimes you need to fly on a particular date and/or time. However, if you can be flexible with when you leave, you can end up saving yourself a lot of money. Perth is very busy in the summer months, however either side of summer you can snatch a cheap airflight ticket. The golden rule is to avoid flying during peak season. This includes school holidays, Christmas and Easter. It is also best to stay clear of long weekends.
You can even go a step further and catch an early morning or red eye flight. It is not the most convenient time to travel, but you will end up with a cheaper ticket. The cheapest tickets are usually for sale mid-week, with the best day to book (according to Fare Compare) being Wednesday.
Use the internet
You have the internet. Use it. Shop around with different airlines and go on budget airfare sites like Airfarewatchdog, Webjet, Flight Centre and Travelocity. Sign up to their free alerts. Sometimes the deals come directly from the people from the website, meaning you would not have found otherwise.
Something that is becoming more common is airlines advertising fares on social media. Liking carriers on Facebook and Twitter will help you keep up to date with sales. However, be aware that you are not the only person receiving this information in your feed, so if you see a good deal, whip out your credit card as fast as you can book, because these deals can be completely gone with hours.
Using different airlines
Unless you want to specifically use one airline for frequent flier benefits, it is best to mix and match who you fly with. The reason being is that many carriers offer sales on one-way flights and not on returns. When this happens, it may be cheaper to fly home using another airline.
Destination
If you can be a bit flexible with your travel destination, the chances of snagging a bargain is much higher. Perth has been known to be expensive, however you can find sales. Airlines regularly offer sales to particular cities. Being spontaneous may significantly add to your travel experience.
If you are on a strict budget, I recommend checking out www.kayak.com/explore. It will list multiple fares from your location, giving you an idea where you can go with the money you have. At Budget Apartments, we will be able to provide affordable short-term accommodation.
Baggage Fees
The U.S Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that airlines made an outrageous $3.3 billion in baggage fees in 2011. That is simply due to people not reading the baggage allowance (which is cleared stated on your itinerary) and over packing. Make sure you know what the allowance is when you are booking and if it is too low for your needs, get an upgrade. The added cost will be peanuts compared to the fee you will pay when you check in.
Seat Selection
You may not be offered the lowest priced tickets when traveling with other people. Airlines generally only show seats that is available to everyone, so it might neglect to mention there are a few cheaper seats on offer because there is not another for entire group. When booking group accommodation, make sure you search for single tickets beforehand to ensure you are not missing a special deal. You may end up having seats at different ends of the plane, but the money you will save will be worth it.
