Many friends are surprised how I manage to buy air tickets 2-3 times cheaper than others. Some people do not believe that tickets abroad can be purchased much cheaper than within their own country. Yes, there are a few tricks here. I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time and collect everything you need to know to buy cheap tickets. And finally :)

In this article, I will not tell platitudes about airline mileage programs, and that it is better to buy tickets in advance at sales - everyone knows about this. I'll try to give more practical advice. But I’ll start with the obvious... Many independent travelers They ignore charters, but in vain - this can significantly save money.

Lifehack 1. The first, most obvious thing is to take cheap tours or charter tickets when traveling abroad. But keep in mind that in this case you are limited either by the number of days of stay, or if you use a ticket only “there”, you can buy a return ticket very expensively.

Once I was lucky to buy two tours for the price of one flight “there” - this happens especially often in regions from where there are not always direct flights even to Europe, but charters do fly.

On the tour, you can only use the flight, and settle where it is more convenient, or arrange your own trip around the country. You just need to make sure that the return plane does not leave without you - after all, charters are often postponed. To do this, arrange for a travel agent to keep you informed, or return to your base hotel the day before departure.

It is better to plan your trip in advance and buy a single round-trip air ticket - usually such tickets are non-refundable and all changes can only be made for an additional fee, so the trip must be planned without changes.

Life hack 2. Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than return-only tickets, so always check round-trip tickets rather than just one-way tickets.
Important! It is not necessary to take a return ticket from the same city where you are arriving. The main thing is that you take a return ticket from the same airline using a single route - choose a “composite route”.

But keep in mind that having bought a round-trip ticket, if you do not fly there, the return ticket will be lost. However, you can get sick and not go at all, and then what? Then even a non-refundable rate can be returned by additionally purchasing insurance.

Life hack 3. If you are afraid that you will not be able to fly, buy travel insurance that includes not only medical services, but also “trip cancellation” - this is cheaper than buying additional insurance on the airline’s website. But carefully read in the conditions what is insured - usually the insurance does not compensate for losses if you simply change your mind, but if you get sick and present a certificate from the hospital, then the money will be returned even for a “non-refundable” rate.

I have already written about which travel insurance is best to take.


In the photo: S7 airline specialists skillfully work with each passenger

There is an opinion that the best way is to sign up for newsletters about “reduced ticket prices” on airline websites, but this is just a clever trick by airlines to get your email. This way you will only receive advertising and news about promotions that are already known to everyone. Therefore, it is enough to subscribe to news and promotions from the airline on social networks - there will be more benefits.

Life hack 4. It is better to monitor low prices yourself, because... There are usually few really cheap air tickets, they are quickly sold out and such information never reaches the mailing list.

But how to search correctly? If there are many airlines flying from your city, then monitoring all sites in search of cheap air tickets is quite difficult. I'm telling you:

Which website for cheap flight tickets is better?

You can buy cheap air tickets on the airline's website, or you can use aggregator sites. Where is better? If the price is not as important as the airline, we wait for sales on the airline’s website; if it is important to buy air tickets inexpensively, and at the same time you don’t care which airline, we use aggregator sites, also called cheap airline ticket sites. Moreover, on these sites you can find low prices even on low-cost airlines! Below I will show you how and where to look.

Many people know, for example, Yandex.Avia, but not everyone knows sites where you can not only compare tickets different airlines, but also choose the most cheap month; and if you have already chosen the month, then the cheapest direction to fly to. This is very convenient when you want to fly somewhere, but it’s cheap.

Life hack 5. Using cheap flight ticket websites you can find most cheap city , where to fly, and also cheapest month, not just a day!

Where to look? Where prices are not higher than on official airline websites. Many times I compared prices in aggregators with prices on the official websites of airlines. So far, I like the Kupibilet.ru website more than others - sometimes the prices are even lower than on airline websites. I don’t know how it works, but it’s always nice to buy cheaper, especially since there are no problems with such tickets. After the purchase, you can call the airline directly and ask for the reservation number - they always confirm, you don’t have to worry.


In addition, the Buy Ticket has a convenient service - selection of smart routes– flights of different airlines connect, and they also provide free insurance against delays at the connection.
I didn’t like their bonus program, but everything else was great. Good support service. After the purchase, they send SMS with flight notifications and reminders - you feel cared for the client, it’s nice.

How to buy cheap air tickets within the country

Don't be afraid of connecting flights. Also check flights not only to your final destination, but also to other nearby airports.

For example, when going on vacation to Gelendzhik, check flights not only to Gelendzhik airport, but also to Krasnodar - from there in just 3 hours - this way you can save a lot on air tickets in the summer season.

Before buying a plane ticket, remember that lowest price usually does not include food, luggage, seat selection and airport check-in– carefully read the conditions of what is included in the transportation. For example, at Pobeda Airlines you have to pay extra for all this; they even charge money for luggage inside the cabin (see tariffs).

Lifehack 6. To fly cheaper:
- just take it with you hand luggage so that you don’t have to pay extra for luggage;
– check in online on the airline’s website, not at the airport;
– board the plane well-fed :)

However, keep in mind that not everything can be taken in hand luggage. Read in detail: . And also keep in mind that different airlines have different conditions - you will only find details on the airline's website.

If you are flying with your family and have a lot of luggage, then first calculate how much money you will end up with: ticket price + seats to sit next to you + luggage + food on the plane. Perhaps flying on low-cost airlines is ultimately unprofitable for you, then choose another airline and check the conditions.

Lifehack 7. Use filters when searching for cheap flights. For example, you can exclude unloved airlines from your search results or search only for direct flights.

What is a low price calendar

If you know exactly where you want to fly, then the easiest way to find the cheapest air tickets is using the low price calendar. We select from where and where, and then open the calendar (click “there” in the form) and select dates with low prices for air tickets:


For example, using the calendar it is easy to find the cheapest air tickets from Moscow to Simferopol or Milan, from Kyiv to Odessa and to any other destinations.

How to buy cheaper tickets for direct flights

Most often, connecting flights are cheaper than direct flights, but this is not always convenient. Therefore, if you want to save money, but still fly on a direct flight, then you need to start looking for a ticket 6 months in advance, using the low price calendar. Or you need to look for the city you need among the Hidden City (intermediate city). This travel hack is based on the fact that tickets with transfers are cheaper than direct ones.

Life hack 8. The passenger does not have to fly all the way, he can get off at an intermediate stop! Such flights are sometimes more profitable than direct ones. This trick is called Hidden City.

Let me explain what Hidden City is. For example, you need to go to Paris, and tickets are very expensive. However, you have learned that there are cheaper flights that go somewhere else but stop in Paris. We take such a ticket, but we check in our luggage only to Paris, and in Paris we get off. Ready!
Keep in mind that this only works on a one-way ticket!!!

Example.
I'll show you what it looks like and where to watch Hidden City.
We need to take a direct flight from Moscow to Paris. We look at the low price calendar - the lowest price is 6348 rubles, here:


In the photo: calendar of low prices for direct flights Moscow – Paris

If we look for flights with “hidden city” (we look at the cheapest flights from Moscow with one transfer - check the box “1 transfer” as in the picture below), we find that a flight from Moscow to Frankfurt with a stop in Paris costs 3,781 rubles.


In the photo: ticket price Moscow – Paris using “hidden city”

We just check in our luggage for Paris, and then get out in Paris! In total, we bought a direct flight to Paris at almost 2 times cheaper.

Finding Hidden City is not easy, but it is possible, for example, on the Skiplagged website.

How to fly abroad cheaply

We are looking for air tickets in the same way as already described above. Choose the desired country and the city.


We just take into account that tickets to popular cities can be much more expensive than to less popular ones, from which you can comfortably travel by bus for pennies, and at the same time see another city and.


In the photo: wifi even worked on the Flixbus bus during the journey

By the way, such bus trips are especially popular in Europe.

Lifehack 9. Combine air travel with bus travel. If you're planning to visit a city that only has expensive airfare, check ticket prices in nearby cities and take a bus to the main city - you can save up to 70% on airfare!

For example, I want to fly to Vienna. Flights to Vienna are usually expensive. We open a regular map and find the nearest cities where air tickets are cheaper - Bratislava, Budapest (usually a flight is 2 times cheaper than to Vienna). From Bratislava to Vienna it takes 1 hour by FlixBus, costs 5 euros. From Budapest to Vienna it takes 3 hours by bus, costs 14 euros.
FlixBus is a very convenient low-cost bus service in Europe, I’ve traveled with them a lot. See instructions. In general, if you don’t have children, it’s very convenient to move around. Val D'orcia – best views And most beautiful places in Tuscany, Italy

How to find out the cheapest destinations? I already wrote about this above, but I’ll add a list of the most popular:

From Moscow, the lowest round-trip prices

  • Bratislava (Slovakia) from 60 euros
  • Cologne (Germany) from 70 euros
  • Memmingen-Allgau (Germany, Munich) from 70 euros
  • Minsk from 70 euros
  • Milan (Italy) from 85 euros, Rome

From Kyiv, the lowest round-trip prices

  • Warsaw (Poland) from 34 euros
  • Tbilisi (Georgia) from 40 euros
  • Prague (Czech Republic) from 45 euros

I talked about the most important thing, I just want to remind you that:

Lifehack 10. If you find a profitable air ticket, it is better to buy it right away. While you are making a purchase, the price is fixed for you, but as soon as you leave the site, the price may change next time.

Also, don’t be afraid to discover new things! If you are tied to work and have a vacation every year in the same month (not at all cheap for a flight), then at least change the place of your vacation.

20.07.2018, 12:41 39091

When you fly on your birthday, you secretly hope for some surprise. And if a child is flying, can you imagine what his desire is?! Ticket Aero conducted an “audit” of the rules and traditions of popular airlines, what they give their passengers on their birthdays. Data is presented as of July 2018.

Foreign carriers please their passengers the most. So Emirates Birthday celebrants in business and first class are given a cake and a glass of champagne. True, the airline asks to notify them about the holiday 24 hours before departure and agree on the inscription on the cake. The inscription can be anything, and it can be addressed not only to those who are celebrating a birthday on board, but also to newlyweds.

At your own expense you can receive a gift from the Hong Kong Cathay Pacific. Additional service can be purchased when booking, it costs $50. During the flight, the birthday person will receive a greeting card handwritten with good wishes from the crew and captain of the ship. When landing, lines of congratulations will appear on the screen where the temperature overboard is shown.

Australian Quantas gives passengers on their flights a real surprise. There is no need to report your birthday; managers themselves track significant dates for 1st and business class passengers. The heroes of the occasion unexpectedly receive brownies and champagne.

Singapore Airlines surprises birthday people with a cake, instead of the standard dessert, champagne and trendy souvenirs. Singaporeans do not leave newlyweds aside - in addition to the ceremonial food package, if there are free seats, they can be transferred to improved business class seats.

In one of the reviews, the newlyweds wrote: “On the occasion of a recent wedding, they brought us a cake, champagne, a postcard from the captain and gave us cards... we still play them on our trips.”

In order not to miss the chance to receive such congratulations, Singapore Airlines asks passengers to notify about their holiday in advance.

Russian airlines do not pamper their passengers too much - they only offer, at best, additional bonuses or a small discount on air tickets.

S7 Airlines To bonus program S7 Priority provides a promotional code for a 10% discount on the air ticket fare. It is valid for S7 Airlines’ own flights (in economy) with a flight date until December 31, 2018, for nine passengers in one order. The promotional code is valid for one month from the date of birth.

Utair- promo code for a 30% discount on the full cost of the ticket. Valid on the carrier's own flights 30 days before the birthday and 30 days after. The number of passengers per order is not limited. Therefore, you can plan a birthday trip with a group.

Ural Airlines- 100 bonuses are credited to your account in the “Wings” program. You can immediately spend a 100 ruble discount on the air ticket fare.

Almost everything Russian airlines go to meet their passengers if their friends or relatives ask the flight attendants to wish them a happy birthday. Pilots and flight attendants are happy to do this over speakerphone.

Everyone loves discounts. Sometimes you can very successfully guess the time of sales and fly to the ends of the world for practically nothing. How can you buy discounted air tickets and save money?

The easiest way to get an impressive discount on air tickets is to book early. The booking depth (the maximum period before departure for which a ticket can be booked) can reach 360 days. With such a reservation you can count on a discount. Its value varies depending on the airline chosen, but sometimes you can buy a ticket for almost half the price.

The second reliable way to get discounted air tickets is to fly round-trip with the same airline. For “brand loyalty,” the airline reduces the price of an air ticket.

How to find out if there are discounts on air tickets

Sometimes airlines have airline ticket sales, promotions and special offers. Most often they are timed to coincide with holidays, for example, the New Year (Christmas) holidays. The size of the discount and the conditions for receiving it are set by each airline independently.

Many airlines have loyalty programs - various club cards, which accumulate bonuses or miles that can be exchanged for an air ticket. They are credited every time you fly. The number of miles (bonuses) may depend on the distance you fly or the amount spent on the ticket. This offer is beneficial for those who fly very often. The accumulated miles may be enough for both domestic and international flights - it all depends on the conditions of enrollment and the number of miles (bonuses) on the card. With such programs you can get discounted air tickets, or pay with points (bonuses, miles) for the entire flight. The conditions can be found on the airline's website.

Additional discounts

What other discounts on air tickets can you get? Many foreign airlines provide youth discounts - sometimes up to 30% of the air ticket price. Discounts are provided to ISIC and EURO cardholders<26. Студентам стоит внимательно изучить тарифную политику авиакомпании, если они хотят получить скидку и сэкономить на авиаперелете.

Another way to get a discount from an airline is to take organized, group flights. A group is considered to be 10 or more travelers purchasing air tickets. The discounts are small, but it's still better than no discount.

Did you know

    how to buy a plane ticket without leaving home?

    On the Tutu.ru website, indicate the route, travel dates and number of passengers in the required fields.

    The system will select suitable options from offers from several hundred airlines.

    From the list, select the flight that suits you.

    Enter your personal information - it is required to issue tickets. Tutu.ru transmits them only via a secure channel.

    Pay for tickets with a bank card.

    how to pay for an air ticket when purchasing online?

    The fastest and most convenient way to pay for a ticket on the Tutu.ru website is with a bank card.

    We accept cards of all types of international payment systems Visa and MasterCard - debit, credit, virtual (for example, QIWI Visa Virtual).

    Why can you safely enter your bank card details on the Tutu.ru website?

    Data entry takes place on secure pages. We do not store any information about bank cards, we only transfer them to the bank for payment.

    The entire process occurs automatically, without human intervention.

    Data is transmitted over a secure (encrypted) channel.

    We guarantee that no information will be transferred to third parties or used for purposes other than issuing tickets.

    What does an e-ticket look like and where can I get it?

    After payment, a new entry appears in the airline’s database - this is an electronic ticket. Now all information about your flight will be stored by the carrier airline.

    Electronic plane tickets are not issued in paper form and cannot be viewed.

    You can see, print and take with you to the airport not the ticket itself, but the itinerary receipt. It contains your ticket number and all the information about your flight. We will send a receipt by email.

    An itinerary receipt will not be needed when checking in for a flight - all information is stored in the computer and at the airport you will only need a passport.

    How to get on a plane using an electronic ticket?

    An electronic plane ticket is an official document confirming the conclusion of an air transportation agreement.

    To use your ticket, you only need to arrive at the airport on time and check in.

    To register you will need:

    • identification document specified in the order;
    • birth certificate (when flying with children).

    The itinerary receipt is not a mandatory document when registering. However, Tutu.ru recommends printing out the receipt and taking it with you.

    You may need it at passport control abroad, as confirmation that you have a return ticket or that you are continuing on your route.

    how to return a plane ticket?

    An e-ticket can only be returned in accordance with the airline's rules, regardless of how it was booked and paid for.

    To return a ticket, you must contact the operator as soon as possible.

    To do this, you need to respond to the letter that you will receive after ordering tickets on the Tutu.ru website.

    Please indicate “Ticket Return” in the subject line and briefly describe your situation. Our specialists will contact you. If you have not received the letter, write to [email protected].

    The information letter that you receive after ordering also contains contacts of the partner agency through which your ticket was issued. You can contact him directly.

Sign up for airline alerts

Don't forget to monitor carriers' websites. Sales are usually held in February - March and October - November. During such periods the servers may be down. But a little patience, and a cheap ticket is in your pocket. And some airlines offer to send messages if the price drops. Agree so you can buy the right ticket.

Subscribe to Telegram channels

To search for profitable offers, use Telegram channels. Information about discounts comes in the form of a personal notification. It’s better to subscribe to several at once and monitor them, comparing prices. Here are three useful channels with cheap air tickets: Samokatus, Travelradar and PassOnBoard.

And of course, use cheap air ticket aggregators such as Aviasales, Skyscanner, Momondo, OneTwoTrip. They are not tied to a specific airline, but compare prices from different sites and give you the best option. These search engines also have convenient price charts and calendars. With their help, you can move the date of your trip and save a significant amount.

Most of these search engines have mobile applications.

2. Clear cookies and cache

If you have already looked for cheap air tickets, the aggregator or airline website has remembered both the country of departure and the approximate cost of travel. As a result, you may see the old price even if the tickets have become cheaper. In addition, the site will rush you and assure you that there are almost no seats left on the plane. Even if this is not true at all.

5. Buy tickets in advance

It is more profitable to buy tickets in advance. Airlines typically open sales 330 days in advance. But, as practice shows, the most optimal booking time is 50–60 days before departure.

The fact is that when sales start, the program is guided by last year’s prices, and then demand determines the price and, as a rule, it decreases. A couple of months before departure there are not many bookings. And the more empty seats on the plane, the lower the price.

When buying a ticket, you should also take into account the time of day. Most people buy tickets in the middle of the day. So book your flight late at night or early in the morning. There are not many visitors to aggregators, demand is falling, prices are starting to creep down.

6. Keep documents handy

Carry your passport information with you at all times. It is not necessary to carry a passport with you. It is enough to take a photo of the necessary pages or write down the data in notes. Special offers usually come at the most inopportune times. And cheap tickets will most likely not survive until the evening. So when planning your trip, be prepared to book your tickets at a moment's notice. And, of course, don’t forget about the money on your bank card.

The ticket price directly depends on the flow of tourists. During holidays, school holidays and high season, the cost of flights usually increases. So be sure to check prices for other dates. Sometimes departures within a couple of weeks are several times cheaper.

Thus, a ticket to Asian countries departing at the end of December is almost twice as expensive as at the beginning of the month.

And don’t shy away from traveling in the off-season. Firstly, it's much cheaper. Secondly, there are no crowds of tourists or queues at museums. For example, everyone goes to Europe for the New Year holidays. It is much more profitable to fly there in early autumn.

8. Buy round-trip tickets

Buy tickets in both directions at once, don’t delay until later. Firstly, when you buy round-trip tickets you save about 20%. Secondly, remember: the closer the departure, the more expensive the ticket. For example, tickets Moscow - Paris and back cost 14,000 rubles, and if you take them separately, you will have to overpay more than 2,000 rubles.

9. Don't limit yourself to the capital

If you want to get to France, for example, you don’t have to fly directly to Paris. Look at tickets to neighboring cities: sometimes you can get there much cheaper than to the capital.

Then you can travel by trains, trains, buses or planes. Just remember: when abroad, it is better to book tickets for intercity trains and buses in advance, at least a couple of weeks in advance. It will be cheaper this way. In Europe, this can be done online, through the carriers' websites.

Good afternoon, travelers!

Today we’ll talk about where to look for discounts on air tickets, special offers and airline sales. What discounts are offered, how and where to purchase air travel at a special offer - I will tell you this in my new article.

The best way to save on your upcoming trip is to buy discounted air tickets.

A reduced flight price will also help you choose a carrier company and country of departure, with a wide variety.

What discounts are there?

Usually they launch promotions that apply to economy class fares; they do not apply to business class.

In addition to seasonal airline sales and super offers, you can take advantage of discounts for age and social categories:

  • Children under 2 years old can reduce the ticket price up to 90%, for older adults 2 - 12 years old - up to 50%.
  • Young people under 24 years of age can purchase tickets up to 25% cheaper upon presentation of a document confirming their age. Each country has special tariffs for young people and rules for their use.
  • Students aged 26 to 31 receive a discount on the ISIC international student rate.
  • Pensioners aged 55–65 years can reduce the price by 15–25%.
  • The family tariff entitles one of the spouses to receive a 50% discount, but it can be used a limited number of times.
  • Special fare for a group of passengers of 7–10 people flying together on the same dates and on the same route.

Airlines usually offer promotions on tickets 45 days before departure, thus attracting passengers with low prices. After which their cost begins to rise, but if closer to the departure date the plane is still not fully equipped, there is a chance to purchase a ticket much cheaper by 30–50%.

We must remember that all profitable promotions are quickly sold out, since there are few offers, and there are many people who want to save money. Therefore, if you see a favorable price, hurry up to buy or book a ticket.

Always have your passport and card details with you for prompt payment. If you are registered on the carrier's website or use a browser with autofill, then many of your data will be saved from past purchases, it will be easier and faster for you to fill out a new form.

When a new promotion is launched, the time frame for purchasing a ticket and its validity period are indicated. That is, you can and should buy it at a special price in the near future, but use it for a certain time and fly away in a few months.

As a rule, they are non-refundable, which is why the cost is so low. Therefore, when buying such a ticket, you must be sure that you will be able to fly on these days, having a planned vacation or a free work schedule.

If you want to always be aware of promotions and discounts, subscribe to the airline's newsletter.

When searching for special offers, it is convenient to use the calendar and low price map, which are available on many search sites. You will be able to see which days and which countries have the best prices, and choose the appropriate option.

Websites with promotional air tickets

Sale tickets can be purchased online from many websites.

1. Official websites of airlines

Discounted tickets are indicated with a promo icon. Most often, sales are launched during times of low demand for flights - in spring, autumn and after the New Year holidays. But no one can predict the exact start date of the campaign. This depends on the companies themselves, which analyze the congestion and popularity of flights, and compare past and current prices for transportation.

In case of a shortage of passengers and deviations from sales plans, air carriers use promotions to attract new customers and fill the plane with them. To always be aware of the best prices, just subscribe to their newsletter, and you will always be one of the first to buy cheap tickets online.

Flights within Russia and to other countries:

  • Aeroflot
  • Victory
  • Lufthansa
  • airBaltic
  • Pegasus Airlines

You will find more low-cost airlines and low-cost airlines in our article.

2. Mobile applications of airlines and search aggregators

Since many people use the Internet most often from their smartphone, most sites have their own applications for mobile devices. The advantage in this case is the ability to quickly receive push notifications about when profitable options will appear.

3. Search aggregators, each of which has a section with special offers from air carriers:

4. Specialized sites where discounts from all airlines on any routes are collected.