Getting a flight on a route people don’t seem to take a lot, may take you some time. We walk you through how to book it and get good deals on the booking.
Though the aviation industry has grown tremendously in India over the last two decades, adding several more carriers and routes across the country, you would be hard-pressed to find any airline offering routes connecting every single city or town to each other. Then there are some routes that are so infrequently booked, that there may be less flights altogether.
Here’s how you can get a good deal on an infrequent flight:
Check which airlines operate on that route
Many airlines in India do not operate flights on certain routes, while others may have one flight a week, or one every fortnight. Start by checking which operators are available for the route.
The ticket might be economical to begin with
Some routes don’t have daily flights, or just one flight a day. The aviation industry prices its tickets based on demand. However, that is not to say that if the demand for a flight route is low, the tickets will be priced high. The flights are scheduled as per average preferred timings by passengers, so that the flight runs as full to capacity as possible. Thus, the demand-price equation often works out. In fact, tickets on infrequent routes might cost less than those in high demand. For example, a Bagdogra to Dibrugarh flight will often cost less on a premium aircraft than a Mumbai-Delhi one.
* Set alerts on the chosen route to know when tickets are priced at their lowest
Setting fare alerts lets you get the best of the flight ticket price on the same route by different airlines. Travel aggregator sites offer fare alerts, where you can clock in your desired route, travel dates and timings. When a good offer opens up, or when an airline offers its lowest price on that ticket, you can snap it at once and save a lot of money. The websites of leading airlines in India also offer fare alerts, but you will only get a choice of flights for that airline instead of a choice across airline operators.
* Look for operators that have ongoing sales or offers
Some leading flights offer discounts or rewards for booking flights. Some airlines offer last-minute deals for booking infrequent routes, such as a Bagdogra to Dibrugarh flight. So, keep your eyes open for those. Also, take note of how manymiles or points you have saved upand redeem them to get a great deal.
* Check if the airline offers add-ons with the ticket
Leading airlines offer add-ons like discounts at certain restaurants, or on subscriptions of premium business publications, or even booking travel on certain sites. These add a lot of value to your booking, and you can redeem the offer by showing your boarding pass within a few days of making the flight booking.