What is the best time to buy air tickets? Opening time for Russian Railways ticket sales. On what grounds can you return a Russian Railways ticket?

It's no secret that most air passengers are thinking about how to buy cheaper tickets. You can find a lot of advice on the Internet, but often it turns out to be complete nonsense. Nevertheless, there are also quite useful tips.

Anews studied the comments of experts and selected tips that help, if not save money, then at least not overpay.

On what day are air tickets cheaper?

If previously it was believed that on certain days of the week plane tickets were sold at reduced prices, in particular, it was argued that tickets became cheaper “on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday” and “on Tuesday afternoon”, but now, as experts note, the day of the week does not plays a special role.

What do we have to do?

Despite this, it is still worth keeping an eye on the days, says Irina Ryabovol, a representative of the Momondo airline ticket search service in Russia.

According to her, the price of tickets will be higher if the departure is on Friday or Saturday; on these days you will have to pay on average 25-30% more than on other days.

When do airfare prices drop?

Some passengers are convinced that if you buy a ticket a couple of days before departure, then you can save a lot, as airlines begin to reduce the price so as not to be left with a half-empty plane. However, this is not true. Most often, even on the eve of departure, tickets cost no less. Even if the plane is full of empty seats.

What do we have to do?

However, there are exceptions. So, several years ago, due to strong fluctuations in exchange rates, many decided to give up traveling, and tickets began to become cheaper. And just before the New Year, the price became lower than a couple of months before the holidays.

But still, if you want to fly on holidays, experts advise not to put off buying a ticket and start monitoring airline offers two to three months before departure.

Is it profitable to buy a ticket a few hours before departure?

Many people think that if the carrier does not reduce the price a couple of days before departure, then they can wait until the last minute when they give up. Who even thinks that it is better to arrive at the airport 1.5-2 hours before departure and buy a ticket on the spot.

However, according to economists Yuri Gorodnichenko and Vladimir Belotkach, prices may skyrocket a couple of hours before departure. After all, the flight pays for itself by selling 70% of the seats. And if a passenger decides to buy a ticket right before departure, it means that he really really needs to be on the plane and he won’t mind the price.

What do we have to do?

Experts are convinced that it is almost impossible to predict exactly when the price will make a profitable jump. However, they advise not to lose heart and monitor flight options in booking systems for several days.

So, four years ago, an experiment was conducted with tracking prices for tickets from different companies from London to Barcelona, ​​Berlin and Rome. It turned out that carriers reduced the price for several days, and then sharply returned it to the previous level. In general, as they say, seize the moment and get what you want.

Are there “best hours” for purchasing airline tickets?

It was once believed that some airlines would dramatically reduce ticket prices at certain times of the day. For example, midnight was mentioned very often.

However, experts say there is no such thing as a “best hour.” This is explained by the fact that most carriers give passengers the opportunity to book a ticket for a period of half an hour to 24 hours, and, if necessary, cancel it.

What do we have to do?

Experts recommend comparing prices in aggregators by time of day. As practice shows, flights in the morning are usually the most expensive. But those closer to the night are sold at more attractive prices.

When is it profitable to buy plane tickets? This question is by no means idle. After all, depending on how many days before departure the ticket is purchased, its cost changes, sometimes by fifty percent. If you want to travel the world cheaply, you need to know the secrets of airlines. In this article we will introduce you to some of them. To begin with, let’s break down the general problem, which can be formulated as a question: “Where can I get a cheap air ticket?” into several parts. Let's call the first one: “Who should I fly with?”, the second - “When to travel?”, the third - “How long before departure should I buy a ticket?” and, finally, the fourth - “Where and how to buy a seat on an airplane?” You can also take care of subsequent movements around the planet - you love to travel, don’t you? Let’s formulate the question this way: “How can I make the next ticket cheaper than the previous one?” Well, now let’s try to solve the problems assigned to us.

Airlines: what are they?

To a person who does not travel much, it may seem that air transport is a kind of monolith with uniform prices that depend only on the mileage of the flight. But this is not true at all. There are many carrier companies in the world, and there is competition between them, which it would be a sin for the average passenger not to take advantage of. So, the highest cost of services is provided by reputable companies that deservedly enjoy the reputation of being comfortable for travel. They provide brand new and ultra-modern cars for regular flights, the interior of which is divided into several classes. On board you will be offered a variety of food and drinks - completely free of charge. You won’t be bored either: a screen is built into the back of the chair in front, and you can watch movies or play electronic games. A blanket and pillow are provided for overnight flights. But all these delights of travel can only be enjoyed when the air ticket (we did not consider cheap options) is too expensive.

Not very burdensome on the pocket airlines

And if we are looking for a budget option, it’s worth finding out what low-cost airlines are. These are discount companies that offer cheap air tickets. The cost reduction occurs due to cuts in services. Such airliners take off and land at secondary airports, the cabin has the same class for everyone, there is no food on board, and sometimes they take up seats, like on a bus. Low-cost airlines impose baggage restrictions and such flights are often delayed. You cannot return tickets or change your travel date. But is this really so important when you can fly from Moscow to Beijing for nine thousand three hundred rubles?

Another option is to go on a budget trip with a charter. Travel companies chip in to hire a plane for the flight. Of course, they are interested in implementing the entire tour package. But if there are no people willing to buy it, and the departure time is approaching, then in order not to incur losses, companies throw out only air tickets for sale. Charters also have their downsides. Such flights are carried out only to popular tourist places and “in season”, and they will deliver you profitable plane tickets the day before departure. But if you want to go to Greece in the summer or Thailand in the winter, then why not try to make friends with charters?

Choosing travel time

If your vacation does not depend on the will of the employer, and you can decide for yourself when to go to the resort, consider yourself lucky. And the point here is not at all about the feeling of freedom. By skillfully exploiting the servitude of others, you can purchase profitable air tickets. Most people go on vacation on Friday and return on Sunday to start work on Monday morning. But if you are a “free artist”, travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Even with expensive airlines, tickets for these weekdays are twenty percent cheaper than for weekends. The time of day when the flight takes place is also of great importance. Most people don't like arriving in an unfamiliar country late at night. Some people do not tolerate night flights well. And it’s quite difficult to get to the airport for a flight leaving at six in the morning. Therefore, companies reduce prices for such tickets. When there are few people willing to travel in a given direction, carriers announce discounts. At the beginning or end of the tourist season, you can fly to the country of your dreams, spending much less money than at the very peak.

When is it profitable to buy plane tickets?

Many Russians, relying on the notorious “maybe”, begin planning their vacation a month before it starts. And they act very carelessly! We need to take an example from the Europeans, whose schedule is scheduled six months in advance. But most people are careless - and carriers take advantage of this. When the sale of tickets for a certain date is announced, their price is quite low. It's time to take advantage of this. Three months before the flight departure is when it is profitable to buy plane tickets! The closer the start time, the higher the price. It is growing day by day. But not to infinity. The price reaches its peak two to three weeks before departure. But in the last seven days it has tended to decrease. When an air carrier sees that the cabin is not one hundred percent full and time is running out, it announces various promotions such as “Last Minute Ticket” or “Last Minute”. These offers are very tasty - provided you live out of your suitcases, ready to start today.

Direct or connecting flights: which one to choose?

It is only at first glance that one ticket costs less than two. In air transport, pricing follows a different logic. Most people want to get to their destination as quickly as possible. Therefore, direct flights are highly valued. But why buy a seat on a plane on the Moscow-Phuket route, when it is more profitable to buy plane tickets from the Russian capital to Hong Kong, and from there to a Thai island? The docking time can be very different - from an hour to a day. Choose flights from the same company if possible. She will be responsible if you miss the next plane. And, by the way, it is better to buy tickets there and back. It will be cheaper this way, and you won’t have any problems with border guards (in the case of international flights).

"Stopover" - what is it?

This option became available relatively recently. When it is profitable to buy plane tickets for connecting flights, why not stay at the transit point to explore it? A stopover is when you stay in city C, traveling between airports A and B, for a period of one to three days. Many air carriers provide this opportunity absolutely free, sometimes for a modest price. But the stopover option gives you a chance to add another country to your tourist experience. Experienced travelers advise choosing this point C. There, there are even free bus tours around the city for transit passengers. And the airport itself is an extremely comfortable place to stay.

E-ticket

We've already covered the question of when is the best time to buy air tickets, now it's time to discuss where to buy them. The pricing of any product includes a percentage that the seller takes for himself. The airline hires an office and pretty girls to issue paper tickets. Rent and remuneration to employees is paid by the passenger who purchases a travel document from them. But smart people are hunting for airline seats online. There the ticket is sold without a sales agent's markup. The option of purchasing online provides the passenger with many advantages. You won't lose your ticket. You can book your own seat in the cabin. When you come to check-in, you won't have to stand in a long line of passengers. You simply present a printout along with your passport. You can even order your own meals on board from the menu list!

Where is the best place to buy plane tickets?

Each airline has its own website. If we already asked ourselves the question “where is it profitable to buy a plane ticket,” then let’s look there and compare prices. As mentioned above, they differ depending on the days of the week of departure and even on the time of day. Sometimes airlines - even non-budget airlines that are considered expensive - delight passengers with unprecedented discounts. When a new destination opens, a promotion is held. Or, during the “low tourist season,” air carriers want to fill the half-empty plane cabin with budget passengers. If you are not tied to certain numbers, you can register on the company’s website and use the “Report low prices” service. Then you will receive emails about promotions and discounts from this carrier. But don’t rush to respond to them immediately: compare offers from different airlines to find the best option for you.

Aggregators

Some tourist places are so popular that almost every carrier on earth flocks to them. How to buy airline tickets profitably without visiting countless company websites? There are aggregators for this. These are search engines, one might say, a database of all available seats on planes. Through aggregators such as Skyscanner or Aviasales, you can not only select tickets for the flight you are interested in, but also purchase them. However, do not rush to press the “Buy” button. Go to the website of the company that interests you and compare prices there. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy directly from those who provide the flight service. But sometimes it happens that the prices in the aggregator are lower. These search engines are good because you can use the “Find cheap tickets” option for a given destination. If the date is not critical for you, then the machine will find the best offer for you.

Marketing campaigns

Carriers are constantly interested in finding customers. If you have accessed their website from your computer at least once, they will constantly send you various messages like “The best flights from Moscow to Milan! 30% discount! Two spots left!" Don't be fooled. This is an original marketing trick of trivial advertising. If you really need to go to Milan, go to the company's website. Perhaps tickets for neighboring dates are even cheaper than those offered to you. Explore the possibilities of low-cost airlines. Near Milan is the city of Bergamo, whose airport charges much less for servicing flights than the popular Malpensa. You can get from the foothills of the Alps to the capital of Italian fashion in half an hour by train.

Loyalty program

Every manufacturer values ​​its regular customers. And for them he can reduce the price. When purchasing profitable air tickets becomes your habit, you will understand this. After using the services of a company, go to its website. Register as a “club member” by entering the information from your ticket into a special form. From this time on, “miles” will begin to be deposited into your personal account. And when purchasing your next air ticket, you can count on your discount card. True, then you can become a hostage of a certain airline: in order to use “miles”, you only need to use its services. Here you need to be able to balance: be loyal only when it benefits you.

Summarize

So let's sum it all up. When is the best time to buy plane tickets? Already six months in advance, it’s worth subscribing to newsletters for updates from various airlines, travel agencies and services about promotions and discounts. Three to four months in advance, you need to send a request to the search aggregator. Moreover, indicate not a specific departure date, but a floating one: plus or minus three days. It is also possible not to indicate a specific airport (both departure and arrival). Tickets should be taken there and back - it will be cheaper. Be sure to also consider connecting flights.

Good afternoon, my readers! Any independent travel begins with the purchase of air tickets. Today I will tell you how to save as much as possible and what tricks you can use to buy a cheap air ticket.

I have been traveling independently without the help of travel agencies for almost 10 years and always try to buy tickets abroad at low prices, which I search on the Internet on various sites.

There have been times when I accidentally ended up in very interesting countries and cities thanks to the inexpensive air tickets I purchased.

Do you want to fly to different countries as often and cheaply? I will reveal all my secrets and teach you the tricks of purchasing cheap tickets.

Where to buy cheap tickets?

The most convenient way to buy cheap air tickets is through the Internet in the following ways:

• on the official websites of airlines,
• on the charter exchange,
• on search aggregators.

To purchase cheap tickets on the website of a certain airline, you need to subscribe to their newsletter and receive news about promotions and discounts.

Several times a year, large companies hold very profitable promotions with discounts of up to 50%, follow the newsletters and buy much cheaper than the standard price. Most often, airlines hold promotions and ticket sales during the off-season – in February-March and October-November.

A great way to save money is to purchase a cheap ticket on the charter airline exchange, where travel agencies dump their unsold offers.

Charters are irregular flights with departures on certain days and can sometimes be postponed or cancelled, you need to be prepared for this.

Look for flight tickets on the following websites:

• chartex.ru,
• aviacharters.ru,
• tourdom.ru.

On search aggregator sites you can see all airline offers and compare their prices. To choose the most suitable and cheapest option, you can subscribe to a destination you are interested in or connect several options: find a low cost, buy inexpensive air tickets, use a map and a price calendar.

The best services for finding cheap air tickets are:

• Momondo,

To stay updated on new budget tickets for the destination you are interested in, you can subscribe to one of these sites by leaving your email.

Buying tickets online is much more convenient and saves you time and money. You don't need to go to the office, you can be anywhere in the world and pay via the Internet. You will receive all information about the flight and an electronic ticket by email, all you have to do is print it out and come to the airport with it and your passport.

When to buy air tickets?

Plan your trip and purchase tickets in advance if you want to get them at a good price. Usually the price increases every day in the last two weeks before departure, and when purchasing 2 - 3 months or earlier, there is a chance to save 30% of the cost of the flight. If you are planning your summer vacation in advance, it is more profitable to buy tickets in December.

In rare cases, you may be lucky and get an inexpensive ticket a day or several days before departure. If you are not too attached to specific numbers, always look at the price for a neighboring date, it may turn out to be 20% cheaper.

A very important point is the choice of day of the week and departure time. Tickets are usually sold at the lowest prices for morning and evening flights and midweek (Tuesday to Thursday). On weekends prices rise for obvious reasons. Also, during the holiday season and holidays, air tickets are more expensive, but in the off-season they can be purchased much cheaper.

Don’t forget to buy round-trip tickets, it will be 20–30% cheaper than if you buy separately in each direction.

When choosing a city of departure or arrival, compare prices for air travel in neighboring cities; they may turn out to be much cheaper and can be reached by land transport (by train or bus).

For example, flights from Moscow are cheaper than from St. Petersburg. It’s the same in Europe - you can fly cheaply to Brussels and from there, in a couple of hours, get to Paris by bus, or fly to Girona and get to neighboring Barcelona by bus.

It is better to make the purchase itself at night or in the morning before the start of the working day - at this time there is a greater choice of flights and prices are lower.

The best time to buy a ticket is on Wednesday at 1 am. This is due to the fact that many airlines post discounts and special offers on Sunday or Monday evenings; you can redeem them using your reservation within 24 hours, and after that, on Wednesday, tickets appear again at a low cost (if they have not been redeemed).

Map and calendar of low prices

For the convenience of searching and booking cheap air tickets, aggregator sites have a convenient low-price calendar function, where you can see all offers by month and select the cheapest option for specific dates. Using filters, you can exclude inappropriate options and find out information about interesting events, events and holidays in certain months.

Another convenient and original function is the low price card. It will help you find all the inexpensive options on the world map according to the given parameters. By specifying travel dates, specific or approximate range, desired budget for air tickets, turning on the visa filter, you will see all the most budget prices for flights to different countries.

A price map and low price calendar are available on the Skyscanner and Aviasales websites.

What are low-cost airlines?

Low-cost airline is a low-cost airline with minimal service. The low cost of flights for low-cost airlines is set due to the lack of additional services and opportunities: non-refundable tickets, a minimum amount of luggage, paid meals during the flight.

Air tickets for low-cost airlines cost from 10 euros if purchased in advance or on special offer. But in order to fly at a really low price and not face unexpected surcharges at the airport, you need to carefully study all the rules of the low-cost airline and follow them.

First of all, this concerns luggage transportation. You are allowed to carry only hand luggage with a total weight of 10 kg on board the plane and your suitcase or bag should not exceed the dimensions of 55 x 40 x 20 cm. Carrying additional baggage is paid separately and is quite expensive. Therefore, think over this issue in advance and it is better to pay for baggage transportation on the website online than to face this requirement at the airport itself and pay a much larger amount.

Air tickets for low-cost airlines cannot be returned, and for changing the date you will be asked to pay a fine, that is, if there are changes in plans, it will be much easier to buy a new one.

Also pay attention to the location of the airport you are flying into. For example, when flying to Milan, Dusseldorf, Munich, you do not arrive in the city itself, but in a neighboring suburb, which may be 50 km away.

In this case, you will have the opportunity to see a new city and save on housing, which will cost much less than the neighboring tourist city of Milan.

If you don’t have the time or desire for this, then find out in advance how to get by train or bus to the city you need and check the schedule so you don’t have to pay for an expensive taxi.

Low-cost airlines flying from Russia to Europe:

• Victory,
• EasyJet
• Wizz Air,
• AirBaltic.

Low-cost airlines with flights within Europe:

• Ryanair,
• EasyJet
• Germanwings,
• Wizz Air,
• Air Italy
• AirBaltic.

You can find out more about other low-cost airlines in our next article.

Cheapest flights

The cheapest flights can be found on search aggregator sites by choosing a flight with transit or stopover. A transfer at the airport can last from several hours to several days, which will give you an additional opportunity to visit another country.

You can choose a long transfer from a day using a stopover, connecting it for free or for a fee depending on the number of days of transit.

Not all airlines provide this service; to do this, when booking, you must select “multiple or complex route” or the “multiple destinations”/”multicity” buttons. If you need an additional transit visa, the airline will help you obtain it, and also provide a transfer and a discount on hotel accommodation.

Most often, transfers and stopovers are used for trips with long flights to countries and destinations such as the USA, Canada, Southeast Asia, Latin America with transfers in Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, New York, Bangkok, etc. This long-term transfer service is most often provided by large airlines, for example, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Etihad Airways.

Buying air tickets with transit or stopover not only reduces their cost, but also allows you to take a break from long flights and see another country for the same money.

How to use airline miles?

If you fly with the same airline often, save up miles and buy cheaper tickets. A mile is the distance of your flight. Accordingly, the further you fly, the more bonus miles you will receive.

The most popular loyalty programs for purchasing air tickets:

• Aeroflot Bonus,
• Lufthansa Miles & More,
• S7 Priority,
• Panorama Club.

Using the accumulated miles, you can get new tickets, use business class instead of economy class, or receive pleasant gifts from partners in the form of a discount to a restaurant or spa.

Large banks cooperate with many airlines (Sberbank, Raiffeisenbank and others) and have a joint loyalty program (for example, Aeroflot bonus together with Sberbank). By making purchases using their joint partner card, you can also receive bonuses, which you can then spend on purchasing an air ticket.

Now let’s take a closer look at how to accumulate miles and use them correctly:

1. You must register in the loyalty program and subscribe to the newsletter to receive all the news about ticket promotions, partner programs and all changes in the bonus program.
2. Earn miles while flying. To do this, during online check-in or at the airport, enter your card number in the loyalty program.
3. Earn miles without traveling. Use cards to pay and receive bonuses. You can view the entire list of loyalty program partners on the website and use their services. This can be not only banks and their cards, but also hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, etc.
4. Make the most of all the benefits of participating in the loyalty program - you can spend time in the business class lounge, skip the line at boarding, and take extra baggage for free.
5. Keep an eye on current sales and promotions to make sure you use your miles correctly. You can redeem your miles for an air ticket and fuel surcharges, or just for the air ticket and pay the surcharges separately. Or take advantage of the opportunity to fly business class over long distances. If you are a Miles & More member, you can use your accumulated miles to make purchases in the Miles & More Shop or pay for hotels.

How can I get some money back from purchased air tickets?

Recently, it has been very popular to return part of the purchase price using an affiliate program. The same goes for air tickets.

To do this, you need to register in the affiliate program on one of the sites, follow a special referral link, purchase a ticket and receive compensation for the purchase in the amount of several percent. The larger the purchase amount or the number of flights, the more money you can get back.

This is a great option for saving money. From each air ticket you can return 0.5 - 3% of the cost. This will be more noticeable if you fly frequently.

You can get cashback on the following sites:

• Momondo,
• Anywayanyday,
• AirBaltic.com
• Qatarairways.com
• City.travel,
• Travelplanet24.com.

The most important tricks when buying air tickets

With every purchase or search, the computer remembers all your actions, and the next time you contact you, you will see prices with an increased cost.

To avoid this and outwit the system, while saving a lot, I have a few tips:

1. Turn on incognito mode so that the browser shows new data every time and does not remember your past requests. To do this, use the keys Ctrl + Shift + N in the Google Chrome browser, Ctrl + Shift + P in the Internet Explorer browser, and in the Opera browser select “Tabs and windows” and “Create a private window”.
2. Clear the cache on your computer - this is necessary to clear your browsing history. If you have already searched for low-cost flights, then when you make a similar request “Buy cheap tickets” again, the system will remember your data and give you limited results.
3. Use anonymizers (hideme.ru, hideguard.ru, hidemyass.com or others) to hide your location.
4. Don't use a MacBook when booking and purchasing airline tickets - many airlines are tailored to a specific laptop model, and if you buy with a MacBook, you will be shown the most expensive options.
5. When booking on special search sites, use complex (composite) routes. By choosing several cities for your trip, you can save a lot.

I hope my article was useful to you, and my tips will help you travel more often and inexpensively. If you also know some tricky ways to buy cheap air tickets, write in the comments and share your experience.

Tickets for most trains within Russia begin to be sold 90 days before departure. In general, sales for different trains can open 30 or 45 days in advance.

In some cases, you can also buy tickets for Express commuter trains online (and at long-distance ticket offices at train stations). They are numbered in the format 7xxx, and ticket sales for them open 10 days before the departure date.

Below are the general rules for which trains are on sale when. There may be exceptions to these when schedules are re-coordinated, when repair work is scheduled or international agreements change. In these cases, ticket sales for a certain direction are closed for some time and opened as soon as a new schedule is agreed upon. In most cases, everything works fine.

Ticket sales 90 days in advance (most Russian trains)

Ticket sales for almost all Russian trains (formations FPK, DOSS and TKS) via the Internet open 90 days before the travel date. Tickets can be purchased starting from 8:00 Moscow time. Local time may vary, please take this into account.

Ticket sales for 60 (Finland) and 45 days (Belarus, Baltics and Asia)

Finland. Ticket sales for all trains Allegro St. Petersburg - Helsinki and Lev Tolstoy Moscow - Helsinki open 60 days before departure. For additional trains to Finland - when they are appointed.

For trains from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan ticket sales in winter open at 9:00 Moscow time, in summer (more precisely, when these countries switch to daylight saving time; Russia does not switch) - at 8:00.

For some trains to these countries, tickets begin to be sold 60 days in advance:

On trains from Kazakhstan (except Petropavlovsk) and Kyrgyzstan sale opens at 07:00 local time or 04:00 Moscow time.

Sale of tickets for 30 days (Ukraine and Moldova)

For trains from Ukraine and Moldova, ticket sales open at 9:00 Moscow time in winter, and at 8:00 in summer.

Tickets for individual trains from these countries begin to be sold 45 days in advance:

Train tickets from Abkhazia can be purchased 60 days before the trip, sales open at 8:00 Moscow time.

The information is for reference only and may change depending on the situation on the railway. If necessary, check with Russian Railways.

Have a nice trip!

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 ignore charters, but in vain - it 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 at a very high cost.

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.

Lifehack 2. Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than round-trip and return-only tickets, so always check round-trip tickets rather than just one-way tickets.

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.

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 does not reach the mailings.

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, and end up buying on the airline’s website - such sites also show airline prices, and even 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 from different airlines, but also choose the cheapest month; and if you have already chosen the month, then the cheapest direction to fly to. It's very convenient when you want to fly somewhere, but it's cheap :)

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

Where to look? I tried many different aggregators, but settled on Skyscanner - it’s most convenient to search not only for cheap air tickets, promotions and discounts, but also the cheapest month to fly or the cheapest destination. Moreover, you don’t need to go through all the cities, but you can simply ask:

Imagine that you would like to travel inexpensively... somewhere in Europe. Which city to choose, where is it cheaper to fly? Is it really necessary to go through all the cities and dates? No! I will explain in detail how this is done. But first, I’ll show you how to use such a site in general using the example of searching for a cheap air ticket within one country.

How to buy cheap air tickets within the country

We look for the cheapest direction using the instructions below. For example, consider searching for tickets from your city within one country. Let's see where it's cheaper to fly and in what month.

Instructions on how to find cheap air tickets, step by step

Lifehack 6. To fly cheaper:
– take only hand luggage with you so 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 :)

What is included 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 the next airline on the list (Step 4) and look at 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.

In other cities and countries, you need to search for air tickets exactly as in the instructions. Here are some more useful links to where it’s cheapest to fly:
– from Novosibirsk cm.
– from Kyiv for Ukraine, see
– from Almaty for Kazakhstan, see
If it’s not clear how to search, ask in the comments, I’ll help.

What is a low price calendar

If you know exactly where you want to fly, then the easiest way to find the cheapest dates is using the low price calendar, as described above - Step 3. Or click on the link Moscow - Sochi, where instead of Moscow/Sochi, enter your cities “from” and “ Where".

• the cheapest air tickets from Moscow to Simferopol
• the cheapest air tickets from Kyiv to Odessa

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, as in the instructions above. 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, but 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. Let's see - 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 (English) or in Russian - Skyscanner.

How to fly abroad cheaply

We are looking for air tickets in the same way as already described above in. Select the desired country:

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,