How to reduce your air travel expenses

With the ongoing increase in airfares, finding affordable flight tickets is increasingly important, especially during the current economic downturn. By understanding how airline pricing works and using smart booking strategies, savvy travellers can still achieve significant savings, JOSEPHINE OGUNDEJI writes

The Director General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Umar Farouk, had in July stated that airline charges would increase by 800 per cent.

He stated that the agency would raise its en-route navigational charges from N2,000 and N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight, just as the airspace agency equally increased the extension of hours of service to airlines from N50,000 to N450,000, representing an 800 per cent increase per extension.

He said the increment would enable the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period of extension.

Basically, this means that airfares may also skyrocket by 800 per cent.

The spokesman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Obiora Okonkwo, said the proposal was unacceptable.

“We are going through a lot and they are talking about taxes that are already too much and increasing them in multiple folds. Unless they want this industry to have a premature death. It is already on oxygen support.

“We are sure that we’re not going to accept that, and it is unfair for NAMA to increase this rate and think it is what the industry needs now. They should use the much we are already paying to improve facilities and infrastructure,” he added.

An aviation expert, Captain John Ojikutu, described the development as “institutional corruption”, insisting that the charges were not only needless but fraudulent.

He insisted that other agencies of the Ministry of Aviation should rather share the five per cent taken by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

He added that the 800 per cent raise was unthinkable, preempting that the NCAA might promptly approve it to prevent the NAMA from sharing from its own five per cent revenue.

He said, “I have told them, instead of this raise, they should all rather go and share rationally from the five per cent taken by the NCAA. What is the NCAA doing with the five per cent? NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, Nimet, and the other one; the five federal aviation agencies should share this money rationally. Why is the NCAA taking 53 per cent, giving NAMA 23 per cent, and the other one taking six per cent or so? This is all nonsense.

“These are what they should be looking into instead of NAMA increasing the charge. They will kill the airlines and nobody is going to travel again. The government should help.

“Secondly, FAAN should review its landing. What is paid in Lagos and Abuja should not be the same to be paid in places like Port Harcourt and Calabar. I have told them to categorise these things. Else, they will kill these airlines. NCAA is making close to N100bn annually. Who should benefit more if not NAMA, whose duty is the safety of the flying passengers?”

The surge in flight ticket prices has become a global challenge, affecting travellers who now face increasingly expensive journeys, rising fuel costs, labour shortages, inflation, among others.

However, even amid these challenges, travellers can still find ways to minimise their expenses if they know how to navigate the complexities of the booking system.

The days of spontaneous, affordable last-minute flights are fading fast. With fuel prices skyrocketing, airlines have been forced to pass these costs on to their customers.

This alone has driven up the base price of tickets, especially for long-haul and international flights. However, experienced travellers know that booking during specific windows when airlines traditionally lower prices to fill seats can help soften the blow of rising fares.

A net developer, Emad Khan, on his LinkedIn page, disclosed tips to buy affordable flight tickets; he listed:

Book on Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday and Wednesday are among the best days to buy flight tickets. Most airlines usually set up their booking systems on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM.  This is because airlines know that most passengers will only have time to book tickets on weekdays.

According to statistics, it is proven that most of us only browse ticket prices on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Book early, but not too early

Based on experience, you should book tickets at least 21 days before your travel date. Most airlines have set up their systems to achieve as many ticket sales as possible. Therefore, the system has a certain quota for very cheap tickets.

For example, the system determines that for flights from Kuala Lumpur to London, only the first 20 passengers will get the lowest price. The next 200 passengers will get a medium price, and the rest may be more expensive. In short, the airline’s system will set ticket prices based on the margin they want when flying from Kuala Lumpur to London.

Suitable flying days

Try to book tickets to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday. Most airlines set these two days as ‘less busy days’ for booking systems.

Airports are also usually less busy on these two days compared to Fridays and Sundays when the booking system and airports become very busy.

Look for the ‘best deal’ for international flights

Most airlines will offer the ‘best deal’ about 11 to 12 weeks in advance for international flights. So, you need to regularly check ticket prices during this period.

Choose to land at smaller airports

You can try this technique, which is landing at an airport that is not the ‘main airport’ for that destination. For example, if you want to go to London, many will usually choose to land at Heathrow.

Next time, don’t land at Heathrow but try landing at a ‘smaller’ airport near Heathrow, such as the airport in Manchester. Then, from Manchester, you can take a train to London. Try this method. It should be cheaper

Clear cookies

Many people do not know this. Clear the cookies on your laptop, smartphone, and PC if you have visited the airline’s website 30 days before. This is because, through these cookies, the airline’s booking system will assume that you have visited their website repeatedly.

Therefore, the booking system will set the same price even if you have visited the website multiple times. Sometimes, the price may even increase! So, practice the habit of clearing cookies on your internet browser.  If you don’t know how to delete them, ask Mr. Google.

Compare prices

Do not be lazy to google and compare the ticket prices you want on other websites. Don’t just focus on one website.  You will be surprised because sometimes you will find cheaper ticket prices from the same airline. Here are some search engines that I frequently use for travel:  Skyscanner, CheapFlight, Momondo, Kayak, and Google Flight.

In a similar vein, Wakanow travel blog, in a blog post said one can pay less for flights once such a person can avoid the highlighted don’ts.

Don’t fly on a weekend

The least expensive days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. This means that if your departure or return flight falls on a Monday, Thursday, Friday, or Sunday, you’re paying more than you need to. It may take some creative use of your vacation time such as a trip that runs Tuesday to Tuesday rather than Sunday to Sunday–but what you lose in flexibility you more than makeup for in savings.

Don’t depart in the afternoon

Want to cost yourself some extra money? Book a flight that departs in the afternoon. That is the travel industry’s version of rush hour and for the privilege of flying when the skies are most congested (and delays are most common), you will pay more than if you selected an early or late departure. Higher fares and more delays? Talk about adding insult to injury.

Don’t stick to one airline

Unless you are aiming for elite status on a specific airline, which generally requires a minimum of 25,000 air miles flown per calendar year, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to base your purchasing decisions around loyalty to an airline or its frequent-flyer programme. Hence, the value of a mile is not what it used to be. Shop around on Wakanow mix-and-match airlines for the best suitability.

Don’t shop at night

Airlines generally release a limited number of inexpensive coach-class seats at midnight, in the early morning or early afternoon. From a consumer standpoint, that means the early bird gets the worm. If you are booking late at night, you stand a greater chance of finding only the leftover seats.

Don’t ignore bag fees

If you remember nothing else about shopping for airfare, remember this: Not all base prices are created equal. A $200 round-trip flight will cost you $250 if you check a bag. Calculate the cost of bag fees when comparing prices; they really add up.

Don’t remain inflexible

This is a big one. Want to pay less for your flight? Use a flexible-date search tool like the search window found on Wakanow’s homepage. But if by chance you do want to see the cheapest days to fly and then plan your trip accordingly, take advantage of the flex-search tools before you commit to travelling on any specific day.

Don’t delay

It is such a hassle to search for cheap flights, right? It is fine to keep putting it off until the last minute—assuming you don’t mind paying through the nose when you do finally get around to it. Sure, sometimes people find a good deal at the last minute, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

In most cases, the longer you wait, the more you pay. Start searching a few months before you fly and book early. The sweet spot for finding a good fare is about six weeks before departure.

Inflation is shaping the future of air travel, making affordability a growing concern. As operational costs increase, airlines adjust their pricing models, and consumers face higher fares. For now, ticket prices will likely continue to rise as inflation maintains its grip on fuel, labour and airport fees.

However, by staying informed and adapting travel strategies, such as booking smart, choosing alternative airports, and flying during off-peak times travellers can still find ways to reduce the financial impact of inflation on their next trip.

The key is to remain vigilant, plan, and be flexible in an inflationary world where every dollar counts.