Flight booking sites make it very easy for travellers today to book their tickets. However, there are still some mistakes that you can make while booking flight tickets, especially if you’re travelling to a foreign destination. Mentioned in this post are five mistakes that people usually make.
With international travel opening up slowly after the COVID lockdown, an increased number of travellers are looking for the best deals on flight tickets and planning their itinerary. However, even the most seasoned travellers are prone to making some mistakes while booking the tickets, which could cost them dearly. Let’s look at 5 of these.
- Putting Wrong Details while Making the Bookings: It is extremely important to make sure you enter the right details when you make the bookings. Make sure the name of the passenger matches his/her name on the passport. Moreover, you also have to punch in the passport number. Double-check this number and ensure it is right. Entering the wrong details can cost you dearly, even a flight at times.
- Not checking the Visa Rules: Before you book that flight ticket, make sure you check the visa rules in the international country. While some countries allow visa-on-arrival to Indian passport holders, many countries require you to obtain a valid visa copy before boarding the flight. Moreover, depending on the country you are visiting, you may need 3 days to even a few weeks to get the visa application processed. Check for the visa rules and make sure you have ample time to get the visa, or else you’ll have to incur cancellation charges which can be a significant amount depending on the ticket cost.
- Not Paying Attention to the Return Policy: It is important to check the airline’s and the website’s return policy before making the bookings. Check for fees such as
- Change in the itinerary fee.
- Cancellation of flights 24-hour before the departure
- Penalty for no-show at the airport
If your plans are uncertain or you are doubtful of getting a visa, consider adding insurance to your ticket that covers you in case you have to cancel your ticket last minute due to unavoidable circumstances.
- Not Checking the Flight Duration: Not all flights are direct. Thus, don’t ignore looking at the flight details before you select it. Many flights may cost you less but add extra stops on the way, which might make your travel a bit uncomfortable, albeit cheaper in some cases. For instance, flight duration from Mumbai to Dubai can range between 3 hours to 24 hours or more, depending on the number of stops and duration of the layover.
- Not taking Advantage of a Mile Program: Whether you’re flying within the country or to an international destination, joining a mile program should be right on the top of your priority list. More so with international flights as it can help you cut down the cost of travel considerably. These programs grant you miles every time you book flight tickets which can later be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, etc. Choose a program that allows you to join for free and offers various ways of earning miles while travelling, such as shopping, renting a cab, booking tour packages, dining out, etc.
International tickets can be expensive, depending on where and when you plan to fly. However, making the mistakes mentioned above can add to the cost considerably. Thus, be a smart traveller and don’t make these mistakes when you book your international flight tickets next time.