One of the major concerns when planning to come to India for medical treatment is how to book the cheapest flight possible because money matters, right? But with a whole paraphernalia of search engines and continuously changing prices it really gets overwhelming and frustrating to search THE ONE that fits your pocket.
However with some tricks and a little bit of research one can know the best way and place for searching budget-friendly air tickets. But you need not worry as we have done this work for you. Here are some useful tips to help you save big on flights and a whole lot of your ordeal:
1.) Book your tickets as soon as possible
Airline tickets get costlier as your departure date approaches. As more and more tickets are sold, the remaining ones increase in price. So if you are sure when and where you have to fly, don’t delay your bookings. Seize the lowest ticket and reserve your seat.
2.) Best time to book flight?
The popular belief is that booking flights on a weekend is a safe bet but on the contrary it is not at all a good idea. Usually fares go up on Fridays and start dropping on Mondays and Tuesdays. Therefore always book your tickets on weekdays.
3.) Go incognito when searching for lowest prices
You must have noticed how prices shoot up after searching for a certain flight repeatedly. This happens because the site wants to scare you into booking the flight quickly before prices get even higher. Therefore always search for flights in incognito mode as it allows you to search privately.
In Google Chrome or Safari, incognito is enabled by hitting Command (or “Control” if using PC), Shift, “N”. For Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer, hit Command (or “Control” if using a PC), Shift, “P”. If you're using an older version of OS X, open Safari then click “Safari” in the menu bar, and select “Private Browsing”.
4.) Use best search engines
Most search engines show inflated costs in order to earn their commission from the airlines. Thus it is essential to identify the right ones. Here is a list of search engines that offer best prices:
- Skyscanner- https://thriftynomads.com/go/skyscanner-flights
- Momondo- https://thriftynomads.com/go/momondo.com
- Kiwi- https://thriftynomads.com/go/kiwi.com
- Cheapoair- https://thriftynomads.com/go/cheapoair.com
- Google Flights- https://www.google.com/flights/
- AirFare Watchdog- https://thriftynomads.com/go/airfarewatchdog.com
- Kayak- https://www.kayak.co.in/
5.) Identify the days that are cheapest to fly
Always check the prices for other dates as well. Sites like Skyscanner provide you a visual of prices for the whole month so that you can compare easily. Kiwi and Google Flights also function similarly.
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6.) Opt for budget airlines
Budget airlines or low-cost airlines offer considerably cheaper tickets than their full-service counterparts. But one would need to compromise on customer services, interior, free food/drink on-board etc. Following is a list of budget airlines across the globe:
- Air Asia Group (Malaysia)
- Lion Air Group (Indonesia)
- IndiGo (India)
- Pegasus Airlines (Turkey)
- SpiceJet (India)
- Flydubai (UAE)
- AirArabia (UAE)
- Mango (South Africa)
- Fastjet (South Africa)
7.) Avoid stopovers
Avoid booking flights which include lengthy layovers or stopovers as they could stretch up to 24 hours on international flights and would cause inconvenience for the travelling patient to wait that long.
However breaking very long journeys halfway with a stopover can also be helpful to deal with jet lag but try to keep it short.
8.) Keep your departure dates flexible
It is likely to happen that you might not be required to undergo any surgery if the doctor feels so after doing your medical examination or you might even be advised a follow-up after surgery or post-operative care.
In such cases be prepared to get your flight rescheduled as you might be needed to leave early or stay longer as the situation arises. Thus be flexible with your departure dates.
9.) Concession for Cancer Patients
A few airlines provide 50% concession to cancer patients on adult base fare on all sectors. Patients need to produce a certificate from a cancer hospital or a cancer institute stating that the cancer patient is required to travel for medical treatment or check-up. However it is not applicable on all airlines.
Happy travelling!!
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