How to Beat The Airline Price Discrimination Process
While planning your trip, it can be frustrating to pay exorbitant rates for flights when someone else pays a different price for the same seat and services. Why do airlines do this? There are a lot of reasons, and we’ll go over them as well as how you can beat the system.
Book early
Last-minute booking is not advisable regardless of the time of travel. Always try to book your flight early. There have been some instances where an airline sold tickets to the highest bidders and had to remove passengers who paid earlier. If you’re removed because of your gender, sexual orientation, or religious identity, you can contact a civil rights lawyer in California to bring a lawsuit against the airline.
While booking, some experts recommend clearing your cache to prevent the airline from hiking the price because they know you came back to pay for it.
Don’t travel during peak periods
Holiday periods have more demand for travelers, so the airlines hike the prices to make profit at this time. It is better to travel during non-peak periods, such as after Christmas and in September.
Flight tickets are often outrageous during summer holidays, and it is worse during Christmas since the weather conditions are harsh as well.
Besides traveling on non holiday periods, the day you buy the ticket also matters. For instance, buying a flight ticket on a Sunday morning will be significantly cheaper than buying a ticket for the same Sunday but in the evening.
Don’t fall for versioning
Many people don’t realize that airlines use versioning to discriminate against travelers. Versioning is basically offering different prices based on the services they intend to provide. A good example is a cheaper ticket without cancellation options. In such cases, travelers are forced to forfeit the bulk of their money if they miss their flight.
Another example is charging extra for preferred seats, such as window seats or those with more legroom. Shouldn’t these be included regardless of price? Also, it could be charging a low airfare with little to no luggage allowance but adding exorbitant fees for extra luggage.
To avoid some of these issues, opt for airlines that are transparent about their fees. The luggage allowance and the cost of the ticket should be clarified before you make payment to avoid any surprises in the end.
Use loyalty programs
Many airlines have loyalty programs that give you points for your air miles. These points can discount your airfares during your trip. It may take a while to gather enough points to benefit from loyalty programs, but it is worth it in the long run. Some airlines also offer special discounts to people traveling in groups. So, while booking the flight, organize your itinerary to include a group and travel together.
Airlines have a right to set their fare prices, but you should know how it works to save money on your next trip. While it is discriminatory, these simple tips can help you.
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