South Africa is a must-visit country for many individuals. Sitting on the edge of Africa, the country boasts of holding the best. The only country in Africa to have hosted the World Cup has a lot to offer regarding tourism. It has the best geographical sceneries that you will always find amazing. The wild parks within the country are unique as you can get to see almost every animal. Besides, SA is known for a rich cultural heritage. It has 11 official languages. However, Zulu is the most common.
Taking a trip to South Africa can be a bit hectic, especially when it comes to making the flight bookings on a budget. You will be forced to search via various search engines to find a flight that matches your budget. Without saying much, here are some tips that can help you find a suitable plane and that meets your budget.
- Book early
When it comes to flying, making an early booking is usually the best way to find cheap flights. Therefore, when taking your trip to SA, you should book your flight in advance. Often, flights tend to be cheap two to four months before departure date. The early booking doesn’t only bag you a bargain, but also comes with many other benefits. For example, you get to choose a flight of your choice and at an affordable price. Besides, the early bookings save you the agonies of last minute bookings and which can cost you more. Also, booking your flight ahead reduces the chances of you missing your plane which is common during the high seasons.
- Travel off-peak seasons
Flight prices vary from time to time. The variations are influenced by many factors such as seasons. For example, during the holidays, many people tend to visit SA for vacations. During such periods, the flight prices tend to go high. Thus, it may cost you more if you choose to travel during that time. If you’re looking forward to saving much on your ticket, it’s advisable to avoid the holiday seasons or the festive seasons such as Christmas. You can check on various websites to see what time is cheaper to fly to SA. Travelling during the off-peak seasons also saves you the agony of hiked charges in the wild parks among many other places.
- Choose the right day to travel
As stated earlier, flight prices are influenced by many factors. The day of travel is one of the many factors, and that plays a significant role in determining the cost of the trip. To save much on the ticket, it’s advisable to be flexible and choose a day in the week that is cheaper. Generally, Friday is the most expensive day to travel to SA or any other destination. The number of people visiting on Fridays is usually high and thus the price hike.
Therefore, you should avoid those weekend flights and instead travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. During these two days, the prices are usually average and pocket-friendly. Besides, you shouldn’t make the mistake of flying a day before Christmas, for example. It may sound convenient, but you may end paying more because the number of passengers is usually high.
- Compare different flights
Today, there is a wide range of flights to SA. Every airline offers a different price. Therefore, when making your booking, you must take your time to go through various websites and travel agents. Most of these agents and sites offer cheap deals. Therefore, take your time to make the comparison until you find a more affordable price.
- Book via the airline’s website
The advancements in tech have made it possible for agents to make bookings on behalf of the airlines. These agents aim to improve the airline’s ticket sales and hence the business. The agents are usually convenient and may have reasonable offers. However, it’s advisable to book your flight using the airline’s official website. Remember, the travel agents are in business. Where do you think they get their money? Of course, it’s from you. They charge you a service fee for making a booking via them. They are smart such that you won’t realize the service fee on your final bill. Therefore, it’s advisable to secure your reservation via the official airline’s portal or website. The trick can save you some money.
- Sign up for email alerts
As stated earlier, flight prices are subjected to changes because of many factors. Therefore, when planning for your trip to SA, it’s advisable to sign up for price alerts. Today, with the power of tech, you can receive price changes via your email. You can sign up with various platforms to get notified when the prices go low or high. This technique can save you plenty of money as you will get to understand the price patterns and pick the cheapest day amongst all.
- Search in private mode
Have you ever noticed the flight price going up every time you repeat the search? Well, the case is typical. Sites use cookies in your browser to do the magic. That is, the flight price does increase every time you repeat the route. The idea behind this weird changes is to scare you to make the bookings before the price goes extra high. It shouldn’t worry you. It’s advisable to carry out your searches while in private or incognito mode. This technique makes it impossible for the sites to access the cookies in your browser, hence giving you the real prices.
Conclusion
Today, South Africa remains a must-visit place for many tourists. It has a lot to offer regarding tourism and business. However, taking a flight to SA isn’t that easy as it can be expensive, especially if you’re flying directly from the States. The seven tips provided in this article can help you book an affordable flight. Read through each one of them and see how you can make your flight pocket-friendly.
