Africa has grown to be a very popular tourist destination for international vacationers as well as business travelers. Airline costs on the other hand, have nearly tripled in recent times in spite of the rising demand for airline tickets. However, there is no value in paying exorbitant rates for airline tickets, when the same ticket can be purchased for a much lesser price by making use of these simple tips to look for competitive deals and rates online.
Plan & Book Ahead of Time: This is one of the simplest and easiest ways to save on airfares. In case of business travel, this may not always be feasible as business trips come up all of a sudden and it is difficult to plan for. However, when you are planning a family vacation, you very well know when it is going to take place. It is important to book the airline tickets as soon as the intended date of travel is finalized. This way, you are in a better position to get low rates and good discounts on airfare prices. Give yourself at least six weeks time in advance to book flight tickets especially if you plan on traveling during holiday season such as Christmas.
Shop Around: The internet is a massive source of information that everybody has access to. Perform enough research and gather as much data as possible from various ticketing websites in order to get the best deal. This will enable you to compare prices of all the airlines and also narrow down your choice according to the date flexibility and number of stops. You may also check the airline websites to see if they are offering any seasonal discounts. All this will help in securing a good deal! If you are going to fly from the U.S check websites such as Bootsnall and Cheaptickets.com. From U.K, look into Flightcenter and from India you can check websites such as MakeMyTrip and Yatra.
Make Use Of Regional Hubs: If you are planning on flying to South Africa, look for direct flights that fly regionally to smaller countries such as Zambia, Namibia, Botswana or Madagascar. For East Africa, regional flights to Ethiopia and Kenya offer nice deals on package tours and also have extensive regional connections. If you are flying to West Africa, Delta and South African Airways have their regional hub in Senegal which enables them to give good deals. For flying to North Africa, local airlines for the route will be cheaper than flying direct from other countries such as the U.S.
Fly via Europe or Dubai: Flying via Europe will be an inexpensive option, especially during the off-seasons such as November to mid-December and January to March. Turkish Airlines might be a good option as it flies to over 17 destinations in Africa and layovers in Istanbul also work out cheaper than other layover destinations. Flying through Dubai on Emirates will enable you to get good deals to destinations such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Nairobi, Johannesburg etc. Qatar Airways too, has a commendable African network with shorter stopovers. All these airlines also offer great service with minimal layovers.
Avail the Services of an Experienced Travel Agent: Make sure to avail the services of an experienced travel agent who specializes in international travel. They are experts and can give good guidance on when to travel and enable you to get good deals. They have good networks with major airlines and hotel accommodation agencies and might be able to give you a good package deal. Always check with them for packages that include a Safari or other adventure tours along with the airfare. Many travel agencies offer such all inclusive deals that will help you to keep your overall cost of travel low.
By employing these simple tips, your trip to Africa can in fact prove to be a much less costlier affair than what you expected it to be!
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