It is one of the cardinal travel rules of many a jaded traveller to book their flight tickets well in advance. Online research also reveals this to be the most favoured option for booking tickets. Here is a small sampling of what makes advance booking a highly popular travel mantra.
Airlines inflate ticket prices as the take off date draws nearer. Advance flight booking does ensure cheap tickets most of the time. Although, some airlines do sell attractive last minute deals, it is very risky to wait for such offers.
Besides cheap fares, an early booking also allows gives you more choice. For instance, if booking flights from London to Dubai, you can pick your favourite from plenty of airlines, most suitable departure time, besides choice of direct and connecting flights etc.
In case of overbooking which is a usual practice, airlines look for early bookers to volunteer to give up their seats and travel on a later flight. Often such volunteer acts of travellers are rewarded by the airlines with some great incentives, goodies and discounts on future flights.
Booking early provides travellers an opportunity to do online check-in and print their boarding passes and confirm their seats well before flight departure instead of a much rushed affair of a last minute deal traveller who often are unable to get by without the help of a customer agent.
Book in advance and you can plan your itinerary down to minutest details like arranging your transfers to and from the airport, finding the perfect parking place as well as some relaxation, entertainment and shopping opportunities at the airports.
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I agree that you get much better deals when you book in advance - but I always feel that it takes away some element of spontaneity. However, getting a cheap flight to USA or a low cost train ticket is worth the lack of 'just do it'. Interesting post, thanks.
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