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60% of Ukrainians buy tickets from travel agents, tour operators, or at airport counters. If you're in this group, it's time to switch to the internet — ticket booking here is cheaper, as there's no markup for office maintenance and staff salaries.

Online, you can find tickets from:

• airlines (official airline websites)
• travel agencies (Tickets.ua, Kiwi.com, and others)
• aggregators and meta-search engines (like tripmydream, for example).

How are travel agencies different from aggregators?

OTA (Online Travel Agency) sells tickets, acting as a middleman between the airline and customer. Tickets are booked on the agency's website, and any issues are handled by their support service.

Aggregatorsgather information about offers from different airlines and travel agencies, allowing you to compare and choose not only the most convenient flight and airline but also the best website for ticket purchase. Ultimately, booking is made on the seller's website.

The Main Advantage of Aggregators:: You get to see a multitude of offers from airlines and OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), compare them, and make an informed decision. This spares you the hassle of gathering information from various websites individually.

The Disadvantage: Sometimes, when proceeding to purchase, you might find the ticket price has changed. This isn't because flight aggregators are deceitful, but rather due to a delay in updating the flight information and its cost in their database. By the time you decide to buy, the information might be outdated.

Who Has Cheaper Tickets?

Many believe that booking directly with airl

ines is cheaper, but this isn't always the case. Agencies receive a commission from carriers for selling a large volume of tickets, some of which they may forfeit to stand out among other sellers.

Moreover, it's advisable

to check airline websites daily for price changes, preferably in «incognito» mode. Otherwise, the system might «remember» you and repeatedly offer a higher price to prompt a quicker purchase out of concern.

Factors influencing flight ticket prices:

When are the cheapest flights available?

If you can travel off-season, you can save money and enjoy a budget-friendly vacation. During peak seasons, holidays, and festivals, flight prices are higher due to increased demand.

To find the dates with the lowest prices, use tools like the «Low Price Calendar» and ticket price trend charts.

Our Flight Discount Catalogue aggregates the most cost-effective tickets, and to know whena specific flight's price drops, subscribe to our flight bot, which will alert you to the best deals.

When is the best time to buy tickets?

Everyone says «book your flights in advance», but how far in advance? Tickets usually go on sale 330 days prior, and it is recommended to book 4-6 months before departure. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, especially between 8-12 AM and 2-6 PM, are the best times to look for flight deals. On weekends, prices tend to remain static throughout the day.

Around 1.5 months before the flight, airlines get accurate demand data for the route and adjust prices accordingly. There are exceptions, but generally, the closer the departure date, the higher the price.

For budget airlines, it is different:

• Ryanair’s cheapest tickets are usually available 150-75 days before departure, about 20% below the average price.
• Wizz Air offers similar timelines, but 100-75 days before departure, ticket prices can drop significantly, sometimes by half the average price.
• Ernest Airlines recommends buying 180-90 days in advance for prices about 20% lower.

Sometimes, remaining tickets are sold at very low prices a few weeks to a month before departure.

What are the most affordable days and times to fly?

Evening and overnight flights are generally cheaper than morning and daytime ones. However, consider all aspects, like the need to pay for a taxi or an extra night at a hotel.

For budget airlines, the most expensive tickets are on Sundays (15-20% above average), while the cheapest are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (15-20% below average). Flights on Fridays and Saturdays cost about 5-10% more than the average.

How long should your trip be?

Usually same-day return flights cos

t about 15% more, and next-day returns are about 5% more expensive. For longer trips, the most expensive option is flying out on a Saturday and returning the following Saturday or Sunday.

Where is it cheaper to fly?

• Route competition: The more airlines servicing a route, the higher the chance of finding a cost-effective deal.
• Direct or connecting flight:Instead of paying extra for a direct flight, consider a connecting flight — often, transit flights are significantly cheaper.

Tips for First-Time Flyers with Layovers

• Visiting Several European Countries in One Trip: : Overseas, you can often find very low prices for flights, and it's recommended to take advantage of such opportunities.

Which Airlines Offer the Cheapest Tickets?

Ryanair and Wizzair offer dozens of routes and regularly update their list. Others like Ernest Airlines, Vueling Airlines, Aegean Air, AirBaltic also offer competitive ticket prices. Using the tripmydream flight aggregator, you can find out which airline offers the best deal for your desired route.

Everything You Need to Know About Budget Airlines: Pros, Cons, and Pitfalls

Your Destination Airport

The larger the airport, the higher its service fees, reducing the likelihood of budget airline flights. If you need to get to Amsterdam, for example, consider a cheaper flight to Eindhoven and then travel to your final destination by rental car or public transport.

10 Most Popular Budget Airports: How to Save on Transfers

Your Departure Airport

Booking a flight departing from Poland, for instance, can often be cheaper than from Ukraine, even considering the need to travel there and possibly stay overnight before the flight. If possible, explore such options.

Luggage

The cheapest tickets from any airline typically only include hand luggage, with checked baggage incurring extra fees.

Note that hand luggage and baggage allowances vary between airlines, so it's best to check their policies before buying a ticket.

Promotions, Discounts, and Sales

• Keep up with airline news. To avoid cluttering your inbox with numerous emails, simply subscribe to tripmydream and monitor compilations of cheap flight tickets in media, newsletters, and the Telegram channel.
• Set Price Change Notifications. Subscribe to track price changes and receive alerts when the tickets you're interested in become cheaper. tripmydream offers subscription options via email or through a chatbot on Telegram.

Using the above recommendations and other tips, find the most suitable flight ticket for yourself.

What to check before buying a flight ticket?

• Understand what is included in the price of the ticket you've chosen: baggage weight, number of hand luggage items, etc.
• Find out which airport the flight arrives at and estimate the time and cost of getting to your hotel.
• (For flights with layovers) Pay attention to the transit airports and layover time. Consider whether the transit occurs within one airport or multiple, if a visa is required, and if there is enough time for the layover.
• If you haven't flown with the airline before, read their rules: how to check in for the flight, what you can carry in your luggage, whether you can select seats in the cabin, etc.

Where to find the cheapest flight tickets online?

Deciding where to buy your flight tickets online, directly from the airline or through a travel agency (OTA), usually comes down to price. However, there are some nuances to consider.

Airlines often offer loyalty programs accessible when purchasing directly from their official websites.

OTAs also have their bonus programs and advantages: collaborating with banks, they can offer attractive discounts and cashback to their clients. For example, kiwi.com also insures tickets that include flights with different airlines, guaranteeing that you'll reach your final destination even if there's a significant delay in the first segment.

When you buy a plane ticket through an OTA, the agent handles issues like correcting mistakes, delays, or cancellations, which is convenient, especially if the airline is foreign and you're unfamiliar with the language.

How to find the exact price of a flight ticket?

To know the exact cost of a plane ticket, visit the seller's website as the price may have changed. This is especially true for discounted and promotional tickets, which are limited and might have been sold out, with the price not yet updated.

The process and fields required may vary across different airlines and OTAs, but the principle remains the same. Keep in mind, the website might be in English, in which case you can use an online translator, like the one integrated in Google Chrome, during booking.

How to Buy a Ticket?

1. Prepare the passports of all passengers and the bank card for payment. If necessary, increase your online payment limit in advance through internet banking or by contacting your bank manager. Also, be aware of potential double conversion fees when paying, which can affect the final ticket price.
2. Enter the passport details of each passenger: first and last name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and its expiration date. If you have a loyalty card from the airline, you'll need to enter its number when booking.
3. Double-check all fields and flight dates for accuracy, multiple times if necessary!
4. Select additional services if needed: baggage, insurance, meals on board, seat selection, etc. Make sure you haven't selected anything unnecessary, then proceed to payment by clicking «Pay».
5. Enter your card details and pay for the tickets.

A few minutes after successful payment, you'll receive an email (to the address provided during registration) containing the itinerary receipt with the booking number. Save this number — it's necessary for flight check-in and obtaining your boarding pass

If the email doesn't arrive, check your spam folder. If it's not there either, contact the support service of the seller, be it the airline or the travel agency. Additionally, information about your booked flight tickets will be stored in your personal account on the seller's website.

Flight check–in

Read the airline's rules carefully — most offer free online check-in, while airport check-in might cost money. Online check-in usually opens 24-48 hours before departure and closes 3-2 hours prior.

If you've checked in online (through the website or a mobile app), you can download the ticket to your phone/tablet or print it. An electronic ticket on your mobile device is generally as valid as a paper one, but it's safer to have a printed copy as well

What to do if things do not go as planned

For assistance, contact where you bought the ticket: the airline's or travel agency's support service. Remember, meta-search engines like tripmydream only search and compare offers; purchases are made on the seller's site.

If there is a mistake in the ticket

A common error is indicating the wrong gender, which usually isn't an issue at the airport. However, a wrong name or surname can prevent you from boarding.

Contact the support service of the airline or agency where you bought the ticket as soon as you realize the mistake. They will guide you on how to make changes and inform you about the associated costs.

The policy of 15 popular airlines regarding the correction of errors in tickets

Returning a ticket if you can not fly

Whether you can return a ticket and get a refund depends on the fare and airline's policy. The cheapest promotional fares often don't allow for any refund, nor can they be transferred to another person. One somewhat realistic way to get a refund if your trip is canceled is to have previously arranged insurance for such situations. Valid reasons might include visa denial, severe illness, or a relative's death.

Contact the airline's call center or the travel agency's support service to clarify the return conditions.

Flight delay or cancellation

A common but unfortunate situation. If the flight is canceled, the airline will offer to refund your money or rebook your tickets for another date without extra charges. If there are less than 14 days left, you may be entitled to compensation ranging from 250 to 600 EUR.

In the case of a delay, the extent of compensation depends on the duration of the delay.

A detailed review of passenger rights in case of delays or cancellations