How to take advantage of the low season to get cheaper flights

For the search engines of offers and price comparators, who have not resigned themselves to abandoning their travel plans, inside or outside of Argentina, in low season, there are good opportunities to get cheaper flights and travel even in a context of dollar instability.

"The supply and demand in the field of travel work very well. Companies are also reducing their rates in dollars. This is why the observed price decline is not just an effect of the devaluation, "he explained. Matthias Mute, creator of the Aéreas Promos page.

Among the deals that can be found in recent weeks, for example, there are trips to destinations in Brazil for 230 USD, such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Curitiba. And flights to multiple destinations to Europe for $ 29,000, which include Amsterdam, Madrid and Paris. Or Auckland – New Zealand – for $ 800, a ticket costing $ 1,200 or $ 1,500 last year.

If you compare the low season to the high season, ticket prices dropped 26% on average, according to a study of the Viajala platform. In addition, the April falls on average 13.5% compared to March.

The roads that fell the most were Buenos Aires-Posadas (-50%), Córdoba-Buenos Aires (-47.8%) and Buenos Aires-Corrientes (-47%). Here some advice to schedule trips in low season:

Advance purchase in pesos

A trip can be taken as a "medium-term investment"Therefore, specialists recommend to buy in airlines and travel agencies that charge in pesos and take advantage of the fees." When they are purchased from airlines abroad, the fees are in dollars but not at the time of purchase, yes no when the card closes credit. Some airlines post the rates in pesos, but in reality they charge them later in dollars, "warned Mute.

They also warn that the best is not to book hotels with payment in the destination and try to specify the purchase before and in pesos. "If you can buy flights in pesos and slices, hotels with prepayment and have an advance on the purchase of the currency of the destination country, the security will be increased during your travels," Mute said.

They also do not advise to wait for special offers as they can pbad attractive prices that they will not find afterwards..
"A fundamental goal is not to be tied to the dollar in complete journeys, the ideal is to minimize any type of risk and pay all possible costs before leaving and in pesos," agreed Avantrip.

An example is what happened at the World Cup in Russia last year, when Thousands of Argentines met in June and the dollar exploded from $ 20 to $ 28. When he had not yet closed the settlement of his credit cards.

Enjoy local destinations

The prices of cabotage flights They have not increased as much as other services. For example, a flight to Bariloche, which cost about $ 2,600 two years ago today, can also be purchased for 2,800 pesos.

"The number of orders in the domestic market has increased by 11%," said Sebastian MacKinnon, managing director of Despegar.com. "The consumer makes a purchase much smarter and more sensitive to the price elasticity ", he added.

The travel platform has just launched an app called "Now or Never" that alerts its customers when a ticket is sold at a value below the estimated average for that route and that time. For this, it uses an algorithm that badyzes the routes and price variations.

"The opening of new routes since the second half of 2018 and so far this year, with the help of new airlines low cost, makes the costs of several routes more accessible and inaugurates new connections. This is reflected in the price badysis where, relative to inflation, the prices of flights go up or down", explained to Viajala.

Be flexible with dates and avoid hours of high demand

Flexibility with the day of departure and arrival, but also with the airport, allows access to more alternatives to reduce costs. As well avoid long weekends, where the dates at which hotel values ​​fly away with the expectation of leaks, are recommended by Avantrip.

Also be Attentive to plans that are periodically initiated in interest-free installments. Although they are no longer as extensive as before, they are renewed frequently and good opportunities open each month. The majority focuses on 6 and 12 installments.

Compare prices by product and package

Many times, the purchase of a travel package generates savings for the synergy of services. It is important to review the low season travel packages, as they may have the best deals for two-way travel, as planned by Avantrip. For those who are more used to buying services separately, it is suggested to compare the values ​​of the packages, ideal for the format escape in low season.

"The airlines are further promoting how to combine products, where they can be up to 30% or 40% cheaper. The main victims are allowed when they are packaged, "added Mackinnon.

According to a survey conducted by the platform Viajala.com.ar on prices and searches in low season, The 10 most searched destinations in March and April 2019 These are Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Cordoba, Barcelona, ​​Jujuy, Salta, Bariloche, Posadas, Tucumán and Rio de Janeiro. Last year, for the same period, there were more cities outside the country, such as Barcelona, ​​Los Angeles and Madrid.