We all know that flight booking companies and airlines modify their prices according to the date and time we book, but did you know that they also modify their prices according to your computer use and locations? This is called “dynamic pricing”; here we explain how this can be reduced to get you those cheaper flights. N.B. This is not a guranteed process but trials have proven that it works well. Booking companies utilize a number of factors when pricing your flights, not just the date and time you wish to fly:
1. Browsing history. 2. Repeated searches on flight booking pages. 3. Location in which you reside. 4. Even language has been proven to affect prices.
So what can be done to reduce costs of flying?
1. Clearing out you browser cache or using a different browser than your normal one can alleviate this influence. Always start a new browser session when searching for flights and clearing cookies and cache will help break their algorithm.
2. You may have noticed that the prices of flights increase the more you look; your search history is saved so follow the advice in point 1 above to prevent this as well, or use a different device and browser then try again.
3. It may seem tricky to change one's location, but using a VPN it is very easy to do so. See our previous articles on how VPNs can help you change your presented location.
4. Language is a tricky one as you might struggle to understand what you are doing in a foreign language, we certainly do! But it might help.
Tips on using a VPN to change your publicized location:
• First download and install your VPN (we recommend Nord VPN or Private Internet Access – PIA). We can advise you on how to do this or book an appointment and we can do it for you. • First do a search as normal and note the price of your flights (try a few to get a wider comparision) which will give you a baseline against which you can compare. • Close all of your browsers and make sure that you logout of Chrome etc. as these browsers store your location as part of their configuration, or use a new browser and go in as a guest mode; FireFox tends to work well. • Once the browsers are closed activate the VPN and choose the country of your choice in which you will appear to be located. You can google which countries show the cheapest flights but here are some of the ones that have been tried and proven: ◦ Mexico ◦ India ◦ South American countries such as Peru or Argentina. ◦ Malaysia ◦ Philipines ◦ Thailand • It can vary day to day so do check before you start. • Once you have found the flight and the price take a note of it and then close your browser, choose another country and try again, taking notes on prices. • Try a few different countries and booking sites and also check the direct costs with the airline, again with the VPN and without it, for comparison. For advice on VPNs please feel free to drop us a line or ring us and if you need help then make an appointment and we will get you going. You can contact us on support@islandtech.nz. Just a reminder; this is not a guarantee, so please don't blame us if it doesn't work, but these tips have been proven to work on many occasions with significant savings being realized by those who follow the tips.
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