10 Hacks to Book Cheap Flights to India from USA and back

So, you’re planning a trip to either USA or India, but the tickets are crazy expensive. In this article, we’ll talk about ten easy hacks to book cheap flights from USA to India and back. Let’s go!

How to Get Cheap Flights – India to USA and back

If you’re planning a trip to the United States from India (or back), you have a lot of expenses to worry about and the 15-26 hour flight is one of the most daunting ones.

But if you act smart, you can save on whatever you spend. Try these tricks to get a good flight deal.

Book Early

When planning a trip to the United States, your visa alone will take at least 30 days to be processed, which means you must have your trip planned well in advance. Book your flight ticket as early as possible to get cheaper fares.

Search in Private/InCognito Mode

It has been noticed by many users while using aggregator websites (like MakeMyTrip, ClearTrip etc), that the price for a frequently searched product or service increases within the next few hours or days of your initial search.

This happens because of cookies in your browser that keep track of your activities online. To avoid a price hike in airfare, search for flights on private browsers that do not track your activities.

We recommend searching in incognito mode on Chrome browser.

Find out the Cheapest Day to Fly

Although there is no fixed day, flying out on a weekday is certainly cheaper than doing so on a weekend. You can look for the cheapest day to fly out, on MakeMyTrip, by selecting your departure and arrival airports, and instead of selecting a date for departure, search for the whole month.

We recommend using a service like Momondo, to find the cheapest rate tickets over a period of time. If your dates are flexible, this is the easiest way to find the cheapest flight tickets between India and USA.

Arrive at a Low-Cost Airport

Airfares also vary quite a bit depending on the airport you fly out of and into. If your itinerary allows it, try to book a flight to one of the less expensive airports of the United States.

Also, when choosing your destination (or initial airport) in India, choose one that is popular. Like Delhi or Bangalore.

Book a Connecting Flight

Connecting flights are cheaper than direct ones, so look for those online. These may cost a little extra physical effort, but you’d probably want to stretch your legs in a 15-hour journey anyway.

Travel on Budget Airlines

A number of budget airlines operate in India, flying with whom is a little more economical. Find out about budget airlines and airfares here.

We’ve seen that the following flights are usually cheaper.

• Emirates Airlines via Dubai to Delhi, Bangalore.
• Etihad Airlines via AbuDhabi to Delhi, Bangalore.

Book Directly from the Airline’s Website

Search on flight search engines and get a general idea of which airline has lower prices than the others. Then go to the airline’s own website to check the airfares. Fares displayed by flight aggregators and online booking websites usually include a profit margin for the website itself and will thus be higher than the actual price of the ticket.

Check with a Travel Agent

Travel agents usually get discounts that the layman does not.

Get in touch with a travel agent and ask them to get you a cheap deal. They may charge some amount for their services but it will be less than the difference you’d pay for your ticket otherwise.

Keep in mind that you might have to pick a popular route and a less popular date (avoiding festivals etc).

Do Not Book Round Trips

The to and fro charges for an India-USA trip aren’t always the same. Some airlines charge less to fly you out of India, while some charge less to fly you into India. Check for these patterns before booking a return ticket with the same airline.

Book Non-Refundable Tickets

If your visa is confirmed and the dates are finalized, book a non-refundable ticket to get a cheaper deal. Even if you have to cancel your journey at the last minute, your travel insurance may be able to cushion the blow.

Now that we’ve given you hacks to save on flight tickets, you can use those precious dollars on your trip to have a little extra fun.

Avoid Festival Times/Rush Times

As you might already know, certain months are festival times in India. Like April, when schools are closing, or during December for Christmas.

Avoid these peak timings when booking tickets. Because you are likely to get an overpriced ticket.