I never really understood why, but whenever I used to try to book a domestic flight in another country, the prices were always ridiculous!
Last year, a quick domestic flight from Bangkok to Trang, Thailand was going to cost me almost $300.
But…
As soon as I landed in Bangkok, I booked a seat on that very same flight for under $30!
This was because of the “Point of Sale” - the physical location where the retail transaction was completed. Point of Sale can have a drastic affect on the pricing of any flight with an international component.
I’d be delusional if I claimed to have cracked the how’s and why’s of airline pricing, but it is true that some airfare is much cheaper, depending on where you are when you but it.
Or better yet: where you appear to buy it from.
You can leverage foreign currencies and a “fake” point of sale to your advantage…
Most people have no idea that they can change where they appear to be buying a plane ticket from. That’s how I managed to swindle a flight from LAX to Rio for a meager $482 instead of $1,000+
Although this method can be used for regular international flights, it often works best when you’re buying domestic flights in another country. A Brazilian friend told me that flights to Sao Paulo were much cheaper to buy once in Rio rather than from abroad.
He also showed me how airfare for the exact same routes often varies between the U.S. and foreign versions of an airline’s website. This is often because of regional sales and promotions. However, the local currency’s exchange rate may also factor into your favor.
Anyone up for saving money?
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