We all like to browse before we buy when it comes to finding travel, but from day to day, the prices seem to fluctuate so wildly.
You might spot a bargain of a deal that later doubles after you’ve had the chance to think it over. 92% of American travelers are looking to save on travel, but with dynamic pricing being used as a trick up the travel agent’s sleeves, it becomes difficult.
However, travel bookers can beat them at their own game with the help of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The prices you see online are often location-based – using a VPN to change your location gives browsers access to a variety of prices, helping you secure the best deal.
Let’s discuss the ins and outs so that you can travel more frugally without sacrificing where you want to go.
Why Travel Prices Frequently Fluctuate
Searching for travel deals can sometimes make you question yourself paranoically… The prices seem to climb as soon as you begin to get interested in a destination.
Well, you’re not losing your mind – travel companies employ many strategies to make sales, one of which is known as dynamic pricing.
Dynamic pricing taps into your browsing history – perhaps you’ve googled a certain part of the world a lot recently, or things to do while you’re there?
With your browsing history and location, the travel company can adjust its prices based on the demand.
The Impact of Dynamic Pricing
With sites tracking your online behavior, they can tell when you are likely to go through with a purchase.
Through analyzing the data shared, they can sneakily hike the price – but with a VPN wiping your history and hiding your IP, you can have the upper hand.
How VPNs Help With Finding Better Travel Deals
VPNs can basically unlock other pricing tiers, allowing you to potentially find a much cheaper deal.
They mask your IP address location and allow you to switch between server locations. By switching through a variety and browsing for a travel deal, you can find the lowest price.
Granted, finding the best location for a steal involves guesswork, but the difference between searching from a London-based server or from a Dallas-based one could save $47 or perhaps much more.
Location-Based Pricing Tip
Finding a country with a discounted price might take some trial and error, but a good tip is to try from a country with a lower average income. Southeast Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are typically better for flights and hotels.
Cookie Clearing Tip
Remember to clear your cookies between location changes for a clean history slate. This will help boost your VPN sleuthing powers. You don’t want your cookie crumbs to potentially identify you as a previous visitor or give away your true location to the site!
Maximize Savings
Knowing where to put your VPN to good use is important if you want to save money.
With a good VPN, you can make savings on three key travel cost areas by switching regions and browsing anonymously.
Fortunately, they are also the three likeliest elements of your trip to fluctuate in price:
- Flights: Airlines are big fans of dynamic pricing; you can expect to see drastically different flight prices from different countries, sometimes even the neighboring ones.
- Hotels: Booking.com and Expedia are two of the most popular hotel booking platforms and they are known to adjust pricing regionally.
- Car Rentals: Most car rental agencies are just as guilty as airlines and hotels for using dynamic pricing.
The Best VPN For Travel Deals
The primary reason that most people use a VPN is for security purposes. But VPNs give anonymity, which, as we have discussed, benefits shopping for flights and hotels. However, all VPNs are ever so slightly different.
Finding the best VPN for tracking down a travel bargain has a different set of requirements than the typical user. Below we will discuss three key elements to think about when choosing the best VPN for your needs.
Security Features
Choosing a VPN with strong encryption will make sure your personal data stays safe online while you hunt for the best travel deals.
Speed & Servers
Getting yourself a steal involves comparing travel deals in realtime, so a speedy VPN is needed. It should go without saying that you will also want a VPN that offers multiple servers in a variety of regions to be able to location-hop and hunt down bargains.
Compatibility
Travelers are likely to want the best VPN for multiple devicesto switch between gadgets.
If there is a chance you might switch devices while you track down your dream holiday, then cross-device compatibility should be considered an important requisite.
Conclusion
Booking agents use strategies, so why not use one too? With a VPN in your arsenal and a little patience, you have the possibility to combat price fluctuations and find an amazing travel deal.
By virtually hopping around the world with your location protected by a VPN, you can outsmart the companies and save hundreds on flights, hotels, and rentals.
So, pick yourself a good one and never settle for their tactics again!
