EXPLANATION – Travelers claim to save hundreds of euros on their flights by virtually booking from another country. Is it really a good deal or simply an urban legend? Let’s check it out.
€3000. In a documentary shot in Kyrgyzstan, Youtuber Sébastien Frit, better known by his nickname Seb la Frite, claims to his 5.25 million subscribers that he and his film crew saved this amount on their plane tickets to Kyrgyzstan.Asia central. Number? Explains that it connects to a link when booking virtual private network (VPN or virtual private network), in this case NordVPN, the market champion and, incidentally… the sponsor of the channel. But it’s impossible to know whether he’s telling the truth: The person who shot the video offers no explanation or justification for how he did it.
Normally used to browse the internet securely, especially when connecting to public Wi-Fi, this tool is increasingly being diverted from its original use. Internet users use it to access blocked content for an average fee of around 10 euros per month. France or paying less for subscriptions to certain online services (Netflix, Youtube Premium, etc.) by virtually relocating to a country with a lower cost of living. And therefore they also hope to pay for their flight tickets at a lower cost.
Also readFive tips to help you pay less for your flight ticket
Different trading strategies depending on the country
But can you really save tens or even hundreds of euros on your flights this way? In reality VPN has little to do with it. It will assign an IP address (a type of virtual identifier attached to a device) in the selected country where the VPN service’s servers are located. So when you type “Air France” into a search engine while connected to Turkey, the first result links to the Turkish version of the airline’s website (with the national domain name .tr), not to the French site (with .tr). ending in .fr). But it’s entirely possible to access these local versions without a VPN.
So how can any price differences be explained? If this can fluctuate from one country to another, this is primarily because “Airlines adopt different business strategies depending on the marketFrédéric Pilloud, MisterFly’s marketing and e-commerce director, underlines this. Their goal is to fill their planes in both directions. To do this, they will try to attract not only customers in their own country, but also customers in the countries served. In such a case, they can tailor their prices specifically to their local competitors.“.
Savings from bank fees
“Virtually changing the country to book a trip can lead to different prices, but these differences are usually small and not a guaranteed way to save significant money.», adds Eva Fouquet, senior vice president of Kayak, a search engine that compares prices offered by travel sites. Same way, “A ticket may be slightly cheaper in dollars than in euros, but in the end the difference may become insignificant due to the fact that bank charges for payments in foreign currencies are often covered.», adds Frédéric Pilloud. It goes without saying that paying for a VPN annually will cost a certain amount.
Another point: The price shown in searches may be misleading. If French law obliges traders to quote prices inclusive of all taxes (TTC), this may be the case abroad, especially UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Taxes and duties may be added during the checkout process. “Therefore prices may seem lower at first glance but most of the time they are the same», concludes Eva Fouquet.
So, what is the risk of buying a Paris-New York flight with a connection in Argentina, for example? Actually there is nothing. According to our experts, it is legal to use this trick. Again, “This practice does not always comply with tour operators’ terms of service and can lead to practical problems.he adds. For example, if the tour operator requires a local billing address or credit card in the booked country, the POS may not work.»
Also readTraveling abroad: How do I get insured with my bank card?
urban legends
Clear your history and cookies, do your research in private browsing at midnight… Many false tips widely distributed by sites and blogs offering good travel tips. In reality, the development of prices depends on many factors; The most important of these is the occupancy rate of the aircraft. The only universal rule that applies is to predict. “What matters is the time you actually fly, rather than the day and time you booked» Frédéric Pilloud summarizes.
Therefore, booking your flight ticket several months in advance when discounts or promotions are on is one of the best techniques to pay one of the lowest prices offered by airlines. Midweek departures from Tuesday to Thursday are generally cheaper than weekend departures. The months surrounding the summer holidays, namely June and September, are traditionally cheapest of the year. And this is not an urban legend.
Also read Flight tickets: On which day and at what time should you buy them to pay as little as possible?
