Did you know that most online travel purchases are priced differently based on your geographical location, browsing history, and computer or mobile device?
Airlines, hotels, car rental services, and e-commerce sites use dynamic pricing strategies that factor in this user information before setting travel prices. As a result, you could pay more for airline tickets or hotel room reservations simply because higher prices are set for consumers in your location.
The good news is that you don’t remain restricted to the high prices of one location. If you use a VPN tool to reroute your private internet connection through a remote server that masks your IP address, you can unlock much better deals on travel services and avoid geo-based price discrimination.
The best VPN tools will let you select a virtual server from dozens of countries across multiple continents. Choose a remote server location where you might find better travel and online shopping deals. Then, start shopping to save money on your favorite e-commerce sites and travel booking sites for flights, hotels, and car rentals. It is that simple.
How to Save Money on Flights with a VPN
Would you like to know how to use a VPN to find cheaper flights and save money on airfare? Here is a step-by-step guide below:
1) Delete All Your Browsing History and Cookies
Websites send something called “cookies” to your browser whenever you visit and browse their content. The cookies let the websites remember your internet activities to personalize your user experience. They also allow websites to see your browsing habits on other websites to promote deals on products and services you may be interested in.
Sometimes, the history and cookies saved on your browser may trigger higher travel prices online. To play it safe, delete all the history and cookies on your browser before shopping online. Some VPN tools have options to do this for you. Use these options if available, or delete the history and cookies in your browser settings.
2) Activate the VPN
Activate the VPN tool by choosing a location where you might get lower prices on airline tickets. You won’t know which locations offer lower prices until you make some price comparisons by switching your locations with the VPN as you research the prices.
3) Use Incognito Mode
Before browsing the various airline and online travel agency websites, activate the “incognito” mode on your browser. That will keep your browsing activities private by not allowing airlines to track your browsing history. That is one more way to stop data tracking from adversely affecting the airline ticket prices presented to you.
4) Research and Learn
The location of online travel agencies and currency fluctuations can factor into airline ticket prices. Many online travel agencies will offer lower ticket prices on flights to customers from the same country where they are based.
For example, if you are in the United States and want to fly to Malaysia, you might find lower prices if you use a Malaysian-based online travel agency rather than an American one. In that case, you would set your VPN geo-location for Malaysia and then visit the website of a Malaysian online travel agency.
Currency exchange rate fluctuations can also significantly impact ticket prices in different places. Take the time to research the exchange rates in countries where your currency is more valuable and stretches farther. Then, find an online travel agency from that country to see lower prices due to the exchange rates.
European countries, including the United Kingdom, typically have lower airline ticket prices than most other regions. They might be great places to compare prices online for the cheapest flight rates.
Using a VPN for Cheaper Hotel & Car Rental Bookings
A VPN can help you find cheaper hotel and car rental booking deals, similar to how it lets you save on airline ticket prices from online travel agency sites. The rule of thumb is to connect to a server in the country where you plan to reserve a hotel room or book a car rental.
For example, if you plan to book a hotel room in the Philippines, you will have a better chance of getting a lower rate if you first connect to a server in the Philippines. That will give you localized prices on hotel rooms and car rentals.
If you find a low-priced hotel, don’t book your reservations yet. Compare prices at different hotels to see if you captured the lowest rates. Using various devices, such as smartphones and laptops, is also a good idea while comparing prices because some vendors offer better prices based on the type of device used.
Save Money on Shopping Websites with a VPN
Location-based pricing with a VPN can help you save money on shopping websites. For instance, you can find lower prices on subscriptions, streaming services, and software licenses by choosing server locations in different countries.
Find the home countries of the e-commerce websites where you want to shop. Then, switch your server geo-location to that same country and revisit those websites. You should now start seeing lower prices than you did before.
How to Choose the Right VPN for Travel & Shopping
You don’t have to search hard to find the right VPN for travel & shopping because we can recommend the best one.
Surfshark is a fast VPN that allows unlimited devices to access content securely while blocking ads and malware. It offers a powerful CleanWeb feature that helps users avoid cookie collection, preventing ads from tracking their online activity. This means users won’t see targeted ads or experience fluctuating prices when shopping or booking hotels. With Surfshark, users can connect to VPN servers worldwide and secure the best possible deals without worrying about dynamic pricing.
One major benefit of Surfshark VPN is that it supports unlimited devices and is compatible with various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. This allows users to stay protected on all their devices while searching for the best travel deals.
Using a VPN can help bypass price discrimination when booking hotels or flights. By switching to a server in a different country, users can access lower prices that vary due to currency fluctuations, company locations, and OTA commissions. Research suggests that booking from European countries or the UK often results in better rates. Additionally, connecting to the destination country’s IP can reveal cheaper local prices.
You can use it to connect to approximately 100 geographical server locations worldwide to stay hidden online and take advantage of the lowest possible travel and shopping prices. It blocks all data tracking and advertisements to ensure that airlines, hotels, and other e-commerce sites give you fair localized pricing on their travel products and services.
Right now, Surfshark is offering an exclusive 86% discount + 3 extra months, a great deal for anyone looking to save money and browse securely while avoiding price manipulation online.
Other Benefits of Using a VPN for Travel & Shopping
Traveling requires you to use public Wi-Fi networks to connect to the internet. That is all the more reason to use a VPN for traveling and shopping because it will keep your privacy and data safe on a public Wi-Fi connection. Even if the Wi-Fi is unsecured, the VPN connection will be secure. That means your personal and sensitive information will remain safe.
Feel free to use the VPN to access home content or restricted services in a region where your home country cannot access them. Your identity and online activities will remain anonymous as long as the VPN remains activated. Booking sites won’t be able to track your history and browsing data, either.
FAQs
1) Is it legal to use a VPN for travel and booking purposes?
Yes, using a VPN is legal in most countries. However, some countries (like China or Russia) may restrict VPN usage. Always check local laws before using a VPN during your travels.
2) Can I use a free VPN for traveling?
Yes, it is possible to use a free VPN during your travels. Remember that free VPNs have poorer security protocols, limited geo server locations, and slower speeds.
