Air travel used to be one of the most expensive modes of travel in the 1980s and because of the high cost of operation, price of air tickets was sky-high in that time period, and only few people could afford it. With changes in research and technology, and market structure, it has become one of the most cost-effective travel options, considering benefits. Now, people can easily travel cross borders with cheapest air tickets international, offered by budget carriers. However, the prices have not magically dropped by more than 50 per cent in just a few decades.Hassle-free ToursMany carriers offer flight and hotel packages also, which are usually cheaper and convenient for travellers. They offer complete information of the place of stay and tariffs charged for them. These offers are suitable for leisure travellers, who randomly select a destination and visiting there. It saves time of tourists that they may have wasted in searching a proper accommodation after reaching the destination. However, these budget flights and hotel packages may not be suitable for everyone, as people have their own preferences about accommodation, location of the hotel and seat offered in-flight.New StrategiesA number of strategies and cost cuts have been introduced in order to make it available for a larger section of the society. One such strategy is de-bundling of services offered along with the ticket. It simply means segregating service charges from fuel surcharges and base fare that passengers have to pay. Now, travellers need to pay only for the services they avail like for headsets, Wi-Fi connection and window seats. The other is the increase in the number of seats in the aircraft, so as to offer seats to more people. However, there are a number of steps that can make a journey, especially long-haul journeys.Smart StepsAs advised by frequent travellers, the first and foremost step towards a comfortable journey is a smarty-packed backpack. Irrespective of the destination and number of days of stay, a bag should be as light as possible. Travellers can get bag arrangers, shelves and other accessories that help in keeping it organised and slimmer. It not only eliminates the issues related with carrying it at the terminal, but also passes the security check in just a matter of minutes. People can check the baggage instruction of the respective airline they are travelling with and can avoid the items that they may be asked to remove during checking process.After being done with packing, they can opt for electronic check-in process, which saves a great deal of time. Nowadays, the parking status is also available on the internet that can be tracked down for quick entry and parking at the airport. Many airlines provide this information on telephone, so if it is not available on the internet, they can go for the customer care services to know the current status. Sleeping kit is easily available at the airport stores, which are a must-have product during inter-continental journeys.