Do you find booking Tatkal tickets stressful? These IRCTC tricks will come in handy.
Every day, lakhs of people in India try to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website; however, the process often becomes stressful because seats run out within seconds.
Now, IRCTC's new beta website has introduced two major changes to make this experience easier. Additionally, there are some simple methods that can improve your chances of successfully booking a Tatkal ticket.
What can you do without logging in?
Previously, passengers had to log in before the booking window opened. Often, the session would expire before booking began, causing valuable time to be lost while logging in again.
On the new beta website, passengers can now do the following on the homepage without logging in:
Search for trains
Check seat availability
Compare fares
You can log in and start the booking process directly only when you see a confirmed seat available on a train. This saves time and eliminates the hassle of unnecessary logins.
Will the waitlisted ticket get confirmed?
An AI-based tool has also been added to the new website. It analyzes past booking trends and available data to indicate the likelihood of a waitlisted ticket getting confirmed. This feature helps passengers quickly decide whether to keep the waitlisted ticket or opt for another train.
What are the 3 simple tricks for Tatkal booking?
| Trick | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Prepare the Master List in Advance | About 30 minutes before the Tatkal booking window opens, go to My Profile and save passengers' names, ages, and ID details in the Master List. During booking, simply selecting the passenger's name will automatically fill in all the saved information, saving valuable time. |
| Use the IRCTC eWallet | Payments through Net Banking, UPI, or cards may be delayed due to OTP verification or bank server issues. Keeping funds in the IRCTC eWallet allows payment to be completed in about 2 seconds, while also reducing the risk of transaction failures. |
| Don't Ignore the Vikalp Option | If your Tatkal waiting ticket is not confirmed before the reservation chart is prepared, passengers who have selected the Vikalp option may be allotted a confirmed berth in another train on the same route, subject to seat availability, without any additional charge. |
Why is this change important for passengers?
Every second counts when booking Tatkal tickets. The features of the new beta website and these three simple methods can help passengers book tickets faster and more efficiently. For passengers who plan, this upgrade can make the entire booking process much easier and more convenient than before.
