IRCTC Ticket Booking Hacks: For the frequent traveler in India, RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) can be a double-edged sword-it gives you a guarantee of travel but hardly half a berth till confirmation. However, with the right tricks, it can turn into an all-booked seat before you know it.

IRCTC Ticket Booking Hacks:

1. Book Early and Better
When booking through IRCTC, always see that you choose from higher frequency trains operating on your route. Trains with several coaches in the same class are prone to more cancellations, giving you greater chances of confirmation.

2. Prefer Routes with an Easy Cancellation
Some routes tend to have higher midweek last-minute cancellation rates. If you observe the trend created by the availability charts in IRCTC, you would be able to select dates that would provide you better opportunity for confirmation chances.

3. Keep Checking the Quota System
There are sometimes RAC tickets that get confirmed when available seats from other quotas (Tatkal, ladies, or VIP quota, no one is aware of it) become released before departure and added back into the general pool. Just keep monitoring your PNR status on IRCTC and usually on NTES apps.

4. Keep Low-Class Travel for Higher Confirmation Probability
Sleeper (SL) and 3AC very often see faster RAC clearances as compared to higher classes since these classes boast a greater supply of seats and higher turnover among the passengers.

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5. Look for Chart Preparation
The first reservation chart for most of the trains is prepared around 4 hours before departure. By that time, many RAC tickets would have got cleared and confirmed due to cancellations or quota releases.

6. Upgrade Options
Even at times when your RAC may not confirm in the booked class, you may get upgraded to a higher class for free under the VIKALP scheme. Make sure you choose this option at IRCTC itself.

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