Airfare question, How far out to get tickets

[vicnmickey]

We are approaching the 6 month mark soon. I was wondering when is the best time to get airline tickets. I want to get the best deal, but I don't want to wait to long and have the airfare go up. We are flying out of Chicago area, So maybe Barb could help with this one.

 

[lzj21428]

We are cruising in April and I have my airline tickets already. Good thing I got them early, because everything was really booked up for that time frame.

 

[prymsu]

I booked my cruise last February for October 17th. I watched the airfare for a couple weeks, and then snagged up a good deal while the prices were low.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I'm still debating this one. I usually fly US Air but I think I'm going to hold out for SW or Air Tran, neither which has released my dates yet. I'm taking a gamble that they will beat US Air fares but only time will tell. Good luck!

 

[atigeg]

I am a true compulsive planner who starts checking Orbitz 8 months out (or more for our Thanksgiving cruises). The only times I've been burned is when ATA has one of their sales, which tend to be more last-minute. Lately, the best deals have been on ATA, and American...I just bought American tickets for $176 for January and would have gotten them for Feb. too if I'd moved a little quicker. We have no preference between O'Hare and Midway...we go wherever we can find something cheap! Find the prices on Orbitz, but purchase them on the airline's own website to avoid the Orbitz fee.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Michelle]

I am cruising in early December and JUST got my tickets this week.

Fares from LAX to MCO were VERY high compared to what they had been historically. This week they went down to about $200 RT, which is about as LOW as they have been historically.

I find that there really are no deals more than six months in advance at the earliest and often there are better deals when you get down to the 2-3 month mark. The only time I book earlier is if I am flying on an award ticket or if my preferred flight is getting booked up and the likelihood of a reduced fare is diminished. Most of the airlines do not run their promo rates more then 3-4 months in advance.

Honestly, I would wait at least a couple of months to see what airfares will do, UNLESS you find a great rate now.

Good luck!

 

[Pugdog007]

I'd have to agree with WM Michelle on this one. If you're booking more than 3 mos in advance, you probably aren't getting the best deals.

Start checking 90 days out and watch rates for a couple of weeks. This is when the discounts are typically released.

 

[rae519]

For September's cruise, we got our tickets in April. Then as Delta lowered the price - three times, I would call and get the lower rate and a voucher for the difference. This saved us nearly $100 a person over the course of 5 months time - and we can apply the vouchers for our May airfare.

I am uncertain if other airlines do this, but I know Delta does for sure!

Happy trails!
Rae

 

[vicnmickey]

I will just keep my eyes and ears open. I have a airfare alert on Travelcity.com and I check Orbitz everyday. So when the air comes down in price I can snag it. I am just happy to be going again. Thanks once more for your help.
Have a wonderful cruise to all of you that are going soon.

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by WebmasterMichelle

I find that there really are no deals more than six months in advance at the earliest and often there are better deals when you get down to the 2-3 month mark. The only time I book earlier is if I am flying on an award ticket or if my preferred flight is getting booked up and the likelihood of a reduced fare is diminished. Most of the airlines do not run their promo rates more then 3-4 months in advance.

I completely concur. The only other time to book early is if you are going during a holiday period. Booking too far in advance means that a) you have to be vigilant and continue to watch the fares even after you've booked and even if they go down, you only get a voucher for the difference (which is fine if you travel a lot, but not so great if you don't); b) you are at risk that your carefully chosen flights will get changed and you will be really aggravated; and c) the airline holds your money for a really, really long time.

In terms of airfare alerts, you may also want to try Expedia's. I have also done well with CheapTickets.com.

Good luck.

 

[tezb]

Michelle....

Which airlines did you get 200.00 RT? I am from North. Calif and am having a hard time finding deals right now. The only airline that flies direct is United and they want 600.00 plus right now. Did you get a direct flight? We are a family of 5 and I don't want to pay more than we paid in 2001, which was 2000. for all of us..direct flight w/ United. We may have to fly out of a smaller airport as the fares seem to be cheaper than SFO for us. I thought it was cheaper to book mos in advance. Last time we booked 8 mos out and got the best deal I could find...the prices only went up so it worked out for us. The cheapest I am finding right now is 321.60 (1 connecting flight)..w/ Northwest...Continental and Delta are a little more...We cruise next July but am watching the fares already.

 

[aseafish]

tezb,
We're looking at some decent Delta rates for January from LAX--under $200. I use Travelocity just to keep an eye on rates.

 

[tezb]

thanks aseafish...will check them out too....It's so expensive flying from the West Coast.....not to mention the cost of the cruise!

 

[Michelle]

Yep, it was DELTA and you must book online through Delta to get the great rates (which I always do anyway). We have connecting flights through Atlanta (simply because we prefer to fly 767s with a family of three) but there were non-stops available from LAX.

Good luck!