Best time to book a Flight!

[Tink3rbell86]

Hello everyone! Advice please.. When is the best time to book flights? We are going in March 2010. Some airlines are giving prices and some aren't. Is it best to wait it out or book early for the best prices? Thanks for the help!

 

[Tink3rbell86]

Also what is your favorite airline? I LOVE JET BLUE, but right now the price is alitttle high for the day we leave. but i would love to know what everyone else likes!

 

[bookwormde]

You did not say where you are flying out of but SW is our favorite and their best prices are 100-60 days out. Checking first thing in the morning give you the best chance also.

bookwormde

 

[PSUGuy]

This probably isn't going to help you this time, but if you plan to go to WDW often over the years, start studying the rates by all the carriers that fly out of all the airports you might use. We've been flying from NorthEast PA since 1999, yearly if not more often, from PHL, ERW and AVP and I watch carriers out of these airports and others starting 330 days before our trip dates, that's the earliest any carrier releases their fares.

Over time, I've come to know what a 'good' rate out of Philly, for instance, and one year I did book 330 days out when I saw that their first offering, USAir it was, was a 'good' rate. Usually, we find the best rates for our many March trips in the Sept - Oct time frame. I'd be looking to lock something up now if I were you. Post a note here asking the best rate folks have gotten for March trips out of the airport(s) you plan to use then book based on these answers.

Bill From PA

 

[Tink3rbell86]

Hey Sorry i forgot to post where we are leaving from!! We're leaving out of NY! any of the airports will work for us! i figured now would be the best time too book. im going to keep checking EVERYDAY! until we find the right price.

 

[korie]

We have a trip planned for the first week of March (leaving 2/28) and I've been on JetBlue's site for weeks now stalking their fares! We are planning to fly out of White Plains, NY b/c of how much cheaper it is ($265/pp right now out of Hartford vs. $179/pp out of White Plains!) Last week the rates were down as low at $159 and I held off and missed out, now that same flight is up to $199. I am kicking myself! I don't fly often so I have no idea how long I should wait or what the fares will do over the next couple months. I will say that I LOVE tripadvisor.net, they show rates for all the airlines and all the travel websites right in front of you all in one place. I would highly recommend checking it out!

 

[brentalex]

When I am looking to fly, I generally check the airlines daily, sometimes multiple times a day. Seems like they change rates all the time. I usually have some sort of idea of what I think is a good price and will buy something once I find my price. I like flying jetblue, but have found, at least from Boston, that Delta often has better prices. I am flying to Minneapolis next weekend and when I was looking for flights it seemed like they were changing the prices every few minutes. I know it is a pain, but checking often can save some money.

 

[bluenosemickey]

Last year we were going to fly from NH in March if we got the right price. I found that the lowest price came up on SW about 90 days out. After that, it only increased. We had told friends to buy at that 90 day price and we waited to see if we could get a ding. Never came.

So this year I think I will see what the prices for march are like with SW when they release them (oct12 I think) and make my judgement. I know what I would have paid last year had I bought when our friends did.

I think you have to name your price and if it comes up, take it.

 

[Missytara]

Ditto - I checked throughout the week and it seemed like Tuesday through Thursday the rates were down - and they even fluctuated during the day.

I booked my flight at 6:00 am and by the time I called my two friends and they got online at noon, it had gone up $30.00 - not a whole lot, but I was still surprised that it fluctuated so much.

It definately seems to be up higher on the weekends, which I would suspect it is because people are all home and they make their decisions about their trip, book it, etc.