Best Time to Buy Air?

[mom2rtk]

Looking to fly into LAX in mid-November. For once in my life, I was ready to buy early, but see that they only have flights open through 11/4 so far.

1) When should I expect them to add the rest of November?

2) Do flights start out low or will they be high and I'll need to watch for them to go down?

3) I've heard about 6 weeks out is good, but I won't want to wait that late. Any other suggestions on good times to buy? Does Southwest still have a great sale in August?

4) I've never found good deals when Southwest runs a sale. Is the story I've seen about those sale prices just being certain days correct?

Thanks for any help!

 

[sam_gordon]

Looking to fly into LAX in mid-November. For once in my life, I was ready to buy early, but see that they only have flights open through 11/4 so far.

1) When should I expect them to add the rest of November?

2) Do flights start out low or will they be high and I'll need to watch for them to go down?

3) I've heard about 6 weeks out is good, but I won't want to wait that late. Any other suggestions on good times to buy? Does Southwest still have a great sale in August?

4) I've never found good deals when Southwest runs a sale. Is the story I've seen about those sale prices just being certain days correct?

Thanks for any help!

1) Other airlines fly into LAX and flights for November have been open since December. Southwest will release theirs June 2.
2) I'll tell you if you give me the winning power ball numbers (BEFORE the draw) for tonight. No one can say with certainty.
3) I think it's actually 7 weeks, but that's an AVERAGE. Meaning some flights will be higher 7 weeks out and some will be cheaper. Every time I've looked 7 weeks out from today (for example), the prices are the same for 3 months, four months, or even 5 months out. Personally, I don't like gambling.
4) Can't answer.

The bottom line is start watching as soon as prices are released. When you find a price you can live with, book it. If you can get credit if the price drops (SW & Alaska?), check back. If you don't get credit, don't look again.

 

[MrPTato]

1) Other airlines fly into LAX and flights for November have been open since December. Southwest will release theirs June 2.
2) I'll tell you if you give me the winning power ball numbers (BEFORE the draw) for tonight. No one can say with certainty.
3) I think it's actually 7 weeks, but that's an AVERAGE. Meaning some flights will be higher 7 weeks out and some will be cheaper. Every time I've looked 7 weeks out from today (for example), the prices are the same for 3 months, four months, or even 5 months out. Personally, I don't like gambling.
4) Can't answer.

The bottom line is start watching as soon as prices are released. When you find a price you can live with, book it. If you can get credit if the price drops (SW & Alaska?), check back. If you don't get credit, don't look again.

So true!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

1) Other airlines fly into LAX and flights for November have been open since December. Southwest will release theirs June 2.
2) I'll tell you if you give me the winning power ball numbers (BEFORE the draw) for tonight. No one can say with certainty.
3) I think it's actually 7 weeks, but that's an AVERAGE. Meaning some flights will be higher 7 weeks out and some will be cheaper. Every time I've looked 7 weeks out from today (for example), the prices are the same for 3 months, four months, or even 5 months out. Personally, I don't like gambling.
4) Can't answer.

The bottom line is start watching as soon as prices are released. When you find a price you can live with, book it. If you can get credit if the price drops (SW & Alaska?), check back. If you don't get credit, don't look again.

Thanks! That's really helpful. So June, huh? Yikes. They must do them quarterly?

I'm trying to stick with Southwest because of their generous change policy. I won't be 100% certain our dates are solid until my daughter gets started back to school in the fall.

Clearly I'm not used to being so far in out of this!

 

[cassie58]

Prices are supposed to be cheapest on Tuesday afternoons around 3pm EST,(all airlines) so you might check then. Also best prices on SW are usually midweek, especially Tues/ Thur., and sometimes Sat. With the no change fees, if you see a good price, jump on it, and you know you can switch dates or get credit if that price goes lower. We usually book one way at a time, whichever comes up at the right time/ day we need or has a great deal, then if it drops, we can use credit towards other half. Between that and no charge for luggage, it usually ends up cheapest.

I have also had friends trying to fly there, and they have had luck with great deals on Frontier - very limited seats, but cheap if you see one and can grab it, those might be helpful closer to your trip though, since you need to wait for dates, and would have change fees. There is apparently also an Orange County airport I've seen people mention that some people prefer to fly into, but I don't know which airlines go there or if rates are better, but less chaotic than LAX apparently.

 

[loveswdw]

We are flying into LAX Oct 21st. I purchased our tickets a few weeks ago. We are flying nonstop RT from Nashville for $1055 for 4 of us. I was afraid the price would go up so I went ahead and booked. Since it's SW, if it does drop I'll rebook it. So far, the flight there has gone up ($115 higher) but the flight home has stayed the same.

We normally fly out of Louisville but Nashville had nonstops and was about $600 cheaper. Crazy thing is the flights to LA are cheaper than the flights to Orlando.

If the price is good for your flights when the schedule opens, I'd book them then hope for price drops.

 

[mom2rtk]

We are flying into LAX Oct 21st. I purchased our tickets a few weeks ago. We are flying nonstop RT from Nashville for $1055 for 4 of us. I was afraid the price would go up so I went ahead and booked. Since it's SW, if it does drop I'll rebook it. So far, the flight there has gone up ($115 higher) but the flight home has stayed the same.

We normally fly out of Louisville but Nashville had nonstops and was about $600 cheaper. Crazy thing is the flights to LA are cheaper than the flights to Orlando.

If the price is good for your flights when the schedule opens, I'd book them then hope for price drops.

Sounds like you got a decent deal.

The rates I saw for the same day of the week 2 weeks earlier looked reasonable to me. I hope the new ones aren't too much higher.

 

[mom2rtk]

Prices are supposed to be cheapest on Tuesday afternoons around 3pm EST,(all airlines) so you might check then. Also best prices on SW are usually midweek, especially Tues/ Thur., and sometimes Sat. With the no change fees, if you see a good price, jump on it, and you know you can switch dates or get credit if that price goes lower. We usually book one way at a time, whichever comes up at the right time/ day we need or has a great deal, then if it drops, we can use credit towards other half. Between that and no charge for luggage, it usually ends up cheapest.

I have also had friends trying to fly there, and they have had luck with great deals on Frontier - very limited seats, but cheap if you see one and can grab it, those might be helpful closer to your trip though, since you need to wait for dates, and would have change fees. There is apparently also an Orange County airport I've seen people mention that some people prefer to fly into, but I don't know which airlines go there or if rates are better, but less chaotic than LAX apparently.

Thanks! I'll try to check at those times. Right now we're looking at flying out on a Tuesday, so hopefully can get a deal on that. Our return flight on a Sunday night probably will be higher though.