Booking Airline Tickets

[Snowwhitety]

How far out should you book your airline tickets? I am trying to get them for as low as possible, but want to leave Philly in the evening, during the last week of September. Right now, prices are around $275. Can I wait a little bit longer to see if they drop???

 

[sam_gordon]

You can wait as long as you want. Whether the prices will go up or down is anybody's guess.

You're gambling. Period. Can you afford the $275? If so, I would probably book. Yes, the prices might go down, but they might go up. It depends on whether you feel lucky. Once you book (unless on SW), don't look back if you'll get upset if prices drop.

Also, if you are booking with a legacy airline (ie: US Air, Delta, United, etc), don't be surprised if your flight times change between when you book and the actual departure. So just because you book an evening flight today doesn't mean you won't be changed to an afternoon flight in a couple months. There's no guarantee that will happen, but I don't want you to be surprised (and upset) if it does.

 

[Braydon]

Great posting.
I think it depends really on the route. However, it is very rare that seat prices go down.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Airfares this year is much higher across the board. I've been tracking prices since November for my June/July trip. When SW opened up those dates the price was about $60 less per RT ticket than it is now. The price went up about 2 weeks after they release the dates and has stayed there ever since....only fluctuating by $10. I finally booked about 3 weeks ago and I'm really sorry that I didn't book in November....it would have saved me about $180 and I would have had much better flight times going to MCO. Now I don't get in until 9pm and have to make a connection....I could have arrived at 2pm on the nonstop or even had the very early morning nonstop.

I'm going to have to continue to stalk the SW site in hopes that an earlier flight comes up.....a lower price would be a bonus as well but I just really want to get in before dinner time.

 

[backyardponder]

Lots of folks say Tuesday afternoon is the best time to book fares. Whether this is really true or not...

We had been trying to figure out if we could go to a graduation in Tucson in May. In January (on a Tuesday late afternoon) I happened to go on United's web site and saw fares were about $180 per person round trip lower than they had been. I grabbed them. They've been at the higher level ever since. Of course, United has messed with the flight times a few times, but with the fare I got, that's ok.

 

[Snowwhitety]

thanks for the info eveyone..you really helped me make a decision!I really need a pm flight out of Philly on a specific day, so I think I will wait until this Tuesday and book then.

 

[TaraPA]

I watch flights like a hawk, as we fly to WDW 3+ times a year. I watch PHL & $275 is a decent fare for now. It used to be much lower - my rule was never to pay over $200RT to MCO from the PA area, but that has been getting harder & harder in the last few months. The flights I'm watching for October are hovering around $375-$400RT. I'm not comfortable paying that so I'm taking a risk & playing the waiting game. I might be out of luck though! If you can pay $275 I'd say do it.

I flew down twice last month (from ABE, not PHL) and paid $225 for the 1st RT and $245 for the 2nd. That was with diligent watching several times a day & being lucky enough to catch it when it did drop.

Good luck!

 

[Snowwhitety]

Thanks Tara!

 

[dis_guy]

Great posting.
I think it depends really on the route. However, it is very rare that seat prices go down.

In my recent experience this is very true. We booked in early May for Christmas last year. The price we paid was a little higher than they were just a few days earlier. They just went up from there. They literally doubled by October!

Right now I can get a reasonable fare from our home airport to Orlando connecting through Houston on United. From here to Houston is $300 more for a much shorter trip. Go figure.