Buying AirTickets at the 330 Day mark?

[snoopy5386]

Has anyone ever done this? We have the opportunity to do so for this trip (never been able to plan so far in advance before). Are the tickets really the cheapest this far out? Would be nice to have them all paid off months before the vacation though....

Thanks

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

I did this for 8 tx(non-stop) on US AIR from Pittsburgh to MCO for our upcoming June trip at the 330 day mark. I got all 8 seats for $190 each total(taxes inc).

They will only release a set amount at a cheaper rate. Sometimes there aren't any at that time. You won't know until you call.

 

[rsschneck]

We have purchased from 2 months to 10 months out. I am a planner and always watch the prices of tickets. If the fare looks like a good deal with good times I will purchase the tickets.

I like to get the airfare out of the way as soon as possible because driving is not an option for us.

So far we have lucked out on some decent deals from the West Coast.

 

[Armadillo4]

As rsschneck posted, you don't neccessarily need to book 330 days in advance to find the lowest fares. Airlines can have an airfare sale depending on demand at any time. For example, there's a spring airfare sale right now and I'm tempted to book a trip from LAX to Orlando just because the fares are so low ($194-$220). But the sale is only valid for travel through the end of April/early May (depending on the airline). If I try to plug in dates for a trip this fall--e.g. Oct/Nov. or approx. 330 days out--then the fares are about $60 higher.

That being said, one tactic is to go ahead and book your flights as early as possible if you find a good fare. BUT keep checking with your airline throughout the year as a sale may drop your airfare lower. Most airlines will give you credit or a voucher for the difference if the fare goes down, if you ask for it. Good luck with your trip planning!

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I usually book our air as soon as I book our hotel, sometimes as far as the 330 day mark, sometimes six months out. If I can get non-stop flights from Philly to Orlando for around $200, I take it. For our upcoming trip in June, I booked in August and paid $201.50. Since then, Southwest Air as announced they will be coming to Philadelphia in May, so now I'm waiting to see what's going to happen. If my price goes down, with USAirways, I'm calling to hopefully get some vouchers. For our trip in October/November, I'm waiting to see if there's an airfare war, then book our seats.

 

[seashoreCM]

On your mark, get set, click your mouse!

For certain key dates around the holidays, if you see the everyday low price (such as Delta/Song U fare) 331 days out, book it. I have surveyed a few of such key dates for a few years now and found that later fare wars don't include those dates even though they may include dates both several days before and several days after.

If you miss out because others beat you to the cheap seats, then you are out of luck.

(I did snag a cheap seat on one such key date well after the 331 day mark because I happened to recognize some idiosyncrasy where more cheap seats were added after a schedule change. This was not a fare war.)

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

The exact time the initial offering of cheap seats is made is not entirely predictable. Sometimes it happens on the afternoon of the 332'nd day out for on line bookings.

 

[cigar95]

Just a comment on Armadillo4's suggestion to consider buying now and then watching for potential credits if fares drop -

If you book your fare online, it's not uncommon for the sales to be considered "web fares". It the price drops, calling to request credit doesn't work. Unless things have changed recently, all the air carriers that I've dealt with still treat the internet as a separate, somewhat odd stepchild, even though more and more travelers are using it to book fares.

Moral of the story - if you decide to book early, see if you can get the same fare by booking over the phone, as this will give you a better chance of getting a credit if fares come down later.

Having said all this - it's been a couple years since I've had to deal with this type of situation, and some carriers may have streamlined their procedures as far as "web fares" are concerned.

A general suggestion - take the time to learn what a "good" fare is from your city. From Los Angeles to Orlando, for instance, anything under $250 is pretty good, and if I find a fare below that for my dates, I'll snap it up. (For next month's trip, I was lucky enough to get my lowest fare ever - $187!)

 

[doc hog]

Just got finish booking our Thanksgiving trip, Nov. 23-30. This is a tough week for flights. Called USAIR 331 days out to find out most of the low fare have been sold. We are restricted on the times for our fights, plus we will be traveling w/infant and toddler. For a late afternoon flight 5:55 pm and the return flight 7:45 am was $370 to $538.70.

We called and checked web sites for everyone out of PHL with not much luck. SouthWest air starts in the spring, but the prices will be advertised until late April or early May for November flights. Even Spirit (A.C.) was $319 for the dates we needed, so we booked our flight w/Delta (Song) for $240 each. The only change was our departure would be from Newark, NJ, rather than PHL.

Shop early for the best rates and don’t wait to long.

 

[Armadillo4]

seashoreCM: that's a good note about booking 330 days out for key travel dates around the holidays. Airfare sales are very limited around holidays, so if you are planning a trip around the holidays (e.g. July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc) and find a good fare well in advance, it's a good idea to snap it up.

cigar95 also makes a good point about "web fares." Make sure you read the fine print. However, over the past two years or so, I've found that most prices quoted on web sites are the same as what a reservation agent will give you. When I was still hesitant about the whole concept or security of e-commerce, I would research fares online and then call the airline directly to book my tickets. 95% of the time, I would get the same price.

My one experience in requesting credit because the fare had dropped, happened on a Delta flight last year that I did book online. When I called an agent for a credit, they gave me a voucher ($100) without a problem. But, just to be safe, make sure you read the fine print for "web fares" or better yet, call the airline if you have any questions about their credit/voucher policy.

And doc hog raises a good point about Southwest. You can't book 330 days in advance on this very popular low fare airline. Southwest doesn't allow ressies more than 5-6 months out. If Southwest generally offers good airfare on your route, you may want to wait until they offer ressies instead of booking on another airline--unless you find a really great deal, of course!

I love hearing all the helpful tips and experiences on these boards! Thanks everyone for sharing.

P.S. cigar95, that's also awesome about your $187 r/t fare from LAX!!! I've seen those fares, but they never work for my travel dates or are sold out when I finalize my plans, since I tend to procrastinate. My upcoming trip in two weeks (hurray!) is at $240.