Cheap airline tickets

[bellaally]

Planning my may 2013 visit to Disneyland and California when is the best time to purchase tickets. I am leaving from Philadelphia. When should I buy the tickets? Do they go on sale.

 

[MrsPinup]

The earlier you can book them, do. I prefer SW for cheap airfare, plus you get 2 free checked bags. Have fun!

 

[d1gitman]

we just booked airfare for BOS to LAX for 12/25 - 12/31 and the site that offered the best price and flight times was cheapair.com...not to be confused with cheapoair.com

i can say that it does pay to search around all the sites you can stand to research, we find every trip we make it can vary on who has the best deal.

 

[KateDrake]

I've really noticed a bell-curve type pattern with airfare to DLR (and just about anywhere else, for that matter.)

For example, we are flying out Oct. 9. I started looking at airfare back in February, but we weren't sure of our dates at that point, so I couldn't book. Then we figured out exactly when we wanted to go, and the airfare had jumped to around $500 per person (which is nuts for a 1.5 hour flight). We'd resigned ourselves to driving, but I just happened to check the other day, and the prices had dropped to under $200 per person. I was able to get airfare for all three of us for around $500, which was previously the price of one ticket! So it can pay to hold out, but you are taking your chances.

Have you tried setting up any fare alerts? You can do that through sites like kayak.com, it lets you put in your dates and destination, and then it keeps an eye on good fares for you. I'd also suggest trying budget carriers like Jet Blue. We fly with them often, and they are awesome! You get service that is often better than the regular airlines at a discount price.

 

[Maggy]

It always depends on where you’re coming from. For domestic flights, book about 6 weeks in advance. For international, it can be up to 6 months. (The Times had some good advice. travel.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/travel/book-well-ahead-to-save-money-on-airfare.html) My family usually books through easyvoyage.co.uk/flights/comparison since they’ve got pretty good deals and a lot of options.

 

[SA mom]

We also prefer Southwest, but you can only book through Southwest. Other online travel sites do not sell Southwest tickets.

One of our aunts used to be a ticketing agent. She said to book as early as possible. If the fair goes on sale, you can get that money credited for later use. No charges for changing flights, either.

Hope you have a fantastic trip!

 

[Started With a Mouse]

I would watch the pricing trends for a couple weeks. Also, there are websites that tell you what day the airlines usually have the cheapest fares. However with oil out of control, unrest, the economy, it may be a little tricky to tell you when to strike for the lowest fare. Good luck!

 

[Twinprincesses]

I usually buy 6 months in advance. I watch the prices for a few months and when I see a good price I snag it. I am glad I bought ours when we did because the prices never went to that price again.

 

[scoker]

Southwest is a good one. You won't be able to start checking fares on southwest for May for another month or so. Sign up for their email list and you will get sale info on Tuesday each week. Southwest like many airlines is cheapest to book on a Tuesday or Wednesday. As PP said there are other advantages like no check bag fees and no fee for changing your ticket.

Fares for any airlines can be hundreds of dollars cheaper per ticket if you purchase your ticket mid-week rather than on the weekend. I really don't understand why it is so complicated but if you are willing to work the system it can save you $$$. I try to not get crazy about it. Just starting looking at fares a couple times a week now. You will know a good fare when you see one after doing this for a few weeks.