Non Disney related: airfare fluctuations

[lila]

I am looking to book a trip from the New York area to Columbus, OH for a wedding in Oct. Yesterday the prices were $250, and today they have jumped to over $400. I still have plenty of time to book - should I wait, or are there certain days of the week I can get the best fares?

Thanks - I know a lot of people here are pretty up on the best timing to purchase domestic airline tickets.

 

[mousey]

I would wait, as I think some sales are bound to come up. I have been trying to get return tickets from MCO in August and the prices are going up, down, up.........

 

[seashoreCM]

You are more likely to get a lower fare if you do your shopping and also do your fly8ing on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[Day-Day]

Probably a sale will come out and fuel prices may drop a little...

I booked a flight last year a week or so too early but we were locked into the time we needed the flight and I was afraid the seats would fill up. I knew that a week or two later, Airtran would come out with their sale prices and Delta would follow and that's what happened.

Last week, I checked flights for September but we didn't have our vacations confirmed at work yet so I couldn't book. The price was $160 plus tax and fees roundtrip. I checked Tuesday evening and the price was $260 plus and checked again on Wednesday (yesterday) and the price is now $410.

 

[Stitches]

I would expect the prices to drop again. Although I would also verify that the flight or flights still have plenty of open seats. If they were getting full then I would feel more urgency to book.

Check prices daily and at different times of day. I have found they can change often.

I was tracking an October flight in the past few weeks. It started out at $379. Then it jumped real high one weekend. Can't remember how much but I think it was over $600. I bought it a few days ago at $290. Now it's at $354.

Also, FareCompare.com may provide some helpful information.

 

[Missytara]

I did some research last year and noticed Friday through Monday prices go up. Tuesday through Thursday they go down.

They fluctuated between early morning, lunchtime, and dinner time.

I always book my flights early in the morning mid-week and they seem to be the lowest.

My theory is that people tend to be home over the weekend and plan their trips then, so the demand is higher, so the price goes up.

I also noticed during the day, like through my lunch hour (EST) it fluctuates again, since people are most likely to jump on the computer and book flights.