When Do You Buy Your Airline Tickets?

[KevinM]

This November will be our 4th trip since December 03, and I have never had good luck with airline plans. The first time we used a travel agent who planned the entire trip for us, but I paid WAY too much money (this was pre-DIS information!).

The second time we booked way in advance on a discount carrier out of W/B Scranton, PA (Vacation Express), and they stopped flying out of W/B shortly before our trip. We ended up paying $$$ due to the short notice. On another trip we booked in advance with another discount carrier. Southeast Airlines out of Allentown, and they went belly up 6 days before our trip! We flew out of Philly because local flights were ridiculously high.

We are flying out on Nov.26, but prices out of Scranton, Allentown, and Philadelphia are much higher than they were last year. I thought it might be because of the holiday, but they seem to be similar during the surrounding weeks.

Is it better to wait and see if prices come down or do I risk an increase in fares the longer I wait? I see that Hooters Air is now flying out of Allentown but DW refuses to use that airline! I don't know what she has against owls.

 

[Lewisc]

Charter airlines can change your flight time, add a stop or even give you an indirect connection. As long as the flight is the same day you don't have any recourse. A charter airline can go out of business or just decide to drop your city. A last minute refund won't give you enough money to book another airline. Charter airlines don't fly every route every day. You may be stranded for days if weather problems cause some flights to be canceled.

You've been burned twice. Why are you looking at a third Charter Airline? I don't have a problem with owls but does Hooters Airlines sound like a charter airline that will be around? Bite the bullet, drive to PHL and look for a reasonable fare, try for under $200 R/T, from a scheduled carrier. SW is good with giving you a credit if the fare goes down.

 

[robinb]

I usually buy my tickets about 6 months in advance. I know what a great price is and also have my "buy price". Once airfare gets down to my "buy price", I buy. I am currently waiting to buy my Christmas/New Years tickets. I am limited to NWA because we have 2 bump vouchers the we have to use. My "Buy Price" for this trip is higher than it usually is because we're getting 2 airfares for free.

I was thinking about booking a TPA round-trip yesterday but I really wanted to Open Jaw into TPA and out of MCO. The TPA round-trip went up $60 this morning. **sigh** I guess I'll wait for that Open Jaw anyway.