When is best to book flights?

[missnic07]

I'm not going until August 2014, so flights won't be available until September this year. I just wondered do u find you get a better deal by booking as soon as they come out or waiting until closer to the time? Or do they continuously fluctuate?
Thankyou

 

[Magic Megadegs]

Last year / this year for August there were some amazing deals <£500 during October booking for August. Since then there have been some deals but not that good. If seems to go up and down quite a lot.

Best thing is to keep watching here daily from September (when they are released) and checking daily on all the flight searching / airline pages. If you see a price you are happy with then just book it as good offers don't seem to hang around long xxx

 

[missnic07]

Last year / this year for August there were some amazing deals <£500 during October booking for August. Since then there have been some deals but not that good. If seems to go up and down quite a lot.

Best thing is to keep watching here daily from September (when they are released) and checking daily on all the flight searching / airline pages. If you see a price you are happy with then just book it as good offers don't seem to hang around long xxx

Great thanks. I'll be flying from Ireland (Shannon) and I've seen flights for this August for ¬600 which I thought was really good. Hopefully the same will come out for next year x

 

[darthtatty]

Its exciting all this planning isnt it

I kept track of the flights to the past year, just to give me an idea.
I also found January was a good time. I guess people dont usually want to spend too much, straight after christmas.

 

[Minniesgal]

We fly Virgin Atlantic and the prices only go one direction and that is upwards. We buy our flights the minute they are available to buy and have monitored prices ever since. They went up a lot in the first two weeks after we bought then stabilized and haven,t changed much since. Best deal are early. Airlines don't fly to Florida with empty seats there is plenty of demand so no really need to discount late

 

[crabbie1]

We fly Virgin Atlantic and the prices only go one direction and that is upwards. We buy our flights the minute they are available to buy and have monitored prices ever since. They went up a lot in the first two weeks after we bought then stabilized and haven,t changed much since. Best deal are early. Airlines don't fly to Florida with empty seats there is plenty of demand so no really need to discount late

Depends when you go. I have monitored for both my last trips and the flights have always been cheaper 4-5 months before departure. Also they have flight sales and if you can go in the next 2 weeks they are £356 each return.
Our flight had 50 empty seats out and looks a lot more on return.
In peak times school holidays I agree with you but slower times I never book straight away.

 

[married2mm]

We fly Virgin Atlantic and the prices only go one direction and that is upwards. We buy our flights the minute they are available to buy and have monitored prices ever since. They went up a lot in the first two weeks after we bought then stabilized and haven,t changed much since. Best deal are early. Airlines don't fly to Florida with empty seats there is plenty of demand so no really need to discount late

When did you book?
When are you going to Florida?

I looked at virgin Atlantic prices last September,for this August,but not on release date. They were ridiculously expensive,so we booked with tc.

Won't fly indirect,but willing to travel from Glasgow,Manchester or Newcastle-whoever is cheapest.

I've intermittently looked at prices since,and never found them cheaper.

 

[khibs]

We always fly Virgin Atlantic & we tend to have flung the best prices around 9 months. I tend to watch them when they first come out for a while and once they are at a price I'm happy with we book. We are flying Premium economy this time and that price def depends on how many seats are left on plane!! They tend to be expensive she first released that drop then rise again!

 

[wayneg]

Gone are the days we can predict flight prices.
For last August Virgin PE were over £1,300pp from release, but in the Feb, 6 months to travelling they dropped to just over £700 with Miles and money.

We have had to stick to school hols for a few years now, I won't pay VA prices unless its a miles & money or reward seat. Last time I paid full price was 2008. They have just outpriced themselves for me, eg. just got back with Delta yesterday, economy outbound, Economy comfort return, just over £500pp, VA were almost £1,000pp economy both ways.

Out of school hols you can still pick up some reasonable prices with them. Thankfully we enjoy indrect.

 

[luke]

Gone are the days we can predict flight prices.
For last August Virgin PE were over £1,300pp from release,

.

We paid that for this April, which was cheaper than economy at the time of booking!!

 

[khibs]

The prices are crazy especially for school hols! This time we go in May though we only paid £700 each PE with VA I just watched he price everyday!

 

[Minniesgal]

Depends when you go. I have monitored for both my last trips and the flights have always been cheaper 4-5 months before departure. Also they have flight sales and if you can go in the next 2 weeks they are £356 each return.
Our flight had 50 empty seats out and looks a lot more on return.
In peak times school holidays I agree with you but slower times I never book straight away.

Fair point we always fly in peak season, August this year

 

[tinkerpea]

The prices are crazy especially for school hols! This time we go in May though we only paid £700 each PE with VA I just watched he price everyday!

When did you book your flights? We normally travel around mid September but are thinking may next year and was just wondering when you bought your flights for this may at that price?

 

[khibs]

We booked them September, flying out on 25th May. After we had booked them I went back on to check price and they had gone up by about £300 each!!

 

[foreverdreams]

How much did u pay for ur may flights? Were they virgin flights and were they direct we plan to go 12th may 2014
Last year we went march and booked flights the oct direct virgin flights from gatwick cost £359 return per person

 

[foreverdreams]

Sorry just seen how much u paid

 

[missnic07]

Thank you for all of the replies. I'll see how much the flights are as soon as they come out and if there a price I'm happy with I'll buy, if not ill wait until they hopefully come down a little.

One last question (for now!), because I can't book flights until September, if I booked a room and tickets through disney (at end of the month when free dining hopefully comes out) for 15th August until the 29th...,but then say the flights were cheaper on the 16th August til the 30th.. Would I then be able to change my room/ticket dates with Disney?
Hopefully that made sense lol.

 

[tinkerpea]

Thank you for all of the replies. I'll see how much the flights are as soon as they come out and if there a price I'm happy with I'll buy, if not ill wait until they hopefully come down a little.

One last question (for now!), because I can't book flights until September, if I booked a room and tickets through disney (at end of the month when free dining hopefully comes out) for 15th August until the 29th...,but then say the flights were cheaper on the 16th August til the 30th.. Would I then be able to change my room/ticket dates with Disney?
Hopefully that made sense lol.

Hi yes if you book direct with Disney travel company you can change your dates, this is why we mainly book with them as being a forces family things prop up that stop us going on the dates we choose!!
They have always been great about as long as there I availability at your chosen hotel and if not they do they best to sort another resort for you,

 

[missnic07]

Hi yes if you book direct with Disney travel company you can change your dates, this is why we mainly book with them as being a forces family things prop up that stop us going on the dates we choose!!
They have always been great about as long as there I availability at your chosen hotel and if not they do they best to sort another resort for you,

Brilliant. Thankyou

 

[Claire Bear]

Just wanted to point out that if you change your dates and the new reservation is cheaper there will be a £50 administration fee. I changed my dates with Disney for this year and my new dates were £30 extra so I didn't have to pay the fee.