when is the best time to book air travel??

[wdwmom2]

My family is going to WDW April 18, 2004. When is the best time to book airline tickets? We will fly out of either BWI or Dulles. What airline generally has the best prices? Should I book now or wait? I can get Delta for $248 rt per person. Is this a good deal?

 

[prncess674]

The "best" time is a secret formula. Just Kidding!

really there is no best time. there is no crystal ball to tell you when to book tickets. Airlines run fare sales all the time. The bad thing is most airlines charge a fee if you change your ticket of $100 so if you see lower fares later you are pretty locked in to the fare you purchase.

Personally I would wait to see what kind of fares Southwest Airlilnes has when they open up their schedules for that time period. SWA flies out of BWI. $248 does not seem like a great deal but if it gives you peace of mind to have your tickets bought and paid for go ahead and buy.

also be prepared for flight and schedule changes if you book this far in advance. The big airlines are notorious for changing their flight schedules. Just take deep breaths.

 

[beccasmom]

We usually buy when we see a fare that we think is reasonable, although that means double-checking the ending dates if it is very far in the future. Southwest does offer pretty good fares; $248 is not terrible, but you could probably do better. We leave from Philly and rarely pay more than $200 each and often less than that (on USAirways). If when you are going is holiday time (April - Easter), you may run into booking issues - Spring Break and all that. So a compromise may be needed between price and getting a seat, but you've got some time to decide. Unless there is serious competition in the area (i.e., Southwest, etc.), there are not a lot of deals that time of year, but if you're diligent, you will find something. Good luck!