When to buy Airline tickets?

[Daisy-J&D]

I was hoping someone would have experience with this. Our trip is not until April 2015 (we're going on a Cruise). We've never booked a vacation so far out!!

I'm seeing April 2015 dates becoming available for Air Canada. Would the best priced seats be the first to be released or should we hang on for a seat sale?

Not sure what to do!

 

[PensFan]

For all the years and times I've flown to MCO for WORK & Disney I've never ever really found a price less than about 400$ Round Trip - Direct - Per Person!

There is always some give and take in the numbers but I walk into that cost expectation and when I find the flights in that range I book them! I've never once been left disappointing because I've NEVER seen cheaper deals pop up through Air Canada!

So my advice is book as soon as possible when a price pops up your comfortable with because odds are you will come back a week later and the price will be higher! also note I've never seen a seat sale pop up for POPULAR destinations like MCO!

Hope that helps ... just my experience!

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I've had great success booking our flights at the 8 to 10 week out timeframe.

Our most recent trip was a last minute decision We decided to go Dec 2 - 8th/13 and bought our flights with not one but 2 competing seat sales.... YYZ/MCO (down with WestJet back with Air Canada) purchased 7 weeks before our travel date. Cost was $308.00 per person CDN. Early morning flt down/late night flt back both flights nonstop.

My best ever flt deal was Sunwing in September 2012. Booked 8 weeks out. $19 plus taxes down & $9 us taxes back - Also YYZ/MCO. Also nonstop

 

[wdwgoofydaddy]

I've had great success booking our flights at the 8 to 10 week out timeframe.

Our most recent trip was a last minute decision We decided to go Dec 2 - 8th/13 and bought our flights with not one but 2 competing seat sales.... YYZ/MCO (down with WestJet back with Air Canada) purchased 7 weeks before our travel date. Cost was $308.00 per person CDN. Early morning flt down/late night flt back both flights nonstop.

My best ever flt deal was Sunwing in September 2012. Booked 8 weeks out. $19 plus taxes down & $9 us taxes back - Also YYZ/MCO. Also nonstop

I'm going to assume that these are prices before tax and surcharges. I have not seen all in flight cheaper then $400 and that would be a great deal. We just booked direct flight on AC for late May for $500 all in.

Here is a great site to get fight cost information and past trends. Use this flight to get the information and use another site to book the flight because this site only provides info and does not sell tickets.

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/search.htm

Hope this helps

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I'm going to assume that these are prices before tax and surcharges. I have not seen all in flight cheaper then $400 and that would be a great deal. We just booked direct flight on AC for late May for $500 all in. Here is a great site to get fight cost information and past trends. Use this flight to get the information and use another site to book the flight because this site only provides info and does not sell tickets. http://matrix.itasoftware.com/search.htm Hope this helps

The $308 return fare was including taxes & s/c... the 2 competing seat sales reduced the base fare by 30%... I used AC down & WJ back. I received advanced notification for both sales as I'm signed up for both airline's email programs.

The difference from just this past December to now has been astounding. We've been hit hard by our mess of a dollar, airlines charging a charge if your destination uses the US dollar, fuel cost increases & new travel taxes.

I have our returning flights home booked for August at a cost of $262 per person all taxes & s/c included. Booked back in early March, those exact same flights today are $448 per person one way.

I'm hoping for a summer seat sale (last year it was in very early May) for our flights down (but won't wait much past that for fear the summer booking period will mean another hike in fares)

Have been keeping watch daily on Skyscanner, Hipmunk, Yapta & Kayak.. and on both AC & WJ websites.

 

[Punchy]

According to this data, the best time to book a flight is 54 days out.

"If you’re going somewhere incredibly popular at an incredibly popular time -- like spring break in Florida, for example -- you should book well before the “prime booking window” begins."

 

[alc571]

I'm going to assume that these are prices before tax and surcharges. I have not seen all in flight cheaper then $400 and that would be a great deal. We just booked direct flight on AC for late May for $500 all in. Here is a great site to get fight cost information and past trends. Use this flight to get the information and use another site to book the flight because this site only provides info and does not sell tickets. http://matrix.itasoftware.com/search.htm Hope this helps

We booked flights with Sunwing this past January and paid $889 for three of us, including taxes and fees, for direct flights from Toronto. We were flexible with our dates - did Wed to Sun - and booked on the Saturday before leaving, so very last minute.

We usually book 5-6 months out and aim to pay $400/person or less.

 

[wdwgoofydaddy]

We are looking at Xmas this year Dec 24-29 direct from YYZ - MCO and the cheapest I'm getting is about $600 pp on WestJet.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

We are looking at Xmas this year Dec 24-29 direct from YYZ - MCO and the cheapest I'm getting is about $600 pp on WestJet.

There will be seat sales, it's a bit too soon for those dates now. Sign up for email alerts (They usually come on a Wednesday - Air Canada's is in my inbox as I type.. Westjet will arrive mid morning)

Those dates may work with Sunwing - they are often the cheapest if you can travel when they are scheduled. Have used them several times in the past at great & super great prices

*edit*

Just checked the AC email.. travel Tues/Wed/Thurs.. MCO/YYZ return (early flight down 6:30am - late flight back 8:10pm) Leave on Thurs return on Wed following...

$337 per person all taxes & s/c's included
Spring Sale from now til June 26/14
**Winter seat sale is usually mid October