When to purchase airfare?

[mego]

I know this has been covered before, but I went into a little bit of panick this morning when I looked up our flights and noticed it's starting to go up in price. The thing is that we have 8 months before our trip and I would hate to purchase now and then have the airlines run an airfare war. Also, we are fortunate to have Southwest Air fly out of our city, but they have yet to release the dates I need. Do you think I should just sit tight and wait for the best or get the flights booked now and have some inner peace?

 

[Hessie628]

if i were you i would wait a little while. i have gotten some great deals in the past b/c of waiting. i'm going in early december and right now i am praying that the prices go down on delta. in your case i would definitely check periodically though b/c prices can change daily. however, i still think you have plenty of time. good luck!
-jessica

 

[MELSMICE]

I don't know where you're located but mousesavers just posted that Delta has some great fares out right now, although I don't know how long they are good for either.

Good luck.

 

[Lora]

Knowing what I've seen of travel for the cities I'm interested in, I would wait....but as someone else said, we don't know what city you're flying out of.

I keep close watch on the fares through travelocity and have the cities I'm interested in emailed to me w/ updates. I also check pretty regularly myself just to see what the trend is. I think I've usually found pretty good fares a bit closer to travel time, but that's always the risk you take.

Last year I was watching fares even though I knew there was no way I'd be travelling last Fall. And sure enough the fares when down about the same time this year and I got $130 round trip tax included.

BTW...we would have driven for anything over $150 or so. We only fly when it's a real deal. That, of course, is not an option for everyone, I realize.

Hope you find your great deal!

 

[lorileer]

Being 8 months out, I would definitely wait. Just keep an eye on it, and when you find an acceptable fare, get it. But you've got plenty of time. Sign up for FareTracker on Travelocity, and always check Orbitz because it will show you all airlines and their prices at the same time. But without hesitation, I would wait unless an unbelievable deal comes up. Then I would pounce.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Buying airline tickets is like investing in the stock market.
I just bought ours for the January trip.
I had been scouting around, even trying Priceline, and never saw a rate that jumped out at me. I think American had the best rate, but 1) I hate AA 2) we could not fly on a Friday with their sale rate.
Then I received a postcard from Northwest. From Omaha to MCO, RT per person $217 (with tax).
I went for it. The flight times are great for us -- the best I had seen.
We were leery about waiting in case we go to war against Iraq. Then fuel prices will jump, we are certain.
One thing -- if you find decent prices -- before buying, ask the airline what happens if the price does decrease. Most airlines, if YOU see the prices decrease and contact them, will issue vouchers for the difference, or even refund money (depending on the $ difference). But they may also charge you a fee for changing the tickets.
But it's worth asking. And then you still need to track prices, since they obviously won't contact you if the price decreases.

 

[disnurse]

Really depends on when you're flying, peak times the prices go way up and sell out quickly. I found a great site on samsclub.com to search for best prices i then went to that airline. I was able to get nonstop for 229/person, easter week. All other flights started in 350 and higher for non-direct

 

[mego]

Thanks for the info. After reading your posts, I've decided it's not time to panic yet. I will wait it out and see what happens. Once again, thanks!

 

[Charleneluvsdisney]

Mego,

Keep checking Southwest everyday! I have booked with them many times and have changed reservations twice without problems. Last year we were able to reduce our fares $150, 3 weeks before our trip. They will credit your account for future use.

We were able to get in on their $59 one way fares last week for our upcoming March trip, but dates weren't open for the return flight yet. The reservation person assured me that we could make changes if a round-trip flight comes up that is a better price. I don't think I will see a $59 return flight home, but am hoping I can at least catch a $89-$99 price!