How Far in Advance Would You Buy Airline Tickets??

I buy tickets often to travel back to wales. You have to buy at least. AT LEAST 6 weeks in advance for the best deals. Really it is best to buy 3 months in advance. Mid week is cheapest.

I've heard it said that they are the cheapest on Tuesdays or Weds. But I'd buy now.

Updated

I've heard it said that they are the cheapest on Tuesdays or Weds. But I'd buy now.

Updated

I've heard it said that they are the cheapest on Tuesdays or Weds. But I'd buy now.

buy now. I have purchased airline tickets for the holidays for my step-daughter for 18 years. Not once have I looked back and said I should have waited, but many times I've wished that we had known sooner what days she could fly.

I would buy them asap as well. Then hopefully you can pick your assigned seats with lots of options to choose, and won't risk the price going up. We recently went on a trip with our 6 kids. Couldn't make up my mind about the trip and prices went up in the meantime. We ended up paying way more than when I originally started looking.

If you are flying during the holidays, it is better to purchase them now. They go up the closer to the date.

Our daughter was in college up north and flew in and out of a small airport, I learned to purchase her round trip tickets as soon as she could confirm her finals would be over. This saved us hundreds of dollars There were a few semesters she could not confirm the final dates until a few months into the semester..

One of my husband's hobbies is finding cheap airline tickets. (His other is making dirt. He has a composter. Go figure.)

When we have a place to go, he'll start searching for fares months in advance. It's always a gamble, because (like the stock market) you never really know if things are going to go up or down. So he decides on a figure, and when he finds it - or something close enough - he gets the tickets. Almost every time he's happy he did. Often we have our tickets six months in advance.

So maybe he finds cheaper tickets on a Wednesday morning at 5:14 a.m (disappearing at 5:24 a.m.) a month later, but it doesn't bother him if he's already stayed within his price range.

Since you're traveling at a holiday time, you would do well to assume that, barring a surprise (like everybody in the U.S. deciding to take trains instead - is that likely to happen?), prices will go higher between now and then.

Personally? I would buy now. I don't see flight costs going down and around Christmas? They jack up prices - just like they do around many holiday's.

Do it now. If you can fly into a "bigger" airport and rent a car - that might work as well. Check into costs at a "bigger" airport and the cost of a rental car to drive.

Will they get cheaper? Yep. Deals and specials will happen.
Will they get more expensive? Yep. No matter what.

When one HAS to travel on certain days to certain places... Do the best search you can, go through an agent if they can get you a discount, but buy them pronto.

As a seasoned traveller, you know this. Both that a pop up deal will happen as soon as you buy, or 2 days before you fly and your forehead will bruise (unless you have insurance that lets you cancel them free of charge). Which is why you want us to tell you to ignore your gut. You KNOW the deals will happen... But also know they'll be sold out, wrong date, etc if you wait.

Buy em now.

I know. It sucks.

I'm travelling for work a lot right now, and I spent $400 last week, then got a deal for $125 this week. Same everything, but snagged a deal. I'm still griping about the 400.

Because it is the holiday season, I would buy now. For the future, I have heard that the best prices are 3 months out. We fly about once a year from coast to coast with united and the prices do usually go up. Also, I have found that purchasing though united is the cheapest (instead of other travel sites). Before booking, I would sign every flyer up for the mileage program through united. You will get quite a bit of miles with 4 people, and can transfer them all together (for a small fee) and end up paying less next time!

Glad you went ahead and made the purchase.

I buy airline tickets all the time for our business and personal travel. I know without a doubt that hubby goes to Houston 1 week of the month and I book those tickets sometimes 6 months in advance on Southwest in order to get the web special which has been as low as $49 one way.

As far as other things such as conferences, etc, I book as soon as I can. For instance, there is a conference in Vegas in September and I got a deal from Dallas to Vegas for $230. Another conference in September in NC is $440.

As long as the charges are under $500 I go ahead and purchase. If they are more than $500, I double check dates, make myself more flexible such as Saturday night stay, etc and save money that way.

I never, ever go through discounters. I work directly with Southwest and American.

Enjoy your trip!

In my experience, the closer you get, the more expensive they are. I would buy them today.

Not sure if this will help but last year I heard on the news with regard to travel that the best fares are 6 weeks out from your date of travel. It was a mere statement without reason given just a seasoned traveler and guide that mentioned this and it has stuck in my memory since I do the exact same thing as you with regard to wavering on waiting or purchasing. I will say this...if you do purchase the tickets now, do yourself a huge favor and don't look at the fares again...you'll only drive yourself crazy~ :)

I am glad you bought your tickets now. The price may go down but it most likely will go up.

I booked my flights when I went home about 3 months prior for a Thanksgiving weekend for a class reunion/family function. I took my time and booked a southern route (going through Dallas) rather than a northern route (Denver) because of the chance of snow. I even allowed extra time a terminals. It all worked out great.

Now you don't have to worry about getting tickets as they are purchased.
Have a good time.

the other S.

Get them now. You are traveling peak holiday season. Price, I think, will only go up.

Being a seasoned traveler you would probably know best. I'm a planner and like to make sure everything is all set. I would buy the tickets now.

In my experience i would buy them now. The sooner the better. I have found when i purchase tickets at the last minute they are so expensive! The sooner you purchase them you are all set and ready to go! And do me one favor, dont go back in another 2 months from now and check prices because they can go either way. They can either go up or down, you just never know! Have fun on your trip!

some people love travel bargain shopping. it makes me twitch and sweat. when i booked our flights for this summer's vacation i used a crappy site (onetravel, i think) that kicked me out halfway through attempting to book 4 seats. by the time i worked my way back to where i'd been, the price had gone up $50. since i already had 2 of the flights booked i had to continue, but boy was i pissed.
i'm glad to see you've got yours in the bag.
omg, that reminds me, i've got to book flights for october! GAHHHHHH!!!!
:X khairete
S.

The sooner the better. Ticket prices rarely drop for/during the holiday season. Just two weeks ago my mom was on the phone with an agent trying to find a good price for tickets so they could fly to Mayo Clinic for medical appointments. The ticket prices jumped $10 while she was on the phone with the agent.

I would seriously consider driving. I just flew from DC to Orlando in a group of 8, (4 adults and 4 kids (5-12)). We flew USAirways. They charged us $25 a bag, $200 each way. Plus renting a car $300+, going through security,etc. Then when we got to the plane, none of the kids were sitting near the adults. I could pay and extra $50 a seat to guarantee me a seat next to my kid. I ended up having to wait until we were on the plane and ask 3 people to change seats, and HOPE that they would.

Flying over the holidays is always expensive. Flying on Christmas Day is usually less expensive then a few days before or Christmas Eve.

What you can do is start with the small airport and see what carriers fly out of there. Go to their websites. Usually, you can view a 'rates' calendar that shows what rates from point A to B are for the month.

We booked last year in August to fly on January 4th. I looked a week later and they were $30 less per person. I got the credit to use on another flight, but that expired in July. My husband was able to use his, but not the rest of us.

Glad you got them when you did, but I'd call and ask if they discount your ticket and provide refunds or credits if the price drops.

December! 6 or 7 months earlier.

Because it is the during the Holiday's, I would book now. I paid around $500 for my tickets mid August from Vegas to Washington DC. I paid a little extra for the direct flight. They never dropped until I changed the date to a week later.