Airfare prices, now or later?

Question

I'm planning on going to europe Dec 31, 2008 and coming back Jan 18, 2009. I hear the ticket prices are going up everyday. Would it be a good idea to buy it now or should I wait a little longer?

P.S. If you know any cheap site for tickets let me know. thanks.

Answer 1

That's a tough question......typically, buying tickets well in advance of a flight provides the cheapest airfare, as airlines will move prices up as more and more people buy tickets for the flight and as you get closer to the departure date.  With fuel prices going up, you just never know how airlines are going to react, so it might be better to buy a ticket now if it looks affordable.

Also, check out farecast.live.com.  According to their site, "Our airfare prediction shows if fares are rising or dropping. Based on the prediction, we provide a recommendation to buy now or buy later."

Answer 2

If you wait, it would be a gamble. The best thing would be to buy now if you find a good price.

I normally purchase directly from the airline, so in my case, www.delta.com.

Answer 3

Oil prices will never getting down. By booking air tickets earlier, the chances that you may get it cheaper than in November.

http://airlines-airfare.blogspot.com

Answer 4

Oil is $145 a barrel and climbing daily. Airlines are grounding airplanes and reducing the number of seats offered for the specific purpose of driving the cheapest fares off the market. Most of them are rapidly going broke selling tickets at today's prices.

The odds of cheaper fares in a few months is about the same as the odds of $2 gasoline coming back - extremely slim.

There are more airline ticket websites than anyone can list here. Try a shopping site such as kayak.com. It will check many different websites and give you a list of the results.

That being said, no website always has the lowest fare. (I know because I used to work for one.) Some airlines only sell through their own website. You'll have to do some work.

Answer 5

The earlier the better.  But...

Actually its a little to early to book your flight on most airlines.  About 3 months is where they solidify their scheduals and start taking reservations.  Here is a good blog on getting cheap tickets for you though.

There are several ways to get the best airfare:

  Try one of the big companies: Travelocity.com., Kayak.com or Expedia.com. The advantage to them is that they show many different airlines and the cheapest prices for both the specific date you want to fly and the dates surrounding that date.  In case your plans are flexible. The disadvantage is that you are locked into the fare dates.  If you want to change a date due to injury or an emergency, their fees can be extreme.  

  My personal method it to use Kayak as my initial check on fares and dates.   I generally start at least a month in advance when looking for a ticket.   The nice thing about kayak is that it hooks you up directly to the airline.  Hence… you don’t get locked too deeply into one of the big three that charge up the wazoo for rescheduling.   Then after I have figured one or two flights that are at the right times and right prices.  In the upper left corner of the Kayak screen there is a feature that says “ track fares by email”. It’s referred to as Fare tracker and it really helps. Sign into this feature and it will update you daily on the changes in airfare.  At least once in the month you are going to be able to find a fare that is usually a couple of hundred dollars less than what you have been quoted in the first place.  A very cool feature.

Also, check out currentcodes.com and naughtycodes.com. these two sites have discount codes for some of the airlines and can save you some real money if you catch a special at the right time. They have discount codes for just about everything including airfares and Cruises. Not to mention coupon type codes for many stores and services.

If that is not what you want or you are in more of a hurry,  then…

  Try the airlines directly. Either their Web sites or direct telephone lines. Some of the Airlines offer low price guarantees meaning that if you find a cheaper fight on another Web site they may match the price or beat it. Each airline is different though, so you have to check them out individually.

  Just remember, if you are going to try to get the cheapest flights, the airlines normally have restrictions. You may have to purchase the ticket 14 or 21 days in advance, there may be no refunds or changes allowed.  You really need to know these restrictions.  

   If you try looking for a last-minute flight you will end up paying a lot more, although there are occasional exceptions.  I personally, managed a last minute ticket to S.F on the Millennium New Years eve. And received a better price than my friends that had booked a month in advance!    But… you cannot depend on this at all.

   Usually travel agents do not get the lowest fares and sometimes they tack on a commission. Travel agencies used to be the best way to get the best airfare, but with the Internet, It is now just as easy for individuals to check themselves.

   If you call an airline directly (they all have toll-free numbers), be sure to ask them if they have any specials. Often they do have specials, but you have to ask them about them, they won’t just tell you!  

So be careful about restrictions on tickets.  Be aware of charges for overweight baggage and remember that many of the very CHEAP fares you see in the Travel section of the local Papers are fares that are quoted, “without taxes”  Taxes can really add up.  

Have fun and happy travels.