Is it safe to book a flight four months in advance or does it stand a good chance of being cancelled?

Question

It will be multiple flights for an international journey.

Answer 1

It depends on the airline.

Most will have "firm" schedules within four months of departure, so I would say that you are safe. I have a lot of experience with American Airlines and they include a clause in the ticket which allows for free changes if there is a schedule change.

Most airlines will probably allow you to make free changes to your ticket, or even refund it if they change their schedule so that your connections don't work or they discontinue service to a particular city.  I would print the detailed fare rules for your ticket which can usually be found prior to purchase.

Check with your airline occasionally to make sure there haven't been any schedule changes or cancellations.

Cheers.

Answer 2

Flight cancellations have nothing to do with when they were booked. You can book a flight for tomorrow and it has just as much risk of being cancelled as a flight one year from now. Of course, common sense applies too. For example if you live in Minnesota, you can pretty much expect a higher risk of cancellations in January (snowstorms, etc) than in July.

Answer 3

Not sure why you think it would be cancelled? If you are planning multiple flights I'd certainly book well in advance to ensure you can get the connections you need...

Answer 4

I booked my flight to Thailand that I will take in December back in April. The price was very cheap so I jumped at the chance. I usually buy it early and haven't had any problems. I call the airline a week before i leave to see if there are any cancellations.