When is the best time to purchase my plane ticket to Europe for november?

Question

It is July and i am going to europe for 3 weeks in November. i would usually book further in advance for best deal, but a few ppl told me to wait till summer is over to buy the ticket since that is the end of travel season and it should go down. is this true?

Answer 1

it doesnt go by which season you book the ticket in, it matters how far in advance you book it.

I say book it ASAP to get a better deal because as the date gets closer the price will get higher and higher due to not as advanced notice.

so book your ticket very soon.

Answer 2

I disagree - I do think it sometimes matters what season you purchase the ticket in.  I would start to seriously watch prices (checking multiples times each day) to familiarize yourself with routes/times and of course prices so that if you see a price drop, you will know that is an actual drop.  I have a friend who travels to Paris every November and I was just bugging her to book her ticket soon and she swears that waiting until mid-late August always gets her the best fares.  I bet if you know where to look and do it often enough, you will catch a deal before November.

Answer 3

It's doubtful that the fare will go down significantly and if industry trends are any indication the fare stands a much greater risk of going up.  

This is because of fuel prices (which are a wild card at this point) and reductions in capacity (which are certain to go into effect).  The net effect is that many of the reductions in fare that were there before can't be counted on to happen now.

If reduction in fare is a concern, you can always book through a channel like Orbitz that will refund the difference if the fare drops or have the ticket refared.

Good luck and safe travels!

Answer 4

I agree with cee.lynn, November prices for air travel are usually lower, sometimes much lower than they are during the summer travel season. Many airlines are already offering reduced fares for November travel, I don't think you need to wait until summer is over, just keep checking different airlines and discount websites until you see a price you like.