When to book tickets?

[SuperExcited25]

Is it best to buy my airline tickets now for December or should I check priceline in a few months since they swear they have the best deals last minute?! If not Priceline.com, which is your favorite site/airline to go through. American Airlines looks cheap but are they good? Thanks!

[alexandra cruiser]

and almost cancelled because prices SO HIGH...searched all the major internet sites..found cheapo air..and was lowest,,booked it and NOW hoping its ok.

Normallly don t book that far ahead,,,mostly 4 mos out...one poster advised Matrix....good luck with search.:)

[kenish]

and almost cancelled because prices SO HIGH...searched all the major internet sites..found cheapo air..and was lowest,,booked it and NOW hoping its ok.

Normallly don t book that far ahead,,,mostly 4 mos out...one poster advised Matrix....good luck with search.:)

 

Be sure you understand what you bought from Cheapo air. Since you're "hoping it's ok", it sounds like you know and are taking the risk. I'm really posting this as an educational caveat to others...their product is consolidator tickets; read the sticky on this forum and understand that if things go fine you got a great deal. But if anything goes amok with your flights you're the airline's lowest priority since you aren't the airline's customer.

[Azulann]

Traveling by air in Dec anywhere in the US can be at the mercy of the weather gods.:)

 

Another factor would be where is the plane you are boarding coming from? Or is it the first flight of the day?

 

I have already booked my flights for Dec 2012. Got direct flights on Delta. Here in MN , Delta is the major carrier for most of us.:(

 

Also have insurance for flight, cruise and medical. Spending thousand of dollars for a 15 day cruise, cheapest can also include the most risk.

[waterbug123]

American Airlines looks cheap but are they good? Thanks!

 

Simply asking if an airline is good will likely yield a plethora of very subjective answers. What makes an airline "good" for one person may be the exact thing that makes it "bad" for another. Ultimately, much of what determines whether YOU decide the airline is good depends on what is important to you. Also keep in mind that to get whatever feature is most important to you, you will likely have to sacrifice on something else. So.....what is most important to you?

• price?
  
• location of departure airport, number/location of connections, flight times?
  
• model of aircraft? seat pitch? cabin service?
  
• boarding process?
  
• baggage limits and/or fees, or lack thereof?
  
• frequent flyer perks? credit card affinity program?
  
• something else?
  

 

And having said all that, remember that EVERY airline is subject to, and will at at times experience, mechanical delays, airport traffic delays, weather disruptions, occasional rude or obnoxious fellow passengers, occasional rude or indifferent gate/flight crew, lost/delayed bags, a shortage of catering service food/beverages, schedule changes, gate changes, and a whole lot of other issues that cause people to say things like "I'm never flying airline X again because they (fill in the blank.)"

[SuperExcited25]

Just booked through Priceline with Delta and Alaskan. Found the same prices no matter where I looked. Im praying to sweet Jesus that our December will be mild like it has been the past few years so we can leave to the sunney side!! Thanks for all the advice :)

[CantanaLobo]

One thing to be aware of when booking early is the likelihood of schedule changes. I booked flights in Feb for a December cruise (arriving in FLL 3 days early). I made a bet with myself to expect 3 flight changes. I've been checking my flights weekly to see if I've "won". So far, the airline is working on meeting my expectations - our non-stop became non-existent.

 

When I saw our seat assignments had disappeared and you could no longer book that flight, I called the airline. The first alternative the reservation agent tried to put us on arrived in FLL at 11:35 PM (umm, no thanks). Having checked possible flights before I called, I counter-proposed a one-stop arriving only an hour after the non-stop would have. They put us on that.

 

Two schedule changes to go.

 

The reason I booked early was that the price was acceptable (289 PP for DEN-FLL and SAN-DEN). I wasn't about to bet on the fares going much lower, or WN to be cheaper when they open up. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

[ibcnusoon]

I check prices through search engines such as Kayak then book directly with the airline. You get better customer service and I have never found cheaper airfare than booking direct but the search engines search all websites so it easier to see what the lowest rate is.

 

I would never book an unforeseen flight, I pick and choose my flight times.

 

I am holding out on booking airfare for our Thanksgiving cruise. The minute Jet Blue posted their flights a few weeks ago, the prices were outrageous, much cheaper on other airlines. On that note, I have to wait until Southwest, Air Tran and Spirit post their Thanksgiving schedules (next month). Unless I see a major drop in airfare on say US Airways, I'm waiting until May to book. So far, prices have remained stable since I started looking, and I check twice or three times a day.

[greatam]

I am holding out on booking airfare for our Thanksgiving cruise. The minute Jet Blue posted their flights a few weeks ago, the prices were outrageous, much cheaper on other airlines. On that note, I have to wait until Southwest, Air Tran and Spirit post their Thanksgiving schedules (next month). Unless I see a major drop in airfare on say US Airways, I'm waiting until May to book. So far, prices have remained stable since I started looking, and I check twice or three times a day.

 

Why you would wait if you have seen "acceptable" fares on one of the legacy airlines is beyond me?

 

Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest travel periods all year long. Airlines KNOW people will find the money somehow to go visit friends and family. Airlines have absolutely NO reason to discount those fares. They KNOW the planes will fly full.

 

With oil prices shooting through the roof and future problems with Iran that are developing and send oil even higher, if you see something that is "acceptable" during high traffic periods (summer to Europe, anyplace during Thanksgiving and Xmas), book it when you see it.

[SuperExcited25]

:confused:I think the prices for the flights were.. about the same across the board and I know darn well the holidays will be crazy and were traveling between christmas and thanksgiving..do you think theyll tell us if our flight changes? I really hope so

[grandma*knows*best]

:confused:I think the prices for the flights were.. about the same across the board and I know darn well the holidays will be crazy and were traveling between christmas and thanksgiving..do you think theyll tell us if our flight changes? I really hope so

 

You do know that you can check your reservation online whenever you please? If you do so, you won't have to depend on an unreliable notification from your airline if something changes.

[chipmaster]

Capacity could dissapper or maybe if the economy tanks lots of seats available with lots of sales..

 

My 2cents always plan your trip/budget including air fare at time of booking the cruise. You should always budget anywhere from 10-25% more cost risk for airfare if you choose not to book the same time you book the cruise. Sometimes airfare does jump 100% on popular routes once the cheap stuff sells out.

 

Any of the major internet booking/search sites will offer good search on airfares

 

Its a business, the airlines generally try to maximize profits and

Is it best to buy my airline tickets now for December or should I check priceline in a few months since they swear they have the best deals last minute?! If not Priceline.com, which is your favorite site/airline to go through. American Airlines looks cheap but are they good? Thanks!

[CantanaLobo]

You do know that you can check your reservation online whenever you please? If you do so, you won't have to depend on an unreliable notification from your airline if something changes.

 

Don't trust the unreliable online reservation either. The only indication our flight had been cancelled was that our seat assignments disappeared, and I could not pick new ones - couldn't even get a seat map. The lying online reservation still said "confirmed". The lack of seats made me try to make a dummy reservation for the same flight - it no longer showed up.

 

Of course, when I called the airline, the call center drone cheerfully told me I was confirmed - so the system they're using is no better than the web. It's only when I told him to try and book that flight that he was able to find out it had gone "poof", and offered to get me on another flight.

 

Wasn't there a commercial in the sixties about "Is this anyway to run an airline"?

 

Not upset about it - I expect flights to get changed with no notification to me, I expect the flight scheduling computer not to talk to the reservation computer, and I expect call centers to be, ahh, sub-optimally staffed. Hard to be disappointed that way, and allows me to be pleasantly surprised if things work the way I secretly wish they would.

[ibcnusoon]

Why you would wait if you have seen "acceptable" fares on one of the legacy airlines is beyond me?

 

Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest travel periods all year long. Airlines KNOW people will find the money somehow to go visit friends and family. Airlines have absolutely NO reason to discount those fares. They KNOW the planes will fly full.

 

With oil prices shooting through the roof and future problems with Iran that are developing and send oil even higher, if you see something that is "acceptable" during high traffic periods (summer to Europe, anyplace during Thanksgiving and Xmas), book it when you see it.

 

The rates right now are out of a major international airport about 2 hours away. I'm waiting for the regional airport, 45 minutes away, that hosts Spirit, to post schedule. I'd even pay more to fly closer to home rather than dealing with a major hub international airport. Since the regional airport airlines hasn't posted yet, I'm not jumping to book the first available flight on another airline. When flights open up next month and I have all airline prices on my plate to look at, I will then decide who I will book with.

 

I live within 2 hours of 5 metropolitan international airports (EWR/PHL/JFK/LaGuardia/Baltimore), not to mention the little regional airport practically in my backyard that also has service to San Juan.

[Chasey]

I use Expedia to see which airline is the cheapest then I'll go directly to that airline's website to purchase tickets. You'll get the best deals the farther out. Sometimes -- by chance -- a fare might drop a little bit closer in, but it quickly rises again. Don't wait to book airfare EVER! It is a costly gamble.

[kenish]

The rates right now are out of a major international airport about 2 hours away. I'm waiting for the regional airport, 45 minutes away, that hosts Spirit, to post schedule. I'd even pay more to fly closer to home rather than dealing with a major hub international airport. Since the regional airport airlines hasn't posted yet, I'm not jumping to book the first available flight on another airline. When flights open up next month and I have all airline prices on my plate to look at, I will then decide who I will book with.

 

I live within 2 hours of 5 metropolitan international airports (EWR/PHL/JFK/LaGuardia/Baltimore), not to mention the little regional airport practically in my backyard that also has service to San Juan.

 

If oil prices continue to rise, Spirit will be among the next set of airlines to go under...not continue to operate under BK as the major airlines are, but stop operations literally overnight. That's what happened when ATA, Skybus, Independence, etc. ran out of money; they have the same general business model as Spirit. Also, all airlines are cutting costs wherever possible and Spirit is doing so by dropping flights and service to secondary airports. They do that with only a few day's notice.

 

The risk is you may end up needing tickets on another airline a few months to only a few hours in advance. Full-fare tickets may be the only option. One suggestion is to purchase fully refundable tickets on another airline. If things go as planned, get a refund on the other tickets.

 

There's a separate risk with secondary, regional airports. Airlines like Spirit use them because they are underutilized, have low airport fees, and are convenient. Good deal when everything goes fine. But if a flight is cancelled or seriously delayed the next available flight could be the next day or even later in the week. If you don't take it, the entire ticket will be forfeited since the airline met their contractual obligation. (There was a recent travel "troubleshooter" case where people lost their money on Spirit. The next flight was 3 days later, and Spirit correctly pointed out they performed to the CofC. ) Also, if an airline is the only one using a local airport, flights that will get you to the cruise on time may be a frantic drive to the "major" airport.

 

Everyone's risk vs. reward is different, but the risks have to be known to make an informed choice.

[waterbug123]

Since the regional airport airlines hasn't posted yet, I'm not jumping to book the first available flight on another airline. When flights open up next month and I have all airline prices on my plate to look at, I will then decide who I will book with.

 

 

As long as you realize that while you're waiting for Spirit to post their schedule (and fares), the prices on the other airlines MAY go up. So while you'll see more options by waiting, you may lose out on the best overall price.

[mitsugirly]

I can't wait until they open up the schedules for the December flights to book. I've played the waiting game several times and it wasn't worth it. The prices continued to climb. I've booked early before and they ran a "special", which I just cancelled and rebooked for the lower price before. However, most of the time I find that the prices only climb...especially in this economy with the price of oil rising all the time. :(

 

As soon as the schedule for my upcoming cruise in December opens up, you bet I'll be booking my flight right away. :)

[ibcnusoon]

My kayak price checker just informed me that an airfare price just went down $32, when I checked it was a connecting return flight. Would rather pay extra and book non-stop to San Juan. On that note, I'm going to continue to wait for Spirit, Air Tran, and Southwest to post schedules for Thanksgiving before making a decision. I have SW credit and have been accumulating Spirit reward points. I'm ready, just wish these airlines would post!