So how far out SHOULD you look for flights? About This Page:

[goofysdtr]

I know that it all depends on what you, as an individual, are comfortable with, but if you're looking for the best prices on flights, when is typically the best time to look? One month? Five months? A year?

[Ransom]

In my experience, it all depends. With things as crazy as they are in the airline industry, you never know what'll happen. All the old rules seem to have been repealed.

I can tell you what happened last year, though, as I kept track of the prices on our Oct 08 trip from Dec 07 through Oct 08. I tracked prices for the two airlines that most frequently fly between ORD and MCO -- AA and United.

I can tell you that prices started out very high and stayed that way until February, when they suddenly dipped for about two weeks to half the price they'd been at -- at which time, I bought our tickets.

Then the prices quickly went back up to half way between the high and low points, and fluctuated around there from week to week from then on. Every once in a blue moon, they'd drop down again significantly, but never quite as low as they had been (briefly) in February. Then, in August, they shot up past their highest highs and stayed there until the planes took off.

Despite having all that data, laboriously noted over the last year, I don't expect anything of the sort in the coming year. Anything can happen. I'm just going to keep my eye on it, and if the price drops to anything near 50% of what they start out asking, then I'm going to buy.

YMMV. Good luck!

[Mystic]

If you have particular airlines that you prefer to fly see if they have newsletters that you can sign up for. We live in Toronto, Ontario so we have the option of two airlines that fly non-stop to Orlando. Our personal preference is to fly with Air Canada so I signed up for their Websaver newsletter that comes out every week or so. This way I'm always in the loop as to discounted airfares. That's how I got the airfare for our upcoming trip. In one of my newsletters there was a link to a pincode for a 25% off discount code for airfares.

[Sue M.]

I make the 3 hr drive south to Seattle for cheaper fares! I've flown AA, Delta, Continental, United and this Jan for the first time SW. I book usually 6 mos ahead. I know that I can get airfares for around $250 RT (incl tax) so I just monitor the airlines (signed up for all their fare alerts) and when I see the price drop to the $250 give or take a few $ I book it.
In Sept I booked for Jan on SW, and so far that's been the best price.

[cdnmousegirls]

We booked our flights for Jan, last March, we found a good deal, the same flights now are twice. If you book them on Orbitz they have a price assurance, you should check it out!

[chezp]

I know things differ between the international and domestic markets, but I start checking out prices as soon as flights become available for our time slot - usually 11 months out. If I see something that's within budget and I can live with, I go for it.

[modisney]

I start 9 months out or so, check every few days and when I get a general of the price range, I'll book something that I feel is reasonable. Even in today's economy, I've not been on a flight to Florida, especially Orlando, that wasn't full.

[saxgirl2003]

it really depends on what airline u want to fly. Now a days we only fly Southwest due to the free luggage.

When our dates for our sept trip, opened in april of this yr we were exstatic.

Our flights started out at $82 each way which is a great deal. By July, they went down to $60. at that time is when my now Fiancee` decided he had the finances to go with us, so the credit we got from our flights was used to buy the tickets for my fiancee`.

SWA is a great airline to fly in the USA. i say start looking about 5-6mths out if your dates r open.

[Ashli]

My general rule is to start looking as soon as I can and check back every few days (a week at the most) to see which way the prices are going and get an average idea. Like a previous poster said, once I see a price that's within my budget and doesn't feel like I am getting totally ripped off, I go for it. I am too much of a planner/worrier to keep waiting and waiting to see what the absolute bottom price "might" be. I'm always afraid the prices will just continue to go up, not down, or the flights I want will get sold out.

[KMB733]

I began about a year about of time checking the price of tickets. I wasn't going to book that far out but just wanted to get an idea of what I was going to be spending.

[duck addict]

I start looking when I have a trip in view (though I may have to fudge dates to get an estimate.

Most domestic airlines wouldn't book until approximately 320 days out (SW even less)

[jenjen1127]

Continental is always the cheapest out of Newark so as soon as flights come up (typically a year ahead) I start looking. I posted in another thread that prices are crazy that they change everyday. One day it was $218 round trip so I booked already for next August because I don't think it will go lower. As a matter of fact, the same flights have gone as high as $378 roundtrip and then back down to $248. I'm glad I snatched it up the one day it was $218.

[ShellingConnie]

I start looking about 6 months out. That way I can get a handle on the current prices.

I don't book until a couple of months before sometimes even as soon as one month before when going to MCO. I fly out of ATL so there's quite a few flights to MCO.

[roundupgang]

I e-mailed Airtran the other day with a similar question and this is the response that I got:

While booking a reservation well in advance is a good way to get a low fare, waiting for a sale fare to become available is the best way. Although there is no guarantee as to what dates of travel will be included in our next promotion, typically, specials are released four to six months prior to travel. Keep in mind that our special fares are available for a limited number of seats and are very popular with our customers.

I hope this helps. I'm still looking for airfare as I am 9 months out for just an "idea" of how much I am going to spend. I'm hoping for a really great rate from either Airtran or Southwest.