Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Travel Topics > Air Travel
Reload this Page >

How do I know when to buy tickets?

Search

How do I know when to buy tickets?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 03:58 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,698
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
How do I know when to buy tickets?

Want to go CMH-DEN over Memorial Day weekend. Would prefer to leave Thurs p.m. or Fri a.m. and return Mon in late p.m. I have been watching the airfare on Kayak from mid Jan on. Should have bought mid Jan when ticket was $304. Has been $384 for the last 10 days or so. Keep hoping for a fare sale on Frontier, the primary carrier. What to do? I don't want to pay $384, it's 3 months away, a holiday weekend. Should I just suck it up or do you think the price will come down? Thanks!
aliska is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 04:13 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
www.farecompare.com

www.kayak.com/buzz

2 beast sites for me to monitor

Tues PM best day to book when all carriers drop prices

to match each others sales.
qwovadis is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 04:16 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
www.southwest.com web deals currently from $139 each way

might grab one of those B4 they get away

you are trying to book the busiest spring week.
qwovadis is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 04:16 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 4,024
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If there is a fare sale coming up, it's probably not going to include Memorial Day weekend.

There's never any good answer to these dilemmas. You buy the ticket when it's at a price you feel comfortable with and you don't look back.
Jeff_Costa_Rica is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 07:34 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 23,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No good answers other than to ask yourself - which is going to piss me off more. If I buy a ticket now and price goes down - or if I wait and the price goes up.
gail is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2011, 09:00 AM
  #6  
esm
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,519
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry, I don't have good answers either; tough to find good fares in smaller markets for Memorial Day weekend. In my area we're stuck with AA and Delta (another small airport) and if we get lucky, one of them will have a sale and the other will follow. Over the last year I've been watching fares to and from VA and they've been all over the place.
esm is online now  
Old Feb 23rd, 2011, 09:00 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Look at what's happening with oil prices right now ... seems like slim chances that airfares are going to be going down anytime soon.
scdreamer is offline  
Old Feb 23rd, 2011, 12:09 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From 15+years in travel industry I can tell that there is 50/50% chance. The lower fare might stil be introduced, but this usually happen very close to the flight date. if you wait close to the flight, you might not get seats at all.
Did you check other travel agencies. A lot of online travel agencies have lower prices than airline websites (because of the special agreements)
$360 total round trip is the lowest I currently see. Let me know if you want details on this.
faretex is offline  
Old Feb 24th, 2011, 07:20 AM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,698
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I went ahead and bought my plane ticket on Wed. My rationale was the rise in my area of gasoline prices $.30/galllon overnight due to the situation in Libya and the Middle East. For a holiday weekend, I don't think it will get cheaper. Oh well, maybe I am wrong, but I like my strategy. Time will tell.
aliska is offline  
Old Feb 25th, 2011, 04:12 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 4,024
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think you did the right thing, aliska.

Now, don't keep looking. You'll only torture yourself if you find a lower price. You have the ticket, and it's not such a terrible price. Don't look back.
Jeff_Costa_Rica is offline  
Old Mar 4th, 2011, 07:47 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"No good answers other than to ask yourself - which is going to piss me off more. If I buy a ticket now and price goes down - or if I wait and the price goes up." Excellent strategy.

Like Jeff, after buying the ticket I never recheck the fare. After the decision is made, I move on to other travel needs instead of "woulda, shoulda, coulda." Besides, I must have been at lease reasonably happy with the price or I would not have made the purchase.
CubFanAlways is offline  
Old Mar 6th, 2011, 11:24 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Agree there's no definitive answer - it's like asking: "when should I buy stocks?"
bardo1 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
DisneyFan1970
Air Travel
9
May 12th, 2010 04:38 AM
cd
Air Travel
19
May 14th, 2008 04:14 AM
nyse
Europe
9
Jul 14th, 2007 07:01 AM
jent103
Europe
9
Nov 21st, 2006 12:19 PM
Prill1717
Europe
8
Feb 29th, 2004 05:09 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -