Brilliantsulk

From what I've read (and please correct me if I'm wrong) Monday is the best time to find less expensive fares...

I was wondering if a holiday such as Labor Day would yield higher or lower fares. Anyone have experience with this?

We're headed from San Francisco to London, then Eurostar to Paris and back to S.F. Dates are Dec. 18-29.

Any advice would be appreciated - it's hard to pull trigger when purchasing 4 tickets during high season!

Thanks.

eliztravels2

My advice is the same as what you will often find on this forum: monitor fares for a period of time, and when you see something you like book it and don't look back. Someone on your flights will have paid less, and many will have paid more. Crystal balls are useful, but hard to come by.

simpsonc510

We travel to/from Europe at least twice a year. I always look to booking our travel mid-week. We usually fly to Europe on a Wednesday or Thursday, and return on a Tuesday or Wednesday. But I always watch flight prices for a while before booking. I want to make sure we earn miles when flying on Star Alliance partner airlines, so I book at least a minimum level ticket price (fare bucket) so as to earn those miles.

Tickets that once were $800-900 are now closer to $1100. Our routing is pretty much 90% from ORD-ZRH.

Gardyloo

Don't confuse "when to buy" with "when to fly."

Is a Monday in September the best day to buy tickets for a ten-day trip to Europe over Christmas? Or would it be cheaper to buy the same tickets on a Wednesday in October? Will it be cheaper to depart to Europe on a Monday or a Saturday?

You have to understand that airfares are set according to extremely detailed (and extremely confidential) computer programs that take into account demand on that particular flight on that particular day, historic demand for that week, the price of fuel then and now, how many seats the competition is offering on the same routes/days, and literally dozens of other factors.

The computers update fares constantly, not just noon on Mondays or midnight on Tuesdays or during full moons. Look, if there was a "cheapest" time to book plane tickets, why wouldn't millions of experienced flyers all wait for that hour to buy their tickets? Don't you think the airlines would notice that and react accordingly?

Look for a price you can live with, book it, and don't be a Monday-morning quarterback over it. Focus on saving some money by being more aggressive in shopping for hotels, or train tickets. You can't out-think the airlines' revenue management systems, whether it's on a Monday morning or a Wednesday night.

simpsonc510

Good points, gardyloo. If the OP has a FF account and can set his/her access on "expert mode" then he/she can see what fare buckets are available. Sometimes the airlines do not show the lowest available fare (if you know where to look)!! But you can't always "ask" the web site to give you the lowest fare either. As I've said on other threads, I watch fares all the time, because I know when we are travelling (and to where) pretty much for the next year. We have consistent travel times and destinations.

simpsonc510

Oh, and to the OP... I can't remember where I saw it, but I have sometimes seen evidence that early WEDNESDAY morning is a good time to check possibly lower fares. Don't know how consistent that advice is/was.

simpsonc510

Just saw a post on flier talk that indicated TUESDAY to be the best day to purchase.....?!

Gardyloo

<I>Just saw a post on flier talk that indicated TUESDAY to be the best day to purchase.....?!</i>

Tuesday in Dallas? Delhi? Dubrovnik?

simpsonc510

The person who posted that suggestion about Tuesday being the best day is based in Las Vegas, and flies a LOT.

Gardyloo

http://www.farecompare.com/travel-ad...avel-insiders/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3328463.html

simpsonc510

So much for any agreement on the "best" day to buy tickets! lol

Brilliantsulk

Thanks for the responses, I think I'm going to monitor for a couple of more days, take a deep breath and buy!

simpsonc510

December is still a little ways off, but I can tell you that I jumped on our free Bangkok (FF) tickets waaaay back in May maybe(?) when I saw availability on the Thai A380 FRA-BKK in 1st class as part of the journey from ORD-BKK. Soooo glad I booked so early this time. The holiday travel season means higher prices and fewer seats for FF-ers. Best to accept a reasonable price and hit "buy" as soon as you feel comfortable.

sparkchaser

Conventional wisdom says the middle of the week and this has also been my experience. So Tues/Wed.

<i>December is still a little ways off</i>

TIL 3 months is a "little ways off" when it comes to buying plane tickets..

Brilliantsulk

I ended up purchasing tickets yesterday - a Tuesday, and felt I got a good deal considering the time of year I'm traveling.

And yes, I couldn't resist - I checked prices today and they were up about $100 a ticket. I'm sure they may drop again but I promised myself I wouldn't look again...

Thanks for all of the input.

eliztravels2

Good strategy, brilliant! Now you can turn your attention to how you are going to spend the money you 'saved' on airfare. Enjoy your trip.

sparkchaser

LOL

Travelnut

Traditionally for US airlines, Tuesday after midnight, so early Wednesday morning. Still true? who knows....