I have often heard that purchasing airline tickets with lowest prices available for overseas travel is best about 4 to 5 months ahead of time. Does this still hold true?

it wasn't normally true then and it isn't now. The airlines set fares based on very detailed logarithms. Best prices could be 10 months out or 5 months out or when a sale hits 3 months out . . . or who knows???

So when you find a fare you like/can live with . . . jump on it and then quite looking.

JANISJ I've always done that in the past but so often hear 4 to 5 months out I thought I'd listen to other comments

You will hear all kind of things. If you are a frequent flier, you know there is no "rule." People make money writing articles about when the best time to buy is, but it's all bs. Like Janis, I watch ticket prices and when there is a price I like, I buy it.

There was something on the news the other day that indicated best time was 47 days out. I'm not sure how or who came up with that idea. I can't even remember which TV channel had the report! Didn't take notes, but the #47 stuck in my head.

I agree with watching the price and then purchase when you are happy with the fare. The do go up and down!

For our trip to London from Australia I bought tickets 8 months ahead cause I knew that was a Good price,! Do your homework and take a chance .

>>There was something on the news the other day that indicated best time was 47 days out.<<

Which is just silly - there are sooooooo many variables.

True, janisj. Too many variables. How this news story came up with 47 days, I have no idea.

The only tickets I usually try to pick up further than 2-3 months ahead of travel are my frequenr flier tickets for Dec/Jan holiday travel as I try to get saver award seats in first class to Bangkok. I've already snagged 3 seats for this December. Gotta be quick or they're gone.

We're off to London in August and when I found tickets at a price I was willing to say "stick", I did. I first watched the different airlines I was interested in; wrote down prices and dates that price was offered, and waited. When the price dropped over $100 below what I had been seeing, I bought.

Will the price go down more? Possibly. But do I want to be stressed out risking it and then kicking myself? Nope.

But everyone is right. In 2009 I decided to join my mom last minute on a trip to France. Happened to hit a last minute steep cut in price (half empty plane, I suspect!) and snagged the deal, two weeks before departure.

I guess if I was super flexible, I wouldn't mind trying that again. But not when the plan is to be at a destination at a set date, with work to come back to!