Rule of Thumb on When to Buy Tickets
Dec 23rd, 2012, 09:58 AM
#1
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Rule of Thumb on When to Buy Tickets
I am planning a trip from Miami to Paris nonstop via Air France mid-September of 2013. Tickets are around $1151 now.....is there an advantage to buying this far out..do ticket prices to Europe fall at certain times.?I realize winter months are cheaper, but we are committed to the month of September. I am fearful tickets might sellout..any thoughts from you experienced airline travelers? Thanks so much!! Air France is the only carrier that flies nonstop to Paris from Miami and we want nonstop....also, I find european airlines to be better than domestic. Thanks again!
Dec 23rd, 2012, 02:33 PM
#5
First I would sign up with Kayak and other travel sites and track the fares thru the alerts they will send u. Do this so that you have an idea of the fares and know what is a good fare as well as being alerted to a fare drop. Make sure u get emails from Air France as they will send notices of their sales. If u see a fare u r comfortable with grab it.
I was watching fares from IAD to Paris for a trip this winter. I tracked fares for months and months. Fares kept going up. I was 2 months out from departure, getting neevoice and finally the fares dropped about $75 so I purchased seats. A day later fares went back up and I patted myself on the back for grabbing a lower fare. Less than two weeks later they dropped again another $75. They currently r about $ 25 lower than I paid. all this activity during a month's time frame. airfares are like playing roulette. Good luck!
I was watching fares from IAD to Paris for a trip this winter. I tracked fares for months and months. Fares kept going up. I was 2 months out from departure, getting neevoice and finally the fares dropped about $75 so I purchased seats. A day later fares went back up and I patted myself on the back for grabbing a lower fare. Less than two weeks later they dropped again another $75. They currently r about $ 25 lower than I paid. all this activity during a month's time frame. airfares are like playing roulette. Good luck!
Dec 24th, 2012, 08:32 AM
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I don't think you'd have anything to worry about if you left it until six months prior to departure date. You have a choice of carriers and aren't restricted to either Air France or Delta. Other carriers flying the same route are:
- US Airways which flies via Philadelphia (PHL).
- Lufthansa with the outbound leg operated by United Airlines via Washington DC and return via Frankfurt.
- Air Canada via Toronto and return with Lufthansa via Frankfurt.
- Alitalia via Rome.
- Swiss via Zurich.
It's often cheaper to fly via an alternative airline's hub rather than taking a direct flight which all of the above do.
- US Airways which flies via Philadelphia (PHL).
- Lufthansa with the outbound leg operated by United Airlines via Washington DC and return via Frankfurt.
- Air Canada via Toronto and return with Lufthansa via Frankfurt.
- Alitalia via Rome.
- Swiss via Zurich.
It's often cheaper to fly via an alternative airline's hub rather than taking a direct flight which all of the above do.
Dec 26th, 2012, 08:02 PM
#8
vssinfl - When you check flights on Kayak, also check how many seats are still available; that might help you decide when to buy tickets. Two years ago I watched the fares for a September trip into Frankfurt and out of Madrid go up and down for a month or two, with seat availability pretty much staying the same. Then, when some seats seemed to be disappearing, the fares went down to a reasonable level, and I bought my tickets.
Dec 27th, 2012, 03:06 PM
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I watched fares last December for flights to Nice and home from Paris for trip in Sept/Oct of this year. I watched for 3 months, no real movement in either direction. Then they started to move up a bit, then down a bit. DH read about rising fuel prices expected so I bit the bullet and bought. I didn't look back until I saw mention of big airfare sale on Fodors in mid July. Prices had dropped by almost 1/3!! Couldn't do a thing about it, just ate at me, but what are you going to do?
Don't know how much the past is a predictor of the future, will it happen again? Wish I knew. I wouldn't book this early. I would wait until spring, keeping a watchful eye and determining what price point would be the factor to buy [either going UP or DOWN]
Don't know how much the past is a predictor of the future, will it happen again? Wish I knew. I wouldn't book this early. I would wait until spring, keeping a watchful eye and determining what price point would be the factor to buy [either going UP or DOWN]
Dec 28th, 2012, 08:24 AM
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Hi,
This is best and lowest fare in American and air france. there is no lower then this. If there would be any promotion then only this could be possible for lower then this otherwise this is lowest fare. So book your ticket ASAP.
Regards,
Ram
This is best and lowest fare in American and air france. there is no lower then this. If there would be any promotion then only this could be possible for lower then this otherwise this is lowest fare. So book your ticket ASAP.
Regards,
Ram
Dec 28th, 2012, 05:51 PM
#13
Regarding seat availability -- I figure if there are seats held back, that's good, because that means there are more seats available. When they start showing fewer seats, that's when I figure I should buy the ticket, if the price is reasonable (to me). Obviously it's not an exact science.
