jayboo

We're planning to fly LAX to London next summer, stay a few days there, then perhaps EasyJet or other cheapo flight to Amsterdam (or possibly the train) to visit friends there. I'm the kind that wants to make plans, book flights and hotel rooms RIGHT NOW, but we do have to wait for our dear Dutch friends to let us know when is a good time for them. Should I be worried that I'm going to miss the window of opportunity, is the window open right up to two weeks b4 we go, or is it not even open yet? I hope this makes sense. I tend to be a worrywart and don't want to miss out. Thanks for any advice you all can give me!

travelhorizons

Flights are only going to get more expensive the longer you wait. Tell your friends what you're dealing with, and ask them to commit to some date. There may be good prices now, but the cheap seats sell out first!

rkkwan

Best prices won't stay until 2 weeks before you go, if you're talking about peak summer season.

It's a little early to book now as most airlines haven't released the cheaper tickets. [Exception: Aer Lingus already have very low prices to Dublin and beyond.]

But you should find the best prices from around January to maybe March or early April. After that, prices will only go up as the planes get filled.

alanRow

And on a popular route like any UK airport to Amsterdam you need to book as soon as possible as discounting is unlikely

caroline_edinburgh

Alan is right - for flights within Europe generally, but especially with budget airlines, book as soon as the flights go on sale. Identify which airlines serve the route(s) you want and check them every day until the flights for your dates go on sale.

I gather from this site that transatlantic flights are different, and prices can go down as well as up.

alanRow

Most budget airlines in Europe use "yield management" techniques which will adjust prices according to demand, so popular routes & dates like NCL to AGP on a Saturday in August are already at £100 each way whereas a couple of days before the same flight is £27

ira

HI J,

For Summer, I would look at prices in Jan and Feb.

The "window of opportunity" is a moving target.

WillTravel

It does happen, on occasion, that you book a budget flight (like EasyJet or Ryanair) as early as possible, only to find the airline has a sale later, and your flight is cheaper. This has happened to me, but it's very risky to wait and hope there will be a sale that meets your exact requirements. Plus, the savings were rather slight, since the flights are so cheap (excluding the taxes and fees) anyway. You have a much greater chance of losing money by waiting than you do of gaining money.

amberbee

Skyscanner.net is the best place to find the cheapest flights.

The train / ferry option takes longer but is a nice way to travel and cheaper than flying:
http://www.stenaline.co.uk/stena_lin..._and_sail.html

I could be wrong about this but I don't think it matters when you book. £25 single, £50 return.

Coaches are also cheap:
http://www.eurolines.com/

amberbee

All the options / web sites here:
http://www.insquish.com/transport.htm

travelgourmet

A couple of notes. I think it is too early to start worrying about the flights.

1) London is such a popular destination that there is a lot of capacity, and I would think you will continue to see deals, off and on, between now and next summer. The key will be catching a good deal when it comes, as it may come and go pretty quickly. But, I disagree with the assertion that the best deals will necessarily be available now. There may be good deals now, but I don't think this precludes good deals later. However, I also wouldn't wait until 2 weeks out, and if I didn't have tickets by 2 months out, I would probably jump at the next decent deal.

2) Along with #1, keep an eye out for the summer business class sales. Some of these can be amazing deals, and you might get to travel up front for less than you would think. These will not be released until closer to the summer. March or so, maybe?

3) Be sure to factor in all of the costs when deciding which airline to take from London to Amsterdam. If you are traveling with heavier bags, watch out for the baggage allowance, as the charges add up. Also, be sure to factor in the cost of getting to whatever London airport you are leaving from. And don't dismiss the hassle factor - if you are staying on the Picadilly line, being able to take the tube all the way to Heathrow is worth a few extra bucks over having to switch to a train to get to Gatwick. Similarly, if you are staying near Victoria, Gatwick might be easier. In short, look pretty widely and keep an open mind, as I rarely find EasyJet super cheap once everything is factored in.

For my money, I would look hard at VLM airlines (not to be confused with KLM). They fly regularly from London City airport to Amsterdam. Between being able to take the DLR to the airport, and the civilized airport experience, paying an extra $25-$30 is money well-spent in my book. And you may not even have to pay a premium.

4) Since you are going to Amsterdam, as well, be sure to price flights into Amsterdam when looking for deals.

Christina

I haven't even started thinking about my flights for next summer. There isn't any reason to be so anxious about booking flights now for next summer, there is plenty of time. I've never heard of anyone needing to book flights before the end of the year for the following summer in order to get some amazingly cheap deal.

sandypaws3

I usually check a year before we're going to go, and I have often seen the prices go up from the price I've gotten. However, I've also seen the opposite -- seen some wonderful fares come up about 3 mos. before our travel dates. I like to check www.kayak.com to get an idea of what fares are running.

Sandy

jayboo

Thanks for all the informed/expert advice... I'm especially attracted to those messages that say, basically, "relax for now... it's not time to worry yet." Thanks travelgourmet, for your lengthly and very helpful post.

jayboo

oops - I mean lengthy... :/