My airfare just went up $150!! I waited too long...
 

I have been thinking of making a trip to Ireland for my mom's 80th birthday but have been stalling about making final arrangements-husband busy at work during that time and waiting to see if my friend can go with me, etc. So, we finally decided to go last night and the airfare went up $150 since yesterday (yeah, I know, I should have put a 24 hour hold on it!!)But, I'm actually waiting to hear from another friend who says she wants to go to!
Anyway, I've been tracking the fare and it has been going down-$40 from over a week ago, then another $2 (yes, $2) since this Monday. Now today, its gone up $150 overnight-yikes!!
That was on Continental-the airline I wanted.
I am so bummed!!!! We are extremely restricted on the dates we go due to my friends job (and mom's birthday!).
But, US Airways still has a good fare.
Should I wait on Continental to go down (they said anything could happen) or go on US
Airways? Could it go down again?
grrrrrrr.....
Shadow

The number of discounted seats is limited on most flights. If you don't have flexibility for travel dates you should jump on a good fare when you see it. Definitely don't wait for Continental - or by then USAir may also go up.

There's no way to know what prices will do beyond the fact that they will go up and down at some time or another. What works best for us is to figure out what price we would be happy with. If an airline hits that fare, we buy and then don't worry about what comes after. To wait and wait and wait to try to hit the absolute lowest price possible is akin to trying to time the stock market.

I've known people who have passed up fantastic deals because they think maybe the price could go down another few dollars.

Last year we were going to go to Germany and another couple we know were interested in going as well. USAir came out with a deal at $441 mid-week and $491 weekends from Baltimore to Frankfurt in June. We grabbed it and I called my friend to tell him to do the same--no, he said, prices are going down and maybe we can get tickets for $400. They ended up paying almost $600.

If you've found a fair price based on past experience and research, pay it and get on with planning your fun time. Don't worry that you might have been able to save another $50 on a trip that will cost you thousands. Otherwise you make it into a nerve-wracking crapshoot.

Airfares tend to go up towards the weekends and then drop early/mid-week, so I'd at least wait until Tuesday or Wednesday and see how it looks then.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34406349

According to Frommers, "The best time to look for airline specials is from about 1 AM on Wednesdays, since many airlines post their new bargains beginning at around midnight on Tuesdays. Many of these are for the following weekend but some are for periods of time further down the pike."

http://www.frommers.com/book_a_trip/...;articleid=203

Sometimes fares like that will go down again in a week or so. I can't figure it out -- if some discount seats got released due to cancellations or if the fare hike was a fluke in the middle. I've waited for a fare to go back down again and it did but I had some flexibility and the flight was still a long way off that I wasn't going to settle.

I would have no preference for CO over USAirways anyway, though, but if you do, might as well wait a bit -- depending on the dates you are considering. If it's in the near future, that hike is probably permanent.

Hi Shadow,

I suggest that you take Rufus's advice, and don't look at the prices again.

The aforementioned advice is all good. I have also seen fares go up & then down again but usually well in advance of desired departure date.
Airlines first offer a limited number of seats at the "cheapest" fare. If the higher fare seats are slow in selling, they can offer again the "sale" seats.
IMHO : Service quality & convenience of flights for your 80 year old mother should be a prime consideration, not trying to save $150.

Phew! I feel better now....
I kept trying different things (expedia, etc.) and then my $620 fare showed up again!!! (Even after calling the airline!) So, I jumped on it and booked it for both of us!! Someone must have cancelled?? Is that what you think happened? We got seats in row 29 so we are at the back but at least we are going at a rate I wanted to pay!!!
Thank you for all your advice!!
(yes, I will not let any other fares bother me now-I got what I wanted!!)
Thanks again!
Shadow

I have also found that if the fare went down after I booked that if I called the airline, they would have me rebook and they would send me a voucher for the difference in price. This was domestic travel and US Airways, so I don't know if it would apply for international travel. But it's always worth a telephone call if you book and the fares go down.

The cost of seats on any particular flight is regulated by a computer program(s) which constantly monitors the number of seats that have been sold on a particular flight. If seats are not selling at a particular pre-determined rate (based on load factos, the airline's self-imposed "break-even" point, etc., the computer automatically re-prices the remaining seats. This is a constant process and TA's for years have reported seeing prices actually change before their eyes as seats are booked or cancelled.
I agree with the poster who said book when you've found a price you are comfortable and then forget about it.
I assume you didn't wait the first time because you read here about "fares will usually go down at such and such a time or date" or "wait until this time or that time." Those pieces of advice are opinions and, unfortunately, they don't always pan out.
Buy your ticket and then concentrate on more important planning matters.