lhsiler

I am ready to purchase tickets to paris for my family this summer - is there a "best time" to buy tickets for July travel? We plan to be gone for 3 weeks. I didn't know if I should wait till a bit later. Also, what are the best websites for good prices?

Lynne

kismetchimera

Start searching the internet around March..Check different Airlines often, sometimes they have terrific specials for a very short time.

StCirq

I usually buy my summer tickets in February or March, when the airfares are low. You can't tell from year to year, though, so keep watching the fares.

Flyboy

I agree with StCirq, but remember that "low" is a relative term. From where I am in the Midwest in a non-hub city, "low" for a July trip would be in $800 range.

Underhill

We just bought our tickets for September, and the cost from San Francisco to Paris was just under $1200. Last May we paid around $900; so the trend is not good.

college_travelers

Hi. I have already booked my American Airlines ticket to Paris, France.

I purchased my ticket in late October for my flight in March. From Jacksonville, FL to Paris, France, it was just slightly over $400.00 r/t (included all taxes).

I would at least look once a week for your airfare. If one comes up you like, book it.

My advice on a website: Always book your airline ticket via the airline's website. There are no booking fees and you usually get an online booking bonus (usually an extra 1,000 miles).

However, my typical airfare search always starts with Travelocity. I simply type in the desired cities and then select "search all dates for best fares." Travelocity will then bring up the cheapest airfare for certain dates.

After finding the cheapest airfare and dates, I simply go to that particular airline's webisite and book it there. The fare is always cheaper on the airline's website.

Right now, most airline sale fares end by March 25 (travel completed by this date). I can't tell you if it is cheaper to book now or later. The best advice is to search at least once a week. Good luck!

coldwar27

I'm sorry for hooking onto a post but it was the same title I was going to use....

I am planning to go to Paris in April. Any sense that I should wait any longer on airfares? I've seen $650-750. My dates are the 7-13 which is Easter so I would think that the prices probably wouldn't go back down. Flying from Tampa.

I'm answering my own question but I want some hand-holding I suppose. Thanks.

SalB

Underhill, if you're going from San Francisco, have you tried Corsair? We flew that in 2002 and it was incredibly cheap. It's a cattle car though. You get what you pay for. We booked through New Frontiers.

We fly from LA so have to pay cross country too. It adds up.

We usually use Expedia but I check all the major travel sites . . . and check and check.

lhsiler

THanks for the info. I ended up buying the tickets through justfares.com. They were the least expensive and good service. The prices kept going up so I finally bought them. We are going in July, which turns out to be the most expensive time - you'd be much better off travelling in June if you can.

JonJon

Please remember that airfares are NOT going to go down for any length of time unless there is some sort of sale. And since nobody knows for certain when, or if, that will happen, you're as enlightened as every single other poster who responded to this..in other words NOBODY KNOWS for sure!
Why people think airfares are going to get cheaper when the cost of everything else in life generally rises over time is beyond me. If I didn't know better I'd wonder if any of these people had ever traveled at all! Good luck.

Travelnut

JonJon, I think it IS the elusive sales that folks are looking for, asking if anyone knows when sales are typically held, or what their experiences with 'timing' have been. Maybe they haven't traveled much, so what. I don't think people are saying will all airfares in the future be lower than all airfares in the past. Usually, you can count on technology to go down in price over time, but not bread, milk, fuel or airfare. But, ahhh, if you hit a SALE, that's the "ticket" (pun intended).

Betsy

Go to travelzoo.com and subscribe to their weekly newsletter. You'll be notified each week of the best travel bargains available. Last week they sent a special alert about Air France's one-day sale. $428 RT (yes, RT) from SF to Paris through May, I think.