Schnooks

I am new at this. I checked Chicago to Amarillo 12/29 - 1/5 and it went up this pm.

I assume the inventory changes constantly? Daily?

Thanks for the help.

Schnooks

buckeyemom

I have heard that the best day to shop for fares is Wed. and the best time midnight. Have you tried the airline websites or southwest?

Schnooks

Thanks for the tip!

help

ck out all websites...for $$ for fares...got my best fare by calling direct to USAIR..usually do website...but ck all....

Treck

Buckeyemom is right. Try again tomorrow (Tuesday night/Wednesday morning) at midnight. That is when the airlines post their sale fares.

E

Depending on the route I'm researching, I've seen prices go up AND back down over the course of a week or two. It can be very frustrating! Keep checking (check Travelocity, Expedia, Cheap Tickets, and individual airline sites), think positively, and when you see a fare that looks good to you, book it!

Jed

Yes, they do go up and down. A few months ago I was looking at a certain itinerary for $330, and when I went to book it, it was $440. I waited for about ten days, then when I had almost given up, it went down to $330 again, so I grabbed it.

However, it may be that your price went up because the "14 day advance" period had passed. Was this the case?

Also, Fodors says that the best time to look for fares is just after midnight Wednesday AM.

patg

Since that route is most frequently served by AA (I think), call their frequent flyer desk directly and see if they can find a good fare for you. I wouldn't wait any longer.

Idnas71

Hello... I'd like some opinions on how far in advance to buy airfare for a trip to California next year from the midwest. My dates are firm, leaving on September 6th and returning on the 12th. The 6th is actually Labor Day Monday, so I didn't know if that would be a big factor or not. I checked some prices this past October and I wish I'd bought then. It was around $288 then. Now it's around $330. Not a big difference until you figure buying three tickets.

Do you folks think early to mid-spring will be a good time to get a better price?

flyfaraway

I think you can keep checking until mid-summer. If you see something that is just a great deal then I would go ahead and book it. I think I posted this somewhere else, but you can also sign up for the Orbitz Deal Detector. Every week or so they will give you updates on fares to where you are trying to go to. It makes it easier for you, so you don't have to keep looking! Good Luck..

makai1

Hi Idnas71,

Wait & keep consistently checking...

I booked 2 RT from ORD to SFO last May for an early October trip for $170 ea. on AA non-stop. Prices had been jumping in the same range you're getting and they were staying right around $338 for the longest time... when all of a sudden they dropped to $170 out of the blue.

Be patient... but also check daily if possible... I would've missed the opportunity if I hadn't been diligently checking.

Idnas71

makai1,

I ended up buying my airfare about a week ago for $292 on AA. It'll probably go down further between now and then but I wanted to book early and get the flight times that worked best for me.

Although, I wish I had been more open-minded about my itinerary. Should have flown RT to L.A. instead of the open-jaw ticket which I have. About $75 less and non-stop to boot. But convenience is worth something too, I guess.