Expert opinion needed

Hi All,

I need advice because I am having regrets.

I will be flying from Minneapolis to Orlando with my teenager on April 23 -29.

Six weeks ago when I first started researching flights both Delta and Sun Country had this roundtrip airfare listed for $266 each. I didn't book then because I was hoping for price drops or maybe even a Cyber Monday sale.

I've been checking prices daily and have slowly watched them rise. Today Delta has the same ticket listed for $326 and Sun Country for $290.

Do you think I should buy now in case prices keep rising or hold out hoping for a price drop?

Hi All,

I need advice because I am having regrets.

I will be flying from Minneapolis to Orlando with my teenager on April 23 -29.

 

Six weeks ago when I first started researching flights both Delta and Sun Country had this roundtrip airfare listed for $266 each. I didn't book then because I was hoping for price drops or maybe even a Cyber Monday sale.

 

I've been checking prices daily and have slowly watched them rise. Today Delta has the same ticket listed for $326 and Sun Country for $290.

 

Do you think I should buy now in case prices keep rising or hold out hoping for a price drop?

It depends on how much you are ultimately willing and able to pay if you gamble (continue to wait) and lose (prices continue to go up, not down.) If it was me, I'd have jumped all over the tickets when they were $266. How much lower were you hoping they might go?

Airfare algorithms are wonderful things, beyond the understanding of us mere mortals. But, if fares are going up, the possibility is that tickets at the original price were selling well, so the computer tries to get a bit more revenue by raising prices. Once prices start to rise, the only reason for them to fall is IF none are purchased at the new higher price. How lucky do you feel?

As has been said, the original fare looked pretty good.

$266 was not unreasonable, I would have jumped on that. How much more are you willing to give up?

You are all right. I am kicking myself for not buying the tickets at $266. I've had family make the same trip over the summer and pay around $200 so I really was betting on a price drop.

I think I am going to continue to cross my fingers for a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. It sucks being so indecisive.

My retirement plan includes buy lotto tickets

I didn't book then because I was hoping for price drops or maybe even a Cyber Monday sale.

I've had family make the same trip over the summer and pay around $200 so I really was betting on a price drop.

I think I am going to continue to cross my fingers for a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. It sucks being so indecisive.

Will you finally buy a ticket when it reaches $400? $500? Or will you keep "hoping" it will come back to that $200 goal you wanted?

Econ 101.

My retirement plan includes buy lotto tickets

Low mileage, no wear - numbers only checked once.

Make me an offer.

It sucks being so indecisive.

It can also be expensive.

Buy the tickets now. Then feel good when you see the price later.

Want to buy some second-hand?

 

Low mileage, no wear - numbers only checked once.

 

Make me an offer.

Part of my strategic plan.

second-hand would even be better. They weren't any good the first time so if I hold off, the odds will be better the 2nd time.

If you will be flying, then buy the tickets. If you might be flying but have other options, then wait and see.

Great answer!

I am sure there are cases when ticket prices go down, but I have never once seen them go down for trips I was planning!! What I have seen more than once is tickets going up $50-100 overnight.

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Part of my strategic plan.

second-hand would even be better. They weren't any good the first time so if I hold off, the odds will be better the 2nd time.

I'll bring them to you at The Spar.

At some point you have to lock in.

Don't worry what the price is because you might not see that again.

It's like stock. Sometimes people have a stock now trading at 50.00 per share but they won't sell because it was $75.00 even though they bought the stock for $10.00. It doesn't matter what it was.

Good luck with this.

Keith

You are all right. I am kicking myself for not buying the tickets at $266. I've had family make the same trip over the summer and pay around $200 so I really was betting on a price drop.

I think I am going to continue to cross my fingers for a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. It sucks being so indecisive.

Airline tickets are not like TV's and X-box consoles. There is no particularly higher demand for purchasing them on any given day, unlike popular Christmas presents. When it comes to flights, the date of flight typically has more bearing on the supply/demand (and thus price!) than the date of purchase. In other words, airlines have no particular reason to say, "hey, let's offer doorbuster prices on Black Friday for tickets people are purchasing for vacation travel next spring or summer."

Thank you. I did not understand how airline tickets sales worked. I guess you are all correct that it doesn't make sense to hope for a price drop. I took all the expert advice and went ahead and booked the tickets this morning for $290. Thank you for all the advice.

Thank you. I did not understand how airline tickets sales worked. I guess you are all correct that it doesn't make sense to hope for a price drop. I took all the expert advice and went ahead and booked the tickets this morning for $290. Thank you for all the advice.

That's still not a bad price.:) Now stop pricing flights, you'll only feel bad if you find something cheaper in the future:D

Hi All,

 

I need advice because I am having regrets.

 

I will be flying from Minneapolis to Orlando with my teenager on April 23 -29.

 

 

 

Six weeks ago when I first started researching flights both Delta and Sun Country had this roundtrip airfare listed for $266 each. I didn't book then because I was hoping for price drops or maybe even a Cyber Monday sale.

 

 

 

I've been checking prices daily and have slowly watched them rise. Today Delta has the same ticket listed for $326 and Sun Country for $290.

 

 

 

Do you think I should buy now in case prices keep rising or hold out hoping for a price drop?

I think you're okay to wait. The trip isn't for 5 more months and the best time to buy airline tickets is the same as the best time to buy cruise tickets: 90-30 days before your travel date. I watched Virgin America for weeks before buying my flight for my cruise on Dec. 7. I bought a one way from LAX to FLL a few weeks ago because It went from $179 down to $139 and felt it wouldn't go down much more; The next day it went down to $129, but I wasn't going to bat an eye at $10 (Those dirty rats! :-) ). Last week, the return flight went down from somewhere around $500 to $129 and I snatched it up. So, more often than not, it pays to wait in order to score the flight you want at the price you want.

I think you're okay to wait. The trip isn't for 5 more months and the best time to buy airline tickets is the same as the best time to buy cruise tickets: 90-30 days before your travel date.

So for a period of known high demand, you should still wait until that window? Or is that some folk wisdom or a news article with the latest on "when to buy"?

I watched Virgin America for weeks before buying my flight for my cruise on Dec. 7.

So, more often than not, it pays to wait in order to score the flight you want at the price you want.

As well as being erroneous, the 'wait and see' strategy has one significant flaw - it pre-supposes an infinite supply of seats on the route you want to take. As this is obviously not the case, you need to make sure you have a Plan B when you go to book your 'cheap' fare 90 days out, and find that no seats are available.

I think you're okay to wait. The trip isn't for 5 more months and the best time to buy airline tickets is the same as the best time to buy cruise tickets: 90-30 days before your travel date. I watched Virgin America for weeks before buying my flight for my cruise on Dec. 7. I bought a one way from LAX to FLL a few weeks ago because It went from $179 down to $139 and felt it wouldn't go down much more; The next day it went down to $129, but I wasn't going to bat an eye at $10 (Those dirty rats! :-) ). Last week, the return flight went down from somewhere around $500 to $129 and I snatched it up. So, more often than not, it pays to wait in order to score the flight you want at the price you want.

Actually, I think when it comes to buying airline tickets, you can't use a "more often than not" approach. I think it comes down to finding a price you can live with, and the circumstances of travel.

When my daughter was flying back and forth between PHL and SAV for school, her flights always came through ATL. Delta had tons of flights, and she had enough flexibility in travel days so we could pretty much count on flights of $110-115 each way. That was our sweet spot, so at the start of each semester I'd start watching the fares. As soon as we hit the number, I bought and never looked back.

Same principle for our FL trips. For me, something in the neighborhood of $300-340 RT is fine for me. I can live with that. Well lucky for me I knew that our next trip was smack in the heart of Easter travel season. For the first time in a long time, I started pricing out flights MONTHS in advance. My usual FL carrier has been Southwest. Their flights were astronomical in my mind ($600 RT each) and their flight schedules actually awful...almost no non-stops. I found a $320 RT each on AA that includes one checked bag and bought.

Today, that same itinerary is at $478 RT each. Southwest's fares HAVE come down, but guess what? Flight choices are even worse than before. Had I waited for that 'cheaper' fare, I would be spending a lot more time in airports trying to get where I want to be.

the best time to buy airline tickets is the same as the best time to buy cruise tickets: 90-30 days before your travel date.

A more accurate statement would have been one of the following:

• I often find the best prices at the 90-30 day window. (but not always)
  
• Sometimes waiting until 90-30 days prior yields a good price. (but not always)
  
• In my experience booking at low peak travel times, waiting sometimes yields a good result.
  

But it's absolutely untrue to state as fact that THE best time is always 90-30 days prior. It's a perpetuation of myths that tend to circle about in the same travel articles that also spout such ridiculous advice as "to score an upgrade to first class, dress nicely and politely inform the ticket agent that it's your birthday."

Wow. You people are quite snarky here in this thread. I was simply stating what has worked for me. My choice of wording may not have been to your satisfaction, but tough! Get over it.

Enjoy your respective cruises!

Not being snark - it was just that you were stating something as a fact (the best time to buy a ticket) when in fact this is not the case.