What's the best time to book flight to Ft. lauderdale

I'm leaving for a Caribbean cruise this coming Feb. 2015. I've heard different times as far as when to make your flight reservations -- anywhere from 75-57 days -- to get the best price & best itinerary. This seems pretty long to me. But Florida in the winter is a popular destination. Any advice on booking times?

There is no best time. Book when you like the price. I don't know your travel dates, but during President's week, many schools have a week long midwinter break, and many families vacation during that time. Airfares are high then.

Suggest you look on http://matrix.itasoftware.com to find a good price, then go directly to the airline's webpage to book. Also, look at Southwest's webpage if you like them, as they won't show up on the matrix site.

I usually book when I find an acceptable routing at a price that's not too dear.

Airlines aren't completely stupid. If everyone started buying 75-57 days out, they'd raise prices then.

February to Florida, and planes are fuller then ever - I'd book sooner rather than later.

Any advice on booking times?

It sounds trite, but that's the best advice you can get on this.

When is it cheap? That's where research comes in. You need to know what the range of likely prices is, so that you can jump in when you see a price you like.

And that means exactly that. Don't think that you can ever hope to get the lowest price. You need sheer luck for that, because most people find predicting the future quite difficult and you need to be an expert at that to be sure that there will never be a lower price than the one you're being offered now.

For some flights, even 75 days out may be far too late to get the lowest prices. So do your homework.

I usually book when I find an acceptable routing at a price that's not too dear.

 

That's the advise I give people as well, all the time. Nobody can predict when promo fares will be released.

On my last cruise I went on a commercial ticket instead of a non-revenue staff ticket and it was kind of a last minute trip.

I booked my tickets about $150 cheaper than the prices were in the 2 months before. I check prices all the time and even working in aviation, there's no way to tell when the best time is. There's a lot of theories, but a lot of it is bogus.

I just tried yapta.com for the first time, got a decent deal and they will check prices on purchased flights to see if the price is reduced. Supposedly in some cases people receive refunds if the price of their tickets drop enough. Thought it would be worth a try.

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I just tried yapta.com for the first time, got a decent deal and they will check prices on purchased flights to see if the price is reduced. Supposedly in some cases people receive refunds if the price of their tickets drop enough.

No airline will give you a refund unless it's been less than 24 hours since your purchase.

If you ask, Southwest will issue you a voucher for the difference, which must be used by the original passenger within one year of the date you first booked.

All other airlines will charge you a change fee first and then re-ticket at the lower price, and give you a voucher for the difference. As the change fee is usually at least $150 for most nonrefundable tickets for a domestic flight on one of the legacies, most of the time, it's a moot point.

Thanks. Just repeating what Yapta claims, not saying I'm getting a refund. This is where I found the link...for what it's worth: http://www.komando.com/tips/12347/new-best-day-to-buy-cheap-airline-tickets-online/all

With demand for travel being high and this being a popular time for people to cruise and to travel to South Florida I would book the flight sooner rather than later. Sure price could go down but price can go up too.

Be sure to arrive at least one or more days before your cruise. Do not take a chance to fly in the day of your cruise.

Keith

No airline will give you a refund unless it's been less than 24 hours since your purchase.

 

If you ask, Southwest will issue you a voucher for the difference, which must be used by the original passenger within one year of the date you first booked.

 

All other airlines will charge you a change fee first and then re-ticket at the lower price, and give you a voucher for the difference. As the change fee is usually at least $150 for most nonrefundable tickets for a domestic flight on one of the legacies, most of the time, it's a moot point.

Actually, as detailed here, Air Canada has a best price guarantee similar to those offered by hotel companies. And I actually have a friend that was able to get a claim accepted, just last week in fact. She now has a $90 credit with AC.

Actually, as detailed here, Air Canada has a best price guarantee similar to those offered by hotel companies. And I actually have a friend that was able to get a claim accepted, just last week in fact. She now has a $90 credit with AC.

That's not the same as the details in the article about Yapta. Your example is of someone receiving a refund/credit after finding a lower price within 24 hours of booking. Any US carrier will allow you to cancel and rebook at the lower price within that time period.

However, the linked article states Yapta can track your flight and notify you if the price goes down so you may be able receive a refund anytime the price goes down on your flight. As details already posted show, that's not true.

You just can't rely on all the misinformation you read in these articles.

I generally fly Southwest. I do track airfare to see if it is going high or low before I make plans. However, you cannot depend on last year's prices to really plan. Also, the credit is only good if you plan to fly again, in the 12 month period from when you booked.

That said, for me there is more flexibility with Southwest than many others. Keep in mind that the cheapest fare is only available until it isn't. Sometimes the prices go down and I can get a credit - in case I can use it. Often, the prices don't go down at all.

As for best time to book - we booked in September, found a reduction in mid - October, and the prices have risen since then.