Best time to book flights
Oct 18th 2004, 9:01 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 29,154
Best time to book flights
'evening everyone,
Noticed today that the price of flights with decent airlines has increased since quite a bit since 2 weeks ago - I'm hoping to go to Melbourne around the second week of Jan so that I can have 2 or 3 weeks before I start work around the end of Jan or so (however, will not have a start date until my LSBV comes through.) All very up in the air I know (sorry for the pun - it wasn't intended!)
Do you think the prices will go down at all as time to go gets nearer, or shall I book now?
Cas
Noticed today that the price of flights with decent airlines has increased since quite a bit since 2 weeks ago - I'm hoping to go to Melbourne around the second week of Jan so that I can have 2 or 3 weeks before I start work around the end of Jan or so (however, will not have a start date until my LSBV comes through.) All very up in the air I know (sorry for the pun - it wasn't intended!)
Do you think the prices will go down at all as time to go gets nearer, or shall I book now?
Cas
Oct 18th 2004, 11:18 pm
#2
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Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Cleveland Bayside
Posts: 383
Re: Best time to book flights
Originally Posted by carolinegorka
'evening everyone,
Noticed today that the price of flights with decent airlines has increased since quite a bit since 2 weeks ago - I'm hoping to go to Melbourne around the second week of Jan so that I can have 2 or 3 weeks before I start work around the end of Jan or so (however, will not have a start date until my LSBV comes through.) All very up in the air I know (sorry for the pun - it wasn't intended!)
Do you think the prices will go down at all as time to go gets nearer, or shall I book now?
Cas
Noticed today that the price of flights with decent airlines has increased since quite a bit since 2 weeks ago - I'm hoping to go to Melbourne around the second week of Jan so that I can have 2 or 3 weeks before I start work around the end of Jan or so (however, will not have a start date until my LSBV comes through.) All very up in the air I know (sorry for the pun - it wasn't intended!)
Do you think the prices will go down at all as time to go gets nearer, or shall I book now?
Cas
good luck Mary 
Oct 19th 2004, 12:05 am
#3
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Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Cairns, Qld.
Posts: 2,863
Re: Best time to book flights
Don't leave it too late Cas.
You could get a last minute bargain.......but then you could find that you have to pay through the nose, or that you can't get a seat at an affordable price.
You told me the other day that you might go via Perth or something, and then get an internal. In that case, I'd start enquiring about prices/availability quite soon, as this is a fairly specific route plan. Also, if things go tits up and you have to rescedule, then most airlines are quite happy for you to move your booking to another date, so long as there is availability, though of course you may pay more simply due to the different date. Perhaps booking by mid Nov would be a fairly realistic schedule.
The cheapest seats on any plane always sell first. Travel agents will always have to cover the cost of buying the ticket off the airline, plus tax, plus a bit of profit, and the tickets they sell first are, inevitably, nearly always the cheapest. You have a specific destination, so bear this in mind. You may wish to compare what they offer with buying direct from the airlines themselves. Shop around and see what's on offer, but I can definitely tell you right now that leaving it late reduces your options and luck will play more of a part in whether you get a good deal or not.
Just my thoughts anyhoo!
You could get a last minute bargain.......but then you could find that you have to pay through the nose, or that you can't get a seat at an affordable price.
You told me the other day that you might go via Perth or something, and then get an internal. In that case, I'd start enquiring about prices/availability quite soon, as this is a fairly specific route plan. Also, if things go tits up and you have to rescedule, then most airlines are quite happy for you to move your booking to another date, so long as there is availability, though of course you may pay more simply due to the different date. Perhaps booking by mid Nov would be a fairly realistic schedule.
The cheapest seats on any plane always sell first. Travel agents will always have to cover the cost of buying the ticket off the airline, plus tax, plus a bit of profit, and the tickets they sell first are, inevitably, nearly always the cheapest. You have a specific destination, so bear this in mind. You may wish to compare what they offer with buying direct from the airlines themselves. Shop around and see what's on offer, but I can definitely tell you right now that leaving it late reduces your options and luck will play more of a part in whether you get a good deal or not.
Just my thoughts anyhoo!
