Question about airline tickets
 

I am going up to Cambridge/Boston the second week of June for my best friend's graduation. I have been pricing tickets and as of right now it will cost me around $300 to fly out of San Antonio. When would the best time be for me to purchase my ticket in order to get the best deal? Will the price only increase? Or will there be a time, say a few weeks before, when the tickets will be cheaper? Thanks so much in advance.

I say purchase WAY in advance, especially since you need it in the Summer time. The price will definitely go up with time.

My dad didn't buy my ticket in advance and it was $300 more than if he had purchased it 2 months in advance.

Also, if you go through a travel agent...they will SO hook you up!

Not necessary. This strategy only works if you are purchasing tickets the traditional way, from the airlines themselves.

If you are purchasing them though a reseller, like orbitz or hotwire, you'll probably save the most by getting them about 2 weeks out. These sites expect people to think like above and charge accordingly. 2 weeks before, they drop prices to fire-sale to get rid of them, then raise them back up the week of for last minute travelers. HOWEVER it is a complete gamble if you can get the flights you want at that time. So you decide what you want, price vs confidence in a ticket.

I agree with everythinng Ivy said.

Thanks so much!

Haha, he called you "IVY". Mwahahahahaha.:p :D

If I would have bought my tickets to Las Vegas for my trip in December during the summer I would have ended up spending an extra $100. I waited until October and the price dropped drastically. I say hold out until the a few months before your trip.

I've found that the best price will be the Wednesday prior to 3 weeks from the day you travel - at least, for USAirways. If you really want the best price, keep shopping, know the prices, and sign up for the weekly fare minders for each airline you'd consider using.

it really really depends. i've booked tickets month in advance and paid a lot of money, only for the tickets to keep going up and i've booked tickets two days before and paid less than what it had been weeks before. generally when i know i am going to be traveling i keep an eye on the travel websites like orbitz - they publish the latest fares from all of the individual airlines for the week and add a $5 fee..so basically, what orbitz lists - you take that information (specific flights) and then go and book directly through the airline for the same ticket without the fee. sign up through travelocity for their farewatch and they will keep you updated with the lowest published fares every week for your destination. also, like honeychile said sign up for all of the major airlines emails for special online fare specials.

:) I only let Arya do that. Calling me 'Ivy' is telling me he loves me!

Sorry, random hijack

Oh, I just ran into this.

I went online and researched tickets last Friday for my trip in mid-February. I picked out a few different flights, and brought them home so FH and I could decide which one we wanted.

Yesterday (monday) I logged back on, and the price had gone up OVER $100 dollars each! I called the airline, and they said that one of the connecting flights had sold out, that's why it went up so much. So we had to take a different flight.

I wish I'd just bought them on Friday!!

I fly ALL THE TIME, and I'd say if you need THOSE SPECIFIC DATES AND TIMES, buy right away. You might be able to play around if it's a few months in advance. If times are flexible, the 2 week mark is fine. After 6 years of going to school 2,000 miles away from home, as well as being in a long-distance relationship for almost 4, I've learned the games the airlines play. :p

The only time I've gotten really good deals within the 2 week window is through Hotwire...I wanted to go visit the man, and I was able to get the lowest price I've EVER paid to see him a week before the trip.

Whomever said looking for tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday is also right on target. :)

Airlines load new pricing and discounted seats on either Tues or Wed at 1 am. If you can be on line at this time, you can snap up a bargain. Sorry, I can't remember which day. Sign up with Travelocity's fare notice service.

studentuniverse.com usually has pretty good discounts. I used them to book a ticket on Northwest that was over $200 cheaper than expedia and orbitz and such. I'd say if you have a good price now, book it especially if you're buying from a discounted source.

I don't know if it is an option for you or not... but searching alternate cities is good way to compare fares. Such as flying out of Austin or San Antonio. And flying into Boston or Providence. Providence is less than an hour away. So if you are getting a rental car it wouldn't be a problem.

I fly to RI a lot. And sometimes Boston is a lot cheaper, other times Providence is. But I rarely pay less than $280 for a ticket. (Doesn't matter to me anymore. For the first time, as of November, an airline (AA) has a direct flight from DFW to PVD. I will pay anything not to waste time changing planes. Yippee :D )

Edited to add: I wouldn't purchase more than 2 or 3 months in advance. Just start looking for exeptional deals 3 months in advance. If you start to get to 14 or 21 days out, go ahead and purchase.