Can you guess the question I am most frequently asked? Nevermind; I will spill. “When is the best time to purchase airfare?” Oh, if only there were a magic formula!
Making the purchase too far in advance and fares or your circumstances or world events could obviously change. One could always consider travel insurance at the time of any purchase. I typically don’t buy it as most of my advance planning is refundable. But I understand it is a personal decision for folks who just feel more comfortable having that in place. But I digress ..
Making the purchase too close to your departure date is a wildcard. The airlines price their fares based on a great deal of variables, especially whether fares are selling for your desired route. If they are not, then you might score lower priced fares. Frankly I’m not even sure at this point what “lower price” means. Lower than what? Last year or last month or a competitor’s fares? The possibilities are endless. And are you comfortable taking the risk of waiting? Good question.
It used to be that six months’ in advance was a good baseline, if you know your plans. I am one who happens to know well in advance of my dates as many of you know there’s always a “post-tax-season trip” every year. (And for which I never lack gratitude) So here’s my “2 cents”:
If you are paying for the seats, I suggest checking fares as soon as your dates are certain as long as you’re less than 11 months from departure (the earliest airlines begin publishing fares). If you are happy with the price, buy them. One less thing to worry about. And don’t drive yourself crazy questioning the decision or you defeat the purpose! Move on to the other details of your trip.
If you’re hoping to score a mileage ticket, by all means start checking the very first date you can. Those are gone remarkably fast. But know that mileage seats don’t all load immediately into an airline’s schedule. I am a serial shopper when it comes to these – or I used to be before the number of miles required for a flight skyrocketed! And then there are the taxes — particularly traveling through Heathrow. As a OneWorld member, nearly every mileage seat abroad manages to go through that airport with the exhoribitant taxes! Still, there are those “scores” to be had if you are patient and have the time.
So what’s the takeaway here? Travel, like just about every other thing we buy, has gotten proportionately more costly. It is a luxury. It is one of the very few things we buy that yields “dividends”: memories, experiences, special time with friends or family. In a way, it is priceless. I suggest worrying less about whether you got the “best deal” and more about how whatever you are capable of spending enhances your life.
