we need a little more info on a question asked earlier which was how far in advance should we book our flight to rome from new york. we now know that we will be using united due to my daughter's frequent flier miles (half off for her) so how far in advance should we book for a trip in may? we have rick's books for hotel info and suggestions from friends, so i assume it is best to book early in order to reserve rooms early in the more moderately priced hotels. your advice would be helpful!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15244 posts
Approximately 2 months in advance is appropriate. You are unlikely to get a better prices earlier. Actually sometimes I've gotten a better price buying later, but May is unlikely to yield any bargain prices. I would keep an eye on Kayak or the United website on a frequent basis. Also if you are flexible with the dates you can sometime get better prices just by moving the travel date by a few days forward or backward. In terms of running out of seats I wouldn't worry about it. I sometimes had to fly from SFO to Italy on emergencies and they always got me seats on the same day or next (price could be stiff though). For hotels you don't have to absolutely stick to Rick Steves' suggestions. There are plenty of nice budget accommodations that are not among the ones mentioned in his guides.
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
In using frequent flyer miles I find that it is best to book early - or all the "free" or "mostly" free seats are gone.
You can book 330 days before departure. I use miles a lot and set a tickler on my calendar to book right away. You can always cancel and put the miles back into your account.
Posted by
Portland, OR
282 posts
ASAP if you are using FF miles.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
When I am trying to score FF tickets, I start checking 330 days before I want to fly. I rarely get FF tickets the first time I call but I continue to call every 5 to 7 days until I either get FF tickets or need to book to assure I meet a specific date in Europe. I always call the airline and speak to a live person rather than trying to use the internet. Good luck
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
I would book as far out as you can. As others have stated, I start checking 330 days out. I used expertflyer.com this year for the first time to book my trip to Italy for next year & found it to be incredibly useful. The site monitors whatever airline(s) & flights you want & notifies you when those seats are released for mileage plan members. This way I didn't have to call every day to see if the flights I wanted had been released. I've booked flights using miles for years and I don't know if this is just my observation or not, but this year, the availability is much tighter & I didn't see as many seats being released to mileage plan members as in previous years. May is only 5 months away & I definitely would not wait another day to secure your flights & lodging. As for hotels, I rarely use Rick Steve's suggestions. I look at his recommendations but then do my own research on TA & other sites. Read the reviews & start e-mailing the hotels that appeal to you to see if they have availability. The really popular places could very well be booked already so start now! Have a great trip.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3126 posts
For a trip in May you are only four months out now. I don't know how the United mileage plan works, but if those half-off seats are limited in number you better book NOW. Actually I would book now in any case. A couple of years ago I waited until 2 months in advance, on the strenuous and repeated advice of someone on the board, and we paid over $1200 more for our 4 tickets than if I had booked earlier when I usually do. I won't make that mistake again.