As we start planning our first trip to Italy in late September, I'm wondering if different days of the week tend to be priced higher or lower as a rule? Assuming coach from LAX to Rome or Milan (we'll be booking open jaw), what does 1 roundtrip ticket tend to cost? I have no idea what a good deal would be if I found one.
Thanks,
Deborah
I purchased mine in April this past year for this past sept going from Phx to Rome then Athens to Phx and it was $1080 which I though was a good price and seemed to be the lowest I found. I use www.kayak.com it lists all major carriers and websites with prices for same dates and cities you are flying to. I also found that if you leave between a Tues and Thurs the flights are cheaper also returning on an off day will be cheaper as well. Just watch for the prices for a while. Perhapse purchase in March or April will help.
BE FOREWARNED : i bought my ticket in Feb., for april..i think it was a tuesday, a 2 week stay.....NEVERTHELESS... using a local travel agent, paying in advance, thinking i am "following all the rules", a few weeks before departure, on a whim, i went to "ORBITZ.COM", and was shocked to see: SAME flight, SAME plane, SAME departure, for 250.00.....LESS!!! [i paid 1065.00, new cost was 850.00]!!!!!!..after some wrangling, i managed to get a 240.00 voucher i need to use within a year, AFTER being charged ANOTHER 25.00 from the agent for "the service"..we covered this a few months ago, and don't feel like looking it up as to why..oh! i rememebr...there is a web site"YAPTA" i think..that alerts you auto when a plane fare drops...i can't make it work as i use Mozilla , Yapty only works with internet express...but in any case go with that....it dosen't seem to matter re: days...my thought in tuesday was it seemed to probably be less crowded...and it was. PLUS..u have lots of time...just get
just get on Orbitz, Travelocity.com, Expedia, etc. over the next year...keep checking..u will get a feel as to how the rates go...u have a whole year..and don't forget that Yapta..if i could use that i would.
We priced our tickets on Mobissmo.com. Fares for some reason are less expensive on Wednesday. I am not sure why, but it can make a 40 - 50 dollar difference on that day.
In general, Fridays and Sundays will be the most expensive. Also Monday mornings (business travelers). Otherwise the day of the week is a crap shoot. Often the cheapest days are Thursdays, but not always.
What I've found is you can never win - I watched for months for a fare to London drop from $800 - it dropped to $600 and I bought it. A month later (8 weeks before departure) it dropped to $480. Would I have been comfortable waiting to buy it so close to departure? Probably not. But it still sucks! However there are certain things you can do - sign up for alerts on Orbitz and FareCompare. They will send you an e-mail when the price drops. Airlines reconfigure their fares Wednesdays at midnight - check Wed. morning for the best fares. In general, they start lowering the prices about 3-4 months before departure. If you see one airline having a sale, wait a day and the others will follow. Around May/June start checking for early fall sales on airline websites. Mobissimo and Kayak are my favorite websites for low-fares. I would guess from L.A. you should be able to find something around $800-900.
Deborah, I try and apply the reasoning I use in life. I decide what is it worth to me. When I find that price I buy. I try to follow that on all my purchases. Yes you might find it cheaper if you wait, but you might not. So decide what you think is a price you will be comfortbale paying and book it. Then you can get on with all the fun stuff, picking lodginng, etc. And remember that while you might find a lower flight if you wait, you may pay for it in not being able to get a room in that wonderful hotel that could make or break you trip.
As you surmised already, typically (but not always) leaving and returning mid-week is cheaper. As for price, takes Bill' advice above. Work to determine what a good price is, when you see it, grab it, don't look back or fret about lower prices. As someone mentioned, you certainly can wait until the last minute and try to get a deal, but I don't risk my vacations like that. Buying at the time that is right for you has a value, as does peace of mind, seat location for some, or knowing that you are set and can continue planning. Other advice, make sure as you compare prices, all taxes and fees are included, they can amount to as much as $200.
I let my travel agent find the best fares.Many times she tells me that a different day is cheaper.Once I get my tickets I handle it like a auto purchase.I dont check the prices anymore.
