Hello,
I have read conflicting information on when is the best time to buy transatlantic flights. One source said essentially, " buy as soon as possible, they will only increase in price". Another source said, "wait until Black Friday, Cyber Monday, there may be sales". I don't remember the exact sources but I think one was in a Rick Steves book and the other was here on the forum.
Which is more likely in your experience?
Thanks!!
The other factor to consider is the further out, the likelihood of route changes, or a 3 hour layover now changed to 8 hours or a new aircraft type changes well planned seat bookings. Not saying not to book this far out, because when the price feels right to you then go for it. (These things can and do happen closer to flight departures but they are almost guaranteed this far out.)
Finding cheap flights is a hobby for my wife. She subscribes to one or two consolidators that have newsletters on European flights.
She will watch from time to time at the airfares for the airports she wishes to fly out of and into. After awhile she gets a feeling for what she thinks is a normal airfair for that itinerary
Prices usually change at the end of a quarter and sometimes at the end of a month. June flights are often more expensive than May 28 flights, for example. March flights are often cheaper than May flights. And the day of the week is another issue as Tuesday and Wednesday flights may be cheaper than Friday or Saturday flights.
If she spots an airfare that is substantially less, she will jump on the deal.
Tickets are generally at their cheapest when they're first released, as more and more are sold the prices increase. That's not to say that there won't be any bargains further down the line but it's always a gamble. I can't recall the last flight that I was on that wasn't full.
This is something that is discussed all over the internet. Some believe they must buy their tickets when released nearly a year in advance. Others wait until 2-3 months out. (The so called experts once claime the best time is 90 days out for international flights.)
My suggestion is to track the flights you want. If you see a price dip, buy the tickets. Buying tickets when they are first issued does not guarantee the lowest price.
Use Google Flights to track specific flights and to see the cheapest flights on a specific flight for any date you wish.
My personal experience flying across the pond a few times a year is..
--look for midweek flights. Quite often it is cheaper to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday than any other day of the week;
--don't buy December before Christmas. Quite often tickets are bought as Christmas presents so the prices stay high. But look for sales after Christmas.
--sign up for price alerts on sites such as Google Flights;
--regarding the Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales--be careful. Sometimes, what they do, is increase prices prior to these days then drop them back down and advertise them as X% off when you are just paying the same price as a few days before.
--try to travel during non busy times--off season/shoulder season--and never around a holiday.
--sign up for the frequent travel programs for the airlines you may fly. It doesn't cost anything. But they will send you emails regarding upcoming sales.
