do you book your flights 5-6 months in advance?

i've noticed a lot of boardies have already booked flights for 2014, is it advantageous to buy so early? i've been looking at the price of flights and they're a little steep right now. in 2010 i enjoyed the least i had ever paid to fly to negril from toronto, around $400 in nov/dec, usually paid around $600, once paid almost $800, all around the same time, a little before high season. i'm coming in high season this year so that may account for higher cost.
what do you think? are flights up or down? why do you book early?

Hi JenB,

We (my husband and I) book our accommodation first, as long as we have a place to lay our heads we are set. We often wait until after September (we normally travel in late December to mid January) as the prices seems to go down a bit, this is historically what we have seen.

Right now for us, prices are up and we're hoping that they will go down some.

Hope this helps.

Peace,
Brynn - Islander

hi Islander, that's what i've observed over the years too, i usually book about two months in advance, prices have come down by then.
the accommodation is booked as of today:D

Airfare has been up for all destinations. In '12 we got round trip, non stop out of NJ for $248. This past May it was $498 out of Philly. I hope that the fares can come back down again, but I am not too hopeful. I will be booking the airfare as soon as they post them for our next trip.

Booking from Canada's prairies means you go on a charter or pay lots and have layovers to contend with.....I also like where I stay and it isn't very big so books up fast.

We book pur hotel often while we are on vacation. We had reservations for the first half of this years November trip back in nov, 2012. Airfare we generally book ahead as well, but I have yet to see usair have the flights up a year ahead of time, so we ended up booking this year in late April for our November trip. I think I have vacation OCD, and need to have everything done months before we go. I envy those that can plan and leave on a whim.... It would send me to the looney bin though...

I booked our flight for Feb 1, 2014 a few weeks ago when the schedules came out and then booked our hotel the same day. We fly charter every year as that is the only non-stop from MKE. I buy the $39 insurance that besides covering if we cancel/change plans I can watch flight prices and get an adjustment if they drop.

As that is the only non-stop and their is only 3 flights in a week they do sell out and this way we know we'll be on that flight.

Just booked our flight last week for our December trip. $477 round trip from Minneapolis (Air Tran) was a price I couldn't pass up. Just a month or two ago, that same flight was over $100 more.

We are going next year in april have booked last week for going first time to negril.We try to go long haul once a year and i book our flights 10-11 mths in advance we come form ireland and i find it cheeper

we booked late May for our next trip in February, Westjet, direct flight from Toronto to MoBay 1300 Canadian return for two, soon come

I usually book way in advance so I can get Direct flights at a reasonable price as they usually the first to go and if not the cost usually requires an arm an a leg...lol

Hey Homebrewer, I like the charter out of MKE. May I ask how much for Feb?

Oh, I thought that said 5 to 6 days ahead :) sometimes I do that!

I always book airfare first, but I put the hotel on "24 hr hold" - airfare seems like the least flexable and can be the most expensive.

jcjcnj - what airport do you fly out of jersey & what airline was that if you don't mind me asking - great price!

Prices are ridiculous! Nonstop in high season (we are looking to be in Negril from end of December - January) is pricing us at least $2000US roundtrip from NYC/NJ. Our accommodations are booked as they are often the fastest to go, but that airfare is a killer.

We are praying it goes down as we get closer to our vacation. We are hoping to book by October.

It was a lot, flights are only on Sunday, Wednesday and Saturdays. Wednesdays are cheaper but the prices vary for different dates. Ours was $860/each but in the past I've gotten price adjustments when it dropped as much as $200/each.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by yooper bill

Hey Homebrewer, I like the charter out of MKE. May I ask how much for Feb?

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I have a tendency to keep checking starting now for next spring. HOWEVER in January Air Canada has sales posted one day in the globe and mail and also westjet has a sale then. I've been successful but you have to be ready to pounce because they sell out in one day. I would make my hotel reservations before that though...a little backwards I suppose but I'm pickier where I stay versus exactly how I get there. I tend to figure out the cheapest days to fly and base my room reservations on that.

I've booked a couple of months out, one month out, and once the day before (had to rush home, throw some stuff together, catch a bus to Logan and sleep in the airport for a 6:00 a.m. flight) I sign up for price alerts, plan to fly on off days (usually Wednesdays) and have booked one way flights on different airlines. many strategies!

Once I have my dates picked out and hotel booked, usually 6 to 9 months in advance. With a price range in mind I start searching for airfare. I use Kayak, Vayama, and ITA Matrix. I also set up price alerts and fly mid week. I search at odd times and different days. The best fare I ever found was with a random search on a Saturday night. I caught a one day sale for half what they were the day before and after. When I find a price in or near my target I buy and don't look back. When possible I purchase through Orbitz because of their rebate policy.

I try to book early but this year found that the flight would cost just over $1000 (via Toronto). I will wait because I know the prices bounce around after the summer.