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

[jenb]

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?

[Islander]

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

[jenb]

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

[jcjcnj]

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.

[Momthor3]

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.

[Hussyband]

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...

[Homebrewer]

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.

[Muck]

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.

[ladyluckireland]

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

[jamaicarob]

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