When to book flights

[Anna72]

Hi just joined forum would like some advice on booking flights. We have our villa sorted for July 2015 need to book flights now. Is it best to book early to get the best prices? Any advice appreciated thanks

 

[Nick]

Hi Anna and welcome aboard!

I might stand corrected but I don't think these days there's any definitive answer on this.

It certainly used to be that the earlier you booked the better discount you seemed to get. However, these days you can sometimes get the best deals by booking late but you run the risk of course of not getting a seat or good flying times.

I use Ryanair mostly because they have loads of flights from Stansted, flight times are suitable for us and they are reasonably competitive and usually on time. I know for a fact that they adjust their prices according to how many people are booking flights with them. I've gone to book a flight before, thought about it and then gone back ten minutes to book it and it's gone up by double or thereabouts!

My advice would be to book now so you know it's done and you're happy with times and dates etc. There are no real deals to be had these days unless you want to fly at an obscure time at a few days notice on a weekday!
Just cost it all into your holiday so you don't have to think about it too much. Once you get to PP you'll have happily paid double anyway!

Happy holidays.........

 

[alcanadakid]

Hi just joined forum would like some advice on booking flights. We have our villa sorted for July 2015 need to book flights now. Is it best to book early to get the best prices? Any advice appreciated thanks

If you are flying Easyjet then the earlier you book the cheaper it is. They also have a policy of refunding the difference if the flight is subsequently offered at a cheaper price so it is worth recording how much you pay for each individual flight otherwise it gets lost in the total price and is difficult to track.

We always book July and August asap but then take our time with other months as the savings are not so great.

 

[Bean Counter]

Anna, I read on the Forum this morning that Easyjet had released their summer bookings. So......I've just this minute booked our flights for August next year and it cost £450 less than booking in October last year for the same period

My experience is similar to Nickpaulanoah; these flights tend to be popular and so there is no need for the airlines to drop their prices. But they do like to get the money upfront as soon as they can so the early prices are usually pretty competitive. And as NPN said, it's a lovely feeling to be all booked - even though it's only 6 weeks since we got home from this year's holiday

 

[CathB]

Hi just joined forum would like some advice on booking flights. We have our villa sorted for July 2015 need to book flights now. Is it best to book early to get the best prices? Any advice appreciated thanks

Hi Anna I notice you are from Aberystwth so it depends on where you intend flying fromwe are from Ammanford and fly from Bristol..very little choice from Cardiff..its either a tour operator such as Thomas Cook and you pay through the nose or Vueling but I have founs they have very few direct flights. You have Ryanair or Easyjet from Bristol I have just booked out July flights this morning with Easyjet ..

 

[Anna72]

Thanks for all the advice have booked flights this morning counting down the days from now on!! Looking forward to returning to PP it's been about 5 years since our last visit.

 

[smg]

EJ will give credit if the proice reduces after booking, so worth checking from time to time, but you have to use it against another EJ flight within 6 months as I recall

 

[debz1]

It's always been easyjet policy that if you book early you get a cheaper price than leaving it to the last minute. The price will increase as the seats get booked. It seems a fair system to me although I do sympathise with those who are limited to travelling in school holidays, because if you don't get in quick the fares rocket. Also the fact that they will refund the difference if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere ( like John Lewis's policy) is a bonus..although I never have done

I've always been happy with easyjet...it's a no frills airline and you have to bear this in mind. However over the last few years the service, crew and uniforms have vastly improved, the flights are rarely delayed and often you land ahead of schedule.

 

[CathB]

We always use Ej too and have found them great but it realy does infuriate me when the price for the same leg of the flights doubles in 12 hours..we only really have 2 choices from Bristol and although sometimes Ryanair can appear cheaper by the time you add on hold luggage ( which you pay outbound and inbound) and allocated seating then there is very little difference for us ..
I will check the price though of my daughters flights and if i find they do come down then will try and claim back

 

[roig cat]

You need to be careful with easyjet. On release day flights start "cheap" and increase, often doubling throughout the day, you may find the next day they drop again as demand decreases. Its certaining worth noting how much you paid, i looked at some flights on 8th which went up to £2100 and on 9th were back down to £1500, id have been fuming if id paid top whack. NB not to Palma

 

[debz1]

You need to be careful with easyjet. On release day flights start "cheap" and increase, often doubling throughout the day, you may find the next day they drop again as demand decreases. Its certaining worth noting how much you paid, i looked at some flights on 8th which went up to £2100 and on 9th were back down to £1500, id have been fuming if id paid top whack. NB not to Palma

Easyjet sell their ticket using a 'bucket' system. On each flight groups of tickets are sold in a series of 'buckets'. The ones sold closer to the departure date are higher than the ones sold when the flight is first released. If there is not a huge demand on a flight, prices may be cut on a bucket to encourage sales so that the next higher priced bucket can be released. This is where the policy similar to John Lewis of refunding the difference comes in.

We also used to find when we had to travel in the school holidays that if a flight was fully booked they would sometimes add another flight on the same day. If you had missed out on cheaper flights first time round you could sometimes bag a cheap ticket as the price would start off low again. However this was a bit of a gamble as sometimes there was no extra flight!

 

[tangofan]

I booked BA flights from London City Airport at the end of August for next June and they have already increased by 50% since I booked. If you are in London or the suburbs it is so much better and the price compares very well with the budget airlines. You get 23 kg of luggage plus hand luggage and a handbag/manbag and (alcoholic) drinks and a snack on the plane and it is so much more civilised!

I agree it is best not to worry too much about prices as it does seem so random nowadays and not always cheapest to book early but such a nice feeling to know you have booked!

 

[Bean Counter]

I've just checked - and the Easyjet flights that I booked 3 days ago would now cost me £400 more. And, as Tangofan says, just knowing that I have it all booked - flights and the apartment that we like - is, to quote my son-in-law, awesome!

 

[scotslizzy]

All the adverts are misleading ...

Got a flyer in today advertising flights from Glasgow to Palma from £53.00.Well guess what I phoned and was told these were limited and did not apply to the times we wanted to go.

I Know I should not be upset as I am old enough to know better but I just thought just once I would get a bargain and book tonight. No such luck.

Anyway have been checking various sites and get it to just under £500.00 for both of us then the cost of the Hotel !

But I know I will book soon to ensure we even get these prices.

Scotslizzy