getting cheaper flights

aequinoctium

as i understand, flights generally become quite cheap just before the plane actually leaves. my question: how much time before it leaves?

Bluetonic

aequinoctium wrote: »

as i understand, flights generally become quite cheap just before the plane actually leaves. my question: how much time before it leaves?

Your understanding is incorrect unfortunately.

number10a

I doubt it. I once had a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Cork booked. Turned up at Dublin airport in time for the flight before my one, asked could I transfer, the answer was no. Then I asked how much was a ticket on the earlier flight. Answer = €300. Cheeky fúckers like when there's buses outside the door going to Cork for a fiver.

aequinoctium

Bluetonic wrote: »

Your understanding is incorrect unfortunately.

that's disappointing

Quint

aequinoctium wrote: »

as i understand, flights generally become quite cheap just before the plane actually leaves. my question: how much time before it leaves?

That was the case about 7-8 years ago, before the very cheap flights came available. Then for a while it was book as far in advance as possible and you'll get the cheapest flight. That still may be the case for some long haul flights.

But with Ryanair and aerlingus, book whenever there's a sale to get the cheapest flights. The way they see it, if you go to the airport and book an hour before a flight, you're desperate and will pay anything.

jonny68

9 times out of 10 as others as said it's best to book well in advance (or when there's a sale on) but there are exceptions, one time i remember looking at a flight to Milan with Easyjet from LGW and it was £148, 3 weeks before departure so i just booked it,imagine my shock when 4 days before departure i just out out of curiosity checked the price again and it was £89 :eek: i was gutted but what could i do,i suppose it's to do with supply and demand, the flight was full after all and i couldn't help wondering how many got the cheaper fare.

kelle

For the Summer holiday flights, Ryanair sells the flights at their lowest around beginning of March.

Enii

aequinoctium wrote: »

as i understand, flights generally become quite cheap just before the plane actually leaves. my question: how much time before it leaves?

Rule of thumb.

Book flights early, book hotel late!

metrovelvet

Thats not always true for Aer Lingus. I have often gotten cheap long haul last minute [lets say midnight before the day of take off]

BuffyBot

I don't think anyone is saying you will *never* get one.

However, the general principle is never depend on getting one: flights get more expensive as the time approaches.

ncmc

aequinoctium wrote: »

as i understand, flights generally become quite cheap just before the plane actually leaves. my question: how much time before it leaves?

As the previous posters have said, in general flight prices are cheapest when you book early and go up in price as the departure date approaches. However, sometimes there will be instances were this doesn't apply. I booked flights to Orlando with BA using Expedia in Dec last year for August this year. I was happy with the price I got and went ahead and booked. About 6 weeks later, I went back and rechecked the price, they had gone down about €150 each, I was gutted! However, I checked again a couple of months prior to departing and they had increased about 50% from the price I had paid.

You could send yourself mad trying to get a cheap flight, sometimes you just have to bite the bullit and book at a price you are happy to pay (and then resist the temptation to re-check the prices )