Best time to book flights to San Fran

pilslager

Hi, is it better to book now or will it get cheaper nearer the time, june 2014.
Two adults, two kids 14,and 5. Hotel is sorted so just flight, I am tempted to go ahead and book now but will kick myself if in a few months they are lower.
Cheers.

iusedtoknow

You can't judge...my parents booked flights in 2 weeks notice in June for around 600 each with Delta via JFK but it was a monster of a flight. Are you looking at the aer lingus direct flights? They probably will fluctuate a bit, but not a lot - i do know that with 4 of you the E200 difference amounts to E800.

Have a look at kayak, they will tell you if the flights are likely or unlikely to change.

clairefontaine

It can be a bit of roulette. Also depends on what kind of flight you want. If your travelling with kids you might prefer Aer Lngus. More comfortable. Personally on long hauls I like a little stop,over in JFK to stretch my legs and get some air.

pilslager

I have tried kayak, ebookers , and most others including travel agents. Aer lingus direct flight is nearly twice the cost of a 1 stop over ticket. A couple of years ago we flew via heathrow then direct to san fran, if I remember right it was a twelve or thirteen hour flight with united airlines, my son swares he will never fly again he he. Is it true airlines have sales around sept, oct for the next year. I might wait and see for a couple of months. Thanks for the replies
Cheers

iusedtoknow

Airlines have sales a lot of the time, to be honest, you need to pick a price you're happy enough paying, and go with that...I would say anything between 800 and 1100 is a good enough deal.

Remember, you're paying to hurtle yourself and your family though the air at 1000 KPH in a metal tube, you may as well have nice enough food and a couple of movies to watch while you're doing it

InTheTrees

I love stopovers. I used to be SFo -> LHR on BA286 regularly but over the last ten years I've started stopping off in newark. It adds substantial time over the length of a non-stop flight but you dont arrive a complete wreck. And on the return flight I get to spend the afternoon in Manhattan.

iusedtoknow

InTheTrees wrote: »

I love stopovers. I used to be SFo -> LHR on BA286 regularly but over the last ten years I've started stopping off in newark. It adds substantial time over the length of a non-stop flight but you dont arrive a complete wreck. And on the return flight I get to spend the afternoon in Manhattan.

I'm the opposite. I hate that feeling on the east coast of jetlag kicking in and knowing you still have anothe 6 hour flight to go, i prefer to get it over with in one swoop

clairefontaine

Uh no way. Love a JFK or Newark stopover. Hate Heathrow.

Usually by our 7 on a plane I'm getting a little claustrophobic.

tricky D

I recently booked a return flight with BA from DUB to SFO via LHR. With 6/7 weeks to go it cost around €620 and around €570 with 10 weeks to go. There were slightly cheaper flights but the difference was less than €20. On that basis I reckon the prices start rising 9 weeks before departure. Of course there might be seasonal or other variations.

rockonollie

Aer Lingus generally have a sale on US flights sometime around Feb/Mar......most year's that's the lowest price you'll get, but there's the risk of how close it is to your travel time if they don't do the sale.

Rashers72

Looking at the same period, for the same family numbers. EI = €4,000 direct. BA via LH out, and Codeshare with AA via ORD on the way back =€2,500.
Would love to go direct with EI, but cannot justify the high price, and doubt they will reduce significantly.
Also, the BA price goes to €4,000 for the first week in July.
Finally, US Airways, Virgin all at the €4k range. Delta/KLM via Amsterdam, or Air France via CDG around €2,800 but however bad LHR is, I would prefer it over those two.

iusedtoknow

Rashers72 wrote: »

Looking at the same period, for the same family numbers. EI = €4,000 direct. BA via LH out, and Codeshare with AA via ORD on the way back =€2,500.
Would love to go direct with EI, but cannot justify the high price, and doubt they will reduce significantly.
Also, the BA price goes to €4,000 for the first week in July.
Finally, US Airways, Virgin all at the €4k range. Delta/KLM via Amsterdam, or Air France via CDG around €2,800 but however bad LHR is, I would prefer it over those two.

That is a huge difference - for 4 of you 2500 is not bad at all - even though Heathrow is a pain, I hear that now if you are on a connecting flight you get off the back of the EI plane and get a bus to Terminal 5 which takes a lot of the hassle off now.

clairefontaine

iusedtoknow wrote: »

That is a huge difference - for 4 of you 2500 is not bad at all - even though Heathrow is a pain, I hear that now if you are on a connecting flight you get off the back of the EI plane and get a bus to Terminal 5 which takes a lot of the hassle off now.

You do but if you have a long stop over in terminal 5 its a pain. It's airless and if you want to get some air you need to be escorted out of the building. I'm slightly claustrophobic and the idea of not being able to get out of anything, causes discomfort so I hate terminal 5 .

Not doing it again, ever.

iusedtoknow

Hmm, the flights to SF with BA leave at 11 and 2 - Usually the connection from Ireland to the UK arrive in around 9 and 11 - the last time I did that flight I got into Heathrow just after 9am (from Cork) and was pretty moving all the time to get to the flight at 11, barely had time to notice I was at the airport, which was actually pretty nice.

I agree though, anything over 3 hours in Heathrow is a pain in arse, which is why I rarely if ever go through there if I can help it - Zurich (where security is at the gate, you can get in and out of the shops and go out and get some air with just your boarding pass) and Munich are where I do most of flying in/out of Europe now

Aykina

tricky D wrote: »

I recently booked a return flight with BA from DUB to SFO via LHR. With 6/7 weeks to go it cost around €620 and around €570 with 10 weeks to go. There were slightly cheaper flights but the difference was less than €20. On that basis I reckon the prices start rising 9 weeks before departure. Of course there might be seasonal or other variations.

Sounds like a great rate to me - routinely do this trip with BA (generally peak times of of July, week around Thanksgiving, and Christmas/NY fortnight) and can never remember paying less than €750. I usually book waaaayyy in advance though

I hate to stop on east coast or Chicago, it's lovely to get the 11am BA flight, pay £30 or so for bulk seat leg room and get in to SF in the afternoon - just a few hours to stay awake, then a 12 hour kip from 8pm and no jet lag next day! Heathrow bus transfer to T5 has been pretty good in my experience.

Horses for courses I guess.