When to Purchase Airplane Tickets

Just so happens I'm looking at flying from Detroit to Phoenix in early October as well! I've got a travel alert set up on Kayak that lets me know when the fares have been lowered. Got the alert last week for as low as $404 for nonstop - and yes, I get these fare alerts every Tuesday morning, so it's definitely a Tuesday thing!

the stress level of trying to play the 'fares' game is almost as bad as the indigestion caused by the expense and brutal treatment at the hands of the airlines any more.
a pox on ALL their houses.
i've got a brother who LOVES this game, though. i enlist his help when he's available. if not, i'll compare a few sites over a few days, and then book when it gets in the vicinity of the lowest. if you've got nerves of steel you can wait until the last minute and try to snap up a seat they're willing to discount to fill, but often if you're flying to a popular destination, it can mean you're locked out of all but the highest fares. the more cautious types like me are more likely to book well in advance, but be prepared to see specials that make you whack your head against the wall in frustration.
there's no such thing as cheap OR convenient these days.
:P khairete
S.

I think it depends - popular routes and popular peak seasons will be more expensive, so demand goes up and so does the price. On the other hand, at the last minute, carriers will discount empty seats that will stay empty if they don't do something. If you are flexible about dates and time of day, you'll do better than if you are restricted in your schedule. You can use one of the travel sites pretty reliably - Hotwire and Expedia, for example. That way you are looking at all of the airlines and all of the dates/times in your window, rather than calling individual airlines. The more expensive fuel gets and the more airlines that merge to avoid complete bankruptcy, the fewer options you have. However, if you frequently travel the same route (Phoenix/Detroit), you may benefit from accumulated miles and loyalty perks from a particular carrier.

But your best bet is to play off the competition. Remember that it costs just as much to fly a half empty plane to Detroit as a full one, so the airline will want to sell off those remaining seats at nearly any price. If you don't sit together, you can pick up some stray seats (and sometimes a flight attendant will announce that there is a separated family and ask if any passengers would be willing to shift seats). If you are flying with kids, remember that they cannot sit in the emergency exit rows. If you accidentally book those seats, you'll be required to move once you get on the plane anyway. So I've found a lot of last-minute shuffling on flights I've been on!

Well, that may very well depend on the carrier you typically use. Are you signed up for any alerts of special deals?

I fly Southwest usually once a year..... they frequently run specials where flights are discounted for just a few days...... you can watch for things like that, and book your tickets when the prices drop for a special.

And yes.... flying has gotten so expensive! 5 or 6 years ago, we were able to get one way from Austin to Las Vegas for around $100..... now it is usually about double that. I think the flight that was just booked, the cheapest flight was $191 one way. Sheesh!

We are in the Dallas area and we fly American or Southwest. I ALWAYS book directly with the airline on their website. Same for hotels.

Many times, the airlines will have deals online. Southwest advertises special deals on an email I get and when I get that email with discounts, I book all the known trips I know we need for the time period allotted on the special. I plan my schedule and hubby's schedule around those deals sometimes.

I book tickets weekly because we fly a lot, especially for business and when we have a customer who needs to have a meeting, we can't wait for weeks for a deal. I often have to book a flight on Monday for a Thursday flight. I've found Southwest to be my go to for short notice flights.

I've found great deals on Southwest. The only bummer is the open seating but because we fly them a lot, we are A-list and can board first, same with American.

What airline had $455? That does not sound too bad to me. I've heard travel "experts" say to book flights on Tuesdays for the best deal. You might try that.

Also, check the low fare finder on the airline site... It shows you the fares if you can be flexible with your dates which are sometimes lower.

Sadly just keep watching and watching. For a specific day of the week, I remember seeing a show once that said Tuesday is good. We have relatives scattered all over and I need airline tickets myself a couple of times. It hurts to not see my son and my husband misses his family. But the cost is definitely too expensive.

My team books travel all around the country every day.

In general, pricing doesn't change much in the months prior to you leaving. If you can book at least 3 weeks ahead of time, pricing should be pretty consistent. Less than 3 weeks out is where you'll start to see prices go up.

And if there is a smaller, more regional airport to fly into, I'd suggest that.
For example, anyone going into Newark can expect to pay an extra $100-200 these days, rather than flying into JFK.

Flying into Midway in Chicago is cheaper than O'Hare.

etc....

As the competition shrinks in the flying industry, it has gotten more expensive. Before Continental purchased United flying out of Houston was inexpensive. Now, its crazy expensive.

Most carriers will post specials. Get on their websites and sign up for those emails. We have noticed that if you leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday it seems cheaper than other days. If you are flexible with your dates that helps as well.

Good luck!

If you have a few preferred carriers, get email alerts. I've gotten some good deals on Jet Blue that way.

Also, Ive heard that prices drop on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Also, very early flights and late flights are often less expensive.

Flying isn't cheap anymore. It's a sad fact.