For many people, summer means vacation, and vacation means airplane flights. But when is the best time to purchase airline tickets? With the global financial crisis that began in 2007, many of the established rules about airfares were abolished. It is definitely more of a guessing game to determine when to buy airline tickets for summer travel.

Purchasing Airfare Tickets for Summer Travel

At one time, conventional wisdom stated there were two ways of saving big on airfares: buying far in advance or waiting until the very last minute. By purchasing far in advance, passengers could get first dibs, snagging airfares at the lowest tier. Those who waited until the last minute could count on bargains from airlines desperate to fill empty seats. When oil prices fluctuated, it changed the rules. Travel expert Pauline Frommer recommended in May 2009 that booking airfares for summer travel more than 90 days in advance was unwise due to a highly volatile market. She further explained that airlines had little incentive to offer lower prices for passengers who have their plans set in place months in advance because these passengers have demonstrated that they intend to travel regardless of outside influences. However, in April 2009, Arthur Frommer advised would-be plane passengers to snag a low airfare for summer travel whenever they spotted one. With airlines cutting capacity, rock-bottom last-minute airfares were no longer a given. On the other hand, sporadic sales were likely to occur throughout the season, with prices effective for only a few days at most. Even with the new uncertainty involved in finding the lowest airfare, a few rules still hold true. Unless you find a sale fare, purchasing summer airfare close to the summer season will almost guarantee high airfares. November and December are not too early to begin seeking summer airfares. Being flexible about departure dates and times still gives you the greatest possibility of finding a cheap airfare. Air travelers can also use Farecast, acquired by Microsoft and incorporated into its Bing search engine, to find the lowest current airfares and obtain advice on whether to buy or wait. Farecast bases its advice on a predictive model which tracks future trends for air fares. The confidence in its predictions can range to up to 75 percent. If your summer travel plans involve international travel, check out airlines that are domestic within the country you're traveling to. Flights that do not cross international borders often have fixed fares. Additionally, some airlines such as Ryannair offer very inexpensive flights, albeit with restrictive luggage allowances and hefty fees for excess baggage. Consider fees when calculating the price of an airline ticket. Fuel surcharges and baggage fees can add hundreds of dollars to the final price of a ticket. Finding an airfare with reduced or no fees can mean a lower overall cost than a lower base fare with higher fees.

Source:

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