Best time to purchase airline tickets?

Tiffany4412

New Member

Time of past OR future Camino

August 2016

• Jan 5, 2016

• #1

Planning on going in Aug. 2016. General rule for purchasing tickets in advance? Thank you!

 

SYates

Camino Fossil AD 1999, now living in Santiago de C

Time of past OR future Camino

First: Camino Francés 1999
...
Last: Santiago - Muxia 2019

Now: http://egeria.house/

• Jan 5, 2016

• #2

Around three months beforehand and urban myth has it that they tend to be cheaper in the middle of a week. Buen Camino, SY

 

Dutch

Straightforward

Time of past OR future Camino

SJPP-SdC sept '13
Porto-SdC May '14
SdC-Finis/Muxia May '14
SJPP-Finisterre sept '14
Pamplona-Burgos march '15
Porto - Sdc may '15
Camino salkantay june '15
SJPP - SdC aug/sept '15

Pacific Crest Trail april thru sept 2016

• Jan 6, 2016

• #3

Was on the news not so long ago. Buy on tuesday(night), never on fri-sat-sun.

100% right? No idea, but worth comparing it, i would think...

 

Last edited: Jan 6, 2016

EL Guapo

EL Guapo

Time of past OR future Camino

(1983 - 1985-1990-1995-1999-2003-2008-2012-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017) CF, etc.

• Jan 6, 2016

• #4

I normally fly on Monday or Tuesday from the US to España. I always fly into Madrid,because it is easy access to anywhere in country via train,bus , or aero plane. The difference in price for other days of the week are around $500 bucko's. My normal route is via Seattle and Amsterdam onto Madrid. If you are on the east coast you will use either JFK or ATL as your outbound exit flight. Minneapolis is another choice as well depending on air line. My preference is delta and KLM. I just purchased my ticket for this April and it was around $1400 for a Tuesday flight. Other days were around $1800. Just my two cents worth,hope it helps .

 

William Marques

Moderator

Donating Member

• Jan 6, 2016

• #5

And midweek flights are often less populated back in the cheap seats than week end ones.

 

timr

Active Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Several and counting...

• Jan 6, 2016

• #6

I think there is an element of witchcraft in finding the cheapest deals but nonetheless I found this article from last weekend's Guardian interesting. And they are usually fairly reliable and I have picked up useful tips in the past.
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jan/04/cheap-holiday-guide-2016-insider-travel-tips

 

C clearly

Moderator

Staff member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Most years since 2012

• Jan 6, 2016

• #7

timr said:

I think there is an element of witchcraft in finding the cheapest deals but nonetheless I found this article from last weekend's Guardian interesting. And they are usually fairly reliable and I have picked up useful tips in the past.
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jan/04/cheap-holiday-guide-2016-insider-travel-tips

Click to expand...

I would just point out that the airline market in Europe (described in the Guardian article) might be quite different from the situation for transatlantic flights.

 

DowtyCamino

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

May-Jn2014
May-Jn 2017
VF Jl-O 2021
Mar-My 2023

• Jan 6, 2016

• #8

Regardless, you're in luck in two regards:
1) Flights globally are cheaper now than in the last several years. There has been a 10% average reduction in global airfares in the last year.
2) If you are coming from the U.S., the dollar is very strong with respect to the Euro in relation to recent history.

 

HikingGeo

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2017-Sarria to Santiago and Lires to Finisterre

• Jan 7, 2016

• #9

Tiffany4412 said:

Planning on going in Aug. 2016. General rule for purchasing tickets in advance? Thank you!

Click to expand...

I was just researching this today. I found several different "studies". For international from US, one study showed 150-225 days in advance, with 171 being the best. A second recommended 1 1/2 to 5 1/2 months. A third was more specific to US to Europe and listed the best as 96 days, which would be consistent with SYates' suggestion. Most studies recommended booking early in the week, with Tuesday's around 3:00 PM Eastern time being optimal.