Best time to buy tickets?

benjaminwgregg

I'm probably gonna drive to the sugar bowl this year, wondering when the best time to buy tickets is? Is this one of those things were the prices go up and up until the day of or might I get a deal if I wait and buy a few days before?

Thanks

Muffingod

From what I’ve heard about in the past, unless you’re getting tickets direct from UGA then it’s probably best to wait for the day of if you don’t care too much about where you sit. I think ticket prices drop tend to drop right before kickoff but I could be wrong. Admittedly I haven’t bought secondary tickets in a long time so take my memories with a grain of salt.
Hope you have a great time!

RattleSnake

There is no easy way to guarantee getting the best fare. Airlines use computers and algorithms to get the most money possible for each seat, and they've been doing it for decades. And over the past few years, they've significantly cut service, so planes are fuller than ever (fuller planes=less need to cut prices). Be especially wary of pat advice, like "book 45 days out for best prices." Some people have posted that they spent several hundred dollars extra by following such dubious "rules."

One thing is certain: one way fares, with a few exceptions (Aer Lingus is one) are almost always MUCH more expensive than round trip or multi-city fares.

So, here's what you do:

Start looking now, just to get a baseline. Use http://www.Kayak.com or http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ to start. Then, when you know the airlines that fly your desired route, look directly at their websites too.

Set up fare alerts, as described above.

Figure out now how much money you can spend, and how much pain you can stand. For example, would you tolerate a 10 hour layover to save $200? How about to save $500? What about using an alternate airport? How many connections are you willing to make? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, and only you can decide for yourself.

Have your credit card and passport information ready, so you can book quickly. You don't need passport numbers to book, although you will need them by the time you fly. But you must book tickets in the EXACT name as it appears on the passport.

When you see a price you can live with, POUNCE. Fares can disappear within an hour. Sometimes they then reappear, and sometimes they don't.

Once you are committed to non-refundable tickets, don't keep looking; you'll just drive yourself crazy.

tfk_fanboy

using scott's cheap flights I got two round trip tickets to Paris for $718

https://scottscheapflights.com/