It Is Always better to Plan Ahead
When planning any trip to your favorite destination, it is always best to be safe than to be sorry. Many persons still believe in the myth of ‘standby’, where you wait at the airport to get a last-minute flight. This is so that they can get the cost of the flight at a much-discounted cost. Today standby only applies to persons who have missed their connection or who have been bumped from a flight. So if you don’t have a ticket, you literally don’t have a chance. Chances are you may have to pay an exorbitant amount compared to persons who purchased their flight ahead of time.
Last Minute deals
There is never a thing as a ‘last-minute deal’ to every location. While they exist to some chartered flight locations such as Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and Dominican, last minute flights to most other destinations are extremely expensive and rare. Even to destinations like these, last-minute deals are never a guarantee.
Flight Costs Dropping is Virtually Unpredictable
Most airlines plan the price of their flights around demands and the number of tickets/seats they are expecting to sell. Airlines rarely plan on cutting fares or know whether they will. Most price cuts are based on competitors offering a price cut for the same destination or other unpredictable factors around travel. Prices of tickets work in conjunction with unforeseen events. There is never a guarantee for a travel price drop.
The ‘8 Weeks Rule’
The 8 weeks rule implies purchasing your ticket 8 weeks prior to the flight date. Usually, within this time-frame airlines may offer a small discount. The trick is that the closer you get to the date of departure tickets usually get more expensive with demands. However, as tickets become available airlines watch to see customer demands and to prompt quick sales, they usually offer sales.
Holiday Periods and Special Events
Though the 8 weeks rule can be helpful, airlines rarely offer discounts of locations that are in high demand due to special events or holidays. When planning a trip around these times buying a ticket long before 8 weeks would be ideal.
