Never before that season's air traffic control slots have been agreed - until then any flight time you've been given could be changed, and most T&Cs say up to 12 hours! If you're going with a scheduled carrier (like BA) on a long established flight it's probably not a problem but if it's a charter then nothing is guaranteed. Mind you even then I'm not safe - MyTravel once sold me a flight AFTER Faro airport had told them they couldn't run it because the airport would be shut at that time!!

As soon as the website allows me to Usually just before the present year's holiday.

Steve
How far in advance are the season's air traffic control slots agreed?

Normally just before or after the present year's main holiday. Once I know where I want to go - I don't take the risk of losing it by waiting. If I'm happy with the price at the time then I'll book.

I used to book in January for July when we had fixed holidays at work and we went on package holidays.

How I book everything independently if I am going to Vegas and usually book as soon as I see a decent price on flights. I booked in July for next May as BA had a sale on and got a good price on a non-stop flight. They have had a couple of sales since, but the dates haven't gone so far ahead and the prices have been much higher.

I think I booked in May to go to Benalmadena for Xmas. However as is usual with FlyGlobespan they changed the flight except in this case it was cancelled altogether. They tried to put us on one 2 days earlier which wasn't suitable so I called them and managed to get on the Boxing Day flight instead of Xmas Eve at no extra charge which was the flight we originally wanted, but it was too expensive.

This meant a lot of faffing about changing the arrival date for our accommodation and also the airport hotel and I had to pay an admin fee for doing so. That's the risk you take booking independently.

luci
luci

I have never gone independent - think I am just too worried in case things go wrong, of course I know things can go wrong if you book a package holiday too.

I booked mine in April 2009 for April 2010 as I wanted a special holiday, and must admit when I went on holidays with my son when he was ickle - I booked usually 6 months in advance because of the holidays and flights I wanted.

Sunaddict

To be honest I'm not sure whether there is a fixed date anymore, years ago when there were less flights and it was all more formal and organised they used to have a conference. It may even depend on exactly where you are flying. But it definately isn't a year in advance. I'd be suspicious of any charter flights being sold before any scheduled airlines on the same route have advertised a timetable - if the scheduled operators had a slot they'd be chasing the money as well. For example, if you look in the easyjet thread you'll see the dates the released the summer flights and it's much later than the tour ops packages were being sold. Easyjet aren't stupid or generous to the competition - they didn't give the Tour Ops a head start because they felt sorry for them. Another clue can be the actual airport websites where they show schedules, they definately won't list anything that hasn't got a confirmed slot - but be careful because some don't list charters at all.

And if you browse through the various Airline and Complaint forums on this board you'll see outbreaks of posts in the early months of the year as flight times are suddenly changed and people get dumped on.

Thanks Steve

My last three holidays (one I have yet to go on) have been booked 2 months or so before I go. Think I'm Little Miss LastMinute by the sounds of it.

Generally we book about 3 months in advance, however when we decided to go to the Maldives we booked it 7 months in advance, purely because we had saved up the deposit and then had to save up for the rest of the holiday. it was our once in a lifetime holiday on those stilts cabins for 2 weeks in paradise with nowt to do other than to enjoy all the S's..

in the event, we got stiffed 11 days before departure by the holiday company who told us that due to reef conservation, we could not have what paid for and offered us the alternative of.....wait for it......Fuertaventura.....

We ended up getting our money back..but not before I had bit the bullet and stuck a holiday to Thailand on my credit card...so we went there with 11 days notice...we didn't even know what hotels we were staying at or owt. We just went to Thomas Cook and said..here is £x and we want to go to Thailand..sort it.

The Liveaboard we are going on at the end of Jan was booked at the end of September..so that is more like our usual 3 months.
We said never again that we would book so far in advance...so now we save up, then decide what we want..and if the right deal comes along.....

hi all...have always booked as early as possible...usually 12mths before...but used to do coach not plane...routes and times were the same set year after year...there was a limit on the number of mobile homes on the site we liked and they booked up quick...so soon as brochure came out I booked it...but this year booked in feb for rhodes in august...and in may for july in gran caneria.....but have already booked in oct for gran caneria for next july....and am feeling like the cat that got the cream....the holiday I've booked for 4 adults AI has gone up by £1022 ...the price has risen every week since I booked

know what you mean tweetie, I know you shouldn't look after you book at the prices, but I couldn't help myself and looked again a few times and it has gone up on the holiday price and the extra's too - premium seat - so I'm glad I booked early, got what I wanted and a bargain - and cos I was an early booker at the t/a got discount and their free insurance.

I booked our main holiday as soon as we returned this year, which was a year in advance, a week later it was £90 cheaper :duh, although I did get a good price so not too bothered. How does anyone resist checking the price again because I can't help it.

i booked in july 09 for july2010......paid £2000 for AI in a 1 bed apartment in viva menorca apartments, 2 adults and 1 14yr old, 2 weeks.

todays price is £3600

K&R wrote:

i booked in july 09 for july2010......paid £2000 for AI in a 1 bed apartment in viva menorca apartments, 2 adults and 1 14yr old, 2 weeks.

todays price is £3600 :yikes

Sounds like an excellent bargain - and you have got exactly what you wanted too

I book the apartments in May for the following years August holiday, I do this as we want to ensure we have the apartments we return to every year and they have grown so popular now and have limited DIY rooms as the rest are contracted to a big tour operator, Once I know the apartments are reserved I book the flights the first week of June when they come out as they never get any cheaper.

Dave

i also booked 8 weeks ago, to go to turkey in june, so that one will come first......

booked last saturday on the spur of the moment a trip to Malta on May 18th next year. It was too good a deal not to accept..so we did it....no more holidays for a while now...

We booked with Olympic in May for next May. Guess what? A letter arrived yesterday changing the flights to Rhodes so that they now arrive at 03:15, 8 hours after the evening ferry leaves for Symi. Return flight leaves at 04:15 which isn't a lot of fun either. Why do the airlines use night flights when I know that there are no flights at all arriving in Rhodes for two hours in the afternoon? It must cost more money to pay overtime to the staff. All very strange ... and rather annoying since we will lose a whole day of our holiday.