Hi and welcome to HT!

Scheduled flights normally come out 330 days before departure so I would expect the Dec 2010 flights to be available in January.

I would check sites such as http://www.netflights.co.uk , http://www.opodo.com , http://www.expedia.co.uk , etc to get an idea of prices, then check with the airlines' websites directly to see if the price is cheaper.

It is expected that some of the main airlines will have sales in January, but they may not go as far ahead as January.

luci

alo2008,

Welcome onboard
Prices fluctuate based on demand / supply. You can sometimes get the best deals by booking as soon as seats are released, but if bookings are poor, they can be cheaper towards the departure date. It's pot luck realy. The normal model suggest 3-4 months prior to the departure date is the best time to book, but it depends on a number of factor including time of year, any local events etc. What I always suggest is keep looking and comparing prices and when you see a deal you are happy with at the right price for you, book it. The trick is not to look again afterwards!

Darren

I agree with what Darren says, prices depend on supply and demand. However December is peak time for visiting NY so I would expect the prices to be higher closer to departure.

luci

Are you just booking a flight or a package?

Ive found that the times ive been to NYC that Virgin offer a reasonable price, and they also offer the chance to make payments as a direct debit that suits you, i found this a lot better than the likes of expedia that want the full payment at the time of booking.

Thanks for all the responses. My concern was that the BA flights come out first about 355 days prior to departure and their best prices seem to be about £850, if I don't book these when they come out and wait for Virgin/BMI (about 330 days) who could be cheaper but they may turn out not to be, at which point I'll have probably missed BA's best price.

I am looking at booking flights only then searching for accommodation seperatly, can it sometimes work out better to book as a package?

Cheers

alo2008 wrote:

I am looking at booking flights only then searching for accommodation seperatly, can it sometimes work out better to book as a package?

It can sometimes save you money, but can sometimes cost you more. It's a case of shopping around really to find the best deal.

Darren

£850 seems a bit high, is that one seat or two? or package price per person? I go to NYC, every christmas (heading off this afternoon ) for a few days and that seems quite steep if it is per person on flight only basis.

You shouldn't part with your cash if the fare is any more than around £400pp flight only, any more and it will be lower. I always book seperately and get a cab/tube into Manhattan, saves a few pennies not much, but usually get a better choice of hotel.

Try looking again around March/April although keep an eye on it periodically until then.

£850 seems a bit high, is that one seat or two? or package price per person?

The £850 is the total return price for 2 adults & 1 infant with BA. That seems to be their best price when flights are being released.

The BA sale starts on Wednesday, 23 December.

luci

The BA sale starts on Wednesday, 23 December.

Cheers Luci, that is the day i'm expecting the flight to be released for the return leg of my journey, so hopefully I can save a few £££.