stanley57 ,

It's economics that governs the flight prices; demand and supply. The destination can also make a big difference. The higher the demand, the higher the prices. If they're struggling to sell seats, prices will drop. You'll normally get the best price 2-3 months prior to the departure date, but you have to be careful that seats don't become unavailable or in short supply, driving them up. June is coming up to peak time, ie school hols so that can make a big difference in terms of availability to certain destination, eg Orlando, keeping them high.

I would always advise that you book the flights when you are happy to pay the price. The key is not to look again once you've booked. You can't be dissapointed then.

Darren

Depends how flexible you are really. If there is a specific flight you want, then it may be best to book it earlier - or whenever it's at a price you're willing to pay. June will generally be cheaper nearer the time - I had a week in Mallorca in early June, and we booked the day before we went. As far as I had seen, we got the cheapest price that had been offered for that particular package, simply because selling it for £107 each was better than not selling it at all.

It will also depend on where you are planning to fly to. High density destinations like Palma and Malaga will have many late deals, and will almost always have seats available up to the day of travel in June. Destinations with less capacity will have fewer seats available, so it's best to book early.

January is the peak booking period for Summer holidays, and the travel companies are fully aware of this. As I say, it would depend on where you're planning on travelling to, but for June I'd advise booking in November/December or March/April

Personally - I always book my flights as soon as they have come out (Jet2). I booked last Oct(07), for this Oct (08), the total cost for 3 return flights to alicante (Inc baggage) was £273. I checked the prices 2 weeks prior to going and the price had increased to £658

I think that Dareen's advice that to book when you are happy to pay the price, is sound.

I always have some idea of where I want to go sometime in advance and follow the price trend with various airlines, with the low cost outfit's no one can fly you anywhere for a penny and to me it doe's not matter how they state the price it is the total you are asked to pay that counts.

Dave

Im never sure when the right time is to book, particulally this year. Fuel prices may fall. Im looking for flights to Crete easter and Summer 09. Any suggestions ?

Johngw wrote:

Im never sure when the right time is to book, particulally this year. Fuel prices may fall. Im looking for flights to Crete easter and Summer 09. Any suggestions ?

The key really is when in Summer you're looking to go? If it's July/August, then it's a case of the sooner the better, although if you're flexible on dates you can usually get some late deals. Personally, if I were booking for May to Mid-June, I'd set a specific date and then check the prices every so often to see if they've risen or fallen. I'd then usually end up booking around 10 days in advance.

What I would do if I were you, is check the price now, and if it's a price you're happy to pay then book it. If you feel it's a little high, then hold on - the price for peak season flights should remain fairly stable until around May.

For Easter, probably best to book as early as possible. Easter is before the official 'Summer' season begins, so the amount of flights to Crete are limited. Combined with it being a school holiday, the prices for these flights are likely to increase as you get nearer April as there is that limited availability.

I booked about 6 weeks ago for easter and Virgin Atlantic have cancelled the route due to low demand. At the moment it is hard to tell what will happen to some routes for 2009 if the airlines don't fill seats. Must be making DIY hols even harder to plan.

I am going to have to look at booking something else now. Probably won't get such a good deal as it is closer.