Best time to buy Airline tickets to Shanghai/Hong Kong from USA (Dallas/Fort Worth)?
My boyfriend and I are looking to visit Shanghai and Hong Kong in December, and we were wondering when the best (the cheapest price) time to buy tickets would be. Should we go ahead and purchase now, or is it possible that better deals could come up in another month?
We are leaving from DFW to Shanghai to Hong Kong.
Best Answer
There is no way for anyone to know in advance if prices will go up or down in the coming month.
In general prices go up as you get closer to the departure date, as the lower fare buckets sell out.
Airlines of course have sales and promotions, but it is not in their best interest to promote the upcoming sale before it begins. Consider - if they did that, customers who might otherwise have been willing to pay the current, higher price, will wait and pay less instead.
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How far in advance should I book a flight to get the best deal?
Timing Matters: Not Too Early, Not Too Late The general rule is that for domestic flights, travelers should start searching for flight tickets one to three months in advance. For international flights, the best prices are typically available from two to eight months in advance.What days to flight prices go down?
What is the cheapest day of the week to fly? Midweek. Flights that take off and land on weekends, or Mondays and Fridays generally cost more. So aim for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.Best Day of the Week to Book Flights? Is it true you get cheapest airline tickets on Tuesday?
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Answer 2
As #naeblis posted, there is no generic answer to this question. My answer would be that it depends on the type of trip you are planning. If you have inflexible dates or a set itinerary I'd recommend getting the tickets as soon as you know these details. Also, if your itinerary involves low-traffic routes or minor destinations with infrequent flights I'd tend to buy early rather than waiting. While you can sometimes get better prices by waiting (even to the last minute) the number of itineraries at sale prices is usually limited and may not be exactly what you wanted.
If you have flexible dates, the trip is "optional", or you are flying a popular route you could try waiting on the chance to catch a sale. Keep in mind that the later you buy your ticket the later you are making other reservations such as for hotels or rental cars which could have gone up in price. Finally, bing Travel has a feature that analyzes airfare trends and predicts whether you should buy now or wait for a better price, but it only works on high-traffic USA domestic route.
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