How to decide if now is a good time to buy tickets for trips far in the future because of prices being reduced by COVID-19? [closed]

As an airline employee, working with higher management currently, I can safely tell you it's a gamble.

The aviation business is like a poor handyman in some poor country, whatever money he makes that day is barely enough for food. If the day goes by without work, no meal that day. This is true even for the best of the airlines. Most of the best five-star world-class airlines out there are living off government support! The rich uncle.

Therefore, unless the airline is supported by the rich uncle, do not buy the ticket. The aviation business will eat dirt in 2020 if the COVID situation stays around for a few months, and it's expected that most of the small/medium airlines will bankrupt or get merged with the bigger ones unless they get some serious government support or take serious measures to cut down cost, the support that most governments are using now to fight the COVID-19. Or, some magic pill comes along in the very near future and COVID-19 becomes past in its infancy.

Yes and no. Multiple factors to consider:

1. Flights are cheap on some routes. Cool, what a deal!
2. Like stocks, cheap could be indicative the airline is in trouble
3. If the airline fails ,you may lose your money
4. Borders could still be closed
5. You may or may not get travel insurance
6. You may or may not be at greater risk to Covid-19 exposure.
7. If it flares up, you may not be able to get back if borders close.
8. If you are a carrier at that time, you might actually end up spreading it
9. Any accommodation you book might be closed / go under.
10. Any activities you might want to do might be off access / closed / not operating.

Saying that, disclaimer, I run a flight deals website in Australia and am still promoting deals when I find them, because some people still 'need' to travel (to get back to their countries, to see sick families, etc, not just leisure), and others are wanting to take advantage of the cheap flights like you're suggesting.

So can't answer for any and every case, but while there are deals to be had, you have to decide if perhaps the risks outweigh the benefits.