How far in advance should I buy my plane tickets?

February 16, 2009 11:24 AM

AirfareFilter: I need to go to Montana in May. At what time between now and then will tickets be cheapest?

Not much more detail to provide, really. My wife and I need to get to Montana at the beginning of May, and want to buy our tickets when they'll be the cheapest. I know prices fluctuate a lot, and that buying farther away from the date isn't necessarily the best choice, but I don't know much more than that. Should I wait until the last minute, or three weeks out, or a month and a half? Is there a science to the pricing, or is it too arbitrary to predict?

In sum: how far in advance will I find the best prices on airfare?

posted by voltairemodern to travel & transportation (2 comments total)

farecast.com.
posted by j1950 at 11:37 AM on February 16

I frequently fly in to Bozeman and am a bit screwed because a lot of carriers have cut their trips out there thus prices are up. The lowest I've ever been able to fly in has been about $225. On Alaska's website you can check out their fare calendar which shows lowest fares on any given day. Other than that, I sign up for alerts through travelocity which alerts me when fares are low for a certain route.
posted by amanda at 11:41 AM on February 16