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Booking flights later could cost fliers more
July 12, 2010

Travelers are waiting to book flights closer to takeoff time, though the better strategy may be to plan far ahead.

Travelocity, the online travel agency, has found that summer travelers have been booking trips about four days later this year than they did two years ago, an average 73.3 days in advance compared with 76.8 days in 2008.

That may appear to be a small difference. But it's an average, which means some people are waiting even closer to takeoff.

And it's at a time that seats on planes are more scarce.

Travel analysts attribute the lag time to travelers probably hoping for the last-minute bargains that were prevalent last year when airlines were struggling to fill empty seats in the midst of recession. "Last year, airfares were falling as departure dates neared. That's not true anymore," says Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor of Travelocity.

She says airlines then had to match available seats to the shrinking number of passengers, which has resulted in them cutting flights and moving to smaller planes.

This year, she says, planes are fuller and domestic fares are averaging $357, up 21% over last year. "Fares seem to go up as departure dates get closer, so I think people need to get back in the habit of purchasing as far in advance as possible," she says.

Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com also thinks people got used to last year's rock-bottom, last-minute deals, when "airlines were giving it away." But now, he says, "You're rolling the dice. I think (as soon as) you know when you're traveling ... you should start doing your homework."

Bing Travel recommends booking your trip six to 10 weeks in advance to get the best price. And Parsons says seeking sales is key, with most airlines matching each other's bargains by Tuesday afternoon. Be open to traveling Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday, which tend to be the cheapest travel days. And consider alternative airports and connecting flights, Shaw Brown says.

Consumers can tap into various tools to figure out the best time to buy. Sites such as Bestfares.com send out sale alerts. Bing Travel's price predictor lets travelers put in their itinerary and get a prediction, based on historical data, on whether fares will rise or fall in the next seven days. Deals are there, Parsons says, just not necessarily at the last minute.

Source :- http://www.usatoday.com