My colleague is going to London in December and she booked her flight in June roughly over 100€ per person. Now, we are in September, the flights are already near 180€!! So what's the point in this? Is there a specific time when flights are cheaper to book?
You will find that when the schools are on holiday (i.e. the times when families are more likely to book their annual trips) prices will be a lot higher. Sometimes you can get decent deals if you leave it until the last minute, but then there is no guarantee that you're going to be able to get on the flight that you want. If there is a specific day that you need to go, then unfortunately there isn't all that much that you can do about it. One thing I would suggest is to clear your internet history every time you look for flight prices. The website can tell what you've looked at before, knows you're interested in the flight, and will slightly increase the price if you visit again - knowing that you want to go, so you'll pay a small amount more. Perhaps you wouldn't even notice it!
That's what I thought too, but if you read what I wrote, in this case it was the exact opposite. My colleague booked her flight in June and now in September the flight is almost double. Note that both June and December are dates when there are school breaks so the prices according to the logic should be more expensive.
It wasn't the opposite if you take into account that she bought the flight for December, not June. Prices get higher as you get nearer to the actual breaks, so if you bought a ticket for June in December it would be cheaper as well. This is why it's always good to buy the tickets about six months before you plan to travel. I would keep looking for a good price and clear the cookies each time you browse for one like GemmaRowlands said. I wouldn't wait too long though, prices will only keep getting higher as the date approaches.
There are lots of factors to take into account, the dates you leave/arrive and which airport you choose. I have managed to get last minute flights cheaply, but I am flexible and able to leave mid week and at hours that are off peak. I would always check the airline price directly to see how their fares are and also student travel sites as they often also extend the fares to non students for specific fares.
I see, so basically the sooner you get them the better right? Unfortunately I haven't had much experience in booking flights because I have no budget. We are four now and flight, stay and food for four is very expensive, so for now the car is still our best friend, let's see if things can improve and I can put this to the test.
Flights are generally cheaper off-season. Off-season varies a little bit according to destination and airline, but it's generally from March to the beginning of June, and then again from September to November.
Just today I received on my e-mail a promotion for a flight to London at 179€, so buying it at 110€ or so in June was a real achievement in my opinion. My sister in law went to NY this summer and they got lucky booking the flight, one day out of the blue a flight came up costing less 50€, for 4 people it makes a big difference.
