How Far In Advance For Airlines To Post Schedules

[f1rstclass]

Forgive me if this has been asked before.

 

Having said that, does anyone know how far in advance airlines and the travel agency websites post schedules. I remember (or think I do rather) seeing or reading that airlines doesn't normally go past 330 days in advance of releasing schedules.

 

But, I have always heard too, that the earlier that you purchase airfare, the better your chances are of getting better deals, saving some $$$.

 

Anyones insight in/all of this would be greatly appreciated. I know we have some time to play with but would rather go ahead and purchase airfare and have one less thing to worry about and just kick back and relax.

[paul929207]

The legacy carriers (American, Delta, United, Continental & US Air) post them 330 days in advance. The others periodically release a group of dates.

[fbgd]

But, I have always heard too, that the earlier that you purchase airfare, the better your chances are of getting better deals, saving some $$$.

 

Not necessarily true.

 

Only time it is best to book right when the schedules are posted is if you are using miles for your tickets.

 

Some airlines go to 355 days too.

[Globaliser]

The legacy carriers (American, Delta, United, Continental & US Air) post them 330 days in advance.

Depends on the airline: some airlines go as far as 355 days in advance, and that's just the ones I know of.

[f1rstclass]

Depends on the airline: some airlines go as far as 355 days in advance, and that's just the ones I know of.

 

Hmmm, I wonder which ones?

[Globaliser]

Hmmm, I wonder which ones?

Look on each airline's website, and use the booking engine to try to book for mid-June next year, then the end of May, then mid-May - by trial and error you can see how far into the future you can book a ticket.

[cruiserssandr]

I guess at this point I just want something to compare prices to. I will begin to check when I get home from work tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

[greatam]

I guess at this point I just want something to compare prices to. I will begin to check when I get home from work tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

THAT is the problem. There is NO WAY to compare prices when you throw in the LCC's. They don't release the schedules until about 3-4 months AFTER the legacies have released their schedules. NO WAY to compare and NO WAY to go back to the cheaper fares, as they have already been sold.

[cruiserssandr]

Oh well we shall see. At least if Jet Blues prices go down I can get a credit for a flight within a year. After I purchased tickets the last time to go to San Juan the price went down $138.50 pp. I used that credidt for my flight to Bermuda a few months later.

[greatam]

Oh well we shall see. At least if Jet Blues prices go down I can get a credit for a flight within a year. After I purchased tickets the last time to go to San Juan the price went down $138.50 pp. I used that credidt for my flight to Bermuda a few months later.

 

What a simplistic attitude and all has to do with the CHEAPEST price.

 

I have an entire department in my company that deals with nothing but analysis on what is the best value on flights worldwide.

 

When you start flying over 100,000 miles per year, then other things matter. When you make one or two or even three leisure trips per year, the priority seems to be on CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP. Suit yourself.

 

I prefer the legacies for a lot of reasons-FF miles that are good for something OTHER than a trip to PODUNK, USA, upgrades to first/business class, lounge access and the REAL BIGGIE-a ticket that is good (endorsable) to another airline if the flight goes bottoms up. Won't happen on JetBlue, Southwest, Allegient, Spirit, all the other LCC's. I really PREFER to get where I am going. I remember Xmas a year ago-JetBlue passengers stranded all over the country and PARTICULARLY at JFK. NO putting them on another airline, NO putting them up in hotels. I prefer NOT waiting for the airline to put me on another one of THEIR flights which may or may NOT get me to my destination on time. One of the BIG downsides of the LCC's.

[6rugrats]

I really PREFER to get where I am going. I remember Xmas a year ago-JetBlue passengers stranded all over the country and PARTICULARLY at JFK. NO putting them on another airline, NO putting them up in hotels. I prefer NOT waiting for the airline to put me on another one of THEIR flights which may or may NOT get me to my destination on time. One of the BIG downsides of the LCC's.

 

This is true. I had a child flying back to the east coast right before Christmas on JetBlue (dad bought the ticket). His flights were cancelled twice because of storms, and he was finally scheduled to leave - five days later. I was tracking his flight, and the flight out of SEA was delayed so long, he was going to miss his connection at LGB. I called JetBlue for an update, and they had no seats available out of LGB for the next week. If he missed that connection, he was stuck in LGB, unless we purchased a ticket for him to come home on another airline; JetBlue wasn't going to pay to put him on another airline, and because of the storm, there weren't any seats on any other airlines to get him to the east coast and none on JetBlue to get him back to SEA.

 

Luckily, JetBlue held the connecting flight for over an hour because they had so many connecting passengers, and he made it. Otherwise, he would have ended up spending the night in Long Beach and then coming home sometime the next day.

[frugaltravel]

Not necessarily true.

 

Only time it is best to book right when the schedules are posted is if you are using miles for your tickets.

 

Also not necessarily true. In fact, having booked many award tickets in the last year, I can say that at least with Delta, even waiting a few days after seats are first released will often gain much better connections than booking immediatley when the schedules are posted. YMMV but most airlines do not release all of their award inventory right at the 330/335 mark. "Yield management" works for award tickets just like it does for revenue tickets with most airlines.