roundtrip booking question

[bostonlass]

I have to wait 333 days before my cruise date to book my flights. I think this is standard for most airlines except Song, Jet Blue and SouthWest and perhaps a few others. Anyway..my question is......do I wait 333 days before my return flight date? If so, wouldn't the flights with the best prices going to my destination be taken?

[kelmac]

bostonlass,

 

Sorry, but yeah that's the way it works. I tried to use some FF miles to get a Delta flight for next X-mas, but by the time my return flight was in the system, the departing flight no longer had the seats available. One of the reasons I like Southwest; they don't limit the number seats available for FF use.

If you are purchasing tickets, you should still be able to find seats after the 331 day period (for return flight) unless your return is several weeks after departure.

 

Good luck!

Kel

[LoneStar72]

You have to do the Airline Two-step: 333 days before your departure flight, you book it. Most airlines will keep that booking in their system for 2 weeks without getting paid. If your return flight will be less than 2 weeks from the departure flight, you just wait. Then, 333 days before your return flight, call the airline back, mention the reference number for your departure flight, and have them complete the itenerary.

 

Make sure you know the exact advance booking date for your flights -- some airlines use 333 days, some use 335, and some use 331 (and quite often, the person you speak to on the airline reservation phone number is clueless.)

 

Of course, if you're going to be paying for the flights with your hard-earned cash, versus those easy-earned FF miles, or if the time between your departure and return flights is longer than 2 weeks, you can just go ahead and finalize the transaction on the departure flight in "Step One", and book the return flight when it opens up.

 

BTW, if you're using FF miles, just because they say there's no seats available for a certain flight doesn't mean that seats won't be available 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, or 5 months later -- you have to keep calling them.

 

John

 

P.S. -- Hi, Kel! Long time no see!

[Globaliser]

Anyway..my question is......do I wait 333 days before my return flight date? If so, wouldn't the flights with the best prices going to my destination be taken?

If you're paying cash for your tickets, then the "best" (as in lowest-possible) prices won't necessarily be available at 333 days before your flight. It sounds trite, but the "best" prices are usually available when the airlines have fare sales - although it's can be a risky strategy because (a) you never know whether or when your route will be on sale and (b) you never know whether there will be sale price seats on the flights you need even if there is a sale on that route. Compared to the fare you can pay now (or at 330 days out or whatever), you never know if you would be getting it for less than if you waited, or whether you might get it for less if you do wait. It's a gamble.

 

The trick for getting the "best" prices for your air travel is to be flexible - as in being prepared to travel two or three days either way from your preferred date, and at odd times of the day. Then you can afford to wait to see whether there are any sales and to see what's available when there are. But flying to and from cruises doesn't lend itself to that sort of flexibility - hence you may not get the "best" prices if you need specific flights at specific times.

 

The main rule of thumb is, if you need to buy a ticket now and you need to lock yourself in to flying with that airline at that sort of time on those days (remembering that there will almost certainly be schedule changes during the 11 months that you're waiting), then if you're happy to pay the current fare then buy the ticket. If you don't need to lock yourself in now, you can choose whether or not to gamble on what will happen in the future.

[kelmac]

LoneStar72 (John),

 

Excellent stuff! What's up? What are your cruise/vacation plans looking like these days?

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[LoneStar72]

Kel asked:

What's up? What are your cruise/vacation plans looking like these days?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=120603

 

John