Question on when to book flight and hotel

[dkksk]

I nave found that booking airfare when bookings open is the best. Also look at booking 2 one way flights. I have done this and found savings. for our 2018 Feb. cruise I have booked 2 one way flights ORD - FLL and FLL - ORD for a total cost of $245 / pp. Prices have since gone up by $100 pp.

[slidergirl]

I book the hotel as soon as I book the cruise because it's free to book and free to cancel or change up until the day before you arrive. I keep an eye on airfare regularly and have a good idea what an average fare is to get where I'm going, and I will book as soon as the flights open up and I see an airline with the price at or below the expected price. If you haven't kept an eye on flights beforehand and don't know what price is good, then I would book as soon as possible with Southwest, because it seems that more often than not, prices just go up, but at least with Southwest you can make changes if the price goes down.

 

 

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Please be careful posting false/incorrect information.

 

Not all hotels allow free cancellation/changes up until the day of arrival. That is more the exception now than the rule. It depends on the rate plan you buy. It depends on the hotel/resort you are booking with. To give some examples of data points, at the hotels I've worked at, there have been 48 hour, 2 week, 30 days, 45 days, 90 days and NO cancellation policy. And, that includes BAR rates, not just pre-paids. Please do not assume you can cancel just because you booked a certain rate. Look closely at the T&Cs for that rate - it will be very clear if you take a second to read the rules.

[Bruin Steve]

Please be careful posting false/incorrect information.

Wow....that's a bit harsh and judgmental...

And, actually, just as incorrect, if not more...

 

First, as long as we're comparing credentials here, I began my career as corporate counsel to a major hotel chain. Largely, MOST hotels offer refundable rates as a base rate. Most of the time, it's a 24 hour free cancellation. But, yes, of course, many hotels now also offer options that are nonrefundable, paid in full when booked...or some other variation.

 

But, no one here was suggesting booking early into a nonrefundable rate--unless you are immediately happy with that rate. What we were all recommending was booking early with a refundable rate. And, most hotel websites are VERY clear on which rates are nontefundable.

[ColoradoGurl]

Wow....that's a bit harsh and judgmental...

 

And, actually, just as incorrect, if not more...

 

 

 

First, as long as we're comparing credentials here, I began my career as corporate counsel to a major hotel chain. Largely, MOST hotels offer refundable rates as a base rate. Most of the time, it's a 24 hour free cancellation. But, yes, of course, many hotels now also offer options that are nonrefundable, paid in full when booked...or some other variation.

 

 

 

But, no one here was suggesting booking early into a nonrefundable rate--unless you are immediately happy with that rate. What we were all recommending was booking early with a refundable rate. And, most hotel websites are VERY clear on which rates are nontefundable.

 

 

Exactly.

 

 

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[iancal]

We don't go with the Tuesday booking business.

 

First thing to check...are you flying at a busy time-vacations etc. Are your dates flexible,

 

Second thing to check...what are your reasonable departure and arrival airports. As an example, if we have a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale we also watch the MIA and PBI pricing.

 

Consider 2 one ways-on different airlines. May be less expensive than a return flight. Have even found this occasionally on cruise air programs

 

Understand the prices-know what is a good price vs a high price.

 

Don't bother waiting for the lowest price. When you see a good price jump on it because tomorrow it could be gone.

 

Over the past few years we have found that pricing on international flights 45 days out to be as good or better than six months out.

[waterbug123]

Wow....that's a bit harsh and judgmental...

And, actually, just as incorrect, if not more...

 

I didn't find it harsh at all, and certainly not incorrect. Slidergirl was responding to someone who made a blanket statement, implying that it's always free to cancel a hotel room 24 hours ahead and that just isn't true. Meanwhile, there are less experienced travelers out there who might read that and assume it is indeed true, and not pay as close attention to the hotel booking site. I've certainly booked rooms where I almost didn't catch that a rate was non-refundable, or required more than 24 hours notice to cancel without penalty.

[slidergirl]

I didn't find it harsh at all, and certainly not incorrect. Slidergirl was responding to someone who made a blanket statement, implying that it's always free to cancel a hotel room 24 hours ahead and that just isn't true. Meanwhile, there are less experienced travelers out there who might read that and assume it is indeed true, and not pay as close attention to the hotel booking site. I've certainly booked rooms where I almost didn't catch that a rate was non-refundable, or required more than 24 hours notice to cancel without penalty.

 

Exactly.

 

I was not referring to non-refundable rates exclusively. There are other rate plans that are refundable, but have other periods than the 24 hour. Depending on the hotel, there can be over 100 different rate plans for any particular day. They were mind-boggling to me when I started to work in Reservations. Even my little boutique place now has about 30. That's not counting the ones that come in from Expedia, Orbitz, HotelsTonight...

[ColoradoGurl]

I didn't find it harsh at all, and certainly not incorrect. Slidergirl was responding to someone who made a blanket statement, implying that it's always free to cancel a hotel room 24 hours ahead and that just isn't true. Meanwhile, there are less experienced travelers out there who might read that and assume it is indeed true, and not pay as close attention to the hotel booking site. I've certainly booked rooms where I almost didn't catch that a rate was non-refundable, or required more than 24 hours notice to cancel without penalty.

 

 

[emoji849] sheesh, ok, I said I book my hotel right away because it's free to cancel or change up until the day before...because it is, for me, because I don't book non-refundable hotel rooms or on discount sites. I didn't think I had to be so specific about that disclaimer, or that anyone would just go jump and book a room based on my post without knowing what they were booking.

 

Sure, there are non-refundable hotel rooms out there, but there are also a whole lot of mainstream hotel chains with penalty free cancellations and changes. So, use those if you want to book early, because you CAN actually do that.

 

No need for alarm, and there was no need to chastise me and claim that I was misinforming people as though I made a firm blanket statement, which I did not (and I also did not use the word "always"). She just as easily could have said "as a follow up to the post regarding hotel cancellations, be aware that there are some fares that are offered at a discount in exchange for it being non-cancellable," rather than a big alarmist post with all her hotel career credentials. It's not bad to remind people that that those rates do exist, it's just the way in which it was done that was a bit unnecessary, or harsh.

 

 

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Edited May 8, 2017 by ColoradoGurl

[FlyerTalker]

Sensitivity.

 

Accuracy.

 

Class assignment - Compare and contrast. Examine the relevance to our PC culture.

[waterbug123]

[emoji849]

 

She just as easily could have said "as a follow up to the post regarding hotel cancellations, be aware that there are some fares that are offered at a discount in exchange for it being non-cancellable,"

 

Just as you could have said, "I always make sure to book a refundable rate...." rather than wording it in a way that, taken at face value, sounded as though you assumed all rooms are always refundable. Clearly you realize that isn't the case, but there ARE a lot of much less informed travelers out there who might read what you said and make an incorrect assumption. Over the years I've seen too many posts to count from people who have made wildly inaccurate assumptions about cruise terms, flights, hotels etc. because they heard or read something and interpreted it in a way that suited them, or relied on their past experience that involved a different set of circumstances....only to be disappointed later. :)

[iancal]

We seldom book hotels in advance unless we get an extremely attractive rate. Our experience in Europe, Asia, and North America is that hotel prices do drop. We often travel independently and often plan our itinerary two or three days in advance. Clearly this is not possible if there is a large event in town. But usually this is not the case. The downside can be not as much choice. The upside is the high end properties often chop the price substantially. Most especially weekends in business class hotels when there are few business travellers. Cruise lines take advantage of exactly this when they offer pre and post cruise packages.

 

My daughter and husband visited this weekend. They booked their Hampton Inn on Friday for a Friday and Sat night starys. The rate was $109 CAD for a suite vs a price of $139 for a king room if they had booked a week prior.

 

We use Priceline bidding and Hotwire. Why, because hotels use these opaque sites to unload rooms that their algorithms tell them would otherwise go empty. Some revenue is better than no revenue.

 

We have spent the last three of four winters travelling in SE Asia. Our absolute best fare ever came 10 days to departure. Same with a few Europe trips.

 

Prior to retirement we liked everything planned out, all the hotels booked. Now that we travel more frequently we find that doing this gives us less flexibility and higher accomodation expenses.

[Bruin Steve]

We seldom book hotels in advance unless we get an extremely attractive rate...

 

Amidst all of the bickering and sometimes BAD advice, I think it's time to get back to the basics here...

 

BEST advice as to when to book a hotel:

 

1) Book as early as possible with a REFUNDABLE rate...Most hotels offer these and they are usually cancelable up to the last 24 hours....but, yes, do check and be sure of the terms. This becomes your hedge against rising prices.

 

2) Check available prices often. If rates go down and you can replace your original booking with a better deal, go ahead...but, if early, again make sure the rate is refundable.

 

3) If you wish to use a site such as Priceline, go ahead...You already know your current booking price, so bid accordingly. If you "win" a bid, go back and cancel your original booking. Remember, Priceline rates usually do go down shortly before the date of your stay--as the hotel realizes they will have too many rooms available. But, NEVER depend on Priceline--if their hotels are sold out or nearly sold out, your bid will get rejected...end of story. The system depends on hotels realizing that their bookings are below projections.

 

4) When you get down to the deadline on canceling your initial booking, If you have not been able to do better, keep that booking and be happy you booked when you did. If you have found a better deal, cancel the original and nothing lost.

 

What I have found, over many years of travel (and, yes, after having spent the early part of my career in the hospitality industry) is that hotel rates go both up and down. It is all dependent on the laws of supply and demand. If there are events, such as conventions, trade shows, local celebrations, sporting events, etc. where you are going on the dates you plan to go, those hotels WILL fill up and the rates will go up. And note that some events might be difficult to determine even with a thorough google search--weddings, corporate meetings, etc. are not generally advertised. Also, if you are planning a trip during a particularly busy season--holidays, school vacations or even just the dead of winter in South Florida, rates may start high and stay high...or, more likely, go higher. Also note that some hotels in some areas cater to a business clientele and, therefore, tend to have problems filling rooms on weekends. Others cater to a regional long weekend crowd and fill up on weekends but don't on workdays. It all varies.

 

If you book that early "placeholder" reservation--one that you can cancel with no penalty--what you have done is to insure yourself that this is the worst you will do. It is an insurance policy. I have done it this way for many, many years now...and have never found a fault in the system.

 

Also, note that you should always take a good look at discount rates offered by the hotel chains themselves--AAA rates, AARP rates, Senior rates...even Government rates (for example, Hilton Corp allows State Government rates for teachers with school district ID--and seldom requires any explanation of the purpose of the trip). These special rates, like all hotel rates, tend to come and go. The chains put internal limits, for example, on how many AAA rooms they will allow in a hotel at one time...so, if you find one, don't assume it will be there later. Most, if not all, major hotel chains' AAA rates and AARP rates ARE cancelable up to the day before.

 

Good luck.

[TimeToGetNauti]

Thank you everyone for your advice. The dates for the hotel are still not opened up yet for the most part so I am checking constantly and trying to get a feel for what area would be best for me as well as what is a good price. I appreciate the feedback.

[pinotlover]

The yet undiscussed issue with air fares is the traveler's tolerance for plane changes and layovers. If one is wanting to fly the most direct route, it is my experience that those flights generally book up early and the less expensive fares are typically around 300 days out. After that, fares typically only go up as the plane fills.

 

A completely different scenario can exist if one can tolerate a more open schedule. I was looking at its matrix recently to see how the prices I paid for one stops to Asia were doing. My costs are about 10% below current market. However, options now appear where I could, for example, do a four stopper with two long layovers ( one of them nine hours) and save about 25%. Total travel time, one way, over 39 hours., in lieu of our 17 hours. For $3000 savings , ($1500 ea) some people would have been all over those tickets .

 

When people ask very generic questions, as did this OP, they should first clearly state their tolerance for pain as a qualifier. The answer for non and one stoppers is often different from multiple stops Itineraries.

[iancal]

Yes, we always have a backup hotel that can be cancelled. I cannot recall not cancelling one with the exception of prepaid properties purchased at significant discounts.

 

If you join one of hotel chain plans, especially Accor and sometimes Marriott, they often have excellent specials for 2-3 day stays. Sometimes they are refundable, sometimes not. Often they are weekend rates at business class hotels. Especially true in SE Asia.

 

We are fussy when it comes to airlines. Routing and stopovers. Not terribly interested in a routing where the stopover is awful or there are not many remaining flights that day to our final destination. We have no issue doing a low cost consolidator class fare on BA to somewhere like Athens or Istanbul via London. We arrive in London in the AM and we know that there are numerous daily flights to our next destination. Plus we do carry on only which makes us even more flexible when it comes to schedule snafus.

Edited May 11, 2017 by iancal

[$hip$hape]

Thank you everyone for your advice.

The dates for the hotel are still not opened up yet for the most part so I am checking constantly and trying to get a feel for

what area would be best for me as well as what is a good price. I appreciate the feedback.

 

Out in left field…

For next year’s cruise, I have a different point of view.

374 days before our upcoming transatlantic, from Southampton to NYC, I contacted a lovely B&B( bed and breakfast) in the village of Hythe, across the water. Our cruise with about 4,000 pax will take place the same weekend as the Southampton Marathon (10,000 runners). WE stayed at this small B&B a few years ago, and wanted to return (be careful of emotional attachments). Since it’s highly rated, this B&B tends to book up quick.

We are now reserved for the “best” bedroom, with a view of Southampton and the ships across the water.

Even though we booked at their standard rate, we kinda think this place is priceless.

Will pay/send a deposit 90 days out.

Edited May 15, 2017 by $hip$hape

[lisagro]

For European airfare, how do you know when it's a good deal? Looking at DFW to Rome and reverse for late April/May.

 

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[FlyerTalker]

For European airfare, how do you know when it's a good deal? Looking at DFW to Rome and reverse for late April/May.

 

Research. You watch and track air pricing. Get to know what the market is like for the city-pairs you are interested in. It's not like anyone will turn on a neon sign saying "Good deal folks".

 

Is it something as easy as flipping a light switch? No. But to be an educated consumer, you need to know historical valuations.

 

For example, you see a steak in the grocery store for $10/lb. Is that a good deal? Only if you know that it usually goes for $20. Or not, if you know that it's usually $8.

[critterchick]

I've always heard that you should book international flights as soon as they're available or about 10 months in advance. Does anyone know if this is true? We're cruising out of Sydney next year.

 

I do agree that price wise it's best to wait (if you can) to book domestic flights no more than 2 months in advance.

 

I don't think there's any reason to book immediately unless the price looks good to you. But you're always taking the chance that prices will drop after you book or rise if you delay. Qantas just put business class on sale for our summer season, so there's no telling when a sale may pop up.

 

I recommend that you use a tracking service and subscribe to something like The Points Guy so you can get alerts when prices change. I use Google Flights to check airfare across many airlines and to track prices on itineraries hat appeal to me.

 

I had been holding off purchasing international air (BC, multi-city) for a late September trip and finally saw a modest price drop about six weeks ago. Then last week I got an alert that prices had gone down another $1200 per person so called AA to rebook. It took over an hour, but was well worth the effort, even though AA got to keep $450pp in change fees. Oddly, although I could see the price on AA's website, the EXP rep couldn't and it took her switching to a different system, then arguing with the pricing department, to get it done. And the rate was gone three hours later. But our vouchers arrived promptly and will be put to good use shortly.

 

And consider getting a branded or rewards credit card so you can rack up points for free stays at hotels or miles for air travel. There are a quite a few with no or a modest annual fee. You may as well earn something for spending money!

[iancal]

For international air travel we have had better prices 45-90 days out than we have had six months out. In a few cases we have had far better pricing 30 days out.

 

We usually reserve placeholders at hotels until such time as we find the right deal. The final reservation can be anywhere from 48 hrs to a month prior depending on the offer and the city. We cherry pick for the best offer.

[pinotlover]

Iancal;

 

Please tell us the international destinations and class of service you are getting better prices for 45-90 days out. Also how many plane changes are involved?

 

I have two trips to Europe this summer/ fall. BC and PE has been sold out of each for awhile and prices only went up after about 300 days prior. My fall trip is five months out and prices have consistently been about 20% higher sine day 270. BC is near sold out. Economy only has center section seats Toward the rear of the plane remaining.

 

If you are 5'6" or shorter and don't care about connections, cheap deals may well appear at anytime. For some of we taller folks, any seat any time mayn't be an option. I would be interested in the details of some of these "deals " you've found at 45-90 days out.