Do international flights get cheaper the later you leave your booking?

[juzdownunder]

Firstly apologies if this is a well known quirk of our flight system, but i'm a very irregular international flyer, in fact I haven't taken an intl flight for personal reasons for over a decade!

I'm looking to do MEL-LAS-MEL dept April 8 or 9, and when i do the runaround of the various "cheap intl flights" website, the best price I can get today appears to be a touch under $2,000.

However, if I look to get a quote on the same route for two weeks time, I get a heap of options around the $1,200 mark. Similar stopovers/flight times, the only real difference is the cheap fares for April appear to be with Qantas, whereas the cheapest fares for two weeks time are on V Australia and United.

So my question is...am I better to leave my flight booking until late March, when I can expect the same $1,200 airfares to be available for my April flights....or is there something happening in April that i'm not aware of, and all the cheap seats are already sold?

Oh, and while i'm at it, any tips for finding the cheapest economy fares to the US (while keeping the total travel time under 20 hours)? There's so many websites to choose from, I have no idea which to use and which to avoid. Or are they all the same?

Just to add to the complexity, i'm actually planning to do MEL-LAX, then drive to Vegas, but want to fly LAS-LAX-MEL on the way back.

 

[ric_melb]

School holidays in early April is no doubt one reason for higher airfares on 8/9 April.

 

[juzdownunder]

Ack, thanks for the reply, I had thought school holidays were later in April, around Easter, so had discounted that issue.

 

[grussellt]

Try an airfare search in ITA Software . You can search individual dates or choose to look at fares over a one month period. You will still have to book with the airline or an agent.

 

[JetLagged]

School holidays in early April is no doubt one reason for higher airfares on 8/9 April.

Not knowing where juzdownunder is makes advising of dates harder. NSW school holidays start until Monday 11th April, so 8/9 is probably a fair assumption that people take off earlier. Interesting school term this one, with Easter being the END of the school holidays: means the Department of Education does't have to pay teachers for both holidays and public holidays on top, cheap skates!

 

[harvyk]

Yes and no,

Yes because the closer to the departure date, the more they want to sell a seat. (once the plane leaves the ground and it's empty it is lost revenue that they will never get back).

No because the cheaper classes (talking fair class not cabin class) gets sold out, leaving only the more expensive tickets.

Keep in mind that for flights too and from the US, taking a flight a day earlier or later can reduce the price by half if not more. (Best one I had was to leave on a Monday was going to cost $3000 return, to leave on the Wednesday of the same week was only going to cost only $1000 return, I've spent quite a few additional days in the US as the saving far outweighed the extra costs in food + hotels + sightseeing. )

Being a little flexible with dates can save quite a bit..

 

[trippin_the_rift]

the QF site breaks it down by days so you can see which depart/return date is optimal for flying. For example leaving on 7th April is $200 less than departing on 8th.

Also it can sometimes be cheaper to book MEL-LAX-MEL and buy a separate ticket for LAX-LAS-LAX

 

[GT351]

Feb March are low season.
There are heaps of sales on to flog of the remaining seats.

May explain in part the big fare difference

GT

 

[drron]

So in March-no holidays except spring break in the US-so mexican flights will be full.Still winter in the US.Demand low=low price.
April-school hols,Easter-even though 2 weeks later many take hols before or after so a longer break.now spring in US so demand higher=higher price.
But just looking at BNE-LAX on 7/4-$873 on outbound.But 8,9/4 is $1355 on outbound.Plenty of days at $815 coming back.Just need or be able to be flexible.
Was very interesting as on Best flights leaving BNE 7/4 and returning 22/4 their best price was $2033 using NZ but on QF website $1688.From MEL $1701.
Added.
Just looked up aa.com-LAX-LAS if you fly either way on a Wednesday is $US29 but Thursday-Monday is at least $114.But personally I would look at hiring a car one way if you haven't done it before.No drop off fees between Ca and NV.Only takes a day with stops at the factory outlets.

 

[juzdownunder]

Not knowing where juzdownunder is makes advising of dates harder.

Hmm, my OP said I was looking at MEL-LAS-MEL, kinda thought that told you where I am!

Thanks for all the replies, i've learned a lot. It's interesting, as I say if I look for that route in two weeks, price is about $1,300. Look for it on April 8, $2k. Look for it on May 8, $1,300 again. So it does seem to be more about the cheap fares being sold out rather than the airline trying to flog off their last few seats to fill the plane.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of flexibility, I want to attend a conference in Vegas from April 11-15, and only want a couple of days either side of that for leisure time. My attendance is optional, and if I go my accom, meals and conf fee is covered by the company holding the conference. So i could leave it to the last minute to book the flight, and if I miss out, so be it. But is there any chance of cheap seats last minute on those dates? Doesn't seem likely at this stage.

 

[JetLagged]

Hmm, my OP said I was looking at MEL-LAS-MEL, kinda thought that told you where I am!

I should have read your OP closer - but the reply would be YES AND NO - many people live in one place and fly out of another because the flights are a lot cheaper, or more available, or chance of upgrades are far greater. Such as live in AU but fly out from NZ on a RTW ticket, or use BNE rather than SYD, etc.

 

[juzdownunder]

I should have read your OP closer - but the reply would be YES AND NO - many people live in one place and fly out of another because the flights are a lot cheaper, or more available, or chance of upgrades are far greater. Such as live in AU but fly out from NZ on a RTW ticket, or use BNE rather than SYD, etc.

Yep, fair enough, it's easy to miss stuff at first glance. All good, and I appreciate you taking the time to read/reply regardless.

 

[jb747]

As a general rule, no. The old days of 'standby' seating had things getting cheaper the closer it was to the flight date. But, in these days of yield control, it's assumed that if you are booking late, then your need to go is great, so the price will be higher. Bit like trying to get a hotel room on the cheap by walking in off the street, just as the blizzard arrives...your need to have room is greater than the hotels' need to sell it.