When in your opinion is best time to book flight?

[bavarian44]

Hi,

I am new here...so if the question does not belong here then please ignore...just trying to get in contact with people who might be able to answer couple of travel/flight questions.

I have a question re an upcoming holiday for my family and myself (2 Adults / 2 kids...then again the kids will be classed Adults now too 15 years & 12 years).

We are planning to go to Munich for next Christmas (flying from Brisbane).

How far ahead is it possible to book a flight?

The flight needs to be on the 16/12/15 due that we have already booked accommodation.

We are thinking Emirates or Singapore Airlines. My dream would be to get a flight with Emirates book and pay then upgrade to Business (even if only one way), however I was just advised that it is not that easy to upgrade then I first thought.

I have looked through the threads and saw what looked like entries from travel professionals.

Any help / suggestions what to look for or how to get good flights and seats i would really appreciate. It seems with previous flights that no matter when we booked the seats we wanted were gone in a flash...lol.

thank you again.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Welcome to AFF.

Your question boils down to the dark arts of yield management and sadly there isn't a simple answer. It's even tougher in your case because you have a specific date on which you must travel. Just prior to Christmas is particularly tricky, but here's some considerations:
- hang out for a sale and be prepared to book as soon as you see something at the right price.
- set a price alert on one of the price websites so you are notified of sales or if fares come online at your price point.
- if you want to try for a points upgrade, make sure your initial fare is booked in the right "fare bucket", but don't get your hopes up, international upgrades are hard to come by for all but the highest status flyers.
- if it's a family holiday, don't mess around just to save a few dollars. Grab a sale fare and have the peace of mind that you are all set to go.

And finally, after you've booked stop looking for a cheaper fare - that's just torturing yourself.

I'm sure other members of the brains trust will have some good advice for you. Good luck.

 

[Hvr]

Firstly welcome aboard bavarian44 and here's to many, many posts on AFF.

Your circumstances are different to mine, I'm one person and can travel at the last minute if need be. In your situation where you must have four seats I can only suggest booking early and if possible securing desired seats which may not be the best on the plane but will be together.

Mid December 2015 will be busy and it is hard to see how seats will get cheaper but stranger things have happened. By booking them now you will eliminate months of worry and potential heartbreak if you miss out on four seats.

Of course once you book your tickets then purchase your travel insurance immediately. You will then have covered all eventualities if something goes wrong.

Happy travelling and I look forward to hearing about how it all went upon your return.

PS I've already booked trips for next year including November.

 

[nonpop]

Have a look at AY (FINNAIR) when they have their promo fares. They also do mixed class fares from AU I.e economy to say Bangkok / Sin / HKG then business class for the long haul segment. The AU to Asia segmentg is on QF Cathay or BA codeshare. Just another idea to consider.

 

[Alanslegal]

Welcome, as on the other thread, getting four seats upgraded is pretty difficult. I wouldn't be relying on that. However, I would try to book confirmed business or first class seats using points so that way you don't have to rely on the upgrade gods.

I see that you got yourself a rewards earning credit card, which is a positive start. Since you are a family of four with (I assume) very hungry teenagers I am very sure your supermarket bills would be quite a spend each week. I would suggest the American Express Edge or Reserve Card where you earn 3 points per $1 at supermarkets (2 points per $1 at petrol stations, and 1 point for almost everything else). Those Amex points can convert into Singapore Airlines points at 1:1. There's a promo at the moment I think where they gift you 10K points and no first year annual fee. Shop at Woolworths and double dip with your Everyday Rewards Card and earn Qantas points on top of that. Now you are earning in two programs for just your regular shopping (ie. you don't have to spend anymore than normal to earn points).

Also keep a look out for 'buying airlines miles' when they are on promotion. There's a bunch of airlines willing to sell you frequent flyer points right now and periodically during the year, and usually you buy enough points to go business class round trip to Europe for less than $3,000. Once you buy points, redeem seats and fly in the nicer ends of the plane

That's a start, so keep on reading, there's loads to learn and before you know it, you will be enjoy a glass of champagne and seated in 1A.