Do flight prices increase when closing in on the date?

[Schrodinger]

It seems every so often when I check on expedia.ca the prices have jumped with each week getting closer to the flight. I didn't buy the ticket before because I wasn't sure if I was going or not. Now I am.

I had always heard that its easier to get cheap tickets because they want to fill up the plane? Or should it be going up like this? It went up $100 already ($510 CAN return Toronto->Dallas).

 

[Yossarian]

prices are lowest about 3 weeks out. then they ramp up to screw you for your poor planning, then drop at the last minute because they're like "omfg it's gonna cost us $250,000 to make this flight and we only have 6 passengers!!"

 

[Schrodinger]

Originally posted by: Yossarian
prices are lowest about 3 weeks out. then they ramp up to screw you for your poor planning, then drop at the last minute because they're like "omfg it's gonna cost us $250,000 to make this flight and we only have 6 passengers!!"

Hrm... I might just pay the $510 now and be certain I'll get a place heh. Its for a big conference I can't really afford to miss :/

 

[mwtgg]

Have you checked the airline's site?

 

[Mill]

Yes, they do that. I pretty much won't fly if I can't book it 3-4 weeks in advance.

 

[Schrodinger]

Originally posted by: mwtgg
Have you checked the airline's site?

Yeah checked a few and they seem even more expensive :/

 

[FoBoT]

not as much as they used to. discount airlines have gone away from that model, and the dinosaur airlines can't do it as much to compete

 

[The Stigenator]

yup....

 

[Aznbruin]

Yes. The usual cut off is 2 weeks before the flight. I've seen flight prices jump from 300 to 1700 in a span of minutes when you cross the 2 week mark.

 

[myusername]

I'm pretty sure that orbitz.com has a price guarantee, where if the same flight ticket price drops between purchase and travel, they will refund the difference.. not sure how practical it is to use or easy it is to get refunded, as I've recently bought direct from airline (orbitz is usually 10-20 more than direct from airline $ .. but just thought I'd throw that out.