The great debate: booking flights 6 months ahead vs. last minute

So I used to be a hardcore plan-ahead guy. I'd book flights like 4-6 months out for everything. Then last year I had a trip to Austin come up sudden like 2 weeks notice. I found a round trip for $180 on Southwest. That got me thinking. Now I kinda mix it up but I'm not sure which way is actually better for saving money. Anyone else go back and forth on this? What's your experience with timing?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.blair8d ago

Last minute all the way for me. I used to stress about booking way early but now I just check Southwest and Spirit a week or two out. The prices drop like crazy when nobody bought seats for a random Tuesday. Saved over a hundred bucks on a Denver trip doing that last month. The only downside is you gotta be flexible on flight times. If you can leave at 6am or 10pm, you're golden.

flores.emma7d ago

Golden" is doing a LOT of heavy lifting there, Blair. I tried that last minute thing once and ended up on a 5am flight to Chicago sitting next to a dude who loudly argued with his mom about his ex-wife for three hours straight. The ticket was cheap, sure, but I paid for it with my sanity. I'll stick to booking mid-range prices and getting a normal human departure time, thanks. You can keep your $100 savings and your 10pm redeye to nowhere.