My friend and I had a big fight about booking flights to Lisbon

Last month, I wanted to book our flights to Lisbon six months out, thinking we'd get the best deal. My friend insisted on waiting for a last-minute sale, saying he saved $200 on a trip to Mexico City that way. We ended up paying about the same price, but I stressed for weeks. What's your go-to move for flight timing?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_perry447d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, taylor_hall is totally right about the mental cost. I mean, after you check prices for the tenth day in a row, you start to hate the trip before it even happens. I've learned to just buy when it hits my personal budget and then delete the app. The peace of mind is way better than any sale.

taylor_hall29d ago

I booked a flight to Tokyo 90 days out last year and got a decent price. My rule now is to set a Google Flights alert for my dates and buy when the price feels right, even if it's not the absolute cheapest. The mental cost of checking every day isn't worth saving maybe fifty bucks. I'd rather have the trip locked in and stop thinking about it.

terry129d ago

Ninety days out and you call that a decent price? That's wild. I start looking at flights like a year in advance for that route. The price swings are insane. Setting an alert is smart, but man, I could never relax buying that late.