Do Christmas season fares keep going up....

[FigmentSpark]

or are there seat sales coming?

Do I buy now or wait a few months, like the app, Hopper suggests?

Travel will be on Air Canada or WestJet probably. Any opinions? Past experience? Insider knowledge? Just kidding... unless you actually have... no, never mind.

 

[deedubb]

Hopefully others will chime in, but my experience from last year when we arrived on Dec 22 was that fares kept going up (Westjet) and I would have paid several hundred dollars more (total for 4 of us) if I waited to book. I doubt there are seat sales at Christmas. I certainly didn't see any. The flights for our upcoming Dec trip were booked as soon as they opened up.

 

[FigmentSpark]

That's my fear, too.

 

[pangyal]

I think it might depend on what your dates are. We have traditionally booked Westjet in May, but for the last two years, I’ve been finding that I am calling to re-fare (which, now that WJ charges only $25, is not so bad) as late as September as the prices have gone down. So, YMMV, but if it helps, we usually go around December 7-17.

 

[badiggio]

If a great price shows up,take it.Otherwise imo, it's way too early and probably expensive,to book now.What i do is book where and when I'm staying first.Once I know that,I check EVERYDAY on expedia,until I find a price that's too my liking.usually,but not always, it's at the 3-4 month away time.

 

[bookbabe626]

If you are traveling the first/last day of the Christmas break, ie when everyone is off school, the flights will sell out well ahead of time and you are unlikely to see a seat sale. If your dates are flexible within the break, you might luck out and save a bit, but it won't be the kind of prices you'd see traveling during other weeks that month. Airlines know that when schools are out the demand is higher, and they gouge flyers accordingly. Or at least that's my experience over the last 25+ years of traveling as a teacher...

 

[dis_guy]

Yeah, that's the trend nowadays- they just seem to keep going up. However, stay with it and check as often (as in several times a day) as you can- sometimes you'll see a lower price. I remember years ago I was resigned to ridiculous prices for a New Years trip but on a whim I decided to look at 1 AM after I had watched a late movie on TV. Lo and behold there were some decent fares. I wasted no time and grabbed them. Back then you could get really good prices on United flights on the Air Canada site. Sadly, they eventually figured out what we were doing... lol

 

[FigmentSpark]

I need flights over Christmas. I can be a little flexible, like Thurs/Fri/Sat to leave, and we will be coming home right after New Year's Day.

I am worried that the same rules as for Spring Break will apply. Everyone flies over Christmas break and, as I'm in YYZ - a hub, many of them fly through here, which ups the price, I bet.

 

[grantclaire]

Last year there was a price drop for one flight on December 25th 730 AM direct Pearson to MCO on WJ. This happened around 6 months before the date. We booked 3 seats. We paid 525.00 return per person.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Wow! I wish I could stand to plan like that, lol! I do see Xmas day sales, because most people aren't willing to travel on present/church day. But I bet that trip was wonderful for you.

 

[Shanti]

I can't speak for those two airlines, but we flew during Christmas week in 2017, booked just 2 months out, and all of the American carriers' flights were extremely expensive. For Christmas, I'd grab any decent prices I see & not hope for deals.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

Our flights last year for our Christmas trip to DL on Air Canada (Dec 21-27) were booked in May 2017 - Our flights kept increasing from the date I booked so I was glad I booked when I did. After our trip last year we decided to return to DL again for Christmas (same dates). I booked my flights in February and they have already gone up $500 already. So I would say, if you see a price you are comfortable with, book them.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Yeah, that's what I was figuring. I like to book things early, but I'm balancing using points and buying tickets, so I need to figure out what my best scenario is.

 

[grantclaire]

Wow! I wish I could stand to plan like that, lol! I do see Xmas day sales, because most people aren't willing to travel on present/church day. But I bet that trip was wonderful for you.

Yes we were lucky on those fares, I had almost given up going around Christmas when those showed up. Bet a lot of people do not want to fly early on Christmas AM! However the airport was busy and it was a full flight!

 

[tgropp]

If a great price shows up,take it.Otherwise imo, it's way too early and probably expensive,to book now.What i do is book where and when I'm staying first.Once I know that,I check EVERYDAY on expedia,until I find a price that's too my liking.usually,but not always, it's at the 3-4 month away time.

In all my times of going at Christmas time the prices were never cheaper the longer you waited. They just keep going up and up the closer it gets to Christmas. Not saying it's impossible but I've never seen it. I usually book within a month of the release dates

 

[Toy Story Fan]

This may sound a little crazy, but when I was looking for flights to Gatwick with WestJet, (we are on the WBTA DCL cruise this September), I knew the day and the specific flight I wanted. I then kept going to their website and clicking on the day and time a couple of times a day for weeks. Then on one Saturday morning about 5:30 am, only that flight had 5 seats open (the exact seats I needed), at a great price. I grabbed them and have not seen a better price for that flight since. Now I can't say if doing this will get you better rates, but I thought it was quite odd that exact flight was reduced and only 5 seats. All the other flights did not change in price.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I've seen things like that, too. Too bad it's not predictable enough to count on.

 

[badiggio]

In all my times of going at Christmas time the prices were never cheaper the longer you waited. They just keep going up and up the closer it gets to Christmas. Not saying it's impossible but I've never seen it. I usually book within a month of the release dates

sorry it's never worked for you,but it has worked for me.Having said that,I'm like a dog with a bone.Once I have everything in place,I'm constantly checking the web,and in my case ,it always works.Ultimately ,do whatever "you're" comfortable with.
I've been at Disney for Christmas and in aruba for Christmas;it's just not the same as being home for Christmas,for me.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

or are there seat sales coming?

Do I buy now or wait a few months, like the app, Hopper suggests?

Travel will be on Air Canada or WestJet probably. Any opinions? Past experience? Insider knowledge? Just kidding... unless you actually have... no, never mind.

We did ac going wj return. Bought tickets in March 2017 for Dec 30-Jan 9

Watched the prices. Only once did i see the fare lower to more or less equal to what we paid. But on flight times we would not have wanted.

We committed when the fare we felt was reasonable. Thats the best way to do it. And dont look back.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I thought about doing one of each airline, but we park at the terminal in YYZ, so DH would never think the 'hassle' of getting the van from the other terminal was worth the saving.