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?

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2 Comments

torres.blair1mo 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.

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flores.emma1mo 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.

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