Don't Book With "Guesstimate" Dates
Question from reader Frosta, in response to Wendy's post about FareCompare and tips for finding cheap holiday fares:
"What do you think about buying holiday tickets during a sale using 'guesstimate dates' and then paying to change the flight/dates later if necessary? Even with the change fee, this might still be cheaper than the jacked-up holiday fares."
That's some creative thinking, Frosta, but unfortunately it won't work. I checked with Rick Seaney of FareCompare, and he told me that once you change your dates, you'll have to pay the difference between your original fare and the current fare on the day that you rebooked -- by which time the sale might be long gone. You'll also have to pay the change fee of approximately $100 for a domestic ticket, and between $100 and $200 for an international one. Says Rick:
"The bottom line for holiday tickets is shop early, and know what a good price is. Expect to pay a premium. The key is to pay a small premium and not a large one, which normally occurs the closer you get to the travel dates."
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Thanks for the reply! Now I guess I need to start marking my calendar in ink and get going!!
Posted by: frosta | September 21, 2007 at 12:32 PM