Another airline ticket thread

[62flint]

Heading to Johannesburg next june, When is the best time to buy tickets? Looking at hopper the app says to wait.
Feel like a dog chasing my tail. Buy now and the prices drop or wait and they go up?

 

[Hunt anything]

I always start looking seriously around 6 months out. Other than during the Covid years all of the flights on Delta have been full so if you see a price you like pull the trigger on it.

But Jennifer at @TRAVEL EXPRESS should give you a good professional answer.

 

[thi9elsp]

I just priced on delta 6/25 - 7/13 Tampa - Atlanta - Johannesburg. It's prime season (regular tourists and hunters) so the prices were high relative to off season. Premium Economy for 2 is $9,794. Oh my. I'm waiting to confirm hunt date options with my outfitter and then will have Jennifer look at best option for travel with firearms.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I just priced on delta 6/25 - 7/13 Tampa - Atlanta - Johannesburg. It's prime season (regular tourists and hunters) so the prices were high relative to off season. Premium Economy for 2 is $9,794. Oh my. I'm waiting to confirm hunt date options with my outfitter and then will have Jennifer look at best option for travel with firearms.

I flew Premium for first time this past June. Personally it was not worth the added expense over Comfort + to me for what little it offered. I will stick with Comfort+

I usually start shopping and keeping an eye on flights as soon as they open for my dates. I have Jennifer on look out also. When you see a price you can live with have her book it. I found a big drop one morning about 6am and text Jennifer and she got it secured before it jumped up again.

 

[JimP]

Back when I flew over in 2022 I looked at flights and prices on Qatar. If I would of purchased my tickets right then I could of flown business class, but I had a agency doing the tickets and I ended up flying cattle class for the same price that I could of flown business.

You just never know if they are going to go up or down, anymore the odds of them going up in price is more likely than them going down.

I believe that you can't purchase tickets more than 11 months out.

 

[Firebird]

United was a bit cheaper than delta if you don’t mind going through Newark.
Quatar was also cheaper but significantly longer and not worth the time lost for me.

 

[SETH RINGER]

WE BUY OURS AS SOON AS THEY ARE ON SALE AND STOP CHECKING THE PRICE AT THAT POINT.

 

[thi9elsp]

@Mark Biggerstaff

Thanks for the input on Economy+ vs. Select. Will keep that in mind as we finalize 2025. What really got me, is that I was considering Ndumo's late season cancellation hunt. When Jennifer and I priced out Select for October 27 - November 12 2024 two people was $5,800. Much more palatable than the June 2025 price.

 

[btheis13]

Heading to Johannesburg next june, When is the best time to buy tickets? Looking at hopper the app says to wait.
Feel like a dog chasing my tail. Buy now and the prices drop or wait and they go up?

Oh boy, you're in for alot of recommendations to hire a travel agent. I just posted something like this about 4-6 weeks ago and I got all kinds these too.

My opinion: it depends on a number of variables. What class you are flying, are you taking a rifle, and what is your time searching worth?

I'm headed to JNB next May and bought 3 weeks too late...or just right, depending how you want to look at it. I had planned to take my own rifle on United through EWR. While watching and waiting for the right time the tickets went from $1300 to $1400 then $1500 in 3 weeks time. I changed my plans and am now renting a rifle from my PH. This meant I could fly BA through LHR and the RT tickets were $900. Right after booking these they went up to $1200 and now are $1500. I understand that the difference in $900 and $1500 is minimal in the whole picture of the overall cost, but $600 saved to me times 4 passengers is real $$.

 

[Andrew62]

Heading to Johannesburg next june, When is the best time to buy tickets? Looking at hopper the app says to wait.
Feel like a dog chasing my tail. Buy now and the prices drop or wait and they go up?

6-8 months is what I try to do. When I hunt SA I buy my own tickets, Cameroon, Zim and Uganda I’ve used a travel agent.