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I am flying to Toronto for the 5/20 weekend. Any suggestions on when to buy the tickets? Air Canada does have direct flights and I am wondering if those prices will drop....
I don't think anyone understands or can predict airline pricing. This says Sunday, more than 21 days in advance, is the best time to buy:
"But the latest study by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation says that 2017 "could be a banner year for travelers taking to the skies," with a new ideal time to book. Based on billions (yes, billions) of passenger flights from January 1, 2016, through October 24, 2016, the study concluded that the best day to buy airline tickets is Sunday, especially if you're booking more than 21 days in advance. Weekends are generally a good time to buy, but not Fridays, since there's an uptick then in business travel bookings. Do this and you "can save more than 30 percent to Europe and 17 percent on travel domestically," says the study."
"Here’s the definitive answer: The best time to book an airline ticket is Tuesday afternoon, when most airlines have matched fare sales from competitors."
My hunch: this is about as low as they'll get. If you buy a ticket 12 months in advance, the airlines assume that you are desperate to lock in a specific flight and they'll price accordingly. If you buy a ticket 12 days in advance, the airlines assume that you are equally desperate. Somewhere in between, you have the advantage as a buyer. My experience is that 3 months is about optimum.
My hunch: this is about as low as they'll get. If you buy a ticket 12 months in advance, the airlines assume that you are desperate to lock in a specific flight and they'll price accordingly. If you buy a ticket 12 days in advance, the airlines assume that you are equally desperate. Somewhere in between, you have the advantage as a buyer. My experience is that 3 months is about optimum.
Last statistics I've read indicated 57-62 days out was the best time to buy, so we're not that far apart. OP should check a few travel websites that track this kind of thing. I know the information is out there. BTW - Toronto is a tremendous city to visit. The middle of May should be a great time to be there, so much so that you might be paying a bit of a premium for it.
Google Flights is your best friend. It takes 1 minute to check everyday until you feel comfortable to pull the trigger.
Forget any wisdom that you have heard about a certain number of days out to buy. You don't care about the average of 1000s of flights from hundreds of airports. You only care about your particular flight. Each airport, date, airline, route, etc. can vary wildly in price. It doesn't make sense to use long term averages on something that deviates so much and has so many variables.
You might get a deal if you did a one stop connection in Dulles, Philly, Charlotte, or New York, but most likely the price Air Canada is charging this far out is about as good as it gets. They have a monopoly on all 4 non stop flights per day between RDU and Toronto in the spring so they have little incentive to lower the price and probably fill most of the seats with business travelers paying for a nonstop. When you move to a one-stop, a less premium product, there is then a lot of competition depending on times and connecting airports so that drives the price down. Keep an eye out on it, but it may just go up.
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