How to get peak date flights for a reasonable cost?

[desilana]

We are wanting to go away for New Years 2025. I always thought that if you booked your flights as soon as they came out, then they'd be cheap.

But we tried to book last year for this New Years and flights on the dates we wanted were released at £1,500 each in economy for a flight that usually goes for about £500.

Is there a way?

Specifically which date and to where and which airline?

Xmas and new year is a small window at peak time

Did you keep checking through the year and did they sell out?

I used to buy in July or August and they were relatovely reasonable for Christmas.

Depends on the location and airline. I find flights to the USA tend to be really expensive when first released, BA usually releases slightly earlier than Virgin, then as Virgin releases BA's prices start to come down, then a few weeks later Virgin comes down, there's a sweet spot for a short while before it starts booking up and then the price starts going up exorbitantly the fuller the flight gets. I mostly only really go to the US long haul so not sure what goes on elsewhere in the world!

we tried to book last year for this New Years and flights on the dates we wanted were released at £1,500 each in economy for a flight that usually goes for about £500.

When are you comparing with when you say usually? Christmas verses another Christmas or for example Christmas verses Oct/Nov/early Dec?

As @helpmyback says “Xmas and new year is a small window at peak time” certainly travel over the Christmas/New Year period has become increasingly popular and many airlines have tended to respond to the demand by putting prices for the period up.

I don’t really have a magic answer as to when to book for optimal pricing but you might find, given demand for flights in that period that they never drop, or if they do, not by much.

What are those same flights selling for right now? If it's sold out then it's presumably a popular route, no bargains to be had. If it's cheaper than it was then you just have to monitor the prices, until it reaches an acceptable price for you. I usually nab a European city break for a good price travelling in that time period, but I'm flexible on where we go. Two years ago we did Madrid, last year Gdansk, pre COVID we did Budapest and another year Rome. Nothing booked for this year, but I still have my eye on flights for 27th December, which is awfully soon. Currently the price is still higher than I want to pay, fingers crossed it falls in coming days. If not we stay home this year.

I live near a ski airport so winter travel can be pricy for trips for work/visiting family. In the past I have got reasonably priced flights by flying between Christmas and New Year and/or just after most of the schools go back. So eg the 30th and, say 7 January if the schools go back on the 6th. The difference in price between the day before the start of term and the day after was staggering. I booked relatively late though and flights are busier these days so the last bit is probably too risky!