If you have a destination wedding Attend – or are planning one of your own – achieve one of the most difficult tasks. Considering that commuting costs have skyrocketed in recent months, there’s a lot of uncertainty. But when is the best time to book destination wedding flights to find the lowest prices?
According to experts, the best time to book flights to a destination wedding is 1 to 8 months in advance. That’s a big chunk of time, but it breaks down depending on a number of factors. For example, whether you are traveling to a domestic or international destination and what time of year the wedding takes place. Plus, we have some tips to make sure you never pay too much for a destination wedding flight again.
If you’re attending – or hosting – a destination wedding in the United States, it usually takes longer to find cheap flights. According to Kyle Potter, executive editor at flight and travel deal website Budget travelersThe ideal time to book domestic flights starts at least a month in advance.
Senior Product Operations Specialist Willis Orlando from Scott’s Cheap Flights suggests booking domestic flights for a destination wedding one to three months in advance.
In general, you don’t want to book a plane ticket until the last minute – so it’s a good idea to start your search a month in advance. However, airfares vary based on a number of factors, so it’s a good idea to check your flight costs a few weeks in advance and keep an eye on them to make sure you’re not paying too much.
When it comes to an international destination wedding, experts recommend giving yourself a little extra time to search for flights. According to Potter, start looking for those flights at least two to three months before your wedding day. Meanwhile, Orlando suggests that guests or hosts start looking beyond after about three to eight months.
However, if the wedding is taking place in the summer or on a weekend, you will need to take into account different tips. Orlando recommends adding a month to the above timelines if the wedding takes place during high season or a weekend. Potter adds that entering this window is key when booking travel in the summer, when “prices are more likely to go up than to fall.”
Knowing when to start looking to book flights is something you need to master. However, there are plenty of other tips available to help you get a deal on your destination wedding flights without breaking the bank.
Set a maximum budget, start monitoring and set alerts
Before you start looking for flights, Orlando recommends budgeting yourself. What is the maximum amount you can spend on a plane ticket for this destination wedding?
Once you have a number in mind, start looking for flights and keep an eye on prices. Potter recommends that you set up Google Flights price alerts, which will send you email alerts when prices change. When he saw a good discount, he advised to book now.
That way, you’ve finally found a flight at a price that fits your budget. When you actually book a ticket, you can purchase a higher fare class that allows downline changes.
This means that if you find the fare affordable – and flexible – outside the recommended purchase timelines, buy it. You can always change it later if the price drops. “There is little harm in setting an ‘acceptable’ fare first, and then continuing to monitor the price, changing if it drops further,” says Orlando.
Having said that, you should be more careful with basic economy fares or low-cost airlines. “Most mainline economy class fares can be changed free of charge or canceled for vouchers,” says Potter. “For most airlines, that’s no longer the cheapest basic economy fare option.”
When traveling on weekends and peak days, travelers should think about taking an extra day off work to minimize flight costs. “Staying an extra day on the weekend can save you hundreds of times,” says Orlando.
Or, take just over a day for your entire vacation on your own. The bride and groom should consider the above equipment honeymoon also here. “Going a few days earlier or later – or even extending your trip after the wedding – can lead to a big savings,” says Potter. “There may not be cheap days to book, but there are cheap flight days. Getting on a plane on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday almost always saves you some money.”
Plus, building a few extra days into your trip on less crowded days often comes with additional perks like fewer spectators at the airport, empty seats on your flight, and a airport lounge all for yourself.
Orlando highly recommend using travel rewards to book destination wedding flights, especially if the wedding is short-lived, on peak days, or located in a hard-to-reach destination.
“Miles are most valuable when cash prices are high,” he said. “When you are limited in your date, time and destination, it is advisable to book by miles, where prices are much more stable than cash prices and fares are almost always subject to change and are usually fully refundable. enough.”
When it comes to building your travel rewards account, the right travel credit card is a great place to start. With them you can earn points and miles that can be transferred to several partners. For example, if you collect Chase the ultimate reward, Rewards for American Express members, Citi Thank You Rewards or Capital One mileyou can transfer your points to dozens of airline and hotel partners, giving you virtually free travel.
While it may be tempting to book flights for your entire family or group of friends, don’t. “Airlines sell their tickets in classes for a specific price… and have a number of tickets available for that price,” says Potter. In other words, there may not be eight tickets at the lowest price, but there may be two or three.
“If you are traveling in a group of six and have two tickets left to Paris for $500 round-trip and the other six for $1,000 round-trip, they will charge you $1,000 for all six tickets. ,” Orlando explained. “If you consider the number of passengers, you’ll often find the hot spot is where you can book the last two tickets for $500 round-trip before charging a higher price for everyone else.”
For those with large families, Potter recommends looking for your flight earlier than solo or double travelers. “It would be helpful for a large family to book more in advance to ensure that there is still enough stock at the cheapest fares available,” he said.
Save the headache and book directly with the airline – even if it’s a bit more expensive. “While you can save a few dollars when you book through a third-party website, you might regret it if your plans change or you need to change your flight,” says Potter. That’s because third-party online travel agents are often unable to fix problems themselves if something goes wrong, while the airline can quickly find alternatives in its own system. .
Brides and grooms should send destination wedding invitations or save dated cards with plenty of notice to ensure their guests have time to find and book a trip that fits their budget.
“We recommend sending a date save for your destination wedding taking place in Mexico one year to 10 months before the wedding date and then an official invitation with a response deadline of three months before the event date, ” says Anastasia, co-founder of Events & Weddings Mangoa destination wedding planning company in Mexico.
This way, guests have time to prepare a budget, track their flights and hunt for the best fares. And brides and grooms, if you’ve managed to snag your cheap flight tickets, help your guests and send them an email with details, encouraging them to book early to get the same price. same or similar.
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