Ryanair flights: when's the best time to buy?
Discussion
Yes, I know the default answer is 'never' but I need to buy four flights to Italy this August and Ryanair is the only practical choice. It's two months off departure date and I'm checking the prices daily in hope/expectation of a dip a bit nearer the time. At the moment they still seem to be creeping up, but the lady whose house we're staying in over there reckons we should hang on for a bit longer.
I know it's impossible to be hard and fast about it but does anybody have any recent-ish experience with this sort of thing?
At the moment it feels a bit like playing the stock market, and not in a good way.
I know it's impossible to be hard and fast about it but does anybody have any recent-ish experience with this sort of thing?
At the moment it feels a bit like playing the stock market, and not in a good way.
Blackpuddin said:
Except that some independent research on a recent TV programme on bucket airlines showed a distinct dip in Ryanair pricing about three weeks before departure dates. Just wondering if that's something to rely on, or ignore.
I experienced it across other airlines as well. Definitely not to ignore, although it's not necessarily 3 weeks.The airlines invest a fortune in systems and expertise to manage this, and they keep it massively confidential. Which doesn't help you. Prices might dip a few weeks before departure is a flight has low bookings. Ask yourself, is a flight to Italy in peak of holiday season going to have many unsold seats? I don't know the answer, but I know which way I'd bet....
You make a good point and it's one I've thought about. I thought I'd latched on to a decent Ryanair flight plan yesterday but when I went to book it I tripped up on the baggage add-on, £25 per person per bag over six flights makes a big difference when there are four of you.
We've become fed up with the lack of transparency in airlines, not just bucket ones either, what with that and the dodginess of Italian car hire we've decided to opt out and drive down there. Did it two years ago and enjoyed it, this time we'll have the kids but they're pretty grown up so should be OK.
We've become fed up with the lack of transparency in airlines, not just bucket ones either, what with that and the dodginess of Italian car hire we've decided to opt out and drive down there. Did it two years ago and enjoyed it, this time we'll have the kids but they're pretty grown up so should be OK.
Cupramax said:
Just a tip, delete the browser cookies if your going back and looking at their website several times as ive noticed prices that had gone up went back down again after i did this, coincidence, maybe, maybe not.
Yep, again we have experienced this, our children wised us up to that one, they told us to go incognito on Firefox or Chrome. It's all part of the reason why we've abandoned these shysters, they are simply not to be trusted IMO. audidoody said:
Delete the Cookies with ALL airlines. They all seem to do it (adjust price to your browsing)
I would say the same as above but with car rental firms - looked at prices for a set period one day priced £XX. Next day, looked again and they were £XX +25%.Cleared cache and cookies, used a different browser and they were back to £XX ten mins later.
Hmmm.
No idea where I read it but somewhere suggested that, on average, the best prices arrived something like 32-36 days before the flight.
However, the risk is the fluctuation or not getting a flight at all. Usually it will go up to start with - it's not cookies as I clear mine and get the same results on another computer. What I now do is hawk the flights first and when I see a price and destination I like, I research a villa and then quickly book the flight.
Two pointers on this - look at flights on different days though you may be hamstrung by villa owners demanding the holiday start on a particular day and secondly, if you look at villas inland, rather than on the coast, they tend to have far less bookings so are far more flexible on start dates and duration, allowing exploitation of cheap flights.
However, the risk is the fluctuation or not getting a flight at all. Usually it will go up to start with - it's not cookies as I clear mine and get the same results on another computer. What I now do is hawk the flights first and when I see a price and destination I like, I research a villa and then quickly book the flight.
Two pointers on this - look at flights on different days though you may be hamstrung by villa owners demanding the holiday start on a particular day and secondly, if you look at villas inland, rather than on the coast, they tend to have far less bookings so are far more flexible on start dates and duration, allowing exploitation of cheap flights.
Been through the same car hire nonsense myself. Need to cancel that now we've decided to drive our own car there. Noticed that the hire rate also changes depending on which country you're going online from. The Fiat we eventually found for around £140 a week (plus unknown extra charges for unsocial opening hours in Italy, innumerable insurances etc) was over $500 if i started from the American site.
I honestly believe there should be an inquiry into all this internet fiddleage. We are being made monkeys of by a bunch of smart alecs with some clever algorithms.
I honestly believe there should be an inquiry into all this internet fiddleage. We are being made monkeys of by a bunch of smart alecs with some clever algorithms.
Even though I'm cancelling the Hertz car two months ahead of our arrival, they still charge a £30 cancellation fee. The only way of avoiding that 'fee' is to cancel within 7 days of your booking (made on 7 June). Another blatant ripoff.
Heads they win, tails you lose. I'm learning a lot here.
Heads they win, tails you lose. I'm learning a lot here.
Used Ryan Air repeatedly over the last 20 years going to and from Europe generally Italy (most) Canaries(2 months every winter) France occasionally. My partner does the bookings and over that time has decided that the last three weeks are generally the best. Given the practice I would think she is right.
Our best price was 4p yes that is 1p each each way from Birmingham to Pisa Italy including ALL taxes All surcharges and our payment itself was charge free on our prepay credit card that Ryan Air was pushing at the time. That sort of daft price underlines how cheap Ryanair can be at the right time. The most we have paid is around £20 each when we needed to get home unexpectedly.
To put this in context the Taxi from Pisa to Lucca costs us £50 or £35 if we haggle in Italian (pleasantly) which we do. Therefore our general flight costs for a 3000 mile trip are less than the taxi at the airport for a 30 mile trip. and a lot less than two taxi fares!
I am not a fan of the razzmatazz and hype of Ryanair but as a low cost service it has served us exceptionally well over 20 years. We have been late in any direction with Ryan air only once when we had to reload the plane because a passenger changed their mind. As a value for money operation I do not think that record is easily beaten which is why we will be flying with Ryanair twice more this year to Italy and back. Good luck with your search.
Our best price was 4p yes that is 1p each each way from Birmingham to Pisa Italy including ALL taxes All surcharges and our payment itself was charge free on our prepay credit card that Ryan Air was pushing at the time. That sort of daft price underlines how cheap Ryanair can be at the right time. The most we have paid is around £20 each when we needed to get home unexpectedly.
To put this in context the Taxi from Pisa to Lucca costs us £50 or £35 if we haggle in Italian (pleasantly) which we do. Therefore our general flight costs for a 3000 mile trip are less than the taxi at the airport for a 30 mile trip. and a lot less than two taxi fares!
I am not a fan of the razzmatazz and hype of Ryanair but as a low cost service it has served us exceptionally well over 20 years. We have been late in any direction with Ryan air only once when we had to reload the plane because a passenger changed their mind. As a value for money operation I do not think that record is easily beaten which is why we will be flying with Ryanair twice more this year to Italy and back. Good luck with your search.
Thanks for this interesting insight Steffan. I do feel rather abused by the system at the moment and this is what has led me to default to the ferry. The advantage is that I can wait for a bit before booking the ferry and still keep my eyes on Ryanair. And since there is no additional penalty (yet) for cancelling the hire car I can let that ride for a bit too.
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