Planning Timeline:
When Should I Start Planning My Travel Trip?

Your planning timeline should include starting your planning as far out from expected travel dates as possible. This will help you get the best deals. Of course, many travel situations don’t allow for planning very far out. In these situations you should do the best you can in regards to advance planning.

For Best Deals and Less Full Flights:  Avoid School Breaks

School breaks and Summer are periods many families will travel. Consider school breaks in setting your planning timeline. First, these breaks tend to fall during the same weeks or in the case of summer, months. Second, during these dates lots of families are traveling. Because, the airlines know this, finding better pricing or even finding seats to fly can be difficult. Consequently, families and other travelers really need to plan and book their trip as far in advance as possible. Savvy families have started booking next years spring break trip when they get back from this years spring break trip.

Note: Most airlines make available air tickets, about 330 days prior to departure. For some low fare carriers this advance purchase ability can be less.

Travel Planning Timeline: Travel Period

So You Know to Avoid School Breaks. You wonder what are Good Travel Periods to Find Air Deals and Air Seats?

Montrose is a big tourism destination in the Winter and Summer which is also a factor influencing visitor passenger demand for flights to the area airports. This can also impact the setting of your planning timeline. Below is a chart noting by month, the months that are more full and those where finding air seats to purchase is easier. The less full periods of time will also tend to offer more seats at the better rates. The months where there are high demand for seats are travel periods you should also definitely plan and book much further out.

Montrose Air Travel Demand Chart

JANUARY	FEBRUARY	MARCH	APRIL	MAY	JUNE
Excellent*	Very Tough	Tough	Excellent	Good	Tough
JULY	AUGUST	SEPTEMBER	OCTOBER	NOVEMBER	DECEMBER
Very Tough	Good	Good	Excellent	Good	Tough*

Index for Month Chart Above:
Excellent = Great month to book to find more lower end air rates and seat availability – advance planning is not as critical.
Good = Good month to book to find more lower end air rates and seat availability – hence, advance planning still recommended but not as critical.
Tough = It is difficult to find lower end air rates and seat availability – we recommend planning as far in advance as possible
Very Tough = Finding lower end air rates and seat availability is very tough – advance planning is extremely critical.

*Indicates that Christmas thru first week of the New Yeark is Very Tough

More Planning Timeline Tips:

1. Most airlines will reward advance purchase with lower fares. The more advance purchase the lower the fares generally speaking.
   a. For many airlines this means a minimum of 21 or 30 days in advance of travel to get lowest fares.
   b. For other airlines this may mean 14 days in advance of travel to get the lowest fares.
   Note: Fares will also depend on dates of travel and seat availability on those dates of travel so if you book 30 days in advance on a flight that is pretty full you will likely still pay a higher fare because the flight is pretty full despite having good advance purchase timing.
2. When you book air with lodging, many airlines offer lower air rates. Sometimes these lower rates are available as close in as 7 days advance notice.
   a. Websites like www.hotwire.com (TF recommended) and priceline.com, expedia.com and other Online Travel Sites will offer the
   opportunity to book air + lodging at the same time.
   b. Typically the air rate is not displayed on its own. It is only displayed as a combined air + lodging package rate.
3. Many airlines will offer lower air rates for passengers flexible with their travel times and flight connectivity who will book without knowing specific flight details.
   a. We recommend websites like Hotwire.com to gain these special flight fares. Airlines require hiding specific flight details before a purchase is made. You will typically know dates of travel, time range the flights will fall in and number of flight stops but you will not know the carrier, any connection cities specific flight times.

   Other Planning Timeline tips…

4. Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday tend to be off-peak days of week to travel. Travel on these days of week in general, will help get you lower fares.
   a. Note: Off-peak travel dates may vary by market/airport destination.
   b. Seat availability during off-peak dates of travel will also be a factor in air fares.
   c. Tourism Destinations often see Saturdays as peak days of travel.
5. There is no magic advance purchase number of days to get lower fares although generally speaking booking 45+ days prior for domestic US flights and 75+ days for International flights will help get you the best seat availability and price.
   a. Off-peak day of week for travel will impact price.
   b. Seasonality will impact price. (Travel to a ski mountain community in the fall will tend to be less costly then during winter for example.)
   c. Seat availability will impact price.
6. While many airline price changes occur on Tuesdays there is no better day of the week than another to book your flight to get lowest rate.
   a. There are millions of price changes in the airline industry each week. Booked or cancelled seats cause many of the price changes. Due to this, lower fares can come on any day of the week.Finally, if you follow the above basic types you can have a good shot of beating your travel budget and getting a good deal. There is no secret sauce to always finding the lowest air rate!

NOW THAT YOU’VE SET YOUR PLANNING TIMELINE – YOUR NEXT STEP IS TO SET-UP YOUR TRAVEL SAVINGS PLAN.