A hostel owner in Lisbon asked why I always book flights 6 months out

I was chatting with the guy running my hostel in Lisbon last month and I mentioned I'd booked my flight home 5 months ago to lock in a good price. He laughed and said he never books more than 3 weeks ahead because last minute deals on TAP and Ryanair out of smaller airports are always cheaper if you're flexible. I looked it up when I got home and found a flight from Boston to Porto for $312, while my "early bird" fare had been $680. Now I'm wondering if I've been doing this backwards. Has anyone else had better luck booking close in rather than way ahead, or is this just a Europe thing?

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jenniferblack17d ago

Did you end up rebooking that Porto flight or just eat the loss? I had the same thing happen flying into Faro last spring, paid $710 booking in January for a June trip, then watched prices drop to $290 by May. Now I just book a cheap refundable one way and gamble on the rest, it has saved me a ton.

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