There is a little known secret insiders use to get their air tickets for a much lower price than the average traveler: Early flight reservations combined with late ticketing to preserve maximum flexibility for the travel schedule.
Insiders Remain Silent
Few airlines allow it, and less travel agencies and online booking portals talk about the opportunity. Everyone is looking for a sale, and a reservation is not yet a sale. But the travel agent has to take care for every reservation in his portfolio, whether he has issued a ticket or not yet. Early flight reservations mean work for the travel, with the hope for a payment, but no guarantee for it.
Better Access to Early Bird Airfares
But for you as customer, an early flight reservation means the chance to get the early birds fare, without an immediate firm commitment. This is important if you want to travel at peak days, around Christmas, Easter Holidays, summer vacations, or as far as Asia is concerned, the Chinese New Year season, or if you want to attend a big trade show like the Frankfurt Book Fare.
For Airlines it’s Yield Management
You may ask why the airlines allow these early flight reservations for often less than half the price you pay if you book your Christmas flight a few days before travel time. Do they have money to give away?
No. Airlines sell only a very limited number of seats for these low prices. And the cheap seats for the best timed flights are gone within a few hours after being available in the reservation systems. This helps the airlines to determine very early the really hot selling flights, and raise the prices for these specific connections early on. The aim of any airline is to receive as much revenue as possible for each movement of each plane. The industry term for that goal is yield management.
Only a few Airlines
I have to admit that not all airlines allow early flight reservations combined with late ticketing. An airline which is very closely connected to its home market will know the sensible flight dates without testing the water every year again. But airlines with a relatively small domestic market and a huge global network, like Emirates or Air France/KLM do offer such opportunities.
Price Not Guaranteed before Ticketing
I have to add one word of caution: The ticket price is only guaranteed, when a ticket is issued. Before the ticket is issued, the airline may change the schedule, add a so called fuel surcharge to the ticket price, or withdraw the fare in total. If that happens, you are back on square one, and you have to pay the price as offered on the day you buy the ticket. In most cases, airlines give an advance warning before they withdraw a fare. But at times there is no prior warning.
Relationship with Travel Agent
For this reason the best way for you to save on peak season flights is to try to use early flight reservations and back them up with a ticket order as soon as you are reasonably sure that you will travel. This requires a trustful relationship between you and your travel agent. He does not want to work for free, and he will not do that many times. But he will be happy to provide this service for you if he knows you as a good customer, booking tickets through him on a regular basis. It also is important and a sign of fairness to cancel any reservation as soon as you know that you will not use it.
