There is a few months before I leave for Italy, however I must start getting ready. One of the most important things that I need to do is get a visa. I will need a Scheun Visa as I am a student stay between 90-360 days. And the first step to being eligible is to have a plain ticket.
It is hard to know when the best time to buy is. About 6-8 weeks before departure is generally best, however there are a lot of other factors that come into play. For me the fact that I am staying in Italy so long has an affect on the price. In general though there are many reason that the 6-8 week window will not work . Gas prices have a huge impact on the prices of tickets. If the prices jump the so will ticket prices.
The best way to navigate these waters is to keep a close eye on prices. As soon as dates are set, look up prices on a few different sites. Never trust that what you are looking at is the lowest price. There are a lot of different sites that work different ways that may be able to offer a better fare. Once you have a range of what the price looks like now, follow the movement of prices are time passes. If they start to rise then it may be an indicator that you should but. If they start to fall that could mean hold off. There is no guarantee on a price while shopping for air fare.
For students and professors, there is a web site out there that often has lower prices. Student Universe.com for the most part has better prices for students. They also have hotels, rail and trips available. Even though it is generally cheaper, they are not always at the best time, and are not always the best value. Be sure to shop around and be knowledgeable about what the average is. If you do this then you are on your way to finding a cheap flight.
