booking flights abroad ~ strangeness!

[dieselboy]

hi all,
i wondered if any of you lot experience this when trying to get decent prices for flights?
AND if you havnt noticed, may be you will now!

ok, so last year we went to las vegas / phoenix. this year were going to orlando for the daytona nascar, then las vegas and a road trip to LA / san francisco and flying back to gatwick from las vegas.
last year we flew with virgin, for £470pp inc tax. non stop to las vegas over the ice bergs (what a view i might add) and also non stop on the way home.
this year, we will be flying into orlando international and out of las vegas.

last year the price fluctuated a little and i checked online randomly one night and it was at rock bottom £470 so i book up there and then.

now,
about 3 weeks ago when i checked it was about £470 again, but we wasnt sure of dates. now each time i go back to check its between £550 and £680.

i done a bit of googling around and i read a forum post that said i should delete my temporary internet settings, cookies etc etc so i did and did another seach on the same dates and the price was lower this time at £550, but if i flew out 2 days earlier then the total price for a return ticket would have been £380

apparently, they monitor when you check and things so that they make you panick and buy "before it gets any more expensive"

ive searched with loads of other airlines, and either it takes forever to get there and stops 1, 2 or 3 times, or its just as expensive.

if i am to do the same amount of time to leave in 3 weeks, then the price is in the £300's,

cheek isnt it!

not sure how long to keep waiting for though, we are leaving on july 2nd!

those of you who didnt know the above - you do now

and if anyone else has any tips - i would like to hear them!

[darkdezigns]

oh er missus,if thats the case,go round to a mates,go straight to site and try and book?

[dieselboy]

oh er missus,if thats the case,go round to a mates,go straight to site and try and book?

i have remote access to 2 pc's at home, some at work, and other remote sites. so i can do that sitting on my bum.. but recently the prices have all been high.

there is one certain set of dates in april that bring up the return trip to over £1000 but the days all around it are £550 ish. how can one day double the price?

[nero279]

easter weekend? 9th/10th/11th april?

[dieselboy]

easter weekend? 9th/10th/11th april?

thought that was christmas weekend?

[Leodis]

thought that was christmas weekend?

I think Christmas falls around the 25th of December.

[adpsimpson]

there is one certain set of dates in april that bring up the return trip to over £1000 but the days all around it are £550 ish. how can one day double the price?

If it looks like all seats will be filled, price goes up. Otherwise price goes down. It's more like an auction than a fixed price. The plane has to fly, so they'd rather fill the seats for zero profit to cut their losses than fly empty, but when there's more demand they hike the prices. Fair enough, but a bitch if you're caught up on an expensive flight!

Hadn't heard about clearing cookies though, good tip - will try that.