Book Now? Airlines Expand Travel Into 2012

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

Want to receive stories like this every day? Subscribe to our free Deal Alert newsletter.

Airlines can sell tickets no more than 330 days in advance. Most legacy lines do, in fact, sell tickets this far out, meaning customers can currently book through the holiday season and into 2012.

Low-cost carriers, however, tend to offer shorter booking windows, usually between six and eight months in advance. Southwest made news last year when it opened a 270-day booking window, by far its longest to date.

Low-cost favorites Southwest, JetBlue, and AirTran are showing prices into late October and early November. Here are the current availability windows from all of the major low-cost carriers:

Virgin America: October 27
JetBlue: October 29
AirTran: November 4
Southwest: November 4
Frontier: November 13
Spirit: February 2012

Is it time to start shopping? Sometimes the early bird really does get the worm—not to mention the cheapest flight.

Readers, how far in advance do you usually book? A few weeks? Two or three months? Any tips for saving money by booking early, or at the last minute?

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.