What is an advance purchase rule?
A fare rule that a ticket must be bought a set number of days before departure. Cheaper fares often require it.
Advance purchase, explained
Some fares can only be bought a certain number of days before the flight, for example seven, fourteen or twenty-one days. After that, the fare is no longer offered and the next available fare applies.
Advance purchase is one reason business class prices can rise as departure approaches, along with seats selling out in the cheaper fare classes.
The rule is part of the fare rules, and the fare basis code often hints at it.
On a business class trip
A business class fare to Paris that needs purchase 21 days ahead is gone the next day; the same flight is then priced on a higher fare.
Related terms
- Fare rules
The conditions attached to a fare: whether you can change or cancel, at what cost, the minimum and maximum stay, stopovers and open jaws.
- Fare class (booking class)
A one-letter code inside a cabin that sets a ticket's price and rules. Business class has several, often J, C, D, I and Z; each airline uses its own.
- Fare basis
The code on a ticket that names the exact fare it was sold at, starting with its fare class letter. It points to the fare's rules.
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