When do airlines release the good fares?

I'm posting this to ask if anybody knows when the airlines release or open up their good fares? The reason I ask is that I need to go to hawaii in June and it's listed on my travelocity account in my farewatcher section. I've been following it and I've noticed that the good fares seem to be released out for the next 45-60 days and if you go beyond that timeframe the airfare seems to nearly double. Do airlines release their good fares at a certain timeframe or does it just vary?

TIA for any replies!

I think with all the airline financial problems and restructuring, that past pricing patterns are not as likely to carry over into the future. There are and will be fewer seats to discount as flights are rationalized more and more to make sure each and every flight makes money. You may almost need to know what the overall competition and traffic is on any route to have a chance at figuring out if seats are going to be discounted down the road. The days of a significant number of yet unsold seats getting sold off cheaply may be limited. Airlines are cancelling flights, and using smaller planes wherever they can. I held out last fall for the traditional mid-Jan. seat sale but instead found the fares went up where I wanted to go.

I agree.

There is a big risk in today's environment of playing the waiting game in hopes that fares will go down. That's especially true in light of media news stories over the past two weeks indicating that, overall, fares are expected to increase this year. Even low cost carriers Southwest and JetBlue have stated their intention to increase prices to cover increasing costs. Note, for example, that the cost of jet fuel, a major cost component for the airlines, has skyrocketed and is still going up.

I do most of my flying on UA, approximately 20-25 trips per year. And in every case, I buy my ticket within a week or so of making a firm decision to take the trip. On UA, I can get a voucher for the full fare difference if the fare goes down, but I'm stuck for the additional cost if the fare goes up before I buy my ticket!

Further, June is the beginning of the peak summer (i.e., school vacation) season, meaning it will be less likely that the airlines will offer great deals. Whether they will offer great deals or increase prices will depend on whether they are filling seats at current prices.

When do airlines release the good fares?

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Usually between 12am and 3am local to their HQ or IT offices

This is also when many of the mistake fares show up. I've seen a lot when playing pachinko on UA's site in the middle of the night

Pat