If there is one thing I have picked up on long ago, it is that you need to get the ticket while you can. You can't get sidetracked by the chance of a pre-departure beverage, the model or color of the aircraft or which gate it might leave from. Some sales are for just one day, and it helps if you are ready and flexible, or prices are going up. Here is the price escalation for a four segment mileage run I'm embarking upon soon.