JFK-GIG for NYE
 

how long should I wait to get a good deal and what is a "good" deal for a flight to Rio on high season?
so far tickets are +$1600:mad:
thanks!

Funny, isn't it? About $1500 for a coach round trip from NY to Rio and back in DEC/JAN. But if you buy a similar ticket from Rio to NY and back its less than $800. I don't think the prices will be going down much but hey, I could be wrong. Maybe you can ask a friend or relative to visit you in NY instead of you going south...;)

Typically, for US and European airlines mid-December to mid-January is high season on flights to Brazil. When I was based in Europe, I would typically book my flights ~11 months in advance. Your only hope of seeing ticket prices drop around this time of the year is waiting till a month before your desired dates, in the hope sales have been especially low. But it's a tough gamble.

Otherwise keep an eye out on the airlines which operate single-aisle planes with a stopover (Copa Air, Avianca) which tend to be much cheaper than direct flights.

GRU is usually a lot cheaper - so check that.