I have a friend who told me she and her family were going to Houston.  I asked why they were going to Houston and she said it was because Houston had the cheapest flight available.  I have never done something like this before and I wonder how many people just buy the cheapest ticket and go away?

First, she said her other cheap flight option was Miami.  I have no idea how she decided to go to Houston for a summer vacation instead of going to Miami.  Personally, Miami is a 9 on the desirable scale while Houston is about a 3.  Maybe that is just me, but it seems like the low flight price might have led her and her family to a bummer city during a very hot and humid week.

I like the idea of basing vacation plans on the cheapest flight.  In the winter, I don't really see too much difference between Jamaica, Cancun, Punta Cana, Florida, etc...  I'm mainly just looking for a warm destination with a nice beach.  Maybe next winter I will wait until the last minute and base my vacation decision on where the cheapest flights are. 

It is pretty easy these days to figure out which destinations have the cheapest flights.  Of course, I won't just take the cheapest.  I will look into the destination and see if there is a good resort before purchasing the flight.

If anyone has experience with this type of vacation planning, please let me know if there are things to think about.

When is the best time to search for and buy the flight?  One week, one month or two months before the trip?  Are there good resources online that will help me track the flight prices and give me an indication when the best time to buy the flight is?