How early is too early for booking a flight to Zim in August of 09?

I know I’ve got over a year before my safari but I’m trying to get as much of the expenses out of the way as early as possible…

My major concern is that if I book now and things go completely sour in Zim will I be able to reroute to another African destination without loosing what I’ve already spent?

Secondly, my traveling partner is concerned about the financial stability of many of the airline companies and is concerned with potential bankruptcies…I’m not so sure about this one…

I really don’t want this to be a debate over the current state of the US economy or the political situation in Zim….

I’m just looking for some useful insight from those whom have done what I’m trying to do….

Thanks for any advice you can offer…

Matt V.

Well, I have always used my Delta SkyMiles so I book the ticket on the very first day available which is 11 months before the return date.

If purchasing with cash, I would still book at the earliest possible date.

So, worst case, let's say Zimbabwe closes hunting: you're still almost certainly going to fly to Johannesburg if you change to Namibia or Zambia or some other destination, so most of your ticket will still be valid.