How do you get the best airfare?

Mrs~Incredible

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 18, 2015
we have been flying phila to Orlando (5 times in the last 6 years) and I am positively stocker shocked at this year’s prices.

I know SW releases their airfares for the next batch of calendar dates on May 30.

Should I try to book the moment it is released? Wait a few days? Any tips?

Last year I noticed the price was higher when it was first released and then dropped a few days later.

So confused.

Thanks!!
 
See the Transportation forum. People were not impressed with SW's latest fare release. I believe the active thread contains the word "ouch".
 
I read somewhere that tickets are usually the cheapest about two months out and best prices can often be found on Thursdays.

For me, it is easiest to pick a website that notifies me of prices for my dates and lists me know when prices drops and what is the best price to target. Do a search for airfare alerts and sign up for a couple of them. I was able to pay the lowest price ever this year flying from Detroit to Las Vegas on Delta by using these alerts. Some allow you to be airline specific.

We pay about $195/year for Delta’s platinum credit card and get one free companion ticket anywhere in the continental US and our checked bags are free. We also get to board early in zone 1. Other airlines may have deals like this. We save money every year since those bag fees can really add up.
 


Yea, we booked our for the trip in 2 weeks about 2 months ago. Actually have stayed about the same since then. I just check this morning, and our outbound flight to OIA is $80. The return trip to Dallas is about $150. We book for $200 roundtrip when we first booked, then our outbound flight dropped a bit, so we rebooked. I think we're around $175 roundtrip now. It's stayed about that, but I'll keep checking daily until we leave in a few weeks.
 
Be willing to use different airports if available (I hate using LAX but sometimes it's considerably cheaper). Start searching about a year out to get a feeling of flight costs. Check daily on a 3rd party search engine i.e. Kayak, Google Flights etc. Be willing to do two one ways (2 different airlines). Don't fly on Friday or Sundays (usually). Open a credit card under airline of choice for companion pass or free bags (not always a great choice but some it is). If not a credit card then buy discounted gift cards (Saved 6% buying American Airline gift cards for our most recent flights).
 
We pay $99 + $69 each year for two Southwest Chase cards which gets us over 100,000 miles plus a free companion pass. Then we book Southwest flights the morning they are released. Since they are on points, any time the 'cost' drops we rebook and the extra points are immediately refunded.

Most of the time we'll find the lowest fares about a month or two after tickets are released (never less than 2 months before the flight). On holidays or dates when exact flights are needed, opening day is often the cheapest fare. If you are flexible with travel dates, you will definitely find lower fares later.
 


See the Transportation forum. People were not impressed with SW's latest fare release. I believe the active thread contains the word "ouch".

Yeah, No joke. We usually fly Delta because if I can wait it out and buy at the right time I can get a Delta ticket for a quarter of the price of a southwest ticket. I get that SW has free check luggage but even considering that cost.. Delta will still come in lower. This may be because of the airport we are flying out of and then into. I don't know. I've just never had SW be cheaper. PLUS, the staff on Delta flights are WAY more accommodating and friendly and seem to enjoy their jobs more.

I'm a single mom and travel with my toddler a lot. On our last trip our flight attendant was getting off work. She saw me struggling with my stroller and our luggage. Came up to me, grabbed the handle to my suitcase and said "Where are we going, Honey?" then walked to THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE end of the airport from where her car was parked to help us get to our transportation. I have countless experiences like this one with Delta employees. PLUS these tickets were $300 total than the Southwest ones would have been.

I just personally don't get the Southwest love. I'm sure the rates I see are more because of where I live. For whatever reason Delta is always cheaper.

To the OP I don't know if I have any real advice. I always have good luck 2-3 months before our trip. BUT I don't want to tell anyone to wait that long and then the prices go up.
 
We used to fly almost exclusively on Southwest, but found over the past couple of years their prices have been a lot higher than other carriers, even factoring in checked luggage fees.

Lately, we've been flying between Delta, American and JetBlue. On our two most recent trips we've done American on the way down and Delta on the way back to maximize savings.
 
I bought SW airfare the morning it was released for September and the prices have only gone up since then. And they have gone up significantly. We paid about $100 per person from NOLA to MCO and I had enough points to get us home for free. I like to book immediately, because we are very picky about times and the nonstop flights are getting scarce these days.
 
we have been flying phila to Orlando (5 times in the last 6 years) and I am positively stocker shocked at this year’s prices.

I know SW releases their airfares for the next batch of calendar dates on May 30.

Should I try to book the moment it is released? Wait a few days? Any tips?

Last year I noticed the price was higher when it was first released and then dropped a few days later.

So confused.

Thanks!!


I book my SW flights the day they open even if I only have a loose idea of dates. (Its very easy to change with SW) I've never paid more than 99 each way from Providence to Orlando if I do it the day they open.
 
I read somewhere that like 56 days in advance is the average best time to book, I happened to see low fares right around this time and grabbed them and they’ve gone up and down a lot a since then but never that low again and we’re about 30 days out still, we paid $69 going and $186 coming home for each ticket and the same flights are now $129 and $234 x 3 of us and a lap child... also we really only paid $18 in total for fees for the flights down even though they were listed at $69 each because I had Jetblue points from a getaway we booked with them 2.5 years ago and they don’t expire
 
I book my SW flights the day they open even if I only have a loose idea of dates. (Its very easy to change with SW) I've never paid more than 99 each way from Providence to Orlando if I do it the day they open.

How do you know when the next batch will open? Are they direct from Providence to MCO?
I'm in CT, and usually fly out of NY airports, but would be willing to drive to RI for good deals. I have never flown SW before, and while I've seen some good deals on Jet Blue from the NY, they aren't yet booking out to my travel dates (early Nov).
 
How do you know when the next batch will open? Are they direct from Providence to MCO?
I'm in CT, and usually fly out of NY airports, but would be willing to drive to RI for good deals. I have never flown SW before, and while I've seen some good deals on Jet Blue from the NY, they aren't yet booking out to my travel dates (early Nov).
Do you mean *direct* or *nonstop*? They are not the same. They list the new date for reservations on their website.
Denise
 
How do you know when the next batch will open? Are they direct from Providence to MCO?
I'm in CT, and usually fly out of NY airports, but would be willing to drive to RI for good deals. I have never flown SW before, and while I've seen some good deals on Jet Blue from the NY, they aren't yet booking out to my travel dates (early Nov).

I always do Non-Stops from PVD to MCO and back. You can see exactly when they release dates...

go to...

www.southwest.com ... under where you would enter the Depart/Arrive cities on the main page there is a link that says "Flexible Dates". Click that. Once on the next page at the top click "Schedules"... Once you get in there it will have a blurb at the top that tells you exactly when.... Here is the most recent one...

"We are currently accepting air reservations through November 3, 2018. On May 31, 2018 we will open our schedule for sale through January 6, 2019. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently."
 
If you want to look at other airlines I suggest google flights. I love their interface.

On Google flights, you can choose to "track prices" and you'll get an email when the price changes.

There's also Skyscanner that's similar, and you can sign up for price alerts there too.
 
If you want to look at other airlines I suggest google flights. I love their interface.

I liked their old interface better, where I could have the single chart of all the different fares I was monitoring for a route. Having to click on 20 different fares to see the history isn't as useful.
 
Booked for our August trip the day it came out. Prices dropped around 6:15am. Flying from PHL to MCO paid $100 each way. I checked in the afternoon and the wanna get away fares were sold out and return trip was up to $156. I haven't really checked the prices since then but will as the time gets closer. The nice thing about Southwest is, if they have a price drop you can get a credit to use towards another flight valid for 1year from the date you booked.
 
We’re flying PHL to MCO for jersey week. I buy my flights the minute they’re released on SW. Paid $156 one way (nonstop 6 am flight) and that same flight is $304 now. It’s more than i usually pay for our August trips but i know prices go up during jersey week. I’m used to under $200 RT PP. Still much cheaper than other carriers and bags are free. Now to wait until May for our return flights.
 

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