Wheww, am I glad we booked airfare when we did...

[Mark P.]

Hi,
Just a little tip that if you see reasonable airfare to jump on it, and not risk losing out!

Since last October, I've been keeping an eye out for a good fare, and on Dec. 27th., I purchased r/t airfare non-stop from Atlantic City to Orlando with Spirit for $171/person(taxes&fees incl.), for a grand total for the four of us of $684. Our trip is in May.

I was just checking the prices, and for the exact same dates/times, the total fare is now up to $836, which is $152 more than I paid just a month ago!

-Mark

 

[Gabrielle]

I know - I've been tracking the fares and they're pretty high right now.

I check the US Air page - the best I've gotten is $138/round trip, non-stop and on Boeing jets - from Philly to MCO.

I notice the fare is a little lower from BWI but that there are connecting flights and one of the legs is on a DeHavilland Dash or something like that.

 

[TreeOfLife]

That's why it really pays to join an airline rewards program. We saved $700 in tickets for our next trip!
And the sooner you book, the better your chances are to request whatever you want and get it...

When I do not fly with miles awards I buy tickets almost a year ahead of time, and always get the lowest fares too.

 

[mom_rules]

I so agree-I'd been watching airfare for about 4 months
then a seat sale came up for Air Canada-saved almost
$200 per person just after Xmas-jumped on it. Haven't
seen anything even close since then (even with their
new "seat sales").
My advice also - don't wait - book when you see
something you like-they go realllly fast.

 

[popeyeohoh]

booked rt flight cle-mco. in june. 1-28-03 203.00 per person.
used miles one card. Told savings of 25.00 per ticket. I did not
want to wait thinking the prices would only be higher.

 

[n2mm]

I tried to book tickets for my May trip a couple of weeks ago, but the Delta site was so messed up it wouldn't let me book more than 1 seat even though the plane was empty. Therefore I missed the good airfare. This being my 10th spring trip in a row I do notice that fares will go up and down before my May trip comes along. I did, however, notice recently while looking at the Delta site, that it says it will NO longer offer vouchers if the fare goes down. I know there are lots of folks that buy higher fares hoping for vouchers, so this was new for me. I've never paid over $155 for airfare out of Washington DC, so am still waiting for a decent fare to come along. Since it's only 2 of us, I can afford to be more flexible than a family can.

 

[CindyKansas]

Last week, I booked round trip tickets from Wichita, KS to MCO on American Airlines for $190 a piece for June 25th thru July 9th. I was so thrilled to get that price. $570 for the 3 of us. I checked into flying out of Dallas and Kansas City and the Wichita price was so much better.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> the Delta site was so messed up it wouldn't let me book more than 1 seat even though the plane was empty.

I have often seen occasions (very popular dates) where the lowest fares were gone even though the seat map had only two or three seats selected. Just this year I read about ITN.COM which points to a number of booking "engines" that reveal how many seats are remaining in each fare allotment. I then experimented with the Delta site using a flight with just one cheap seat remaining and sure enough, if I tried to book two people, the fare quoted was higher.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[disykat]

This is for the people who book more than 5 or 6 months in advance. - I don't get it. I'm watching fares for June/July (not a Disney trip this year!) and find that low prices only go out as far as June 21st at this point. I remember the same thing from a few years ago when we did WDW. How are you finding good fares so far out? We don't fly often so I usually start looking into it about a year in advance and find I have to wait to book until much closer to the flight date. Is it because we tend to fly in the summer?

 

[TreeOfLife]

Normally the fares are quoted up to 331 days in advance, except for Southwest which does not go beyond 5 or 6 months from your current date.

That is in Delta. Expedia, Orbitz and others may have a different minimum number of days in advance.

 

[mom_rules]

I sign up for "fare watcher" notify programs, airline
newsletters etc. They email you when there is a change
in the $ for whatever you have selected. You have
to be ready to move on them quickly because they do
sell out fast. The rate I got with Air Canada sold out
in a couple of hours.

 

[ncligs]

If you see a fare to Floridia at around $200 or less, with good times and direct,non-stop, you should book it.We just booked 2 direct, non-stop flights, Cleveland to Las Vegas, for $230 in June. The times were good and it was non-stop.I had recieved an e-mail alert from Travelocity telling me the fares dropped $60 to Vegas. I could have waited and took a chance for a lower fare, but for a little less money($20-40 maybe) it wasn't worth it to me. Now I don't have to check the net everyday.

 

[mom_rules]

How about this one!! LOL!!!
quote- Air Transat - economy - 4 adults.
(looks like this is what happens when all your
i's aren't dotted or t's crossed).


total price : $39,038.31

departure : toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2003
destination : orlando
insurance: : $0.00
ticket delivery : $0.00




departure
leave from Pearson International, toronto, Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at 7:15 AM. air transat Flight TS544. arrive at orlando, Orlando International at 10:10 AM, Tuesday, April 29, 2003 .

return
leave from orlando, Orlando International, Saturday, May 10, 2003 at 0:00 AM. air transat Flight TS000. arrive at toronto, Pearson International at 0:00 AM, Saturday, May 10, 2003 .

 

[Tess]

Last year we paid $196 per ticket for flights from Toledo to Orlando. I began watching in August for flights and the rate was $211--sometimes higher, never lower. Detroit to MCO was $256 and up--except Spirit--which was $10 higher than Toledo (and my husband will never fly on that one again).

I watched until a couple of weeks ago and finally bit at the $211 price. Within a couple of days those flights increased to $299 per and haven't dropped--gone up and back to $299, but not back to $211! Whew. . .glad I bought when I did.

As to your other ?, re: finding deals that far out--I usually don't wait this long to book airfare. I've found our best deals in October for the following June. It seems the closer we get to departure date, the worse the fare rate. Maybe it's got to do with the region in which you reside *shrug*, I'm no expert that's for sure.

 

[zurgswife]

I purchased my tickets for March trip last July....$133 (all fees) RT layover in Atlanta 1 hr.... from Philly to Mco......

I don't mind the layover considering I need 6 tickets....It is a small inconvince.....For lots of savings...

I have already begun testing the waters for my trip next Dec....you never know when you'll get a great sale....

 

[mom_rules]

Is it true that the airfare deals come out on Wednesdays?

 

[TiggerInNY]

I booked our flight in January for an October visit of 8 days, 10/11-19 for $211/RT, which includes all taxes, on Continental out of Newark to Orlando. It's a direct flight and I thought that that was a great fare. With the threat of war, seems very very close now, I figured the price of gasoline would be going up and so would the prices of airline tickets. The base price for these 4 tickets was $180. My husband laughed at me when I booked the airfare, but they have gone up $200 total so far. He's not laughing anymore.

TTFN
Maria

 

[doombuggy]

I originally wanted to fly out of Philly for my May trip, and both Air Tran and US Air were $205 r/t, non-stop. Gram decided she didn't want to come up here from Quantico, so I found a flight on US Air from Nat'l to MCO for $234.50. about a week or two later, I went to book the price (before it went up), and it had dropped to $196.50. So I saved each of us almost $40. just a fluke, i guess, but I thought I would share it!

 

[TiggerInNY]

I don't want to look at fares anymore, cause if I see one that's really lower, I'll cry. I like the two flights that we have. I love the times and traveling with two kids, 7 & 3, they fit our schedule.

Have fun on your vacation. When are you going?


TTFN
Maria