How far out do you buy airfare to get the best deal? - The DIS Discussion Forums

Fortune1211 · 07-01-2009, 10:12 AM

We're headed to The World 11/29-12/5. We've flown Airtran the last 2 years as part of a package deal with free dining so I've never purchased airfare seperately before. We were trying to decide who to fly with, Airtran or Southwest, and last week when SW released their rates 11/29 was $119 non-stop and now the same flight is $224

Of course now I'm kicking myself for not purchasing the flights last week but do you think they'll go down again? I'm so confused

dislvr74 · 07-01-2009, 10:22 AM

I just purchased tickets on airtran for december and january and got great deals. I think that it is still pretty early, so I would watch the fares for awhile before buying anything.

gparr · 07-01-2009, 10:42 AM

I waited too late to get the best deal on Airtran...so I I booked with Southwest. My trip is 12/25 - 1/1.

pixleyyy · 07-05-2009, 01:30 PM

I'm wondering about booking early too. I don't know if we should wait to book or take what's out there right now. We're not going until Dec. but I just don't want flights to go up!

wheelcap · 07-05-2009, 02:16 PM

It has always seemed to me that you have to go early OR late. I usually watch for the new batch of Southwest fares to be released, and that's a great time to grab them. From there, they'll go up and down without reason until you're in the last month before the flight - then, they'll go way down just to fill the seats. I usually grab them as soon as they're released, then watch "ding" and/or the regular site for the cost to go down; then I switch over. That way, I've got something at a decent rate, but have time to switch when it drops. If I wait until later, there may not be anything available that excites me enough to grab.

rflorek · 07-05-2009, 02:23 PM

I just booked for late October. I fly JetBlue, so when I see what I feel is a good price, I take it. If it goes down, I get a credit to use within the next year on another JetBlue flight.

taitai · 07-05-2009, 03:21 PM

That is the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, correct? That is an incredibly busy travel day. Flights MAY go down but demand will be very high for that day so I would buy anything you can live with. If you try and wait for lower fares you could get very burned. The majority of people who travel that weekend do so to visit family and know their plans months in advance and purchase the tickets early eating up all the cheap fares.

Good luck.

*KeepMovingForward* · 07-05-2009, 03:32 PM

As soon as the airlines allow me to book, that's when I usually take care of our airfare. Only once did I get burned where the price dropped significantly, but most times I am way ahead because the price never goes back down. We even get lucky with real early booking and get first class for the same price or less than what others are paying for coach. I bought our October and Christmas airfare back in April & May.

pixleyyy · 07-05-2009, 03:34 PM

Any tips of finding the cheapest fares?

Dismom55 · 07-05-2009, 03:47 PM

So we are thinking about a trip to DL next May. My question would be when can I expect to start seeing the prices released for that time frame?

We usually drive to WDW so this will be our first time in DL and the first time to fly for my kids (I use the term loosely as the youngest will be 17 at the time).

Any input would be appreciated.

Oh yes another question, are airfare tickets firm and not refundable and paid for at the time of purchase? With our car rental I can reserve and pay at the time I return. Don't really have any experience with airfare!

*KeepMovingForward* · 07-05-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dismom55

So we are thinking about a trip to DL next May. My question would be when can I expect to start seeing the prices released for that time frame?

It depends on the airline. Southwest is booking through January 2010 right now, Spirit (which I use a lot) is booking through April 2010. Each airline varies. Your best bet is just to keep checking the ones your interested in/close to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dismom55

Oh yes another question, are airfare tickets firm and not refundable and paid for at the time of purchase? With our car rental I can reserve and pay at the time I return. Don't really have any experience with airfare!

That's too depends on the airline and the type of ticket you buy. Some are refundable, but will cost you more because of that. Others will issue you a credit if you have to cancel, but no money back. You really have to read the fine print when booking to know what their policies are. I don't know of any airline tickets that you can reserve without paying for right away...maybe there is some airline that does that, but I haven't heard of one.

kpadalik · 07-05-2009, 06:39 PM

Sorry, deleting.

HeyIt'sMe · 07-05-2009, 07:15 PM

For our trip in Oct 2008 I bought our tickets in Feb 2008. We flew on AirTran and I paid $176/person, non-stop flights.

hapandpam · 07-05-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fortune1211

We're headed to The World 11/29-12/5. We've flown Airtran the last 2 years as part of a package deal with free dining so I've never purchased airfare seperately before. We were trying to decide who to fly with, Airtran or Southwest, and last week when SW released their rates 11/29 was $119 non-stop and now the same flight is $224

Of course now I'm kicking myself for not purchasing the flights last week but do you think they'll go down again? I'm so confused

I book as soon as possible. Both Jet Blue and Southwest will give an adjustment if rates drop. (Not an outright refund, but credit towards a future flight.)

hapandpam · 07-05-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixleyyy

Any tips of finding the cheapest fares?

Read the tips on mousesavers.com and thedis.com homepage.

07-01-2009, 10:12 AM	#1
Fortune1211 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: pa Posts: 191	How far out do you buy airfare to get the best deal? We're headed to The World 11/29-12/5. We've flown Airtran the last 2 years as part of a package deal with free dining so I've never purchased airfare seperately before. We were trying to decide who to fly with, Airtran or Southwest, and last week when SW released their rates 11/29 was $119 non-stop and now the same flight is $224 Of course now I'm kicking myself for not purchasing the flights last week but do you think they'll go down again? I'm so confused

07-05-2009, 01:30 PM	#4
pixleyyy DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,189	I'm wondering about booking early too. I don't know if we should wait to book or take what's out there right now. We're not going until Dec. but I just don't want flights to go up! __________________ Disneyland Dec 4-8 2012 - WE'RE CANCELLING CHRISTMAS: Take 2 Disneyland May 2010 -"Geographically Challenged" Best Friends Meet Up in Disneyland WDW Dec 2009 The Disney Finale: WE'RE CANCELLING CHRISTMAS Trip Report & Pre-trip Report WDW Jan/Feb 2008 My Jan/Feb 08 trip report: Curiouser & Curiouser... Disneyland Feb/Mar 2006 WDW Oct 2001 Disneyland Sept 1994 (Honeymoon)

07-05-2009, 02:16 PM	#5
wheelcap Gee Mom, I wanna go "HOME" Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Home of the Wings Posts: 366	It has always seemed to me that you have to go early OR late. I usually watch for the new batch of Southwest fares to be released, and that's a great time to grab them. From there, they'll go up and down without reason until you're in the last month before the flight - then, they'll go way down just to fill the seats. I usually grab them as soon as they're released, then watch "ding" and/or the regular site for the cost to go down; then I switch over. That way, I've got something at a decent rate, but have time to switch when it drops. If I wait until later, there may not be anything available that excites me enough to grab. __________________ Be Good ~ Have Fun . . . They do go together!!

07-05-2009, 03:34 PM	#9
pixleyyy DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,189	Any tips of finding the cheapest fares? __________________ Disneyland Dec 4-8 2012 - WE'RE CANCELLING CHRISTMAS: Take 2 Disneyland May 2010 -"Geographically Challenged" Best Friends Meet Up in Disneyland WDW Dec 2009 The Disney Finale: WE'RE CANCELLING CHRISTMAS Trip Report & Pre-trip Report WDW Jan/Feb 2008 My Jan/Feb 08 trip report: Curiouser & Curiouser... Disneyland Feb/Mar 2006 WDW Oct 2001 Disneyland Sept 1994 (Honeymoon)

07-05-2009, 03:47 PM	#10
Dismom55 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 955	So we are thinking about a trip to DL next May. My question would be when can I expect to start seeing the prices released for that time frame? We usually drive to WDW so this will be our first time in DL and the first time to fly for my kids (I use the term loosely as the youngest will be 17 at the time). Any input would be appreciated. Oh yes another question, are airfare tickets firm and not refundable and paid for at the time of purchase? With our car rental I can reserve and pay at the time I return. Don't really have any experience with airfare! __________________ 1st July 1984; 2nd AS Movies-July 2000; 3rd AS Music (Suite) Dec 2007; 4th Pop Century-Sep/Oct 2009; 5th POFQ May 2011; 6th Sep/Oct 2013 AoA, Little Mermaid

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07-01-2009, 10:22 AM	#2
dislvr74 Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 466	I just purchased tickets on airtran for december and january and got great deals. I think that it is still pretty early, so I would watch the fares for awhile before buying anything.

07-01-2009, 10:42 AM	#3
gparr Mouseketeer Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 101	I waited too late to get the best deal on Airtran...so I I booked with Southwest. My trip is 12/25 - 1/1.

07-05-2009, 02:23 PM	#6
rflorek DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central NJ Posts: 2,545	I just booked for late October. I fly JetBlue, so when I see what I feel is a good price, I take it. If it goes down, I get a credit to use within the next year on another JetBlue flight.

07-05-2009, 03:21 PM	#7
taitai DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 705	That is the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, correct? That is an incredibly busy travel day. Flights MAY go down but demand will be very high for that day so I would buy anything you can live with. If you try and wait for lower fares you could get very burned. The majority of people who travel that weekend do so to visit family and know their plans months in advance and purchase the tickets early eating up all the cheap fares. Good luck.

07-05-2009, 03:32 PM	#8
KeepMovingForward DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 5,084	As soon as the airlines allow me to book, that's when I usually take care of our airfare. Only once did I get burned where the price dropped significantly, but most times I am way ahead because the price never goes back down. We even get lucky with real early booking and get first class for the same price or less than what others are paying for coach. I bought our October and Christmas airfare back in April & May.

07-05-2009, 06:39 PM	#12
kpadalik DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Port, FL Posts: 1,190	Sorry, deleting. __________________ Last edited by kpadalik; 07-05-2009 at 06:54 PM.

07-05-2009, 07:15 PM	#13
HeyIt'sMe For Tag Fairy's Use only That weed whacker just intimidates me somethin' fierce! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,457	For our trip in Oct 2008 I bought our tickets in Feb 2008. We flew on AirTran and I paid $176/person, non-stop flights. __________________ Me DH DD (15) Nov '75~Contemporary / Jun '85~Offsite Oct '91~Polynesian / Oct '93 ~Polynesian / Sep '00~Polynesian / Oct '01~Polynesian / Sep '02~Polynesian Oct '03~Polynesian / Oct '04~Polynesian / Oct '06~Polynesian / Oct '08~Polynesian / Oct '10~Polynesian Oct '11~Polynesian / October '12~Polynesian

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