Flight Prices Skyhigh!!

[sarabguerra]

I know we are 8 months out, but holy heck are flight prices out of control for us right now! Looking and watching for our Feb break trip from anywhere in the Northeast to MCO and the cheapest I can find is just over $550pp for the worst flights. We can leave from any airport from NYC to Boston and between easily. Usually, we fly from LGA even though it's furthest away because the prices are typically the lowest. Flying out of PVD the same week, the prices are $1000pp! Even leaving a day earlier/later either end of the week does nothing to the cost. While we can "afford" it, I don't want to pay it. We might just drive.

 

[Woodview]

What Class are you flying & is it Return flight ?

 

[sam_gordon]

I know we are 8 months out, but holy heck are flight prices out of control for us right now! Looking and watching for our Feb break trip from anywhere in the Northeast to MCO and the cheapest I can find is just over $550pp for the worst flights. We can leave from any airport from NYC to Boston and between easily. Usually, we fly from LGA even though it's furthest away because the prices are typically the lowest. Flying out of PVD the same week, the prices are $1000pp! Even leaving a day earlier/later either end of the week does nothing to the cost. While we can "afford" it, I don't want to pay it. We might just drive.

Driving from the NE in February just sounds like a bad idea to me. My guess is there are a lot of people with February breaks and that's making the prices go up. Keep stalking airfare. I'd leave driving as an extremely last resort.

If you haven't use google.com/flights. You can put in multiple airports, look at dates around the ones you want to fly, and even a map for 'x' day trip and go back and forth in time. Just for grins, I looked at the "map", and flying Tues-Tues was half the price of flying on weekends. Not a surprise, but supply & demand.

 

[sarabguerra]

What Class are you flying & is it Return flight ?

It was Delta regular old main cabin with a return flight. 1-2 stop flights down and back. 8-hour travel times. Late PM departures on the way down getting in after midnight the next day. It's shocking!

 

[sarabguerra]

Driving from the NE in February just sounds like a bad idea to me. My guess is there are a lot of people with February breaks and that's making the prices go up. Keep stalking airfare. I'd leave driving as an extremely last resort.

If you haven't use google.com/flights. You can put in multiple airports, look at dates around the ones you want to fly, and even a map for 'x' day trip and go back and forth in time. Just for grins, I looked at the "map", and flying Tues-Tues was half the price of flying on weekends. Not a surprise, but supply & demand.

We've considered that. And storms are just as likely to impact flying as driving. We have family along the way for pit stops/shelter. We even considered the auto train. I wish we had more flexibility. Being teachers keeps us stuck to specific days of travel. And yes, most of the NE is on Feb break that week, but NY is typically not. Which is why flying from NYC is typically cheaper. We have family just outside the city who care for our dogs when we travel, so we're there anyway. Dad drives us in and picks us up so we don't leave a car parked in the city. Works out wonderfully. I'll just have to keep an eye on it. We just flew this Feb to one-way Tampa for $97pp!

 

[R&RsMom]

I faced the same thing in April for our October. My home airport in Michigan is small, so prices from it are always high. I tend to fly from Grand Rapids or Detroit, but even those were high. I suggest that you just keep watching. This trip, I needed to book one-way flights, which complicated things. I kept watching and found an Outbound flight from home airport that was significantly lower than GRR or DTW. I grabbed it, and now it’s back up.

 

[sam_gordon]

Use google flights (and/or other trackers) to notify you of changing prices.
Check yourself multiple times a week (if not multiple times a day).
Know that many planes are currently flying full so there's no reason for airlines to lower prices.

Set a "jump point" (if tickets reach $x, we're buying), and stick with it. Delta currently has no change fees, so in theory, you could book at the higher price, then if prices lower, cancel and rebook at the lower price. I wouldn't do that without talking to someone at Delta to make sure things go smoothly, but it is an option.

 

[sponica]

I know we are 8 months out, but holy heck are flight prices out of control for us right now! Looking and watching for our Feb break trip from anywhere in the Northeast to MCO and the cheapest I can find is just over $550pp for the worst flights. We can leave from any airport from NYC to Boston and between easily. Usually, we fly from LGA even though it's furthest away because the prices are typically the lowest. Flying out of PVD the same week, the prices are $1000pp! Even leaving a day earlier/later either end of the week does nothing to the cost. While we can "afford" it, I don't want to pay it. We might just drive.

I think last year we paid about 500 round trip from MHT to MCO for NH school vacation week in Feb. We booked the morning the flights opened on SW. I'm hoping they haven't gone up in price tooo much this year when the fares open.

 

[Jimsig]

I don't know if they show up on OTA sites but check out https://www.aveloair.com/ they fly out of New Haven to MCO.

I don't know much about them other then they are a ULCC so they charge extra for just about everything.

 

[disney-inspired]

I know we are 8 months out, but holy heck are flight prices out of control for us right now! Looking and watching for our Feb break trip from anywhere in the Northeast to MCO and the cheapest I can find is just over $550pp for the worst flights. We can leave from any airport from NYC to Boston and between easily. Usually, we fly from LGA even though it's furthest away because the prices are typically the lowest. Flying out of PVD the same week, the prices are $1000pp! Even leaving a day earlier/later either end of the week does nothing to the cost. While we can "afford" it, I don't want to pay it. We might just drive.

Easter is late March next year, I wonder if that plays into airlines' 'spring break' period. It's so spread out across the country, I could see late Feb being included in that timeframe.


Also, I think you're too far out. I would check kayak or Hopper to monitor flights if you're not particular to any airline. For me, I avoid budget airlines and I won't fly economy select on any airline.

 

[focusondisney]

I know we are 8 months out, but holy heck are flight prices out of control for us right now! Looking and watching for our Feb break trip from anywhere in the Northeast to MCO and the cheapest I can find is just over $550pp for the worst flights. We can leave from any airport from NYC to Boston and between easily. Usually, we fly from LGA even though it's furthest away because the prices are typically the lowest. Flying out of PVD the same week, the prices are $1000pp! Even leaving a day earlier/later either end of the week does nothing to the cost. While we can "afford" it, I don't want to pay it. We might just drive.

FYI, Southwest will release their flights from January 8th to March 6th on Thursday, January 29th. In case you’re interested in checking their prices.

 

[sarabguerra]

I don't know if they show up on OTA sites but check out https://www.aveloair.com/ they fly out of New Haven to MCO.

I don't know much about them other then they are a ULCC so they charge extra for just about everything.

My sister and DH's family love using them. New Haven is super convenient for our family. My fear is they are a one-flight-a-day airline from Twead New Haven. If the wind blows too hard, they cancel flights. Return flights at least only get diverted to Hartford. But outgoing, we could miss days, or our entire vacation, until they can rebook us. Too risky for February weather. This is also why we don't fly out of Worcester, or Providence really anymore.

 

[jkelly86]

Southwest should release the flights for February on June 29th:
"On June 29, 2023, our schedule will open for sale through March 06, 2024. (Date is subject to change)."