How long should I wait for Southwest?

[pjpoppins]

Going to Disney Sept. 12-17. Still haven't booked airfare as I'm waiting for SW airlines to offer a deal. Right now tickets are over $300/person from either Hartford CT or Providence RI. I have the "Ding" app yet it seems deals are offered about 3 months before departure. Should I hold off? I don't want there to be no seats left. Also, due to the short stay, travel times are important. Also thinking of booking JetBlue and changing are ressies to early Dec. Any thoughts?

 

[Caitsmama]

Can't you just book the SW now, and then keep checking, if they lower flights - just put in for a $ credit adjustment?? THat's what we always do.. if you don't mind flying again in the future..

 

[sydneysmom]

I was holding out for SW too for Sept. I was hoping the price would change but the thing that bugged me was the flight times. we were going to basically lose our whole first day ( we'd get there at 8 pm) and our last day (leave at 12:00 pm)

I went out to Delta online and oddly enough they had opened up all these flights to Orlando ( where there were only 2 showing for a while). It worked out to be $ 100 more than SW BUT we get there at 12:30 pm and have a 6:30 pm flight home. We basically gained 2 days of our vacation!! Thank goodness....more souveniers!!

You might want to go out and try just in case you get lucky too. ( and it didn't hurt my feelings to pick our seats and be done with that too!! )

Good luck !!! I hope you find a great fare !!

 

[mom2travel]

Can't you just book the SW now, and then keep checking, if they lower flights - just put in for a $ credit adjustment?? THat's what we always do.. if you don't mind flying again in the future..

this is usually what we do. But we fly a lot, so know we can always use the credit adjustment for a future flight.

 

[justcantwait]

I got an email from Booking Buddy today telling me about JetBlue and Delta fares from Bradley to Orlando (BDL to MCO) for $138 nonstop roundtrip. Only thing is you can't fly on Fri or Sun, and you have to be flexible about flight times. Check it out if that works for you. HTH

Kathy

 

[CTtwins]

I don't know if this happens each time.. but I did see that the DINGs for Hartford came out on the FIRST day of ding's for the new month... So, I'll try to explain that...

On the day the May ding's first appeared.... after the April ones were coming out.. Hartford to Orlando was on the very first day. I did not see them again after that. I saw the same thing happen for June.. Hartford-Orlando was there on the first day. (I stopped looking because I wanted the May flight.. which I missed )

I saw on the local news that Jet Blue is coming to Hartford... (one previous poster mentioned it..) but I heard the newscaster say that Jet Blue would be starting to fly in November. I wonder what the real "go-live" date is...? ***********just double checked this.. Jet Blue's web site says they will start Hartford - Orlando on November 17, 2010 !!!

oh, and be careful... Delta will charge you a fee for each bag, each way.. that can add-up to quite a cost.. $25 for your first bag $35 for your second. Jet Blue gives you one bag for free.... Southwest gives you 2 bags for free (I'm pretty sure that's right)

Good luck!!

 

[heatherleigh]

Wow, glad you posted this. I'm leaving at almost the exact same time w/ Southwest. It seems like it's so far in advance, I wasn't too concerned, but maybe I should secure our tix now.

We aren't big travelers, so I'm not super familiar w/ when to purchase airline tickets and all. This will be our first time flying to Disney rather than driving. Guess I'll have to discuss this w/ my husband later, then make a move.

 

[TikiGoddess07]

I don't know if this happens each time.. but I did see that the DINGs for Hartford came out on the FIRST day of ding's for the new month... So, I'll try to explain that...

On the day the May ding's first appeared.... after the April ones were coming out.. Hartford to Orlando was on the very first day. I did not see them again after that. I saw the same thing happen for June.. Hartford-Orlando was there on the first day. (I stopped looking because I wanted the May flight.. which I missed )

I've been watching the DING fares for Hartford to Orlando (and Tampa) and I don't remember seeing this -- I saw Orlando to Hartford but not the other way around.

As for the original poster, I find that the good fares are the DINGs. You might catch a good sale price but nothing like the Dings. And they seem to crop up about 6-8 weeks before your travel date. If I were you I would wait a bit and see what comes during the summer.

Kathy

PS Join us on the Transportation board for lots of discussions about flights and Ding fares...

 

[Disney_Freak56]

I'm not flying out of the same airport as you are, but I wouldn't depend on a Ding for a great fare. I would be checking SW's website constantly -- morning, afternoon, evening if I were looking for a great fare. The fares change constantly without any reason for it. And they change without any kind of a sale notification.

I got a fare of $59 each way for a Labor Day weekend trip in 2009 out of Kansas City (I know -- not the same city as you) and I just happened to look around 10:00 p.m. on a Thursday evening in June. I snapped those tickets up in a flash.

I'm not saying you need to wait until June, but I am saying -- check the website frequently because you just never know when a great fare will show up.

Good luck!

 

[mommy2taylor]

to get an idea of what my flight might cost, I look at what the cost is for the same time of day, same day of week flights for other months from southwest. We are planning to fly out on the last direct flight on a thursday night. these flights seem to get the good price deals, so we are waiting. We are returning on a Saturday, last direct flight, and this one seems to be very expensive, so we booked a 1 way through Delta for $125 inc taxes, knowing we will have to pay for a couple bags too.... but if you are looking at one of the low price fares, I would wait, there will be better prices...

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

where are you flying out of? Try airtran. we got the five of us for $812.00 rt.