WOW! Did I pay too much for airfare!

[oliverweagle]

Last June I made 3 airline reservations on Continental for 3 round trip tickets from Houston to Orlando - the cost $395 each on Yahoo travel. (This price coprresponded with the price on Continental site the same day).

I checked Continental's site today, and the cost was $178 each. I called yahoo travel and was told that the $395 price was the lowest fare at the time and that I "should have waited."

My understanding was that one should make reservations as early as possible as the fares would probably rise as the departure date approached.

I guess not - with airline travel anyway.

Live and learn.

Ollie

 

[DisOrBust]

You could try calling the airline see if they will give you a voucher for the difference or it may be cheaper to rebook?? Just a thought.

 

[bicker]

There is no hard-and-fast rules about when it is better to book flights. Sometimes early; sometimes late; sometimes in-between. If there was a hard-and-fast rule, then the situation would change rapidly so that that hard-and-fast rule would not longer apply.

You can try to get the new fare and get a credit on account for the rest, but beware that you may be subject to a change fee, often $50 per ticket, so you'd only get a credit on account for $190 each.

 

[KimAshton]

That is definitely too much.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

You can try to get the new fare and get a credit on account for the rest, but beware that you may be subject to a change fee, often $50 per ticket, so you'd only get a credit on account for $190 each.

I am not sure of the rule on Contiental, but on American you must use the voucher within 12 months of the original ticketing date. If that is also true on Continental, then you would have to book a trip using that voucher by this June. Another reason to avoid booking too early if you can.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[snowbunny]

My understanding was that one should make reservations as early as possible as the fares would probably rise as the departure date approached.

It's a crapshoot. Sometimes you can get the best fare early, sometimes it pays to wait.

The most important thing is to be aware of the range of fares as they fluctuate from your airport, so that you'll know what the highs and lows tend to be to various destinations and when to jump on a fare.

 

[Brian Noble]

snowbunny is dead on. We travel to WDW around the same time each year, so I have a pretty good idea of what a good fare is and isn't. Each year, the airfare process has gotten easier.

you'd only get a credit on account for $190 each.

Even if the rebooking fee is $100 per ticket, you'll still be getting more than $300 back in total---which you can apply to another trip!

 

[bicker]

Do keep in mind that whether you are credited $300+ as Brian Nobel suggested, or $570 as I suggested, the credits will be on account, for each passenger -- it will not be possible to pool the credits to purchase airline tickets for perhaps one or two of the passengers... each passenger must use their own credit.

 

[Evil Princess]

Wow, flying from New York to Orlando I refuse to pay anything over 200 round trip, and most of the time I can get under 150. 200 is absolute maximum, I usually get 120ish round trip.

 

[Nala2007]

yikes! It isnt even that much from Hawaii to LA or Vegas!! Okay I use either Kayak or yahoo fare chase. We travel A LOT!! Trust me and try those websites!!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Do keep in mind that whether you are credited $300+ as Brian Nobel suggested, or $570 as I suggested, the credits will be on account, for each passenger -- it will not be possible to pool the credits to purchase airline tickets for perhaps one or two of the passengers... each passenger must use their own credit.

Bicker is right that the vouchers cannot be combined. So 2 $100 vouchers cannot be used to purchase a $200 ticket. Also, no credit is returned, so if you used a $200 voucher to buy a $178 ticket, CO kepts the balance.

However, I think that the vouchers can be used by the person to whom they were issued to purchase tickets for another person. So, if the vouchers are issued to the OP, his wife and son, they could be used to buy 3 separate tickets for the OP. Buying a ticket for someone else to use does not violate the voucher's restriction on transferring.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[CarolA]

The bigger problem is that the OP purchased via an online TA. Good luck getting that credit... that's one reason I don't recommend doing that, it may be impossible to get a credit in this case.

 

[dreamcometrue]

you really need to watch the airfare before you book. We are not going until April 2008, but I have been watching the fares for this April for over 6 months now! I have gotten, for the same dates, anywhere from $280 to over $500 for a non-stop, round trip, from LAX to MCO. Once the fares for April 2008 are out, I am going to book when I see a good deal which would be anywhere from $280 to $300.

Airfare is such a gamble! While they won't refund you the difference, some airlines offer a voucher for the difference that you can use within a year, or you can cancel your flight, and pay the penalty, and rebook, if you think you will still save money!

 

[KATIESMOMMY]

SOrry you had to pay so much, but look at it this way, at least you are are going to Disney! Cant offer any advice, just a big hug

 

[oliverweagle]

Thank you for all you comments and pixioe dust! At leat these are paid for - and we are going to Disney - and it won't happen again!

 

[bicker]

However, I think that the vouchers can be used by the person to whom they were issued to purchase tickets for another person.

It didn't work that way at US Airways or American Airlines, the two instances where I've had to deal with credit vouchers. The name of the passenger was a change that was not permitted (without presentation of a death certificate ).

 

[Dan Murphy]

As mentioned above, www.kayak.com is great. One of the helpful aspects is that is gives a range history of fares on your route. And the fine tuning options are super helpful.

 

[emerymt]

Last June I made 3 airline reservations on Continental for 3 round trip tickets from Houston to Orlando - the cost $395 each on Yahoo travel. (This price coprresponded with the price on Continental site the same day).

I checked Continental's site today, and the cost was $178 each. I called yahoo travel and was told that the $395 price was the lowest fare at the time and that I "should have waited."

My understanding was that one should make reservations as early as possible as the fares would probably rise as the departure date approached.

I guess not - with airline travel anyway.

Live and learn.

Ollie

Hahahahaha-
I just paid $594 per ticket for June 1-9 because I did wait And yes, we live in the contiguous 48 states!

I have found that the best time to book airfare for us is about 4-6 mo. in advance. We're nowhere near a hub and much too far to drive to one (tried that once for a trip to Hawaii- eight hours to Denver- NOT WORTH IT!) so there aren't competitive airfares.

Live and learn, indeed!

 

[Starr W.]

Research, Research, Research before you buy, so you know what a "good rate" is from your airport to destination.

Kicking myself for not looking on Saturday night(could have gotten DTW-MCO for Thanksgving for 227 R/T). Was back up when I finally looked on Sunday.

Use Kayak!

 

[DisMN]

I am not sure of the rule on Contiental, but on American you must use the voucher within 12 months of the original ticketing date. If that is also true on Continental, then you would have to book a trip using that voucher by this June. Another reason to avoid booking too early if you can.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

I just went through this with Midwest Airlines. Yes the vouchers do need to be used by June BUT you can use the voucher in June to book a trip for 300 and some odd days in the future. So the term "use" only means that you have to have booked a trip with the voucher.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate to ask for a voucher type refund. You have plenty of time to make plans for another trip where you can put the vouchers to good use!! Good luck!!