2 questions...size of plane, and booking

[ShellyMouse]

hi, just a couple questions.....

*when i look at the web sites for airfares, it lists the plane as a number....how do i know what size plane this is? i'm clueless. i feel better on a bigger plane.

*when i look at booking, it says (i think) 330 days out. is that for your return date?

thanks alot!

 

[wee-haggis]

hi, just a couple questions.....

*when i look at the web sites for airfares, it lists the plane as a number....how do i know what size plane this is? i'm clueless. i feel better on a bigger plane.

*when i look at booking, it says (i think) 330 days out. is that for your return date?

thanks alot!

What airline are you using and from what airport are you flying from?
Where does it say 330 days out ?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Airline websites typically have a page with a name like "Our Fleet" or "What We Fly" or "Our Aircraft." If you look for that page, you'll usually find seat maps, descriptions, and photos of that airline's aircraft types.

An easy place to find information about most major airlines' fleets is at http://www.SeatGuru.com/

For legacy airlines (such as United, Delta, and American), flights are typically loaded into their computers and available for booking 330 days out. For a roundtrip, that means waiting until the return flight has been loaded.

It's usually not necessary to book so far in advance. But there are three cases when it's a good idea:

• If you're traveling at a very busy time of the year, such as spring break for most schools in your airport's metropolitan area.
• If you're trying to obtain your tickets with frequent flyer awards.
• If the fare happens to be extremely good and you want to lock it in rather than risking a higher price later.

 

[Jestocost]

I don't know what airline(s) you're looking at, so I can't be very specific. If the general window only has the flight number and no aircraft information, usually there is an option to click on "Flight Details." The aircraft type might be in code, like MD-80 or A300 or ERJ145, so you'll have to figure that out. Once you know the general aircraft type, you can go to seatguru.com to find out much more specific information about seating on that particular airline. If you can provide what airline(s) you're looking at, I'm sure someone can provide more specific help.

If you are booking one of the major airlines, you can't book less than 330 days out. If you're booking a round trip, that means 330 days from your return date. Other airlines, like Southwest, don't follow that 330 day schedule and typically release their reservations closer to your date of travel.

 

[ShellyMouse]

the "330 days out", i got from this board. sorry, i'm very new at this!

i am hoping to book at "GRR" gerald r ford intl. airport. (grand rapids, michigan), flying to MCO.

want to fly out sat, dec 15th.....and return wednesday dec 26th this year.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Keep in mind that aircraft are often switched (except for airlines such as Southwest, which only fly one type of plane) after you make your reservation, so you can't always count on plane type.

You can get specific aircraft info here:

http://seatguru.com/

 

[Jestocost]

As you've probably seen, there won't be any direct flights from GRR to MCO. You'll have to fly from GRR to a hub airport (Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati, Atlanta, etc.), then take another flight to MCO. In most cases, that means you'll be on a smaller, regional jet (Embraer 145 or Canadair 700, something like that) from GRR to the hub, then on a larger plane (757, 737, Airbus 300, etc.) from there to MCO. I think Midwest Airlines does fly a big plane the entire way and you have to stop in Milwaukee, but not change planes.

The regional jets hold about 50 passengers and are fast like the big jets, just a little more cramped. They're nothing like the old commuter planes, but still have limited capacity for carry-on luggage. This may require you to check some larger items at the gate and pick them up when you get off of the plane.