Airfair when to buy?

[cavesrus]

We will be traveling in march 2022. SW just came out with airfair at those dates but it is very high right now i assume it is due to so far out. When is best time to get airfair? how far out etc.

I hate to wait to last min. but 800 a ticket is just to high for our flights i feel like 400-500 is still high but doable?

TY Aaron

 

[bsmcneil]

For what it's worth, if you purchase now and the tickets go down in price you can easily update to get the lower price. However, if you buy the Wanna Get Away fare, you'll receive travel credit instead of the cash. Here's an excerpt from a webpage that explains:

While you can change or cancel Wanna Get Away fares, you won’t receive a refund to your credit card. Instead, Southwest will issue you Travel Funds that can be used to book future flights. These Travel Funds must be used by the original traveler and expire one year after the original purchase date.
...
Though Southwest flights typically get more expensive the closer time ticks toward departure, if you keep your eye on the airfare price, you might get a deal.

 

[cavesrus]

ty do u by chance know date or approx weeks before flight to get the less $$ rate?

 

[dvc at last !]

For what it's worth, if you purchase now and the tickets go down in price you can easily update to get the lower price. However, if you buy the Wanna Get Away fare, you'll receive travel credit instead of the cash. Here's an excerpt from a webpage that explains:

If you purchased with Rapid Rewards Points you are refunded all the points.

 

[starry_solo]

ty do u by chance know date or approx weeks before flight to get the less $$ rate?

For my upcoming trip, I bought during the sales. The return flight was purchased during the Labor Day sale for a flight 2.5 months later and it was the cheapest I'd seen it.
I purchased the flight there about 4 months before the flight time, I think it was during the Memorial day sale. It was the cheapest I had seen it until then, but it ended up being cheaper (about $20) in July/August.

 

[cavesrus]

For my upcoming trip, I bought during the sales. The return flight was purchased during the Labor Day sale for a flight 2.5 months later and it was the cheapest I'd seen it.
I purchased the flight there about 4 months before the flight time, I think it was during the Memorial day sale. It was the cheapest I had seen it until then, but it ended up being cheaper (about $20) in July/August.

not sure if you looked as far out as im right now 6 + months but if you did... i assume it went down around that 4 month mark ish and sales etc. TY

 

[_19disnA]

It is best to buy airline tickets for major travel holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving/Christmas) as soon as you finalize your travel plans. Seats for major travel holidays typically fill up months in advance and there is little incentive for airlines to offer discounts when planes are already full with holiday travelers. The most desirable times sell out first along with non-stops vs. itineraries with 1 or more stops. Other holidays aren't as busy for travel. "Spring Break" varies based on your local school systems and a number of other factors so it isn't one specific week for everyone who travels. If where you are traveling to/from is a vacation destination, can also impact the cost of travel. Some airlines let you modify travel plans with no charge, but others do not. Make you sure you know which type of ticket you have purchased in the event you find a lower price in the future.

There are various websites that let you check prices for various airlines, dates of travel and departure cities. Due to covid, airlines are continuing to try to balance supply/demand so I would expect continuing volatility for the next several months until more of covid is behind us. None of us knows how that will all play out, so it is difficult to say how that might impact future pricing.

 

[starry_solo]

not sure if you looked as far out as im right now 6 + months but if you did... i assume it went down around that 4 month mark ish and sales etc. TY

i did and it was twice the price than when the sales were advertised

 

[starry_solo]

When in March? Is it during spring break?

 

[cavesrus]

When in March? Is it during spring break?

march 3-13

 

[Disneyfan754321]

When in March? Is it during spring break?

Spring break is a relative term because everyone has it at different times.
Disney's spring break is 12-19th.

We never buy airfare untill a month out, I know its hard if you are a planner.
Use skyscanner.com for the best rates, book your rate on a Wednesday after 9am. Rates are always higher online on Mondays

 

[cavesrus]

Spring break is a relative term because everyone has it at different times.
Disney's spring break is 12-19th.

We never buy airfare untill a month out, I know its hard if you are a planner.
Use skyscanner.com for the best rates, book your rate on a Wednesday after 9am. Rates are always higher online on Mondays

ty never heard of skytracker looking it up now

 

[FCDub]

There's literally no way to predict when prices will drop. Some might never drop.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

ty never heard of skytracker looking it up now

Skyscanner.com let us know how it goes,
I leave it up on so everyday I run it till I find a price I'm happy with.
Let me know how it goes

 

[ItsOnlyMoney]

Question -- Why do none of the search sites like skyscanner come up with Southwest? They've got (from my airport) Delta, Spirit, and Frontier - oh and some JetBlue but not a lot. And unfortunately Delta doesn't have any direct from CT.

 

[FCDub]

Question -- Why do none of the search sites like skyscanner come up with Southwest? They've got (from my airport) Delta, Spirit, and Frontier - oh and some JetBlue but not a lot. And unfortunately Delta doesn't have any direct from CT.

Southwest never appears in third party aggregators because they refuse to pay to be listed. You need to go to Southwest.com to see their fares.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Southwest never appears in third party aggregators because they refuse to pay to be listed. You need to go to Southwest.com to see their fares.

That's correct, skiplagged was just sued by SWA. At least they show up as available but it makes you click on it.
Delta stops in Atlanta most of the time

 

[_19disnA]

Delta's largest hub is Atlanta, but also has other domestic hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle and several other cities. Depends where you are flying to/from and the specific flight you select as to whether it will be non-stop or involve connections.

 

[colleen.jeanne88]

We utilize Southwest often so we always book right at the release dates and watch for sales, we always utilize the credit vouchers we receive for future flights and have never had a problem. For non-Southwest routes, I use google flights to see the average, set alerts, etc.

 

[rmbhc8]

I just booked my airfare through Southwest tonight, OKC-Orlando and back $454, I didn't think it was too bad.