Airfare advice needed.

[pat fan]

Hi all! We've been to WDW before so we are not newbies at this, but this time around we are bringing extended family...12 people in all. 7 of us are flying together and here is the problem.

I told me sister that last year around March SW had great deals on flights (like $59 one way). She wants me to wait and see if that comes out again. Right now Delta has a flight for $243 for one set of dates and $273 for another (we're all coming back at different times). When I first started looking the prices were over $300 so I feel those are pretty good prices, but she still wants to wait. What do you all think?

 

[txbradybunch]

Southwest airlines has a group planning reservation number (you can find it on their website) for any group of 10 or more flying the same itinerary. It says that they offer discounts off of SW already low fares. I don't know what the discount is - but it may be worth a try. Other airlines likely have similar group programs. Southwest usually starts booking for March flights in November or December. I found that the spring break time period cheap flights were gone lightening fast - so keep that in mind.

The best thing about southwest is their flexibility in changing flight plans. My step children fly southwest within the state of Texas every other weekend to come for visitation, and we never just loose our money when we have a last minute flight change - which happens ALL THE TIME!

I don't know about booking the group deal through sw - but I know I book the kids weekend flights all the way out as soon as they are offered (for example - they just started booking through August instead of May, so I bought all the rest of May, June, July, and August tickets THAT day) and then I follow up and watch the sales. If the tickets go on sale cheaper than what I have already booked I just "change" the ticket and the system holds the credit for the difference on that confirmation number. Next time I go to book a ticket I use any credits first and then pay the difference. I almost always end up with the rock bottom fare offered on any weekend unless I have to have a certain flight.

And to top it all off, my daughter and I are using freebie rapid reward tickets to fly up to New York with my mom this summer to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway before it ends in July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE SW AIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pat fan]

We are flying out of BDL (Hartford,CT) in July. Right now SW would be $320 PP and my family freaked at that.We don't travel enough to make it worthwhile to get vouchers for the price differance if the price drops (like only once every couple years).

As for the group thing, only 7 of us are flying together, the other 5 are going Amtrak from N.C.

 

[byoung]

I've checked other airlines from philly for May, Southwest new rates our high but still better then the others. Have found close rates but you have no choice of times that you have with Southwest. Also with Southwest if they go lower you rebook with no costs.

 

[jenlynn0808]

Have you tried www.sidestep.com ? You can put in info about what you need from the flight (departing and arriving airport, nonstop, time preference, number in party, econ vs.bus class, etc.) and it will generate a list of flight possibilities on a number of airlines. At least it might give you some options to compare...

 

[pickles]

One thing I did recently was go on your airline's website and then do a search by fare on your dates and change dates one by one, I found just by changing my dates by 2 days and flying in the eve rather than the am like we enjoy I was able to get flights from $350+ down to $168, so we changed our room reservations and saved a ton.

Our only good airline choice is AA (we only like nonstops) you may have several options from where you are, so check all your options. It also helps to use www.travelocity.com not to book your flight, but to fare watch and search

 

[billcsho]

Check airtickets to Tampa or Daytona Beach also. It may worth the extra hour of driving if you need a rental car anyway. I ended up getting tickets for my family flying to Daytona Beach Airport this weekend to save ~$40 per ticket. Then I found this week another airline is offering a direct flight to Orlando at the same price.
Anyway, consider the other airports as alternative destinations.
FYI, the airport codes are:

Orlando: MCO
Daytona Beach: DAB
Tampa: TPA