Airfare Questions from Central MA with a group?

[klwdisney]

Hi all! I'm WAYYYYYYY early... but I have questions about booking air for a trip we're taking in October with friends. We were thinking of trying Jet Blue as they're very reputable and have great fares. Does anyone have any other suggestions for who to take from Boston that may be cheaper?

Also, we're going with a group of friends. How do we go about booking airfare separately but hopefully on the same plane? I was thinking of going thru a travel agent just for the air, but a friend said we shouldn't have a problem as long as everyone knows in advance what flight to book.

And when should I look to book the airfare? Sometime this summer I would assume?

Thanks for you advice in advance...

 

[kikipug]

I would suggest taking Southwest out of Manchester or Providence and skipping the whole Logan nightmare... as a former New Englander, Logan is the last place in the world I would ever fly into our out of on purpose!!! (Besides, you'll pay a lot less.)

 

[Paticake]

I booked 10 of us on Jetblue last Nov. I put it all on my credit card and then the others reimbursed me. We were all seated together. On our return trip there were 14 of us all seated together. Or you can check availability then give everyone the flight numbers and book on there own. Then try to link seats. We loved Jet Blue!

 

[akrake]

we've not flown jetblue...but song out of bos & it's been great. on a side note, if you fly early, there should be no "nightmare" at logan...it's been a pain to drive all the way to RI or NH instead of 30 mintues to bos for me, anyway.
amie

 

[beattyfamily]

I've already booked for my trip Nov/Dec because Song's rates were so good. They've already gone up.

I've also flown Jetblue and AA to Orlando. I liked Jetblue for the TV and now Song has the TV so it's a toss up. I'd go with the cheaper fare.

I'd book as soon as the rate is decent, like anywhere from $100 to $180. This year I got mine for $165.

 

[klwdisney]

Well I've been checking often and haven't seen too too much fluctuation. Should I hold off over the summer to do the airfare in the hopes that they'll drop?

One of the people travelling with us is pushing to book her airfare now and definitely wants to be on the same flight as us.

 

[crcormier]

Hi neighbor!!! Song and Jetblue out of Boston are both good, though I notice most other major carriers are matching their prices now. The last time I've booked air to Orlando out of Boston American Airlines proved to be cheaper than any of the others. For an upcoming trip in May I'm going with Delta out of Manchester as the cheapest.

Airfares can fluctuate from day to day, nevermind month to month, but for me, I usually wait until about two months before the trip to book the airfare, that seems the safest window. Places like Southwest, Song and Jetblue have their fares scheduled, and other carriers have lowered their prices to match.

Boston is easier to get into than it used to be, but parking is still expensive, so I would take a look at Providence and Manchester as definite alternatives that are cheaper.

If it's a large group, I would check with a travel agent (you don't have to book with them if you don't like the price) before booking on your own. Otherwise you can book more than one person online on one credit card. If you do each ticket separately, you will be less likely to find seats together, even though you can select which seat you want. Just seems like a lot of hassle to have everyone book separately. Have one person book and collect the money, or go through a travel agent and each person pay the agent.

 

[buzz5985]

I started looking for Dec 2005 flights, when they came out and saw Song go from $69 one way down to Orlando to $124. Kicking myself now for not booking, but couldn't get DH to commit. LOL Knew I should have let him stay home.

As for the parking - many of the hotels on Route 1A - offer parking even if you aren't staying at the hotel. I believe the Hampton Inn charges $50 for a week to 10 days.

Logan isn't a nightmare. It is amazing what they have accomplished in Boston with the Big Dig, etc. And believe me the only people that complain about the Big Dig are the people who do not use the roads. Plus I believe the new Terminal A is opening in March, plus JetBlue is asking to be upped to 11 gates out of Logan. Terminal A is for Delta/Song, so we may see some more competition. Time will tell.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have found that flying out of Logan is now cheaper and easier than from Providence. We love Song. And with the new terminal opening, it can only get better. I'm anxious to see what parking is going to be like at Terminal A. If it's too expensive, we will continue to use the Economy lots when there is no chance of snow!!

I would book as soon as you are definate about going. We always try to book as soon as possible. Decide on a flight that works for all of you. Then, you can either book for everyone or each party can book for themselves. If you all book at different times, then you can go in and change your seating on-line so you can be closer together. I had to book airfare for my dh when he decided to join dd and myself in WDW in June. Since I had already booked for the two of us about 5 months before, the airfare for him had gone up and there wasn't a seat in the same row for him. But, I went in after his seat was done and changed our so we could sit with him, in one row. Very easy to do.