Airfare woes! Will it get any better???

[JUJU814]

I'm really surprised I'm having trouble getting half a decent airfare for our trip March 18-27. I always get something decent..not amazing, but decent, about a month or so out. Usually around $200 or so round trip from Boston-Manchester and usually Southwest.

I can't get anything decent (ie: nonstop, somewhat good hours) for under $300-400.

Is it because of the time of the year? Is there a day of the week better than others? Should I wait a little longer?

I'm travelling just me and dd age 6. I really would prefer nonstop to get there. Maybe one stop on the way home.

Am I expecting too much? Should I just grab what I can get now or should I wait another week or two?

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

The airlines have really cut back on number of flights hence higher prices. Delta used to have 3 evening direct flights BOS to MCO, now they have 3 a day!

I say if you see something, grab it. My flight on 2/26 to 3/7 was $220pp/rt BOS to MCO non-stop when we booked it last April. For the past few weeks it has been a whopping $1,234.40!

 

[JUJU814]

The airlines have really cut back on number of flights hence higher prices. Delta used to have 3 evening direct flights BOS to MCO, now they have 3 a day!

I say if you see something, grab it. My flight on 2/26 to 3/7 was $220pp/rt BOS to MCO non-stop when we booked it last April. For the past few weeks it has been a whopping $1,234.40!

Disney and Red Sox. You and I would be GREAT friends!

1234??????? holy moly!

I think I'll grab what I can get. Thanks!!!

 

[PigletsMommy]

I had a really hard time with airfare as well. Southwest is the only airline who does direct flights from Nashville to MCO. Last year they had $59 each way and several flights to choose from. Now the cheapest I could find was $94 but on the days I wanted was $105 each way.

I actually found cheaper flights thru Delta, but with a stop in Atlanta. It came out to $192 per person round trip. When I added everything up, even with baggage fee (1 per person), we were still coming out $20 cheaper with Delta. I booked them directly thru the their website. When I added them to our package on Disney website the same flights were $50 more per person.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

Don't know if this is true or not, but on the Transportation board someone posted about Southwest usually having a good sale Mid Feb, for March, April, & May. So, technically Mid Feb is in a few days or so. I'm really hoping this is rumor is true, since I still need my return airfare. If you decide to book now, remember with Southwest, you can get a fare credit if the fare goes down.

 

[JUJU814]

Don't know if this is true or not, but on the Transportation board someone posted about Southwest usually having a good sale Mid Feb, for March, April, & May. So, technically Mid Feb is in a few days or so. I'm really hoping this is rumor is true, since I still need my return airfare. If you decide to book now, remember with Southwest, you can get a fare credit if the fare goes down.

Oh I didn't know you could get a fare credit!!! That's GREAT to know! I'm going to look into this right now! Thanks!

Julie

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Have you checked Air Tran?

 

[Haley/Hayden Mom]

southwest is running a special for $39 each way for dates up till may 25th. It doesn't help us b/c we aren't flying till 6/5. Try them though.

 

[AJRitz]

Have you checked Air Tran?

I looked at AirTran. The problem with them is that it's hard to compare, because they have more add-on fees than anyone else. Once I included the $48 in seat-assignment fees (roundtrip for four of us), plus the baggage fees (and considering that AirTran's definition of an "oversize" bag is smaller than everyone else's), they didn't look like such a deal anymore. Oh, and the flight from MCO to Atlanta that we'd have to use to connect to our flight home only has a 70% on time record.

My trip is still a long way off - SWA won't even have fares published for me until March 23. But the airfare picture is not looking good. The airlines have REALLY cut back on capacity, and they're all adding on fees for everything they can think of (American recently decided to start selling, instead of distributing for passenger use, pillows and blankets).

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Don't know if this is true or not, but on the Transportation board someone posted about Southwest usually having a good sale Mid Feb, for March, April, & May. So, technically Mid Feb is in a few days or so. I'm really hoping this is rumor is true, since I still need my return airfare. If you decide to book now, remember with Southwest, you can get a fare credit if the fare goes down.

Southwest sent out an email a few days ago about a big sale. As usual the locations out of New England are not great. I haven't seen a ding flight worth booking to MCO in almost 2 years.

 

[JUJU814]

Southwest sent out an email a few days ago about a big sale. As usual the locations out of New England are not great. I haven't seen a ding flight worth booking to MCO in almost 2 years.

yeah, I saw the $39 thing but there are NO $39 flights from manchester or boston. nada! I've never seen southwest so expensive for orlando as it is right now.

 

[shopn24seven]

ITA.
American Airlines is the cheapest for me, right now.
We leave on 10/31 and return 11/6 from PHL.
Hoping the rates go down soon.

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

I looked at AirTran. The problem with them is that it's hard to compare, because they have more add-on fees than anyone else. Once I included the $48 in seat-assignment fees (roundtrip for four of us), plus the baggage fees (and considering that AirTran's definition of an "oversize" bag is smaller than everyone else's), they didn't look like such a deal anymore. Oh, and the flight from MCO to Atlanta that we'd have to use to connect to our flight home only has a 70% on time record.

My trip is still a long way off - SWA won't even have fares published for me until March 23. But the airfare picture is not looking good. The airlines have REALLY cut back on capacity, and they're all adding on fees for everything they can think of (American recently decided to start selling, instead of distributing for passenger use, pillows and blankets).

FYI- in case you look at air tran again- if you book through Kayak you can pick your seats free of charge (at least you could up until last week when we booked ours) It saved us $36, which isn't a lot but hey. We are also shiping our luggage down ahead of time- which still costs between 15-25 a bag for us, but it saves a headache of kids and checking luggage, and worrying it might get lost!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

We fly out of BOS/MHT all the time. The airfare has been creeping up slowly over the past two years like it has everywhere else but with the reduction in flight numbers- anything under $300 is sadly reasonable now-a-days. Even 18 months ago I freaked if I had to pay $200/ticket

 

[DrummerBoy523]

Do you use Southwest's Ding! application?

There is also one for the iPhone if you have one.

Can help you find good fares. They just had a good fare sale a few weeks ago and routinely have unannounced fares on Ding!

 

[Goofy4Disney!]

I don't know if this information is helpful at all, but I'm traveling around the same time (March 10th-17th) out of Logan and I like to fly JetBlue. I have been steadily watching their airfare for a couple of weeks and am seeing that they are adding new flights (for instance, until two days ago there was only one morning direct flight to MCO now there are three) and also that the price is slowly dropping.

I also use the airfare price predictor site and it's saying to wait, that prices should go down another 35.00. So far it's always been right.

Best of luck!

 

[kathy884]

With Southwest, we usually book as soon as the fares are available in case they go up, especially for high season and popular places. If they go down, you can re-book and get a flight credit for the difference that you can use within a year of the original booking like another poster commented. Also, that credit can be used for anyone, anywhere. All you have to do is use the same credit card. Since we do a bit of traveling, our risk of not being able to use the credits is low. I usually book everything as an individual leg and each person separately to keep things as flexibile as possible. The first week spring break opened up, I booked fares for $110 each way with taxes and fees. About a month later, fares went down to $85with taxes and fees, so I rebooked and got that credit. Now these same two flights with taxes and fees are $165 going and $246 returning. It looks like they are filling up the many of these spring break flights. Sometimes, for spring break and Christmas, especially, it can be difficult to get bargains.

 

[justinjenn]

Allegiant air also has some really good rates.. Non stop from Chattanooga to Orlando. Just must have flexible dates!

~Jenn~

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

For those debating Jet Blue out of Logan or SW out out MHT....remember that if you don't have anyone to drive you to the airport and want to skip the shuttle bus thing from a Park and Ride, you have to factor iin that parking at BOS is $25/day as opposed to $10/day at MHT! We also factor in this math to our equation. Last time we took Jet Blue, it was cheaper to rent a LIMO (actual limo, not towncar) than to pay for parking at Logan!

 

[Goofy4Disney!]

For those debating Jet Blue out of Logan or SW out out MHT....remember that if you don't have anyone to drive you to the airport and want to skip the shuttle bus thing from a Park and Ride, you have to factor iin that parking at BOS is $25/day as opposed to $10/day at MHT! We also factor in this math to our equation. Last time we took Jet Blue, it was cheaper to rent a LIMO (actual limo, not towncar) than to pay for parking at Logan!

Lucky for me I live 5 miles from the airport and take a taxi for 15 bucks lol. I sometimes forget how convenient that is!