Airline ticket tips for April school vacation week?

[1234lucky]

We are really hoping to get to wdw in April 2015 for our first trip. After April, our lodging options become much more limited because our youngest turns 3.

But it's school vacation week in MA and the tickets are already outrageous. Any tips? Websites that will give me accurate price alerts? Or is it already hopeless?

Southwest hasn't released their dates yet. If I get tickets as soon as they are released do I have a shot at something under $500 per ticket?

 

[njmom47]

We are really hoping to get to wdw in April 2015 for our first trip. After April, our lodging options become much more limited because our youngest turns 3.

But it's school vacation week in MA and the tickets are already outrageous. Any tips? Websites that will give me accurate price alerts? Or is it already hopeless?

Southwest hasn't released their dates yet. If I get tickets as soon as they are released do I have a shot at something under $500 per ticket?

I get emails from a bunch of websites about fares. You fill in your flight information (from/to, # of people, dates etc). and they will email you when the fares change
Not that I'm going anywhere for a long long time, but....

Bookingbuddy and CheapAir are two but I'm sure there are more out there. There are other threads about this as well.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3305285&highlight=april+2015
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3305141&highlight=april+2015

 

[SFRN97]

We are also from MA and going April vacation jet blue has flights already for 250ish we usually book southwest they always seem to have the best prices we have never paid more than 220 each for tickets. Right now providence to Orlando southwest is 109 and 122 per person so I think u would be ok.

 

[TeamMMom]

We are also from MA and going April vacation jet blue has flights already for 250ish we usually book southwest they always seem to have the best prices we have never paid more than 220 each for tickets. Right now providence to Orlando southwest is 109 and 122 per person so I think u would be ok.

Am I missing something? I'm searching for April vacation flights too, for the first time. The best I can find BOS to MCO on JetBlue is around $250 for ONE way. Out of PWM it's $449 one way for 4/18. Ouch! Do you think this will go down? I'm nervous to hold out for Southwest only to be disappointed as I was on JetBlue's release date. Any words of wisdom for this newbie?

 

[1234lucky]

Team mom, I found the same thing as you from the Boston area checking three local airports plus Hartford. I couldn't get it down to much lower than 450 round-trip and even that was leaving at pretty crappy times.

And I looked at JetBlue one day after they released so it's not like I was super late on it.

 

[momtwoboys]

We booked with jetblue out of hartford the day they opened up and got 1,380. For 4 of us roundtrip for april vacation. I knew they only keep going up so we jumped on it! Good luck! And worcester also flies jetblue to orlando!

 

[sophiagymgall]

April vacation is from the 20th to the 24th, right? If anyone doesn't mind their kids missing the first day back, there's a pretty sweet deal on Delta from the 21st to the 27th - $242 round-trip from MHT to MCO (easy connection in LGA), with pretty good schedules and plenty of availability. Of course the 18th and 19th are more expensive, but I'm seeing okay deals (under $400 round-trip) for those dates as well. Of course Southwest may be a better deal, but who knows when they'll release the April schedule!

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

We have flown Jetblue for years (many times twice/year). We got online the hour Jetblue opened up flights for April 2015 (our dates are 4/19-24ish, but cannot fluctuate outside that week at all). We weren't ready to commit that aftn, and sadly the flights skyrocketed in less than 24 hours. When I went to book the following morning online, after all my info was plugged in, it said there was an error and I needed to pick new flights. There are only TWO flights (every day) out of PVD. Anyway, I went to choose the same flights again and the price went up AGAIN! When I called, they said "sorry, someone pressed the button faster than you did"!

Currently the prices are ridiculous, yet the plane is still empty (maybe 5 seats purchased so far)?
I am REALLY banking on Southwest and HOPING their prices are more reasonable! We LOVE Jetblue, but not at these prices.

Question.....with Jetblue we get an email telling us when they're going to extend their calendar. Does Southwest do this as well? If so can I sign up for it? We tend not to fly SW only because we have a special needs child and prefer to have our seats chosen in advance.... But we have no choice at this point......so fingers crossed SW has better prices ....and that we don't have issues with seating.

 

[Donna M]

Question.....with Jetblue we get an email telling us when they're going to extend their calendar. Does Southwest do this as well? that we don't have issues with

On the bottom of SW's site they have a 'travel tools' that will give you the date they plan to release the new fares.

 

[katallo]

We are debating the same thing. I was so hoping SW would open dates a little beyond 3/6.

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

On the bottom of SW's site they have a 'travel tools' that will give you the date they plan to release the new fares.

Thanks!!!

 

[deb010305]

We gave up on trying to find reasonable airfare from Boston or Providence during April school vacation week. When JetBlue opened them at noon on July 13th, at 12:03 pm the cheapest round trip airfare at decent times was $654 per person ! So once again we are driving!

 

[sbwcws]

thanks

 

[teambeaman]

You're looking way too far in advance. I used to work for Delta and I was a travel agent for many years. The best fares come within 6 weeks of travel, generally. Look at flights 4-8 weeks from now and figure out what the average is, that should be your target airfare. Then keep checking until it gets there. The PP said around $250 round trip so i'd start with that. Also, look at one ways, if one way is in your target range, then buy that leg and wait out the other. I do this all the time, even at Xmas. DH gets nervous every once in a while, but I've never had to pay a high rate for airfare and I'm a teacher so we are always traveling during peak times.

 

[kellyw8863]

Check school vacation weeks in surrounding states. Last year, we got the best fare out of Hartford because CT didn't have a break that coincided with MA. Then keep an eye out for when SWA open their next window - I think it was October for the following April. Be ready to buy. With the discount airlines, your best bet is generally to buy sooner rather than later. We went with another couple. We were both on our computers at 6am. We got $140 each way and they got $220 each way simply because I was faster on the computer. By 10am, the flights were sold out at those bottom prices. Good luck!

 

[massvacationer]

HI

first time poster her (I am active on TUGBBS with the same username)

We too are in MA and are looking to goto Orlando during April 2015 school vacation week

I have been checking fares for several days

I just logged onto Orbitz this MA and found R/T tix on Delta from Bradley to Orlando for $292 .... for my dates (April 18 - Apil 25)

prices dropped since yesterday

flights are not direct and the arrival time is late on the 18th

but the savings are HUGE over what jet blue wants fro direct flights ($370 less per R/T ticket)

we are staying at Bonnet Creek already booked the rooms