And this is why I am not freaking out about airfare prices

[Neelloc]

Okay, so 6 months out, pricing airfares from BUF to MCO, the best I can find is $289 RT. (Either SW, AT, or JB.)

AirTran is having a fare sale. Pricing dates in June, with non-stop, direct flights both ways, total airfare pp is $219RT. (Wed Jun 8 through Wed Jun 15th.) This is 3 months out.

So, no, it's not all doom and gloom! There are and will continue to be airfare sales. I'm not going to buy into the total panic and pay too much for airfare now. Going to keep up with prices and see how it goes.

So, who else wants to join me in not totally panicking? Partial panicking will, however, be allowed!

 

[lllGurulll]

I booked January 31st for my May 25th trip on the day I decided to go to the World. I do this every single trip and have yet to see an airline top the price I paid five or more months out. Playing flight roulette seems silly to me.

 

[malibuconlee]

For me now matter where I am going, i book when I make plans and find the best rate I can. For us it's usually a flight to visit family or to Vegas. With Vegas especially it's a lot of work to find someone to care for our toddler and we go with friends over set dates, so we just find something we are comfortable booking and book it.

I would feel very uncomfortable having a trip planned and no airfare booked, but that's just me.

 

[Neelloc]

I booked January 31st for my May 25th trip on the day I decided to go to the World. I do this every single trip and have yet to see an airline top the price I paid five or more months out. Playing flight roulette seems silly to me.

I'm not saying it's flight roulette....I'm offering another perspective, that yes, in the middle of rising gas prices, there are still deals to be had on flights. It seems that so many people are panicked about prices and I wanted to offer evidence to the contrary. To each his or her own.

 

[papertraveller]

I just checked BUF-MCO for October to go to MNSSHP and was shocked at JetBlue's fares. But SW comes out next week, and usually I find that if I can book on the day the flights are released that we are always happy with the prices.

 

[LeslieG]

Okay, so 6 months out, pricing airfares from BUF to MCO, the best I can find is $289 RT. (Either SW, AT, or JB.)

AirTran is having a fare sale. Pricing dates in June, with non-stop, direct flights both ways, total airfare pp is $219RT. (Wed Jun 8 through Wed Jun 15th.) This is 3 months out.

So, no, it's not all doom and gloom! There are and will continue to be airfare sales. I'm not going to buy into the total panic and pay too much for airfare now. Going to keep up with prices and see how it goes.

So, who else wants to join me in not totally panicking? Partial panicking will, however, be allowed!

I tend to agree with you. My experience has been less than three months out I've gotten the best fare. I haven't had any luck booking far in advance, and I watch pretty consistently.

 

[mickey2000]

I'm not saying it's flight roulette....I'm offering another perspective, that yes, in the middle of rising gas prices, there are still deals to be had on flights. It seems that so many people are panicked about prices and I wanted to offer evidence to the contrary. To each his or her own.

Only flights that are in the next 3 months seem to be ok. According to an article its because of old inventory of fuel which will be gone by mid summer.
I agree with the professionals which say they will only continue to climb especially for the choice times when flying without a connection.
All I know is my SW tickets for several weeks have NEVER not even mid week have gone down. I don't like paying for bags thus I'm very caareful in what I call a bargain. JMO

 

[Neelloc]

Only flights that are in the next 3 months seem to be ok. According to an article its because of old inventory of fuel which will be gone by mid summer.
I agree with the professionals which say they will only continue to climb especially for the choice times when flying without a connection.
All I know is my SW tickets for several weeks have NEVER not even mid week have gone down. I don't like paying for bags thus I'm very caareful in what I call a bargain. JMO

If I pay $289 per ticket, it'll cost my family almost $1200 to fly. I can drive for half the cost. I'll wait and see where fares for my dates go. I guess it's a matter if these gas prices are going to be sustained, if the hysteria remains, and how it affects things in the future.

I remember we drove to Boston during June 2008 when gas prices were at their highest levels during the last fuel increase panic. I remember paying $4.10 a gallon. By November, I was snapping up $80 RT (total including taxes and fees) fares from Buffalo to Chicago. Just because things are crazy now doesn't mean this is going to remain.

 

[Neelloc]

I tend to agree with you. My experience has been less than three months out I've gotten the best fare. I haven't had any luck booking far in advance, and I watch pretty consistently.

For past September trips I have bought as early as May, and as late as July. I've never found that booking in advance works as well for my dates either.

 

[lllGurulll]

For past September trips I have bought as early as May, and as late as July. I've never found that booking in advance works as well for my dates either.

Maybe it has to do with location. Where I live, the further out you book the better the fare.

 

[suzy021372]

I wasn't willing to wait. I just book my tix for July. I saved $300 by flying from Vegas to Tampa instead of Vegas to Orlando. I reserved a car for $50. With the craziness in the world I wasn't willing to wait. Driving is not an option if you are coming from the west coast.

Good luck with waiting it out...I balked!

 

[francie57]

As other have said, we booked our Aug. airfare back in Oct. We love to take the first non-stop of the day and return on the last non-stop of the day so we always book early to make sure we get the flights. I paid $179 (all taxes/fees) from Hartford and the same flight now is over $100 more than we paid. For me the not waiting was the way to go.

 

[dntd]

I was planning on flying out of BUF but the fares are way too high, the cheapest I could find is $325 but I have to times that by 4 and my sister is coming with me. Makes more sence to drive even with a few camping days added to make the drive easier( start early sat, arrive on mon and it's a 20 hour drive ). Looked at an up to date gas/mileage calculator and gas wise we are looking at about $350 for gas total.

 

[lllGurulll]

I was planning on flying out of BUF but the fares are way too high, the cheapest I could find is $325 but I have to times that by 4 and my sister is coming with me. Makes more sence to drive even with a few camping days added to make the drive easier( start early sat, arrive on mon and it's a 20 hour drive ). Looked at an up to date gas/mileage calculator and gas wise we are looking at about $350 for gas total.

I wish I could consider driving but my wife isn't coming so I have nobody to share the drive time with and I can't take the extra time off from work for the extra days needed to drive.

Plus, I don't want to deal with the "are we there yet", "how much further", "daddy I'm hungry", and "are we there yet?"

 

[LaurenT]

Maybe it has to do with location. Where I live, the further out you book the better the fare.

I agree. Here in Albany, if you want to fly direct, you fly Southwest...and the only way to guarantee the cheap seats on SW is to buy them the day they're posted....

 

[LeslieG]

The flights I had been watching for months were well over $300 RT, but just within the last few days they've come down in the $200 range. This is for early June travel. That's why I usually wait. Maybe it depends on the market you're in.

 

[5boyz]

I'm not saying it's flight roulette....I'm offering another perspective, that yes, in the middle of rising gas prices, there are still deals to be had on flights. It seems that so many people are panicked about prices and I wanted to offer evidence to the contrary. To each his or her own.

I am also looking to go out of Buffalo and prices are so much higher than last year but I am keeping my fingers crossed that they go on sale for my time or at least stay where they are....I am up to $1337.80 for 4 of us...last year I paid $374.54 with Spirit and $120. for bags for all 4 of us total........

 

[5boyz]

I wish I could consider driving but my wife isn't coming so I have nobody to share the drive time with and I can't take the extra time off from work for the extra days needed to drive.

Plus, I don't want to deal with the "are we there yet", "how much further", "daddy I'm hungry", and "are we there yet?"

You forgot "I gotta pee"........

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I agree.* Here in Albany, if you want to fly direct, you fly Southwest...and the only way to guarantee the cheap seats on SW is to buy them the day they're posted....

I agree also and we didn't take any chances. Having to buy plane tickets for six of us at the most affordable price we could get, we booked our flights as soon as we could which was about two weeks after Southwest posted the flight schedules for our vacation dates. Southwest is the only airline that has direct flights from where we are that are reasonable in price and also no baggage fees. I changed our flights on Friday because we had to change our vacation dates and we only had to pay a price difference of $60 total, not too bad. However, out of curiosity I checked the fares for our flights yesterday and the total cost of the fares for our flights rose by $366

 

[ccgirl]

I just checked BUF-MCO for October to go to MNSSHP and was shocked at JetBlue's fares. But SW comes out next week, and usually I find that if I can book on the day the flights are released that we are always happy with the prices.

This is what we do too. If the airfare goes down we request the credit since we always fly at least once a year. AirTran gives the credit too. I am very picky with my flight times so it is important to me to get the times I want. I only fly non-stop/direct as well so my flight choices are limited. If the flights are under $240 RT I book them and hope for a decrease. At the very least, I know I have the flight times I want.

I agree with you that the airfares at this point are not outrageous at all. However, they (the airlines) buy fuel in advance so they are still working on the old prices. I don't think we will see big increases in airfare for 3 months, if at all.