Asking Advice on Air $ During Peak Weeks BOS (PVD)-MCO

[pershing]

I've always travelled during non-peak times, so I'm not used to booking air during April Spring Break. We are going April Vacation 2007

Since many of just finished playing this game for April 2006 and its fresh in your minds. I have some questions.

When did you start looking at prices? What airlines did you find to have the best deals? What days Thurs, Weds. did you fly because the price was better? What price did you settle at?

What price should you grab and not wait for a better deal. This is crucial as I have flown Jetblue for base $59, Song for base $49 both one way and have seen Southwest beat those prices after I've booked. I usually fly on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm know I'm going to have crowd shock all the way around this time, but last time I took my kids out of school it caused great problems. So, I'm gonna try one peak time.

 

[brentalex]

We are flying on April 14( Friday ) and returning on the 23rd (Sunday). I never really looked at any other days, did not want to pull kids from school and did not want to cut vacation short.
I started looking for flights as soon as they were released, 330 days out for Song/Delta, and American. I pretty much checked everyday, plus I had points on a credit card which could get me free flights ( their choice of flights, not mine and were never great flights ) or cash from them.
I really wanted non stop flights, and no one really had great deals and I figured that I had to wait for Jet Blue to release their flights. I was very disappointed in the Jet Blue prices when they came out, all flights, theirs and Song and American were all about the same price, $600- $1000 round trip.
Then shortly after the Jet Blue prices came out, Song had an unannouced sale. The prices dropped to $250 round trip. I bought the tickets. Two days later the prices were right back up and I never saw them go down again. Because I had the option of getting the free flights if I never found prices I liked, I felt I could wait and see what happened, but it did take looking everyday, otherwise I never would have seen the price drop on Song ( although it was posted here, but I still would have had to check here ).
So, I think you need to have some idea of a price range, keep checking and buy when it hits the price you are willing to pay. Checking every day is good, you never know when the airlines may just drop the prices for some reason.

Once good thing for you as for crowds, once you get to Disney, the New England spring break next year does not match up with Easter. it should not be quite as crowded as it will be this year. You may even be after peak rates, we were in 2004 when the holidays did not line up.

 

[dougsmom98]

Yes, you need to check the prices everyday once they are released. Also watch this site daily because people usually post when there are good deal. We went over Presidents week and got a price of $135 roundtrip. Our original itinerary had two plane changes and lousy flight times, but they kept changing our flight times and when they do that you get to change your flights without a change fee. We ended up with wonderful flight times and only one plane change. Good luck. We are thinking of going over April vacation next year too.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

I'll change the words a bit but the story is pretty much the same.

We are flying on March 31st( Friday ) and returning on the April 7th (friday).

I started looking for flights as soon as they were released, 330 days out for Song/Delta, and American. I pretty much checked everyday.
I really wanted non stop flights, and no one really had great deals and I figured that I had to wait for Jet Blue and Southwest to release their flights. I was very disappointed in the Jet Blue prices when they came out, all flights, theirs and Song and American were all about the same price, $600- $1000 round trip.
Then in August, Song had an unannouced sale $496 total for the three of us on non-stop flights. I bought the tickets on the spot without thinking twice about it. Two days later the prices were right back up and I never saw them go down again.
So, I think you need to have some idea of a price range, mine is $500 or less total for the 3 of us. Keep checking and buy when it hits the price you are willing to pay. Checking every day is good, you never know when the airlines may just drop the prices for some reason.

One good thing, as for crowds, once we get to Disney, the New England spring break next year does not match up with Easter, so it should be a lot less crowded next year.

I'll repeat the procedure for our April 14-21, 2007 trip. My wife hates to fly, so if the airfares are way out of line, We Drive. We drove down March 2004, saved us $1,000 and it wasn't that bad.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[pershing]

I started looking for flights as soon as they were released, 330 days out for Song/Delta, and American. I pretty much checked everyday.
One good thing, as for crowds, once we get to Disney, the New England spring break next year does not match up with Easter, so it should be a lot less crowded next year.

Joe

Wow! I am so glad you guys answered my thread as I never would have guessed to settle for those prices. I think I'm going to start budgeting!

JoeCathyAngelina and Brentalex- I'm not sure why Easter has such a big effect on the rest of the US's vacation? Do they always have their VK after Easter and ours moves around?

I thought about driving, but I'm a single mom with 3 boys! My oldest has begged me not to make him ensure such a long drive with his youngest brother! Who knows what gas prices will be like then too.

Dougsmom98 which Airline did you end up flying on? what days? Did everybody else do Fri. and Sunday?

I thought Airfare was going to be a major deal, thanks to you guys, I will be starting at 330 days out myself. Too bad we can't like charter a plane and all go together on a group rate! Save all this fare watching!

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

JoeCathyAngelina and Brentalex- I'm not sure why Easter has such a big effect on the rest of the US's vacation? Do they always have their VK after Easter and ours moves around?

Easter Sunday is determined by an Algorithm.

To keep this as simple as posssible; most of the School systems in the country schedule their spring break on the week before Easter; Good Friday week or the week after Easter Sunday. So, The week before and the week after Easter Sunday are tied for the second busiest weeks of the year at WDW. Christmas week is is the busiest week of the year.

The New Engand states schedule their spring break during Patriots Day the 3rd Monday of April every year.

Easter has a 4 week span that "Moves Around" between the 4th Sunday in March to the 3rd Sunday in April.

Trust me you don't want to see the Algorithm that determines Easter Sunday.

This year Easter Sunday April, 16th happens to be the 3rd Sunday of April which coincides with April 17th the 3rd Monday in April. So, this year New England schools Spring break and Easter week are the same week. It's going to be a mess at WDW for New Englanders.

Next year, 2007 Easter Sunday/week is April 8th, the 2nd Sunday/week in April and Patronts day is April 16th, the 3rd Monday/week of April, so for us New Englanders, next year 2007, there will be a lot less traffic in the parks.

2008 Easter Sunday/week is March 23rd...and so it goes.
Good luck,
Joe

 

[pershing]

I never knew that! Wow!

That explains why prices for Disney Cruise are lower on April 16, 2007 than the week before. We are booked on that cruise and I was deciding which of the bookend days to book a Disney resort and which to book a non-disney downtown hotel. Guess I'll pick the weekend after the cruise as the prices may be lower.

Thanks again!