Best time to buy airfare

[Native NYer]

I've noticed airfare fluctuates a lot throughout the week. When should you buy to get the best deals? Weekday? Weekend?

 

[dburg30]

It will depend more on sales then timing IMO. I say to buy it, when the price is something you were happy with. If you try to wait for a 'cheaper' fare, you could get stuck. If there are fares out there in the range of what you are wanting to pay, I say buy them.

 

[Native NYer]

It will depend more on sales then timing IMO. I say to buy it, when the price is something you were happy with. If you try to wait for a 'cheaper' fare, you could get stuck. If there are fares out there in the range of what you are wanting to pay, I say buy them.

I was hoping to fly JetBlue, but the airfare from NYC-MCO is way high. American and Delta are so much cheaper. I thought JetBlue was supposed to be a discount airline.

 

[dburg30]

In that case, it may be worth it to just wait it out a bit. Just keep checking. Sadly, unless we are in the business, it's really a crap shoot to us
Hope you get some lower fares!
Also, when are you going? If it's the one in your signature, that would be mid to late august?

 

[Native NYer]

In that case, it may be worth it to just wait it out a bit. Just keep checking. Sadly, unless we are in the business, it's really a crap shoot to us
Hope you get some lower fares!
Also, when are you going? If it's the one in your signature, that would be mid to late august?

I'm hoping that it drops after the holidays.

Yes, we're going in August (8/22-9/1). And since I need 5 tickets, I'm definitely trying to get the best deal.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I've found the cheapest fares to come out around 3 - 3 1/2 months before the flight date and that Tuesday or Wednesday are the cheapest days to buy. I've seen prices jack up a lot ($50 pp or so) on Friday for the same flight - apparently a lot of people plan their vacations on the weekend!

 

[Native NYer]

I've found the cheapest fares to come out around 3 - 3 1/2 months before the flight date and that Tuesday or Wednesday are the cheapest days to buy. I've seen prices jack up a lot ($50 pp or so) on Friday for the same flight - apparently a lot of people plan their vacations on the weekend!

Thanks! I'm going to try to wait to book. I want to use RAC, so considering booking American for the flight home, but SW for the flight to MCO.

 

[francie57]

Native NYer - have you priced JetBlue out of White Plains. They are much cheaper for us than flying Delta out of Hartford. I know the Delta fares out othe LGA and JFK are really low but the return non-stop times stink for us. We like a return flight around 5:30 so we can enjoy most of the day at a park. Hopefully the Delta fares will come down for Hartford or we may be trying JetBlue out of White Plains.

 

[dburg30]

Thanks! I'm going to try to wait to book. I want to use RAC, so considering booking American for the flight home, but SW for the flight to MCO.

It's too far out, and we never know what they are really planning, but hopefully SW will be full RAC by then, but I of course wouldnt plan on that and then get disappointed if they werent, although if the price was right, I'd think about schlepping my bags back to MCO

 

[PrincessKsMom]

How about Continental out of Newark?

 

[wdhinn89]

Thanks! I'm going to try to wait to book. I want to use RAC, so considering booking American for the flight home, but SW for the flight to MCO.

We are in the same boat.

The flight home on JB is only $89 (so is yours) so I plan on booking our return trip with them so we could use RAC. Southwest's fares come out on Dec 16 so depending on their fares we may book there with them to MCO.

I don't understand why the flights to MCO are double the price of the return flight

 

[Native NYer]

Native NYer - have you priced JetBlue out of White Plains. They are much cheaper for us than flying Delta out of Hartford. I know the Delta fares out othe LGA and JFK are really low but the return non-stop times stink for us. We like a return flight around 5:30 so we can enjoy most of the day at a park. Hopefully the Delta fares will come down for Hartford or we may be trying JetBlue out of White Plains.

After reading your post, I priced JetBlue out of White Plains. MUCH cheaper, particularly on the return trip. That may be an option. Thanks!

It's too far out, and we never know what they are really planning, but hopefully SW will be full RAC by then, but I of course wouldnt plan on that and then get disappointed if they werent, although if the price was right, I'd think about schlepping my bags back to MCO

I hope SW is full RAC soon. That would be perfect!

How about Continental out of Newark?

Continental from Newark is a little cheaper, just not sure I want to drive and park my car at the airport. We usually just take car service to JFK or LaGuardia. But parking the car at Newark might be cheaper than the airfare from JFK.

We are in the same boat.

The flight home on JB is only $89 (so is yours) so I plan on booking our return trip with them so we could use RAC. Southwest's fares come out on Dec 16 so depending on their fares we may book there with them to MCO.

I don't understand why the flights to MCO are double the price of the return flight

Would you fly SW from LaGuardia or Islip? SW flies nonstop from Islip to MCO. If you leave from LaGuardia, you connect in Baltimore. I'm thinking I'm going to price Islip to MCO.

SW is suppose to release airfare on the 16th, but it won't cover my dates. I think the website says they'll release fares up to August 13th or somewhere around there. We leave on August 22nd. I wonder when the rest of August is scheduled to be released.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I don't understand why the flights to MCO are double the price of the return flight

Because they know that we'll pay more to go TO the mouse. Who wants to go back home? Cheaper airfare for the return flight is merely an incentive to go back to where we came from. We may just decide to stay down there if we had to pay more to go home.

 

[wdhinn89]

Would you fly SW from LaGuardia or Islip? SW flies nonstop from Islip to MCO. If you leave from LaGuardia, you connect in Baltimore. I'm thinking I'm going to price Islip to MCO.

SW is suppose to release airfare on the 16th, but it won't cover my dates. I think the website says they'll release fares up to August 13th or somewhere around there. We leave on August 22nd. I wonder when the rest of August is scheduled to be released.

I live on Long Island so we would take SW out of Islip. We take a non-stop flight and MacArthur Airport is a great little airport too. We prefer JB though because of the TV's, but if the difference is alot, we use SW. Right now we have a $640 credit with JB from our California flights last year so we are trying to use up the credit before it expires with a quick trip to Disney so I really hope the flights to MCO get cheaper on JB.

Because they know that we'll pay more to go TO the mouse. Who wants to go back home? Cheaper airfare for the return flight is merely an incentive to go back to where we came from. We may just decide to stay down there if we had to pay more to go home.

I'm sure you are exactly right on that!

 

[Native NYer]

Because they know that we'll pay more to go TO the mouse. Who wants to go back home? Cheaper airfare for the return flight is merely an incentive to go back to where we came from. We may just decide to stay down there if we had to pay more to go home.

I agree!

I live on Long Island so we would take SW out of Islip. We take a non-stop flight and MacArthur Airport is a great little airport too. We prefer JB though because of the TV's, but if the difference is alot, we use SW. Right now we have a $640 credit with JB from our California flights last year so we are trying to use up the credit before it expires with a quick trip to Disney so I really hope the flights to MCO get cheaper on JB.

I've used MacArthur once. And since I prefer nonstop flights, I'll go to MacArthur if I book SW. Right now, looks like I'll book SW for the flight to MCO (as long as the fares are cheap for August 22nd) and use an airline that participates in RAC for the flight home.