Booked our flights too soon ugh!

[jerseygirl81]

I booked our flights In April for our Aug trip the tickets were high and went up even more as I was watching them. The best fare I could find was at an airport farther away but it was a much better fare than I could find. I checked out of curiosity and the fares came down, at the airport closer to home the flight time going down is better and the off airport parking is less. I could kick myself. I know we will have a great trip so I just need to suck it up but it bugs me. Linda

 

[Lewisc]

You made a big mistake, once you book non-refundable air stop looking. Except Southwest which will let you completely change your flights and give you a full credit.

 

[Alexander]

Misery loves company! I booked our August flights back in April as well. I went with a price I could live with but we didn't get direct flights and have pretty long layovers. Now the direct flights have come down and are competitive with what we paid. Oh well! Nothing I can do about it now!

 

[dontthrowsand]

I'm guilty of checking long after we book. Bad habit. Fortunately we have been lucky but I would be kicking myself.

We booked for 600, the flight we booked is 643 and our original choice is 665.

 

[kalliyan1]

I booked our flights In April for our Aug trip the tickets were high and went up even more as I was watching them. The best fare I could find was at an airport farther away but it was a much better fare than I could find. I checked out of curiosity and the fares came down, at the airport closer to home the flight time going down is better and the off airport parking is less. I could kick myself. I know we will have a great trip so I just need to suck it up but it bugs me. Linda

Did the SAME thing...I booked same time for same time. It makes me soooooo mad. Oh well, at least we are going to DISNEY

 

[nacho113]

I have to agree with LewisC.
Once you take the plunge and book a non-refundable flight (or anything else non-refundable for that matter, car, hotel, wife's birthday present etc), don't let morbid curiosity lead you back for another look.
Just keep in mind that you got the best deal you could at the time and feel good about it.
I've done the same thing a couple of times in the past and indeed have found lower prices. Instead of beating myself up about it, I used it as a learning experience for future trips, in that I have an idea of what a really hot price can be. Then use this knowledge in the future to help me figure out some of the pricing ups and downs.

I wish airline pricing was more like car rental pricing.... keep rebooking when prices drop (never going to happen, but I can dream)

 

[bumbershoot]

I wish airline pricing was more like car rental pricing.... keep rebooking when prices drop (never going to happen, but I can dream)

While SW is unique because you can cancel and book a *different* flight, there are airlines that will give you credit for a price drop on your exact flight without a fee. Alaska Air, for instance, even has a lovely little page to get your credit automatically.

So no, you can't book a *different* flight with Alaska (specific example...I think Jet Blue does this too if you call), you should keep looking at *your* flight, in case it goes down, to get that credit.


But if you're with one of the biggies (or Virgin America), then no, don't look unless your fare is one of the refundable ones!

 

[Inkmahm]

While SW is unique because you can cancel and book a *different* flight, there are airlines that will give you credit for a price drop on your exact flight without a fee. Alaska Air, for instance, even has a lovely little page to get your credit automatically.

So no, you can't book a *different* flight with Alaska (specific example...I think Jet Blue does this too if you call), you should keep looking at *your* flight, in case it goes down, to get that credit.


But if you're with one of the biggies (or Virgin America), then no, don't look unless your fare is one of the refundable ones!

Airtran, too. Same as Alaska Air. But with Airtran, if they change your flight times by even a few minutes, there is a good chance they will let you change to different flights without a fee. I do this quite often to book the cheapest fare on a flight I can live with but then change to the flight I really want when the departure time changes on the original flight. The times have changed twice already for our October trip on Airtran. I haven't changed flights though because I booked what I wanted in the first place. I've also gotten a credit for a reduction in the fare for our flight home.

 

[seashoreCM]

IMHO New Jersey is within the range that you can wait for a fare sale instead of buying at their everyday low price.

With the ace up your sleeve being driving down if there is no fare sale.

Heck, I drove from New Hampshire. (It was a spur of the moment trip and I did not have time to wait for fare wars.)

Those airlines that used to give you a credit if you found that the fare had gone down, would do it only if the lower fare was available for, and and you kept, the "exact same" flight.

I won't name the stock I bought too soon and then it plunged, and the stock I sold too soon and then it shot up, other to say that neither was Facebook.

 

[Lewisc]

I wish airline pricing was more like car rental pricing.... keep rebooking when prices drop (never going to happen, but I can dream)

Airlines offer fully refundable fares. Make as many change as you want. Careful what you wish for. It's only a matter of time before rental agencies start charging cancellation fees, maybe first for mini-vans and SUVs.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I always continue to check, Airtran, after booking. I usually will catch several price drops, and subsequent credits, between booking date and departure date.

 

[KELLY]

I booked threw SW for this reason. We booked when the first came out non-stop flights. I paid 1076.00 for 4 of us. Those flights are at 1546.00 now.. At first I thought the 1076.00 was high since last year we paid 650.00. But I knew they would just go up sorry that wasn the case in your situation.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Check to see if your times change. I have been able to rebook with AirTran, AA and Delta because they changed the time. I was even able to change airports, etc, with no fee.

Some airlines will let you cancel since they changed something, others might let you change to a closer airport, or change to the n/s flight.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I booked our flights In April for our Aug trip the tickets were high and went up even more as I was watching them. The best fare I could find was at an airport farther away but it was a much better fare than I could find. I checked out of curiosity and the fares came down, at the airport closer to home the flight time going down is better and the off airport parking is less. I could kick myself. I know we will have a great trip so I just need to suck it up but it bugs me. Linda

It *is* maddening, isn't it? But console yourself with the fact that it could have gone the other way as well(our August flights were booked at $848 return for 3 ppl, and are now at $1930.....an increase of 230%). You just never know.

So now, no more checking.....don't beat yourself up about it, and just enjoy the next few months of planning for your vacation! Join us fellow August travellers over on the Theme Parks board:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2756412

We're a fun bunch and can help pass the time until your travel date.

 

[jakeybake]

I did the fare dance for quite a while. Our original week went from $1,200 to $1,600 and I never booked it. What I did was alter my days a bit and just got the 4 of us on direct flights from Boston on JetBlue. First flight out in the morning (6:30 am) and last flight home (8:55 pm) for $1,150. Luckily I could change the days on my Bounceback offer or I would of been in deep trouble.

Jay

 

[jerseygirl81]

Thanks for the advice, but I'm pretty much stuck with it I just felt like complaining. We are flying on delta out of laguardia it's a direct flight the airports closer to home that delta flys out of only have connecting flights so I wouldn't switch airports. And my flights haven't come down they did on United which I prefer to fly on out of Newark, which is closer to my house. I guess I should've waited maybe next time I will or maybe not. Linda

 

[aubriee]

I'm guilty of checking long after we book. Bad habit. Fortunately we have been lucky but I would be kicking myself.

We booked for 600, the flight we booked is 643 and our original choice is 665.

I too am guilty. I go to WDW several times a year, so am always checking fares for my next trip. While I'm checking for the next trip, I just can't helping checking flights I've aready purchased just to see what they're doing. I always feel so good if they have gone up, but lousy if they've gone down. It seems like just about every flight I book goes up and down.

Sometimes I round up with a really good deal and sometimes flights drop below what I paid, but I figure overall with the number of flights I take, that it all evens out. I've taken six flights from Dallas to Orlando this year on Air Tran, American, and Spirit and (in order of dates) have paid $168.00, $198.00, $158.00, $267.00, $187.00, and $148.00, and I currently have another flight booked for Sept that I got for $148.00 on Spirit. Since I've booked the Sept flight, prices have just stayed up around $267.00 on Spirit and around $300.00-$450.00 on the other carriers, so I'm pretty happy right now. I'm still looking for Oct/Nov and Jan flights though, so just can't seem to help checking those Sept dates every time I go online to check for Oct/Nov and Jan flights.

 

[dis_guy]

You know, we all want the best deals on airfare, FD, etc. But at the end of the day, to me, it's worth something to know that my flights are confirmed and I can get on planning the rest of my trip. I do pay what I think is a reasonable price for airfare but why angst over a small or even a larger increase after you buy? I think I'd rather pay a few (even a few hundred) bucks more to have that "airfare monkey" off my back. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Missyrose]

You know, we all want the best deals on airfare, FD, etc. But at the end of the day, to me, it's worth something to know that my flights are confirmed and I can get on planning the rest of my trip. I do pay what I think is a reasonable price for airfare but why angst over a small or even a larger increase after you buy? I think I'd rather pay a few (even a few hundred) bucks more to have that "airfare monkey" off my back. Just my 2 cents.

Well said! I was a little bummed that my January flights ended up being $60 more RT for each of us than our October flights. But at the end of the day, I have nonstop flights that get me to Disney World early in the morning and leaving Disney World later at night and I get to fly JetBlue, which I .

I have a Yapta price alert set to alert me if the price falls so I can get a credit. But I've learned to buy airline tickets when they reach the ballpark of what I'm looking for and I try not to look back.

 

[vacationclub]

There's lower risk in booking early. Usually fares go up, not down, as the cheaper seats sell out then they go to higher options. That's the general rule as any business traveler can tell you... the outrageous fares are in the last few days before the departure . Sometimes fares will go down due to sales or simple market fluctuation, but rest assured booking early on planes tix is the better way to go.

Maybe I missed it, but I'm wondering what airline the OP booked and if they would offer a credit due to the price going down. As others have indicated, some airlines do this, especially Airtran which is very forgiving if they change their schedule even a few minutes. I once received a credit from them, not once, but twice for two separate price drops from one flight. I kept checking, I received a credit...twice.