Booking a flight

[cjparker0110]

I haven't flown in several years and have never flown with a family. We will be traveling with 2 adults and 5 kids and I was just wondering what the best way to go about booking a flight is these days? Should we use something like travelocity (which caps your party at 6) or should we go through a travel agent? Or should we just go with the airline websites? Are there still certain days that are less expensive for flying? Also, how far out do you tend to get the best prices? Thanks in advance.

 

[Marionnette]

I haven't flown in several years and have never flown with a family. We will be traveling with 2 adults and 5 kids and I was just wondering what the best way to go about booking a flight is these days? Should we use something like travelocity (which caps your party at 6) or should we go through a travel agent? Or should we just go with the airline websites? Are there still certain days that are less expensive for flying? Also, how far out do you tend to get the best prices? Thanks in advance.

TA's tend to charge for booking airfare. I would only use one for airfare if I were booking a travel package with them to an international destination.

Travelocity (and other travel portals) really doesn't have better deals on flights. They just make it easier to see all of the available flights and fares for numerous airlines. I use them for research but I book directly with the airlines. Kayak has a fare predictor that will tell you whether a price is likely to rise or fall. It tends to be pretty accurate but it's not infallible.

Travel to resort locations tends to be less expensive on Tues-Wed-Thurs since most people begin their vacations Fri-Sat-Sun. Mondays and Fridays are huge travel days for business travelers. Fares tend to be higher on those days. Off-peak hours (very early morning and late night) tend to have lower fares.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Great advice. Also, when you enter search info, start with only 1 passenger, not 7.
Often the lowest fare for a particular flight may only have 3 seats left at that price. If you enter 7, it bumps all 7 of you to the higher fare. There's no harm in having 2 reservations with 1 adult on each. It could save you hundreds.
I'd highly recommend non-stop flights if possible.

 

[cjparker0110]

Thanks guys. I'm definitely going for non-stop as 4 of the kids will be 6 and under! I don't even want to think about layovers with that many little ones. The other will be a 16 year old so at least she can be helpful. Haha. We are planning early flights. I prefer them...less chaotic.

 

[kathy884]

I don't know where you live and what airlines fly out of the airport nearest to you. Note that Southwest, one of the largest if not the largest carrier for domestic flights isn't on the standard search engines. So if they are an option for you I would look at their prices on Southwest.com. They don't charge for checked bags like most other airlines do, and if you have to change your flight, they do not charge those huge penalties other airlines do. With that all other things being equal they are my airline of choice. I usually check Expedia.com and Southwest.com when it's domestic travel.

 

[sunflare]

Hipmunk is my flight search engine of choice right now, though Google Flights are a close second because they link directly into Matrix. I'll then compare what I get there to a comparable SW flight, but usually they're not cheaper (or don't fly where I want - and I'm in Phoenix, one of their biggest markets).

 

[zoo2tycoon]

If it is important for you to sit with your kids, factor seat cost into ticket prices. If you choose not to hoping airline will seat you together remember there is no law saying an airline has to swat parents and children together. If people choose not to purchase seat, they can't expect others who did pay for assigned seat to move for them.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I just go direct to the airlines website. I check the airport website to see who flies out of their airport and go from there. Since you want direct flights that narrows things down considerably too.

I always check Delta and SW Flights first.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I don't know where you live and what airlines fly out of the airport nearest to you. Note that Southwest, one of the largest if not the largest carrier for domestic flights isn't on the standard search engines. So if they are an option for you I would look at their prices on Southwest.com. They don't charge for checked bags like most other airlines do, and if you have to change your flight, they do not charge those huge penalties other airlines do. With that all other things being equal they are my airline of choice. I usually check Expedia.com and Southwest.com when it's domestic travel.

Southwest does charge for checked bags. While you get two bags checked for free per ticket if they meet the size and weight requirements, there is a $75.00 charge for overweight/oversized bags. There is also a $75.00 fee for any bag checked after the two free bags.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Southwest does charge for checked bags. While you get two bags checked for free per ticket if they meet the size and weight requirements, there is a $75.00 charge for overweight/oversized bags. There is also a $75.00 fee for any bag checked after the two free bags.

Well if we're going to get THIS Technical then it's probably worth pointing out that other airlines charge EVEN MORE fees if your bag is oversize or overweight.

Delta and American charges: Overweight $100-$200 per bag depending on weight; Oversize $200

These are in addition to the Regular per Bag Fees so it is WAY MORE to take an overweight or oversized bag on other airlines. Southwest wins again.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I just go direct to the airlines website. I check the airport website to see who flies out of their airport and go from there. Since you want direct flights that narrows things down considerably too.

I always check Delta and SW Flights first.

Just to clarify for all readers, in airline lingo, the terms non-stop and direct flights are not interchangeable. Direct flights can stop but you don't change planes. Usually some passengers exit as their destination and some new ones get on the plane. As far as delays due to weather, having a direct flight with stops still has a chance of being stuck for a while in some other city. We stopped in Nashville once that supposed to be 30 mins but turned into 1 hour + due to waiting so long for a fuel truck. Our kids are teens so it was a minor inconvenience but when they were very young I wouldn't have chosen that flight. It happened to work well with their school schedule.
If you don't want to land in another city before getting to MCO, look for a non-stop flight.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Well if we're going to get THIS Technical then it's probably worth pointing out that other airlines charge EVEN MORE fees if your bag is oversize or overweight.

Delta and American charges: Overweight $100-$200 per bag depending on weight; Oversize $200

These are in addition to the Regular per Bag Fees so it is WAY MORE to take an overweight or oversized bag on other airlines. Southwest wins again.

Not sure why stating Southwest's baggage policy is so upsetting to you.

Southwest is not my airline of choice, as at least 70% of my travel is international. I prefer United (yes, their customer service needs improving); due to my FF status, I can check three bags, 70 pounds each, for free.

You can get free checked bags on many airlines, as well as other benefits, by getting an airline branded credit card.

 

[mrsheppo]

Southwest does charge for checked bags. While you get two bags checked for free per ticket if they meet the size and weight requirements, there is a $75.00 charge for overweight/oversized bags. There is also a $75.00 fee for any bag checked after the two free bags.

If she does fly SW with 7 people, she will be able to have a total of 14 checked bags.

 

[cjparker0110]

I don't know where you live and what airlines fly out of the airport nearest to you. Note that Southwest, one of the largest if not the largest carrier for domestic flights isn't on the standard search engines. So if they are an option for you I would look at their prices on Southwest.com. They don't charge for checked bags like most other airlines do, and if you have to change your flight, they do not charge those huge penalties other airlines do. With that all other things being equal they are my airline of choice. I usually check Expedia.com and Southwest.com when it's domestic travel.

I looked into Southwest and they are actually more expensive for their cheapest flight than Delta for most of their flights. I was surprised by that because I have usually seen that they have better prices.

If she does fly SW with 7 people, she will be able to have a total of 14 checked bags.

If HE flies with 7 people....


That said, I have two more questions:

1. Do the other airlines still allow for one free checked bag or have they started charging for all of them? (This could obviously make a difference for us)

2. Because of the ages of my children, we will need to be sitting by them. How do you go about choosing your seats on the plane? Is that an extra charge? Can you do it when you book your flight? I think the last time I flew you could do it online the day before your flight but I didn't care because I was flying by myself.

 

[scrapquitler]

I looked into Southwest and they are actually more expensive for their cheapest flight than Delta for most of their flights. I was surprised by that because I have usually seen that they have better prices.



If HE flies with 7 people....


That said, I have two more questions:

1. Do the other airlines still allow for one free checked bag or have they started charging for all of them? (This could obviously make a difference for us)

2. Because of the ages of my children, we will need to be sitting by them. How do you go about choosing your seats on the plane? Is that an extra charge? Can you do it when you book your flight? I think the last time I flew you could do it online the day before your flight but I didn't care because I was flying by myself.

keep in mind that on Southwest, you aren't going to be paying for your bags to travel, so consider that when comparing the prices. Most airlines charge for each bag, and you pay that fee both directions....so a $25 checked bag actually costs $50 because you want it to come home with you after vacation.

Many airlines charge extra for certain seats (aisles, bulkhead, etc) and for chosing your seat ahead of time, so you have to factor that into the cost difference as well.

One Southwest, they don't do assigned seating. You get a numbered boarding pass and board in order A1-60, then B1-60, etc. USUALLY (But not always) they allowe passengers with children under the age of 4 to board after the A group, but on flights that are full of families (like flights to Orlando) sometimes they dont' do family boarding.

 

[sharona]

I use kayak.com to search for flights then check Southwest and compare. Make sure you figure in the cost of checked bags if you plan to check any, just about every airline except SW charges for checked bags. You normally get 2 carry-on bags for free (one for the overhead and a small personal bag that will fit under your seat). With 7 people that's a lot of carry-on allotments especially since little clothes take up so little space. If you can do just carry-on then great but you'll have to schlep everything through the airport plus wrangle the kids... Those pay for use luggage carts can be a life saver or have a porter do it for you for tips.

As far as pricing goes, there are no absolutes when it comes to airfare but...

It is generally cheaper to travel on a Tuesday or a Saturday.

I tend to find the lowest prices when booking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, never check prices on the weekends or on holidays!

For Southwest I automatically figure in the $12.50 per flight cost of the Early Bird check in that gets you onto the plane sooner with better seating options (front of plane, together, aisle or window choice...) If prices drop you can get a credit to be used within a year but keep in mind that the credit must be used by the person whose name is on the original ticket, not the person paying for the ticket so you could end up with credits in your kids names. Also it must be used one year from booking date not travel date.

For other airlines check the baggage policy before you buy. Some of the bargain airlines like Spirit have a ton of add on charges for checked AND carry-on luggage that can really add up.

The early arrival non-stop flights that most people want tend to be the priciest - to get around that we sometimes fly in late the night before and stay at an airport hotel, starting our vacation already at our destination city the next day. We've saved a ton doing this but it's easier to manage it when the kids are older due to both the late flight times and the hassle of staying somewhere for just the one night.

I avoid booking flights through Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz etc due to the terrible customer service. A simple google of reviews of any of these sites will explain it all. Book directly with the airline so that you have control of your itinerary and you are the primary contact should there be any flight changes or delays.

Great tip stated above about looking for 1 seat first to get the lowest prices. To add to that, if you book 3 seats then the price goes up, sometimes if you wait 24 hours the lower price may become available again as the airline refills that fare bucket. I believe I read somewhere that most airlines have only 7 seats at a time in those low fare buckets. Unfortunately, there's really no way to predict it so if you wait you're taking a chance that prices will go back down and not up.



My #1 rule of buying airfare - as soon as I see a price I like, I buy it!!!!

 

[cjparker0110]

Thank you all for your advice. I'll definitely be checking into bag check practices and prices. I am a LONG ways off from going, but I've just been trying to estimate prices for saving/budgeting. I haven't looked into added costs, but I see Sun Country has really good prices for tickets. Do any of you have experience flying with them??