Booking Airfare for Dummies (Help me please!)

MrsMegan

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
14
I'm embarrased to say that I am 28 years old with a husband and 3 children and I've only ever flown once in my life! And that flight was booked by a family member so all I had to do was show up! So I'm asking for a crash course in Airfare LOL! And if anyone really loves this sort of thing then maybe you could guide me the right direction. :)

So here's the deal...
My family and I have our first WDW vacation planned for this March, over our kids spring breaks/Easter. I have been reading these boards and trying to understand how to go about booking the cheapest airfare. We would need to fly out of Chicago. I have been reading about SouthWest and all the posts about DING so I downloaded that onto my computer. I also see that they aren't listing fare's for the end of March until Nov. 8th.

So I have a few questions.....

First off when I put in "fake" dates for SW flights I see that there are a few different fare choices. For example, Special, Resticted, Advance, Discount, Internet. I see that the prices are different, but otherwise what is the difference?

Also, if I book a flight on Nov. 8th when the SW fare's are available and then in a few months there is a much better DING fare, then can I book the DING and get a refund?

How quickly do flights sell out? Should I chance just waiting on a DING fare? And is it even likely that there will be a DING fare for Chicago to Orlando?

And how does the fare pricing usually go? Is it likely that the fare's that SW lists on the 8th will be low or are they typically high fare's to start, then go lower, then back up as the date approaches?

One last thing, is SW the way to go? Or do I have other, cheaper, options? I've looked at other airlines, but so far all that I can find are prices from $370-$650 :eek:

I REALLY appreciate anyone that can help me out!

Thanks :)
 
I'm still sorting my way through it all myself, trying to book a good deal for the 5 of us from Long Island next August.

I keep hitting www.kayak.com and haven't really seen fares cheaper elsewhere. And last night someone told me to book on a Tues or Weds, since the fares seem to dip on those days.

Also, I am considering taking a EARLY flight out of Newark (kind of a hike from here), and staying overnight the night before in an airport motel. If I'm not mistaken, I'll still come out $300 ahead.
 
Be aware that, for the most part, most of the flights you will find for vacation weeks are going to be high. If all the airlines are high, you can count on SW being just a bit lower, but not much. The days of really cheap airfare are pretty much gone. The thing with Dings is that they go fast. And there are only so many seats available at that price. That's the rational behind the different pricing for SW, as with most airlines. Only so many seats available at each fare. So, if there are 10 seats available for that $89 fare, if you are the 11th person, you won't be able to book it.
It is scary to book your first airfare, but it's really easy. Look at the different airlines, decide on a fare you can live with. When you see a fare that meets your requirements, at a time you can live with, then book it. If you see a cheap fare with SW, but it has two stops and it gets you to WDW late at night, and you want to be there by noon, on a non-stop flight, then it isn't going to be worth it, no matter how cheap the fare is.
 
As you are going during one of the busiest times at WDW (and the Orlando airport) and you are inexperienced, I would concentrate on getting a good airfare instead of the best airfare. Ding airfares are pretty far and few between for times like Easter. In addition, you have to be at the right place at the right time (at your computer when the Ding comes out) to get it. A Ding may come and go and you won't even know it.

I would make sure that you know what day and at what time that Southwest opens their schedule and book then. You will do better than the other airlines you are looking at now.
 

I love Southwest and usually only book with them. If I were you, I would go ahead and book with them as soon as the fares come out on a flight that will work best for you and is a reasonable price. Then, if a ding fare becomes available (and that's a BIG 'IF') you can cancel your reservation, book the Ding fare, and have a credit on the unused portion. AS far as the different fares, you may want to read the fine print about each fare, but I always book the cheapest fare.
 
When you see a fare that meets your requirements, at a time you can live with, then book it. If you see a cheap fare with SW, but it has two stops and it gets you to WDW late at night, and you want to be there by noon, on a non-stop flight, then it isn't going to be worth it, no matter how cheap the fare is.
:thumbsup2

Agreed!

I could have saved about $500 ( :faint: ) if I'd chosen to wait for a Ding from Seattle to MCO. But we're traveling in December and it was really important to me to stay away from connecting airports - direct flights are too expensive from Seattle - that have historical problems with winter weather delays. Also, we really wanted to get in to Orlando early and leave as late as possible on our departure day, so all things considered, I got the best deal I could. I'm happy with it. :) It isn't always all about price, and we scrimp and save all year for vacation.

Since you are new to the airfare game, you might want to take a look at farecompare.com Go to the "Airfare" tab at the top left corner, put in your home airport and MCO and click search. You'll come up with a grid, but further down the page is a historical graph of airfare prices. It might be helpful for you.

Good Luck! :flower3:
 
Special, Resticted, Advance, Discount, Internet. I see that the prices are different, but otherwise what is the difference? )
Different rules apply to different fare classes, for example some require staying at the destination over a Saturday night and some require that you buy the ticket 14 or more days in advance, and some can be booked on line but not over the phone, and some are only offered when other airlines are running advertised specials..

The start of all this is that, when you propose some dates, not all of the fare classes are selectable. The result of all this is that, if you select a fare class, fill in your travel dates and click Continue, sometimes you will get an error saying that the process cannot continue. If you are lucky you will be told the exact reason why.

As far as finding low fares goes, the answer is: look for newspaper ads, and shop around. Just as you do when looking for a sale on a pair of shoes or on hamburger meat, or for a new mattress.

Nowadays many airlines (unlike large electronics stores) do not offer price protection, and none offer price protection regarding competitors' fares.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm
 
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