Christmas-time flights?

[Dawn16]

Question for you Christmas visit vets, when do you typically book your flights? JetBlue (we'd go from Boston) just released theirs but Southwest (we'd go from Providence) won't for a couple months. Do you find the prices go up or down as time goes on? I'm usually one who will roll the dice for a lower fare but don't want to find out that's not how it pans out for holiday travel. I was hoping for fares in the $400s (12/21-1/1) but JB is in the mid-500's right now. Anyone with experience have advice?

 

[DVC Sue]

Question for you Christmas visit vets, when do you typically book your flights? JetBlue (we'd go from Boston) just released theirs but Southwest (we'd go from Providence) won't for a couple months. Do you find the prices go up or down as time goes on? I'm usually one who will roll the dice for a lower fare but don't want to find out that's not how it pans out for holiday travel. I was hoping for fares in the $400s (12/21-1/1) but JB is in the mid-500's right now. Anyone with experience have advice?

We've flown Southwest to Orlando several times over the Christmas holidays. We book first day but then keep watching in case they go down. Sometimes they do and we call to get credit.

The prices seem to fluctuate a lot. I know they're highest last minute, but until about 4-6 weeks out, keep an eye open in case they go down.

 

[nu2dvc]

Since Jetblue doesn't adjust fares if they go down after you purchase, I would only buy now if the fare was good. If it is, then jump on it and rest assured you got a good fare and you don't have to babysit it. If it goes down a little then at least you got a decent fare and didn't have to stress out wondering if it would go up while you watched.

I've had plenty of times where I bought airfare and then periodically checked the same flights just for the heck of it to see if they had gone down, and usually they had gone up.

I know there is some rule of thumb about not buying airfare until about 3 months out (supposedly that is when it is at it's best price and then it starts climbing), but I've had too much trouble waiting that long without stressing out that our flights aren't booked and if I was going to be able to afford 5 tickets when the time came.

We puchased our Thanksgiving airfare yesterday b/c Jetblue had reasonable fares and I just don't want to deal with monitoring it and stressing out about it on a constant basis b/w now and then.

Good luck though!

 

[nu2dvc]

Since Jetblue doesn't adjust fares if they go down after you purchase, I would only buy now if the fare was good. If it is, then jump on it and rest assured you got a good fare and you don't have to babysit it. If it goes down a little then at least you got a decent fare and didn't have to stress out wondering if it would go up while you watched.

I've had plenty of times where I bought airfare and then periodically checked the same flights just for the heck of it to see if they had gone down, and usually they had gone up.

I know there is some rule of thumb about not buying airfare until about 3 months out (supposedly that is when it is at it's best price and then it starts climbing), but I've had too much trouble waiting that long without stressing out that our flights aren't booked and if I was going to be able to afford 5 tickets when the time came.

We puchased our Thanksgiving airfare yesterday b/c Jetblue had reasonable fares and I just don't want to deal with monitoring it and stressing out about it on a constant basis b/w now and then.

Good luck though!

 

[dbs1228]

Thank you OP I have been waiting for fares to come out but a little scary already! Well I have our flights home booked MCO to Hartford CT 125.00 one way and I guess I will wait to see what SW has to offer for flights going down anywhere from 12/25 - 12/27. Jet blue was 370.00 one way so hopefully SW will be a bit cheaper, and we do have mileage for some tickets.

 

[Missyrose]

Since Jetblue doesn't adjust fares if they go down after you purchase, I would only buy now if the fare was good.

This isn't true. JetBlue WILL issue credits if the price drops after you've purchased. I've done it many times with them.

 

[Dawn16]

Thanks, everyone. I'm thinking I will wait for SW to release theirs and keep an eye JB in the mean time in case it drops. Just wanted to solicit opinions as we've not flown during the holiday season previously.

 

[bgraham34]

Just be careful with the waiting game right now. Oil prices are expected to be much higher in the coming months so airfare may skyrocket.