Columbus is $150 cheaper--should we do it NOW or wait?

[Rock'n Robin]

I've been searching fares for a month for our June/July trip. The cheapest from Toledo on Delta has been $386! We have never paid more than $200. Other airlines are not under $250. For 5 of us that is a big difference. Cleveland and Detroit are a little more, but Columbus is running right around $200 on America West! Should we book a room in Columbus and leave from there, or keep waiting on Toledo fares? We have 5 months left.
Robin M.

 

[apagano]

Five months is PLENTY of time. Dont do any hasty "panic booking" or you will regret it. I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago when I booked a cheap flight with connections several months in advance only to find that non-stops went down in price a couple of weeks later.

You should continue to monitor fares every day for a few more weeks before pulling the trigger.

 

[n2mm]

Since you are not going during a holiday season, I would hold tight IMHO. I've yet to buy our tickets for our early May trip. Though I've tried. Last week Delta was $166 rt and I tried for 4 days to buy tickets, but their web site was so messed up, I could never buy them. Prices are EXTREMELY high at this moment in my area, so I know there has to be a sale around the corner. As for booking a room, you'll have to do the math. I'm hoping that there are some good fares by President's Day weekend, but you sound like you might not make it that far. I have tickets to get for us in May (the 3rd) and tickets for our July trip too. Just watch these boards because if a sale happens, you usually hear it here first. Good Luck. We fly out of Dulles, Va.

 

[ncligs]

I would wait also.Why drive 2 1/2 hrs to Columbus, and pay for hotel also, if you don't have to. Just keep checking the net every day.If you haven't already, sign up for Travelocity's e-mail alerts from 3-4 airports.

 

[bobcat]

If it comes down too it you can always fly out of Columbus. The rates from here stay around $200, but I've flown on Delta for as low as $150. There are Delta express flights from Columbus that are great.

I hate booking flights! I am always afraid that I won't get the best deal.

 

[LISALISA36]

from dayton ,,they are running around 179.00 for may.

from day to atl then to mco.

 

[erikthewise]

We took America West out of Columbus last month, and I recommend it highly! Nonstop and with excellent flight times both directions. But we are in east Dayton suburbs and it's only 75 minutes away for us.

Don't book it now unless you're SURE you want that flight at that price. The current price ($178+extras = $196) is the "rack rate" price for this flight and there is plenty of time to wait for specials. We got it for $146 when America West matched a Southwest special, saving $200 for the four of us.

 

[pstepka]

At travelocity.com you can set an alert to be emailed to you when a fare goes below an amount you specify. A friend has used it and was able to get airfare from Cleveland to Orlando for 99.00 round trip!

Pam

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I'd just like to thank LisaLisa for the idea--we have family in Dayton we could stay with and it is the cheapest yet, $189 each and the times are good! I am going to wait a week or so but if Toledo doesn't drop (still $386 each!) we'll book Dayton.
Robin M.

 

[LISALISA36]

Rock'n Robin,
YOU ARE SO VERY WELCOME!
THEY HAVE WENT UP A LITTLE BIT THEN,,,THEY WERE 170.00 LAST WEEK. SO MAYBE THEY WILL GO BACK DOWN,I WISH, I WOULD OF WAITED,I BOUGHT MINE MONTHS AGO FOR 201.00....
I HOPE IT ALL WORKS OUT FOR YOU....
HAVE AN AWSOME TRIP!
LISA

 

[ttfn3]

I have a suggestion to make. If you are able to fly out of Columbus and willing to fly into Tampa, Southwest usually offers some incredible deals from CMH into TPA. We have flown them several times and gotten their internet fare deals - most recently (Nov 2002) for $116 per person round trip. We also like the flight times into/out of Tampa (usually can get an early morning flight down, then a late night flight back). Southwest has not released their schedule for your timeframe. - just another option that I thought I'd mention.

 

[scootersmom]

If you end up flying out of Columbus and staying over night in a hotel, you may want to check with the hotels right at the airport. I know the Concourse, Comfort Suites and the Cross Country Inn let you park free for 5 days for each night you stay with them and there is a shuttle to the terminal.

 

[erikthewise]

So do the Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn. In fact we stayed at the Hampton Inn and parked there for 9 days -- they never billed us for the additional 4 days, making it an unbeatable deal. We paid $80 (internet special rate), saved $45 on parking, and got a free breakfast!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

The only update is that the Toledo fare has dropped--but is still $299 a person! So by flying out of Dayton ($189) we would save $550!! I'm going to wait until the end of next week and see what happens, but will probably go ahead at that point. It will be fun to stay with our favorite cousin in Dayton the night before we leave, and she can park the car in her driveway.
Robin M.

 

[scootersmom]

erikthewise-- Thanks for the additional info on this. I had a hunch the other hotels offered the same parking deal, but trying to verify it on their websites, it wasn't advertised as the others were... or I didn't see it.

We've only done this once when the flights were so much less that it paid to get the room, etc., but it was pretty convenient. Plus, it seemed like we got an early start on vacation leaving the house the night before our flight.