Delta airlines

[dennise]

Does Delta ever have seat sales? How far out would they be? I am looking for September fares.

 

[taylor3297]

Does Delta ever have seat sales? How far out would they be? I am looking for September fares.

Usually the earlier you book with Delta the better the price. For my trip to Birmingham I purchased in April for my July trip and for my trip to Orlando in September purchased in April also. Delta beat Southwest both times. Birmingham trip was $75 cheaper and Orlando was $100 cheaper and both of these prices were after figuring in the cost to check a bag each way.

 

[dennise]

taylor3297 - Is the first bag with Delta free?

 

[mrspopeye]

You can also sign up on some sites that will watch fares for you- I got a $96 RT from Nashville to Orlando in August for October because I got an email alerting me. The sale was only up for a few hours. My favs are airfarewatchdog and farecompare. You can also have the 1st bag fly free on Delta if you are a Skymiles AMEX cardholder, in addition to a bag for everyone in your party, up to 8-9 people I think.

 

[francie57]

Agree with the earlier the better. We just got back and we booked that airfare last Sept and got $179 (all fees/taxes) round trip. I will start looking for our next Aug. trip as soon as the 330 day mark comes. SW and JetBlue never came close to this. There is a $25 charge for the first bag. Even with that the other two airlines couldn't beat Delta.

 

[Talkingwoody]

The only caution booking very early is flight and flight time changes. We booked early with Delta and our flight times have been changed 4 times since we booked. I realize this can happen on any airline but just be aware and be flexible regarding possible changes. If your flight does change, you will have to find seats once again.

 

[SmilingGrump]

taylor3297 - Is the first bag with Delta free?

I've seen this so often! You save $20 on the ticket only to realize the first bag you check costs you $30, the second bag $50. I argued with my MIL about it on a trip she was planning, but she had to experience it herself before she'd believe me. Now, whenever she does flights within the US she goes with SWA and anytime she travels within Canada or Canada-US she uses Westjet (Canadian airline where 1st bag is free).

 

[sam_gordon]

Two notes regarding Delta...

Bag fees
If you want the 'first bag free' for you and 8 members of your party, sign up for the Delta American Express card. There is no annual fee for the first year. If you are a Delta Skymiles member, signing up for the card can get you 20,000 bonus miles. Simply get the card, associate it with your account and presto, first bag free. Just cancel the card before the year is up.

Flight changes
As mentioned, the earlier you book the flight, the more of a chance of Delta making changes. But, that can work for you. We booked for our trip this year ~320 days out. $144 RT! The price NEVER got close to that. I originally booked a flight leaving home at 6pm, arriving in Orlando at 10pm (because it was cheaper than the flights earlier that day). Of course, Delta changed the flights, so I picked out another flight (leave @ 2pm, arrive at 7pm) and got moved to it with no problem. The downside is Delta doesn't contact you with the changes. You need to keep checking the reservation.