Do you......

[mh1973]

plan your DW trip around getting cheap airfare or do you plan your trip and then try to find cheap airfare for when you are going?

 

[Anjelica]

Plan my trip then get "cheap" airfare. For me, trying to plan around cheaper airfare is up there in my category of "would rather stick a hot poker in the eye"...

 

[clkelley]

Plan the trip first. Since we usually book the room before airfare is even released. It's much easier to find cheap airfare than it is to get a room at WDW.

 

[wee-haggis]

I tend to disagree with the previous 2 posters.

For sure,we always wait to find the best airfare (which can be the toughest thing to do) and the accomodation is typically a breeze (as is the car rental).
There is nothing worse than having a hotel booked then trying (or waiting) for good airfares to come out (which sometimes never comes ),whereas accomodation is plentiful.
JMHO

 

[Lewisc]

A "regular" vacation will be planned first. I may change my date by a day or two, at either end, to grab better airfare.

A great airfare sale might motivate me to make an extra trip, particularly if I have an AP.

 

[Michael623]

For me it's a mix. I usually plan one week of vacation in advance with DVC points some time between 7 and 11 months out. Then I look for cheap airfare/car rental. Since Ding has started I usually book a couple of long weekends airfare first and then scrounge for last minute DVC rooms or AP discount and hope for the best with the car rental. I have booked entire vacations 2 weeks out. I think I actually prefer to book last minute. It's less time to wait.

 

[Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo]

I always book the room I want first, then watch for flights.It is easier to cancel rooms and get refunded, then cancel flights and get refunded!

 

[grimley1968]

We are restricted to school schedules now, so we really have no choice now but to book the trip first, then try for the cheap flights. Fortunately for us, we can drive down in about 12 hours if no cheap flights are available, which is the case for this October's upcoming trip.

 

[cbrfan]

This year is the first time we've booked the air and then got the rooms later. We were able to snag $49 NS flights out of FNT and booked rooms at rack rate at POFQ. When the AP rates came out we couldn't get POFQ but got POR, which is fine by me. We did, however, miss out on the dining card promotion(no biggie) and we'll be there for some of Pop Warner . I guess we'll give it a try and see how it works out.

 

[beccasmom]

Both. I've planned impromptu trips when airfares are really low. Usually, this is pretty simple to do because most often airfares are down during "slow" seasons. And sometimes we have had to use our "bump" vouchers before they expired, so that can dictate our traveling plans.

I find it easier to do the planning first and airfare second in most instances. Just is more logical for me.

 

[goofy4tink]

Depends. If I'm staying on DVC points, I book my 'room' first, then look for the best fare. I don't head to WDW during those school vacations though...well, other than summer vacations. The airfare for Christmas, Feb, spring vacations are nasty.
I have been known to see a can't be beat airfare and buy it, then find a room.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We always book our vacations for the time of year we like to travel and plan our flights on the least busy days of the week as we fly stand-by. Occasionally we will have to add or delete a day from the itinerary depending on space-available seating. We avoid traveling on Saturdays and Sundays. We've never not been able to complete the cross country trek to MCO on a Monday or a Friday, so those are the days I will book the first day of a package.

 

[jamounger]

Both. This year I planned a Sept trip and then found a cheap airfare. I had to add 1 day at POP to get the cheapest fare and still saved over 100 dollars than if we left on our original check in day.
In August while putzing around on the net I came across really great fares for Dec. I booked a trip then around my airfare. I can add a few days to our Sept tickets to cover the Dec trip, we are staying at ASMo and not making big dining plans. Even with airfare we are spending less for 4 days than we spent for 2 days at Cedar Point this summer. Our hotel there was more a night than I am paying in 2 weeks for the Poly.

 

[TyGuy]

Usually I book the trip first because I do it far enough ahead that flights are not available. This year, since I am using frequent flyer miles and going in December I booked the flight first and then the room.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Trip first, then air. I may 'tweak' the days a bit if airfare does not fall into place for my selected days.

 

[robinb]

I plan my trip first and then adjust it for cheap airfare. For instance, we flew into MCO on the Wednesday before Christmas instead of a Friday/Saturday because we got a great Ding for $130 RT out of MDW.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Most of our trips are DVC so we almost "have" to book our room first then book airfare later. I haven't had problems finding good SWA fares--knock on wood!