Finding the best flight strategies?!

[kkayluvsdis]

Hi All,
Just wondering if any of you have advice/strategies for finding the cheapest flights? When do you typically book them? Do you plan your Dis trip based around the best priced flight? We have always lived pretty far from any major airport, but now we are in the Boston area so I feel like we need to be a bit more diligent about watching for good flights. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
-Kelly

 

[Mousemommy1]

I can only speak for Southwest as that is all we fly, but their rates are always best when they are first published. For example, we are going to Disney in July 2012 and our travel dates will be on sale on Nov 14th...you can bet I will be on that computer first thing in the morning on the 14th to snag the best rate...I have seen it where I buy airfare first thing at $XXX and then check back later in the day and it's $800 more!!! We are in the "greater Boston" area too - Southern NH, and I would suggest you think about flying out of Manchester Airport if you can, cheaper, more convenient and way nicer than Logan, IMHO.

 

[mickeynut1]

We fly Southwest out of Chicago and I always price flights the day they are released and then keep checking daily for them to go down. I have often found the opposite of what the pp finds. For me, prices are always higher on that first day and then they gradually come down after they've been out for awhile. We are going to Disney 12/19-12/23 and the first day those dates were released, prices were $139 and up for both our departure and return. Since then, they have dropped as low as $102 ($76 for one non stop flight). We were originally going to come home Christmas Eve, but we had to change plans; otherwise, I could have snagged an evening flight home for $89 that night, when flights were up in the $150 range when prices were released. For getting the best price, I just keep checking daily as prices change so often that you have to be on there at just the right time to snag the best price.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We fly Southwest out of Chicago and I always price flights the day they are released and then keep checking daily for them to go down. I have often found the opposite of what the pp finds. For me, prices are always higher on that first day and then they gradually come down after they've been out for awhile. We are going to Disney 12/19-12/23 and the first day those dates were released, prices were $139 and up for both our departure and return. Since then, they have dropped as low as $102 ($76 for one non stop flight). We were originally going to come home Christmas Eve, but we had to change plans; otherwise, I could have snagged an evening flight home for $89 that night, when flights were up in the $150 range when prices were released. For getting the best price, I just keep checking daily as prices change so often that you have to be on there at just the right time to snag the best price.

Wow that is so weird!! I am form MA and always have to buy as soon as they come out or the prices go up. I wonder why that only happens in northeast?? I always hear on the boards how people are waiting for their flights to go down and could never understand that.
And like pp poster said look at smaller area airports. We usually fly out of Providence but the flights were so much cheaper out of Hartford this time for us so worth the 2 hr. drive!
OP- when are you planning on flying?

 

[Mousemommy1]

Wow that is so weird!! I am form MA and always have to buy as soon as they come out or the prices go up. I wonder why that only happens in northeast?? I always hear on the boards how people are waiting for their flights to go down and could never understand that.
And like pp poster said look at smaller area airports. We usually fly out of Providence but the flights were so much cheaper out of Hartford this time for us so worth the 2 hr. drive!
OP- when are you planning on flying?

Southwest is hosing New England!!! I know, I've seen where people are waiting for fares to go down and I'm like WHAT??? Buy the tickets!!!!

 

[mickeynut1]

Wow that is so weird!! I am form MA and always have to buy as soon as they come out or the prices go up. I wonder why that only happens in northeast?? I always hear on the boards how people are waiting for their flights to go down and could never understand that.
And like pp poster said look at smaller area airports. We usually fly out of Providence but the flights were so much cheaper out of Hartford this time for us so worth the 2 hr. drive!
OP- when are you planning on flying?

I have read many times that people will buy on the first day flights are released and then their flights only go up from there. It is very weird that I experience the opposite.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Southwest is hosing New England!!! I know, I've seen where people are waiting for fares to go down and I'm like WHAT??? Buy the tickets!!!!

Me too!!! lol

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I have read many times that people will buy on the first day flights are released and then their flights only go up from there. It is very weird that I experience the opposite.

Very weird!!!

 

[mickeynut1]

Southwest is hosing New England!!! I know, I've seen where people are waiting for fares to go down and I'm like WHAT??? Buy the tickets!!!!

Very weird!!!

I'd kind of rather fares be the lowest on the day they're released, then it would save me from insanity trying to decide whether or not to buy at a particular price.....there's always that "wonder if they'll go down again" thinking .

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I'd kind of rather fares be the lowest on the day they're released, then it would save me from insanity trying to decide whether or not to buy at a particular price.....there's always that "wonder if they'll go down again" thinking .

After reading your post about waiting and wondering what to do I thought I guess I was better off too. But I have never seen fares as low as you posted though. It would probably drive me crazy having to check constantly.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

You might want to try:
http://www.yapta.com/
They will track the price for you and you will get a refund if the price goes down.
I've never used this site however, as I usually fly SWA or Jet Blue, but it was featured on our local news broadcast this morning.

 

[mickeynut1]

After reading your post about waiting and wondering what to do I thought I guess I was better off too. But I have never seen fares as low as you posted though. It would probably drive me crazy having to check constantly.

I have to admit we do pretty well flying Southwest out of Chicago. This past December we went to Disney 12/15-12/21 and I managed to get $99 each way and then ended up with an $80 credit (there are 4 of us) after our departing flight dropped to $79. It's just very nerve racking to not know when/if they will go lower or shoot way up .

 

[goofybabe]

Try Jet Blue we are going out of Boston on January 8 thru 16th got the way down for 105 the way back 114 not bad for todays economy ..Best thing is they are direct flights with great times ! I'd check them several times each day as they randomly change them .

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Not sure where you are in terms of the Boston area...we are in Northern MA. and always fly out of Manchester NH for several reasons.
1. Getting in and out of Manchester is a million times easier.
2. Southwest has direct flights to Orlando and the prices seem to be the best.
3. Overnight parking is half the price vs. Logan.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Not sure where you are in terms of the Boston area...we are in Northern MA. and always fly out of Manchester NH for several reasons.
1. Getting in and out of Manchester is a million times easier.
2. Southwest has direct flights to Orlando and the prices seem to be the best.
3. Overnight parking is half the price vs. Logan.

This.

 

[THERESA522]

Travel experts say that Tuesday mornings (b4 8:00 am) are the usually the lowest price times, while weekends and Mondays are the worst. This has worked for me in the past, when I've been watching specific flight prices. Also, some have mentioned that depending on the airline, some will lower your price after you book if that specific flight comes down in price. I've heard that specifically for JetBlue, but YOU have to be the one to call for the adjustment.

I usually get the best prices on JetBlue, non-stop, from Newark. I do plan dates to leave for Disney around the best flight price on JetBlue. I love that JetBlue has DirectTV on all flights - it makes the kids happy! And their prices are usually the best when first released.

 

[wyonative78]

I like to use Kayak to set up price alerts for the dates I am flying. I set it up so I get an email every day with the current price. Kayak is also great if your dates are flexible - you can put in a date range and then view a table on their site to see when the cheapest days are.

Bing will actually let you see a price predictor for certain flights - they try to predict whether the flight prices will go up or down and when the perfect time to buy is.

Google just released their own flight search that is very similar to Kayak. But, from what I've read, Kayak is still your best bet when searching multiple airlines.

Good luck!

 

[K&KMom]

I've really started researching this, as we really are beyond what I consider to be a driveable distance. The articles I've read say if you book more than 3 months out, you are almost guaranteed to pay too much for airfare. Investigate Kayak.com, farecompare, and bing travel. Each of them have excellent advice, great search functions and you can set up alerts. One tip that I read recently said to book your tickets separately, meaning if you have a family of 4, to buy 2 tickets in one transaction and two in another. The prices will be lower. I've done some preliminary comparisons and this appears to be true. Good luck!

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Thanks for the info, K&KMOM!

 

[kkayluvsdis]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! I guess I need to start researching and setting up some price alerts.