Flight first??

[4butlers]

Has anyone ever booked their flights before they even book their WDW or DCL reservations? I keep watching airfares and want to jump on it if I see a good price, but we're not quite ready to book everything else yet. Is that silly?

 

[uva185]

Not at all. If the airfare price is right go ahead and book it and book the lodging later. As a backup for Disney lodging you could always book a nearby hotel (Hilton, Marriott, etc) as they typically do not require a deposit and are refundable up until a day or two before checkin.

 

[msmayor]

This only makes sense if (a) your dates are locked in stone and (b) you know that you WILL take a vacation to that destination.

Most airfare is non-refundable and while some will offer you credit, your travel becomes a "sunk cost" once you buy those tickets.

This isn't usually the case with deposits on a vacation. They are normally refundable up to a certain point so if plans change, you can get your money back.

 

[snesguy]

Has anyone ever booked their flights before they even book their WDW or DCL reservations? I keep watching airfares and want to jump on it if I see a good price, but we're not quite ready to book everything else yet. Is that silly?

It's not silly. I did this recently. I have flights for an October 2012 vacation to WDW but no WDW reservations. I know I can always book a room somewhere in the area for a decent price. I can't always count on getting a decent airfare. I saw a fare I was happy with and locked it in. For me it's even more interesting than that. I booked my flights on two separate airlines for the departure and return to get my preferred selection of flight times.

 

[dburg30]

Nope, not since I do DVC and will be booking that at either 11 or 7 months, and since I almost always use SW, they dont release flight info that early.

 

[backyardponder]

With the changes which went into effect this month, I think you have 24 hours to cancel a flight with full refund. I could be wrong, however.

 

[JennSaint]

We always book our flights first then hotel etc.

 

[LaurenT]

If you see a great price and you know you want to go for those dates, go ahead and book it!
I'm waiting for final confirmation from my friend on when she can go (she's a teacher, needs to find out when she's due back at summer's end) and hoping I can jump on the SW fare before it goes up!
I did happen to book my room, just this morning, but that's because it was also a great deal and I didn't want to risk it selling out. If our flights are for different days, it's easy enough to adjust the hotel dates.

 

[4butlers]

Thanks so much for all your replies. Flights into MCO are so high for us right now. But I am seeing some good fares and times in and out of Tampa. So if fares to MCO don't go down, that might be the way to go.