Flights Best on Opening Day?

[Frozen2014]

We have a 4 day cruise booked end of Aug 2020 out of Port Canaveral (and then hoping to add 3 nights at Disney World before we fly back home...yah). It looks like flights will open up in about 2 months for our trip. I know that at peak times such as March break and Christmas that it's best to book on opening day. Is that true about summer too? Flying from Toronto if that makes a difference in airline cost.

P.S. - I'm doing a mock booking for testing same time but for this summer and fights are $$$ (prob since only a month away)

 

[Marc D]

We have a 4 day cruise booked end of Aug 2020 out of Port Canaveral (and then hoping to add 3 nights at Disney World before we fly back home...yah). It looks like flights will open up in about 2 months for our trip. I know that at peak times such as March break and Christmas that it's best to book on opening day. Is that true about summer too? Flying from Toronto if that makes a difference in airline cost.

P.S. - I'm doing a mock booking for testing same time but for this summer and fights are $$$ (prob since only a month away)

In my experience, it’s best to wait a while as prices are high when the flights first become available. When they do, I look up the flight(s) I want on Google Flights and add alerts on them, with a target price in mind. I determine that price by looking at the prices from the current date to the target date.

I usually receive an alert with an important decrease a few weeks or months after. I also keep checking for better options since airlines change times and planes all the time, especially so far out.

Since you are going on a cruise, buying your ticket too far in advance may create a problem if you choose to fly the day of (something I would never do btw). Even a slight change in the flight schedule, something that happens a lot, might prevent you arriving at the ship in time.

 

[TammyLynn33]

I’m looking at Christmas next year and I have a figure in my head that I will jump at on first day if not I will wait it out and see.
I also have a couple diff airports I’m willing to fly out if if it will save me
Good luck

 

[Etch]

I know that at peak times such as March break and Christmas that it's best to book on opening day.

I would wait.

March Break and Christmas are different then Summer. At March Break and Christmas (out of YYZ) you have a large amount of consumers all trying to travel somewhere warm during the exact same week or weeks. The flights are the most popular of the year and fill up fast, thus the prices tend not to drop.

Summer season is more spread out and prices in the 2-4 mos ahead of time range are most likely going to be less then on opening day. You are right that with 1 month to go this year, it is a little late to get an idea on prices.

@Mark D makes a great point in that your scheduled flight times are very likely to change when booking that early thus making you have to build a lot of flexibility into your schedule.

Hope this helps.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thank you both. I should note that we always fly in the day before when going on a cruise. You never know what weather will bring with it being hurricane season in the summer and snow at March break.

Ok...so for end of summer (week leading up to labor day...and returning on labor day), purchasing opening day isn't always the best. I have an idea what flights cost from Toronto to Miami, but not sure what it the norm vs good deal vs expensive for Toronto to Orlando. I can check other dates but it's not apples to apples as the date affects the 'normal' price.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

I had booked our flights about 6 months before our cruise ( I had used points through our cc for the flights so I didn't have to worry about prices fluctuating ) . Then about 2 months before, they changed the times of our flights - which was aggravating to say the least. I had booked that particular flights so we could maximize our time in the parks, and NOT have to be up at the crack of dawn with long layovers in airports. That was the frustrating part.

 

[ottawamom]

I'm budgeting and planning for a 2022 trip so I was looking at flights today for the month of the year we're thinking of going. On Airmiles I plugged in 7 people to see what would come up. I was able to get ( didn't book them though) direct flights, both directions, from Ottawa for this September. I was to say the least shocked.

I never would have imagined that I could get that many people on the same flight with just over a month to go.

 

[bankr63]

Late August should be fairly easy. A lot of Southern US school districts have already returned by then (some are already back now!). Summer season has pretty much ended before labor day, and flights should be plentiful and cheaper closer to the date.

 

[Frozen2014]

I'm budgeting and planning for a 2022 trip so I was looking at flights today for the month of the year we're thinking of going. On Airmiles I plugged in 7 people to see what would come up. I was able to get ( didn't book them though) direct flights, both directions, from Ottawa for this September. I was to say the least shocked.

I never would have imagined that I could get that many people on the same flight with just over a month to go.

Yeah...unfortunately I missed the boat with that. Sometime when I have a trip planned out so far in advance, the year before, I do monitor prices to get an idea. But didn't book early enough for that (booked 1.5 years instead of 2 years... lol).

Great you are seeing such good flights.

 

[Frozen2014]

I had booked our flights about 6 months before our cruise ( I had used points through our cc for the flights so I didn't have to worry about prices fluctuating ) . Then about 2 months before, they changed the times of our flights - which was aggravating to say the least. I had booked that particular flights so we could maximize our time in the parks, and NOT have to be up at the crack of dawn with long layovers in airports. That was the frustrating part.

Ugh...very frustrating...and you plan and select a flight based on timing.

 

[Frozen2014]

Late August should be fairly easy. A lot of Southern US school districts have already returned by then (some are already back now!). Summer season has pretty much ended before labor day, and flights should be plentiful and cheaper closer to the date.

Thanks. I hope so. But the flight would be from Toronto...where we are still on vacation until labor day. But hopefully many aren't as stupid as us and plan on returning on labor day (trying to maximize Disney days post cruise)

 

[hdrolfe]

I bought my August flights for this year in March, they had already gone up a bit and certainly haven't come down. Yes I like to torture myself and watch this is from Ottawa though where there is only one direct flight per day on the weekends. Toronto should have more options and better prices.

Two years ago I bought in January and they went up and down a little then way up.

 

[Frozen2014]

I bought my August flights for this year in March, they had already gone up a bit and certainly haven't come down. Yes I like to torture myself and watch this is from Ottawa though where there is only one direct flight per day on the weekends. Toronto should have more options and better prices.

Two years ago I bought in January and they went up and down a little then way up.

Yeah...they say once you book, you shouldn't look again (in case it goes down)...but I'm guilty of that and will keep checking. Yes...we have a few options from Toronto and would even be willing to fly into say Tampa (no direct flight to MLB so prefer not selecting that airport). Thanks for the reference for Ottawa to Orlando booking in March. That helps.