Flights for cruise $$$ just needed to vent...

[xQuizx]

We have the southwest credit cards and we do the frequent flyer miles with bonuses to help offset flight prices. I know Southwest will offer 50,000 point sign ups with a $1,000 spend. 50,000 points is equal to $714 dollars. My wife and I were able to both get companion pass for this year and next so 2 of our kids fly free with us. But to get companion pass you have to attain 110,000 points through credit card spend, bonuses or flights.

 

[disneylove69]

If you book southwest and the prices drop, you should be able to get a credit for the difference without a change fee. Not sure, but I think the credit needs to be used within a year? of your original purchase date.

If you do the wanna get away the difference is issued in a luv voucher for the person ticket was issued to and you have 1 yr to redeem.

 

[DisneyPups]

Have you checked Jet Blue?

We're pretty faithful to JetBlue and they did the same thing last Spring Break (ours is the week before Easter)... Our usually $180-240 RT was $600 per person that week. I was shocked because I had never seen JB holiday gouge. It was the first (and rare) time we jumped ship (plane?) and took American first class for the same amount. Normally I would have just walked away from Spring Break week, but we had already promised my daughter a birthday trip, and of course her bday was the Wednesday of Spring Break last year. Ha.

Long story short, OP... don't assume prices will go down, definitely look at your other options for flights...

 

[disneymagicgirl]

The prices are always high when flights are initially released. The prices will come down.

This has been my experience as well.

 

[Shanti]

If you do the wanna get away the difference is issued in a luv voucher for the person ticket was issued to and you have 1 yr to redeem.

One year from the original purchase date.

 

[amiskell28]

Chicago, so we have access to both airports

Try Milwaukee. Many direct flights. I live between Milwaukee and Chicago, so often price both out to see what's best. We're going in February, so I'm sure pricing is different, but I found the MKE prices to be better, actually. Just a thought - good luck!

 

[cruiser21]

I think it's just way to early. Use sky scanner to get price alerts. ORD is a hub for American and United prices should come down.

 

[tigerchic89]

I have not read the whole thread, but our family has found air travel to be more expensive and more of a PITA when compared to driving than when we did the comparison in the past. If a drive was 6 hours or longer, we used to always try to fly instead... now we find that the cost, time, and hassle are not worth it.. and we usually don't even price flights unless it's going to be more than a 12 hour drive

 

[LizGirl]

I'm trying to book Spring Break from Dallas and I'm having the same issue. Seat maps on American are pretty wide open so I don't think anyone is buying the tickets yet. I just keep checking every day and hoping they will come down. I also amuse myself by seeing which foreign cities are cheaper for that week. Milan and Sydney are both cheaper right now. The airlines are insane!

 

[ctcj7]

Noticed the same thing out of Dallas. I have a Kayak alert to check it daily and it has not dropped more than $10 since the booking window opened.

 

[disneyeek]

I did some searching this weekend, pricing out of Milwaukee with both non-stop and connecting and they were more money or the flights we needed were already showing sold out in the lowest category. Which in turn means going up one, and the prices were outrageous (over 1000 per person RT). Our time is worth something too, with the drive to MKE at about 1.5 hours plus the added flight time for connecting it definitely won't be worth it unless the flight prices are at least half of what we'd pay out of ORD or MDW when a direct flight to Orlando is only 2.5 hours.

I've setup some alerts from the suggestions here and just hoping some of these prices come down (not really counting on it). Like I said before we'll get there one way or another Right now it's looking like driving is going to be our best bet and we will make the most of it.

 

[pjacobi]

When the price falls on a Southwest flights, you can immediately rebook at lower fare without a fee. Depending upon fare class, you will get the difference either refunded back to your credit card or a credit for future flight. I have done this multiple times, even on the same flight.

This means you need to check flight prices daily to see if it has changed.

-Paul