Flights

[lizerbug]

I was hoping someone could give me some insight. I was going to use my United miles to book round trip tickets for two adults From Seattle to Orlando on October 2, 2020 to October 10. I priced it at $1,600 and the award miles at 97,500. This is PER PERSON. The week before for the most inexpensive flights is $664.50 or 45,000 miles. That is insane. I know that October 10 is the Saturday before Columbus day but that's just crazy. Will the amount of award miles go down over time? Any help would be great. TIA

 

[belle032]

I can't speak for United, but we booked Southwest flights to Ft. Lauderdale with points for our cruise out of Miami in January 2020. I thought the flights were really expensive for the dates, but it turns out it's Superbowl in Miami the Saturday we get off the ship so it might have something to do with it.

So I booked flights and they DID drop in points a few weeks later, but they haven't dropped since. They've only gone up. Considering your dates coincide with a holiday weekend and no school, I'm not sure you should hope for too much of a drop in price. You might be a little stuck unless you can change your WDW dates. I feel like it's harder and harder to find good flight deals anymore!

 

[Eastern]

It looks like those flights (Oct 8,9,10 returns are all high) just opened up. Maybe check daily for them to start lowering the prices.

 

[lizerbug]

It looks like those flights (Oct 8,9,10 returns are all high) just opened up. Maybe check daily for them to start lowering the prices.

I just hope the award miles go down too. I had it all figured it out until today when I checked the exact dates we needed since the 10th opened up today. Now I'll be able to use my miles for me but I was going to get 2 other people's flights as well. Now I'm just freaking out. It's not even a holiday week that I'm going. I'm going to be coming home on the Saturday before the holiday. I'll just keep watching.

 

[Eastern]

I don't think it has anything to do with the holiday. I just priced EWR to MCO same dates, similar 1k+ prices.

Prices should go down in the coming days so keep looking.

 

[lizerbug]

I don't think it has anything to do with the holiday. I just priced EWR to MCO same dates, similar 1k+ prices.

Prices should go down in the coming days so keep looking.

Thank you I’ll definitely keep looking.

 

[bearzabout]

I read that airfare is often the cheapest 2 months before the travel date. Also check rates on weekdays and not weekends. Detroit to Vegas 2 months out was around $280 on Delta during a busy time of year. Your flight shouldn’t be much more than that. I watched the price drop over the last two months. Last year I waited until closer to the trip and paid more. I was amazed how much the price changed every time I checked.

Sign up for an airfare notification website that will inform you when the rates for your dates drop.

Better yet, sign up for Delta’s platinum credit card for $195/ year and a companion ticket on the same flight will be free along with one free checked bag per person for each flight paid for on the card. You will have to book a slightly higher rate class, but two cross country flights will still be a good deal.

 

[Eastern]

Tomorrow the prices should come down for return on the 10th.

 

[Darcy03231]

I think you're too far out. I don't fly United, but Delta and American are usually really high until Southwest and JetBlue start releasing fares for same time. Unless it's a holiday or school vacation week I usually find my best prices about two months before the trip.

 

[TheGecko]

I think you're too far out. I don't fly United, but Delta and American are usually really high until Southwest and JetBlue start releasing fares for same time. Unless it's a holiday or school vacation week I usually find my best prices about two months before the trip.

This is the case. You are trying too soon for the flights. They are jacking up the rates for people who just have to have it now. You should be good to grad something until 3 or 4 months out.

There is an App called Hopper which will track flights and provide you weekly updates on current pricing as well as recommendations as to when prices have historically decreased/increased for the time period chosen. Has worked well for me on knowing when to pull the trigger on the reservation.

 

[MillauFr]

You should fly Alaska and get their credit card. The companion fare is a great use for this route. You can get the second ticket for $121. The only airlines that fly this route non-stop are Alaska and Delta. With United you will have a layover. Not ideal.

 

[lizerbug]

This is the case. You are trying too soon for the flights. They are jacking up the rates for people who just have to have it now. You should be good to grad something until 3 or 4 months out.

There is an App called Hopper which will track flights and provide you weekly updates on current pricing as well as recommendations as to when prices have historically decreased/increased for the time period chosen. Has worked well for me on knowing when to pull the trigger on the reservation.

I’m going to be booking United reward miles. Hopper won’t help me with that. I checked today and the miles went down but I’m hoping that it will go down more. I’ll keep watching but I know that there are only so many seats for award travel so I don’t want to miss out on getting the flights I want. Hopefully it will go down little more before

You should fly Alaska and get their credit card. The companion fare is a great use for this route. You can get the second ticket for $121. The only airlines that fly this route non-stop are Alaska and Delta. With United you will have a layover. Not ideal.

my husband had the Alaska card. I

You should fly Alaska and get their credit card. The companion fare is a great use for this route. You can get the second ticket for $121. The only airlines that fly this route non-stop are Alaska and Delta. With United you will have a layover. Not ideal.

 

[lizerbug]

I’m going to be booking United reward miles. Hopper won’t help me with that. I checked today and the miles went down but I’m hoping that it will go down more. I’ll keep watching but I know that there are only so many seats for award travel so I don’t want to miss out on getting the flights I want. Hopefully it will go down little more before

my husband had the Alaska card. I

I have 105,000 United miles so I will definitely be flying United. my husband has the Alaska card though.

 

[MillauFr]

I have 105,000 United miles so I will definitely be flying United. my husband has the Alaska card though.

Did you say United is charging close to 100,000 points for one round trip ticket though?

 

[lizerbug]

Did you say United is charging close to 100,000 points for one round trip ticket though?

It was. When my return date first dropped the return flight was 65,000 miles. After three days that dropped to 12,500 to 32,500 for the flights that I was looking at. I’m still accumulating mikes and I need to get three tickets. I just need them to drop a bit more. Fingers create.

 

[MillauFr]

It was. When my return date first dropped the return flight was 65,000 miles. After three days that dropped to 12,500 to 32,500 for the flights that I was looking at. I’m still accumulating mikes and I need to get three tickets. I just need them to drop a bit more. Fingers create.

I don't think you are getting good value for your airline miles on that route. Your miles are worth less than 1 cent. Just shows that racking up miles using the airline credit cards is not a good deal at all. After Alaska kept devaluing their miles I switched my charges to one of the credit cards that gives 2% cash back. I had trouble cashing in the miles on flights where I was getting 1.5 cents of value out of them. I still have the Alaska credit card for the free bags and companion fare but I rarely charge anything on it.