Flying on a budget

LiloFan3

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
26
Hi all,
I'm hoping someone can share tips for finding affordable flights in early December. I have already downloaded a few apps but thought it would be helpful to hear from those who have done this a few times. This will be the first trip I've planned and booked.
Thanks in advance!
 
I think more details are necessary...

1. From where to where?
2. How flexible are you? Do you have set times you WON'T fly?
3. When is your return date? This is CRITICAL. Early Dec departure- and in the first week on Dec- might cost you half of what your return ticket will cost if you come back two weeks later
 
Thanks for the reply
  1. Round trip Denver (DEN) to Orlando (MCO)
  2. We're semi-flexible. Flying with a kiddo, so no more than a one stop (of any kind) flight. Willing to fly on any day or time.
  3. We could potentially have a bit of date flexibility on either side of our December 8-13th current window but would like to keep the free dining.
 
Southwest flights over those dates will be available for booking on May 18th. If you have flexibility on dates, you would probably get their cheapest fare during a sale sometime in late summer.

We fly free on points, but it takes a few months of pre-planning to get the credit cards, hit the minimum spend, and have the points and sign up bonuses credited.
 

Flying from Denver you should be able to get a non stop. Southwest might be your best option. I haven't checked but we are from SLC and they always have layovers in Denver to MCO so I am sure they have the direct flights. If you book the flights as soon as they open my understanding is if the flights go down you can get the amount credited back to your account (no personal experience but that is my understanding). Frontier probably has some direct flights too. I would just keep checking...even different dates so you have an understanding of how much the flights typically cost.
 
Denver is a hub for Frontier. They may have flights to fit your schedule, and the pricing is usually inexpensive. Good Luck
 
A good price would be about $300-350. I think you're looking too early. Frontier and southwest have the cheapest nonstop rates (and southwest is the best bang for your buck) but they don't show for December yet.
 
I used a site called something like airfarewatchdog.com to save a ton on a trip to Europe. You just put in the cities and dates you're looking at and they email you deals. If you get an email that is a good price buy it right away. When I got my deal I think the lowest I had seen was around $1350 and I got them for about $750. The next day it was back up to $1350.
 
Denver is our home airport. We usually fly nonstop to MCO on Southwest Airlines. It's nice for the budget because of the two free checked bags each, we bring tons of snacks and it cuts down on food expenses once we arrive. Frontier is not preferred since their switch to the low cost model, the fees really add up with a family of five. Sometimes if we're lucky, we will have enough points on United to get there too. But, as far as schedule, service and flexibility... Southwest is usually our top pick. Good luck!
 
Agree with above poster who says Southwest most likely best option and also you will most likely get best sale price mid to late summer (I usually get best pricing from Southwest about 12 weeks out from travel dates...with the exception being holiday travel times). You should be ok for your travel dates..since it is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas holiday travel. As for days of week to fly......you will get your best prices on flights for either a Tues or Wed flight. When you're booking (if you're booking online) , the best time to book is late on a Tues night or very early Wed morning...not sure why this is.....I do remember reading something about why years ago, but, can't recall what it was....however, I have found it to be reliable info. Also, keep in mind, if you do book and then Southwest has a sale...you can rebook your same flight by going to SWA website, pulling up your confirmation #'s and change to the same flight for the lesser price. SWA will then credit you the difference.....will not refund it unless you've purchased a fully refundable ticket......the credit must be used by the PERSON NAMED on the ticket confirmation within one year of the ORIGINAL booking date (it gives you another reason to travel back to WDW within the year!!). We...like the above poster....also travel on SWA Rapid Reward points and when using points they just return any points to your account if you're lucky and strike a sale before your trip. We love flying SWA and use them pretty much exclusively.....the only exception would be if we're traveling somewhere within an hour or two drive of an airport they service. One last thing.....sometimes it's beneficial to book one ways rather than round trip......if you do need to change anything on one leg of the trip....it makes it easier to do so without risking the possibility of affecting both legs of travel.
 
Hi all,
I'm hoping someone can share tips for finding affordable flights in early December. I have already downloaded a few apps but thought it would be helpful to hear from those who have done this a few times. This will be the first trip I've planned and booked.
Thanks in advance!
Jet Blue & SWA typically have decent rates.
 
I'm out of Denver and fly Southwest and United to/from Florida. I sometimes fly Frontier, but I prefer not to since they became ultra low-cost. SW is great once you get over the boarding process because they'll credit your account if you get a cheaper flight. United will often match SW's price, but then you still have to pay for bags and you can't change it for free.

I use an app called Hopper that monitors airfare for specific dates and alerts when there's a good deal, but honestly it's not that great if you fly SW. SW does not allow aggregator websites & apps to track their fares. I just get in the habit of searching every day. I've gotten some great deals with SW just by searching every day. They also have a nifty calendar search feature that will show you the cheapest flight every day.
 
Allegiant Air sometimes have great rates so long as you are flexible on the dates that you fly and the airports that you are willing to use.
 
I wouldn't consider buying until the SW schedule is released, then compare. Also consider surrounding airports to both you and Orlando. Are you planning on renting a car? Flying into Sanford or even Tampa are options.

We've found Delta beating SW prices by quite a bit lately. Don't rule out certain airlines unless you will not fly one at any cost.

Last week we flew into Tampa and rented an SUV to drive to Disney. We offboarded at 10:30 AM, grabbed some lunch at Boston Market(a treat, none in our area), picked up a Walmart order for our OKW condo, and was at OKW resort on Disney property before 2:00 PM. It took 35 minutes to drive to the Disney car care center, fill it up, hit the Alamo Shuttle, and return to the resort. Cost savings between flight/car/gas by flying into Tampa instead of MCO was over $200, not including the grocery savings over Disney prices(likely $200-300) as most was bottled water and gatorade for the RunDisney races.
 
I set alerts for Kayak, you can set it for several days. Do round trip and one ways. You'll get a notification when the price drops!
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top