pediatric-rnp said:
Yes, very. I travel a lot and wouldn't book any other way.
do you get a voucher to print out to bring to airport with you? I'm used to having my tickets in hand....we don't fly often, so I'm not the most experienced air traveler.
I fly American almost exclusively and book at aa.com. They offer several options - I always have my itinerary/receipt emailed to me. I don't take anything to the airport but a good attitude. I get my boarding pass at the Admirals Club, or at the self-service kiosk if Admirals Club is inside security. The self service kiosk is nothing more than swiping my frequent flyer card or any credit card, and the boarding passes pop out. VERY easy.
(I know these are probably crazy questions for anyone to read who has experience in this, but I know you guys are the ones to go to for reliable and supportive info!)
And you think we DIDN'T go through this at some point???
I would greatly appreciate any tips, suggestions, and help you can provide. When is the earliest you can book on-line? Any thoughts as to how long to watch the airfare for a July 2006 trip? I've been trying to look up the airfares for this summer - trying to get an idea of what they are, even tho I know they will prob go up with cost of fuel next yr.
How far out you can book will vary on a lot of factors. Try and see. If it's way too early, they'll tell you that when you try to search for flight options.
Tips
If cost is an issue, it's a good idea to watch fares for a while to see what the norm is. Airfares for American carriers usually change early Tuesday morning (just after midnight) - that is when you are likely to find the lowest fares and most availability. I'm not saying set your alarm for 1 AM, but check on Tuesday morning sometime. DO NOT book air travel on the weekend. (Not talking about traveling, I'm talking about
buying) You will find lower fares Tues, Wed, Thurs, but on Friday don't be surprised to see them spike up. Why? Guess when most people book?
How far in advance to book is a question. For business travel, I do not normally book more than a month out, but I am usually flying between major cities with lots of options. Flying from a smaller airport to a destination like Orlando may be different, so you may want to book well in advance. Watch the fares, and when they drop to a price you're happy with, buy. If they drop another $20, so be it. Buying airfare is like buying stock; you will never buy at exactly the bottom, so just get over it.
Check alternate departure and destination airports. Often fares are a LOT less flying to or from outlying airports - but not always. Tampa (TPA) is about 90 minutes away from WDW, a great airport, and a reasonable alternative to MCO if you are renting a car anyway. There may be similar options available near you, so look around.
I don't know if this is true on other sites (I'm sure it's true on some, and not on others), but on aa.com you can select flights and HOLD your reservation for 24 hours. That is a good intermediate step to go through if you are not really comfortable booking online, because you haven't bought anything yet. Gives you a chance to print your itinerary and go over it closely before you make a decision that will cost you $100 to change. You can also call the airline's reservations desk and walk through the process with them -- it won't be the first time someone has done that, and they are very helpful.
Also, on most airline company sites, you can look at available seating for your flights. You don't usually actually choose seats until you purchase, so sometimes it's good to see what is available on a flight up front. Some seats will be blocked out for frequent flyers, but you'll be able to book the others.
That should be enough to terrorize you for now. PM me if you have any additional questions.
