Help....cheap flights, but dates can't be confirmed

[mommymanda]

So there is discussion coming up in my house the last few months about an August 2018 vacation. Initially it was going to be Universal, but there is a chance and may end up being Disney. Either way two things seem to be falling into place. We are planning to be in Orlando August 2018 and the only way hubby will go is if he does not have to drive it again.

Thanks to my Canadian Dis'ers you've had me watching Southwest air for flights out of Buffalo and some of my random dates make the idea of my family of five flying a lot less stressful on the budget.

Here is my problem...from comments and reading the threads the best prices are apparently right at release. Our plan is to travel August 19-26, but nothing is booked and nobody can confirm holidays in order to book before January. This means I really can't be certain we will travel until the start of 2018.

Flying is new to me...I am not sure where to start, but am I accurate that once a flight is booked you can't get your money back? If our trip were 100% than I'd be okay booking a flight, than changing if I need to on different dates. I am just not even sure the trip will happen at this point.

Is there any advice others can offer? Should I book when the dates are released and cross my fingers we actually take the trip...or wait and hope flights stay reasonable in the new year?

Another thing I'm wondering is if I should simply go with a travel agent to help with all this...although I'd assume they would have the same flight policy's to deal with.

Hopefully I'm making sense and someone has experience to help me.

TIA

 

[grantclaire]

Hi, booking flights can be tricky and time consuming. Most airlines have some kind of change/cancellation fees. Southwest has no change fees so that might be an option. I have cancelled a flight with WestJet and the money minus the fees went into a travel bank that I used later for a flight. I would wait until dates were confirmed. You should be able to get reasonable flights for August in the next year. You probably do not need a travel agent. Good luck!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Have you checked Air Canada for your dates? Their prices come out 355 days ahead. But, if you get the cheapest tickets (the bargains), you buy a non-refundable ticket. If could save you a thousand, depending on where and when you are going. I was looking for spring break and the costs right on the first day were about $1500 less than they were a few days later.

Southwest comes out much later, as does Jet Blue (also from Buffalo). You have to be up that first morning and booking right away in order to get the best prices. They go up, even within hours in the morning, so be prepared to pay more, or book early. Southwest has 2 free bags, but no assigned seating (buy the early bird check in for a best possible boarding slot). Jet Blue charges for bags, but doesn't charge for seat selection, if I recall (not 100% sure). Southwest allows you to cancel, but it's a credit, not a refund, I think, so take that into account.

Also, if you're willing to go no-frills, Frontier flies out of Buffalo, too. But watch out, because their prices can go as high as Southwest without the perks or free bags. Do some sample reviews of flights, say for spring break to get an idea.

Also maybe check Google Flights to watch prices for you. And if you have a phone, there's the app, "Hopper" to monitor flights and make recommendations, too.

 

[darwinsrule]

Chances are Southwest won't release until early in the new year so you may very well know your vacation schedule by the time it comes out. We have done a lot of late August trips down for either WDW or a cruise, jumping on it early has seen us get r/t airfare for under $900 for 4 of us (which is why we fly out of BUF).

 

[jacksdadcan]

I would strongly suggest using Google flight to track airports and dates for best rates. It'll do most of the work for you and you can enter multiple airports for convenience and comparisons.

 

[darwinsrule]

I would strongly suggest using Google flight to track airports and dates for best rates. It'll do most of the work for you and you can enter multiple airports for convenience and comparisons.

Unfortunately Google Flights doesn't (is unable) to track pricing on SW flights. Since SW only sells their flights via their own website it just isn't available like every other airline. Means more work keeping up on when things are happening and the pricing, but for us we have never had the prices get lower than openning day for either JetBlue or SW (DW is a teacher in TO so we are stuck with peak travel times, hence prices never drop). I do enjoy going to look at pricing on the flights we do end up booking every so often. Our flights for March Break (to FLL) have already more than doubled (still slightly cheaper than flying out of Toronto but I have a hard time paying more for air than the cruise we have booked). Scary, but that is life when travelling during that time period.

 

[mommymanda]

Unfortunately Google Flights doesn't (is unable) to track pricing on SW flights. Since SW only sells their flights via their own website it just isn't available like every other airline. Means more work keeping up on when things are happening and the pricing, but for us we have never had the prices get lower than openning day for either JetBlue or SW (DW is a teacher in TO so we are stuck with peak travel times, hence prices never drop). I do enjoy going to look at pricing on the flights we do end up booking every so often. Our flights for March Break (to FLL) have already more than doubled (still slightly cheaper than flying out of Toronto but I have a hard time paying more for air than the cruise we have booked). Scary, but that is life when travelling during that time period.

Thanks I was going to put the ap on, but no point of the SW won't be an option. I work for a school too, hence our sunny holidays are always end of August, with the back to school rush two days later. I at least luck out that Disney no longer sees it as a peak time so we save enough to go.

 

[darwinsrule]

Thanks I was going to put the ap on, but no point of the SW won't be an option. I work for a school too, hence our sunny holidays are always end of August, with the back to school rush two days later. I at least luck out that Disney no longer sees it as a peak time so we save enough to go.

Other suggestion was JetBlue. JB does allow you to pool your points as a family. Generally every couple of trips we have earned enough points to get one of us at least a one-way air free. Used it this past summer and booked one of us for free from BUF to Seattle. We have enough points from that trip to get one of us down to FLL next summer for a cruise.

Now you can get Mickey's Not So Scary in as well. Never thought we would get to do it, then last year they started adding dates before labour day. Extra money yes, but great memories, and that is what this is all about.