Help please - still haven't booked flights for August!

[diberry]

I've been watching the prices since the beginning of January hoping they'd drop. I've looked at all sorts of different websites but still can't find flights for under £800pp even indirect. Ideally we'd like to fly from Manchester but other airports are definitely a possibility and we'd be prepared to go to Tampa etc and then drive. Has anyone any tips they can offer us please?
P.S. we have booked our accommodation so are sort of restricted to those dates but I suppose we could be flexible if we stayed somewhere else for the first/last day or so.

 

[CAROLINE4]

I've been watching the prices since the beginning of January hoping they'd drop. I've looked at all sorts of different websites but still can't find flights for under £800pp even indirect. Ideally we'd like to fly from Manchester but other airports are definitely a possibility and we'd be prepared to go to Tampa etc and then drive. Has anyone any tips they can offer us please?
P.S. we have booked our accommodation so are sort of restricted to those dates but I suppose we could be flexible if we stayed somewhere else for the first/last day or so.

What are your dates? i found direct man-sanford for £608 through travel republic today that was for 20th aug-3rd sept

 

[diberry]

Thank you very much Caroline. We are booked from 15 - 29 August (hubby's a teacher). Travel Republic have got it for £811 which is a lot better than I've found so far! That's "Direct with one stop" - I never realised before that "direct" doesn't mean no stops but I do now!!

 

[CAROLINE4]

Thank you very much Caroline. We are booked from 15 - 29 August (hubby's a teacher). Travel Republic have got it for £811 which is a lot better than I've found so far! That's "Direct with one stop" - I never realised before that "direct" doesn't mean no stops but I do now!!

you could prob get indirect cheeper for those dates than that through Kayak, you have to check several times a day but we are holding out to get a better flight price. im a teacher also but my head has allowed me to have the inset days off! i do not class 1 stop as direct!! hahaha x

 

[Magic Megadegs]

Sky scanner has flights for those dates from Manchester to Tampa for £702 / pp. could that be worth considering. Easier airport and just over an hours commute into Orlando?

 

[Magic Megadegs]

Kayak gave the same prices as Sky Scanner. Check with the airlines direct as well. Aer Lingus / Delta / United etc xxx Good Luck x

 

[diberry]

you could prob get indirect cheeper for those dates than that through Kayak, you have to check several times a day but we are holding out to get a better flight price. im a teacher also but my head has allowed me to have the inset days off! i do not class 1 stop as direct!! hahaha x

Thank you - I'll keep looking at kayak!!!

 

[diberry]

Sky scanner has flights for those dates from Manchester to Tampa for £702 / pp. could that be worth considering. Easier airport and just over an hours commute into Orlando?

Kayak gave the same prices as Sky Scanner. Check with the airlines direct as well. Aer Lingus / Delta / United etc xxx Good Luck x

Thank you - Tampa is definitely a good idea.

 

[wayneg]

Just keep searching, they come and go. I started a thread about a week ago, August flights were found from just over £500pp.
Good luck.

 

[diberry]

Just keep searching, they come and go. I started a thread about a week ago, August flights were found from just over £500pp.
Good luck.

That's very encouraging, thank you.

 

[disneyholic family]

did you set up a price alert at kayak?

i have a daily price alert - it indicates whether the price is up or down each day and by how much.

you can set up multiple price alerts for different routes.
In other words, set up an alert for Manchester - Orlando
and set up another one for Manchester - Tampa.

all you have to say is the above and it will give you all the possibilities, whether direct or indirect.

 

[wayneg]

Are you flexible on dates or they are set? 2 days earlier 13th-27th usairways from MAN to MCO £696pp

 

[diberry]

Thank you Beth - that's a great idea!!

Wayne - our hotel is booked from 15th - 29th. Next time I'll book the flights first!!

 

[wayneg]

Thank you Beth - that's a great idea!!

Wayne - our hotel is booked from 15th - 29th. Next time I'll book the flights first!!

Over 20 years and all the trips I have done all but once I have booked flights first. Just the once I had to book OKW to get the free DDP deal, thankfully Disney are very good at changes so once I had booked flights I could add another nights hotel easily.
If you have a big saving on flights going 2 days earlier it might be worth getting another hotel for 2 nights and losing your last 2 nights.

 

[diberry]

If you have a big saving on flights going 2 days earlier it might be worth getting another hotel for 2 nights and losing your last 2 nights.

Yes indeed. I'm bearing all possibilities in mind at the moment!!!

 

[mackay_j]

we used to always do this - we would book wdw hotel from 20th dec as the US site had offers which you could only use if arrival before 20th dec we would then always phone 20th and say we had been delayed and would now not arrive until 21st (the loss of the 20th night was nothing compared to the gain for the rest of the trip)- However, I now need a spanish phrase book to use the US site


Remember to check the US comparison sites - orbitz etc same flights bit quite often way cheeper.

 

[diberry]

Remember to check the US comparison sites - orbitz etc same flights bit quite often way cheeper.

Thank you - I didn't know about this.

 

[wayneg]

Thank you - I didn't know about this.

Yes, always check Orbitz when buying flights, used them a few times and paid in $'s the same as £'s. I remember once booking a one way flight at $480 when it was £480 on all the UK sites, best part was the exchange rate at $2/£1, made the flights half price.
For best price you need to pay with a fee free credit card(Post office, Halifax Clarity etc) otherwise you will pay about 3% conversion fee.

 

[diberry]

For best price you need to pay with a fee free credit card(Post office, Halifax Clarity etc) otherwise you will pay about 3% conversion fee.

Great tip, thank you. We've got a Halifax Clarity card.

 

[wayneg]

Great tip, thank you. We've got a Halifax Clarity card.

I have just got a Halifax Clarity a few weeks ago.
Always used Post Office but Matt is going to study in America this year, I wanted a Halifax card for him as we do our banking with them and its easier to transfer and use alongside our accounts rather than my PO card which is very limited for online access.
Used it a couple of times, looks like it will work how I want.