How far in advance for airline tickets

[OhMari]

I've been on the internet everyday, looking for airline tickets. My window to purchase opened up about 2 weeks ago. I want to fly out of Milwaukee on Midwest to MCO.

The first day I finally got to look the rices were around $224 with taxes, now those same dates are $280 with taxes.

I keep watching NWA and it was always around $224 and last Friday it jumped to $232.

I want to go the Wednesday before Easter and come home the Thursday after Easter. April 4-12.

Anyone experienced with Midwest or NWA know if 10 months, 6 months, 4 months ahead. What time is the right time to get tickets.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I have no experience with your route, but I am facing a similar issue for late April with American Airlines out of LAX. I was surprised to find that AA really hadn't loaded any cheap seats into their system for travel LAX-MCO after early February. So I can book for April, but not at an attractive price.

To see if something similar was happening with your route, I went to: http://www.flyaow.com/classtandt.htm

If you haven't used such a site before, what you are looking for is lots of fare buckets on your requested flight (each shown with a different letter) with high availability (the letter is followed by a 7 or 9 depending on the airline, meaning at least 7 (or 9) seats are still available in that bucket).

For example, Midwest 890 shows the following for 4/4: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M7 T7 R7 O7 P7 G7
and Midwest 895 shows the following on 4/12: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M0 T0 R0 O0 P0 G7

These inventory lists mean that you will probably find cheaper seats on 890 than on 895.

Interestingly, if you try flight 895 on 4/13, you find the following: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M7 T7 R7 O7 P7 G7

Based on this info, I wasn't surprised that I could get a RT price of $213.60 for a 4/13 return and a RT price of 279.61 with a 4/12 return.

Almost 11 months out, it is unlikely that Midwest is actually running out of seats to sell on the 4/12 flight. I would guess that the price difference just means that Midwest thinks it will sell more seats on 4/12 than on 4/13, so they are charging more to fly on 4/12.

Hope this info is helpful to you. -- Suzanne

 

[aide4]

I purchased my tickets from MKE to MCO for over Christmas at the end of February and paid $207 per person if that helps. As for Midwest Airlines, I absolutley LOVE flying with them, though for our Xmas trip we are flying Delta.

 

[Diane D]

My daughter is a travel agent in Wisconsin. She was talking the other day about prices for next year. I mentioned this post to her and this is what she said. Midwest will put sale prices out there throughout the year but it ususally is a few months before departure. Since you are looking to go over such a popluar time I would not hesitate to book. Especially with the way gas prices are. She has seen that affect airfare prices. That price is also effected by how full that plane is. Chances are the flight has filled up a little but since you originally looked. I would book the tickets and then you will also have a better chance of getting the seats that you want. We booked our tickets about 9 months ahead of time and we got row 2 both directions. When we booked our airfare she actaully put it together as a package with Midwest Airlines Vacations. They will usually give you a discount on the airfare and you would just have to put a car rental on there. It sounds sort of silly but for our airfare and "throw away" car rental is dropped our airfare A LOT. It is worth checking out, however I am not sure that package prices for next year are out yet. Any questions just let me know and I will give her a call. GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[OhMari]

My daughter is a travel agent in Wisconsin. She was talking the other day about prices for next year. I mentioned this post to her and this is what she said. Midwest will put sale prices out there throughout the year but it ususally is a few months before departure. Since you are looking to go over such a popluar time I would not hesitate to book. Especially with the way gas prices are. She has seen that affect airfare prices. That price is also effected by how full that plane is. Chances are the flight has filled up a little but since you originally looked. I would book the tickets and then you will also have a better chance of getting the seats that you want. We booked our tickets about 9 months ahead of time and we got row 2 both directions. When we booked our airfare she actaully put it together as a package with Midwest Airlines Vacations. They will usually give you a discount on the airfare and you would just have to put a car rental on there. It sounds sort of silly but for our airfare and "throw away" car rental is dropped our airfare A LOT. It is worth checking out, however I am not sure that package prices for next year are out yet. Any questions just let me know and I will give her a call. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks Diane for going out of your way checking for me. It would be great-I am willing to do the waiting game-scary but, oh well.
Marisa

 

[OhMari]

I have no experience with your route, but I am facing a similar issue for late April with American Airlines out of LAX. I was surprised to find that AA really hadn't loaded any cheap seats into their system for travel LAX-MCO after early February. So I can book for April, but not at an attractive price.

To see if something similar was happening with your route, I went to: http://www.flyaow.com/classtandt.htm

If you haven't used such a site before, what you are looking for is lots of fare buckets on your requested flight (each shown with a different letter) with high availability (the letter is followed by a 7 or 9 depending on the airline, meaning at least 7 (or 9) seats are still available in that bucket).

For example, Midwest 890 shows the following for 4/4: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M7 T7 R7 O7 P7 G7
and Midwest 895 shows the following on 4/12: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M0 T0 R0 O0 P0 G7

These inventory lists mean that you will probably find cheaper seats on 890 than on 895.

Interestingly, if you try flight 895 on 4/13, you find the following: Y7 B7 H7 V7 Q7 K7 W7 M7 T7 R7 O7 P7 G7

Based on this info, I wasn't surprised that I could get a RT price of $213.60 for a 4/13 return and a RT price of 279.61 with a 4/12 return.

Almost 11 months out, it is unlikely that Midwest is actually running out of seats to sell on the 4/12 flight. I would guess that the price difference just means that Midwest thinks it will sell more seats on 4/12 than on 4/13, so they are charging more to fly on 4/12.

Hope this info is helpful to you. -- Suzanne

It is amazing to find out the wealth of info people have on the DIS. Thank you.
OhMari, aka Marisa

 

[Esmerelda]

I never purchase tickets more than about 3-4 months in advance. I have purchase them in as little as 2 months in advance. Of course, holiday times you have to preplan a little more but I have gotten great airfares. Also, some days are cheaper to fly on than others. You have to do your homework on this subject.

I have never ever made a plane reservation a year in advance. A lot can change in one year. Airlines strike..you move..you change jobs...you divorce....you marry....you have another child...illness...etc. I can plan better for my lifestyle about 2-4 months out. The airlines generally do not run sales 6months to 1 year out.

best of luck,
Esmerelda

 

[Ub_Iwerks]

We are flying Midwest this month, but not to Orlando. Midwest rates fluctuate A LOT. Sign up for a membership with them. Sometimes you can get a code with a good discount that way. You might also check prices on AIR Tran. I believe they also fly out of Milwaukee.

 

[traces7]

We're flying Midwest from Milwaukee in October. I bought our tickets in March for $212 each. If I would have bought in December they were $178. So it seems the further out you can book, the cheaper the tickets. Our tickets for October are now over $300. We are flying at a popular time in October (school break), not sure if that makes a difference. Hope this helps! I know it's nervewracking waiting and trying to decide when to buy. I did the same thing!

 

[OhMari]

I just saw it would be cheaper to fly into Tampa at $198 round trip than into Orlando. My husband wants a rental car, so I don't think this will be a problem anyway. I think with taxes it came to $223.