how long to wait to purchase airfare?

AnnMorin

<font color=babyblue>I HATE SNOW!!!<br><font color
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
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We need to fly into MCO on 12/6 for our 12/7 cruise. I can not get over how much more the airfare is right now compared to last December. (we paid 148.00 pp vs 242.00 right now) how long should I wait in hopes the prices will come down?
 
Last December's prices were extremely low to encourage people to fly again. I think we paid 150/pp cross country at Christmas (lowest ever in making this trip 2-3 times a year for the past 7 years!) The best I've gotten this year (2 trips paid for so far with Christmas yet to go) is 200/pp FL to CA roundtrip. We usually check prices weekly online and buy within 60 days of travel...

Good luck and enjoy planning for your cruise in December!
 
If it were me, I would check a couple times a week, and then purchase when the price looks like it is down. I doubt that you will be able to get your airfare quite as cheap as you did last year, but keep watching the fares. I would want my airfare purchased no later than around the sixty day mark. good luck.
 
For east coast fares to MCO...I would wait a while longer. Right now the "$140" fares are good through 10/23 in some cases. There will be another round I'm sure for dates through Dec. I've never had to pay much more than $150 or $160. I know last year I purchased a ticket in late August for mid-October and paid $146 after taxes.

I check fares everyday, especially in the morning, and don't forget to check on your preferred carrier's website. I've flown from Washington to LAX or SFO for $140...and no that's not priceline, that's making your reservation as soon as you see the fare, cause in hours it's gone!

Good luck!
 

Ann,
We feel your pain as we are anxiously waiting for descent Dec prices also for our group. I've read tickets prices should come down after July 4. Meanwhile I've signed up for several sites email, check Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and ITAsoftware daily and keep tabs on the transpo brd. SW should be releasing their prices very soon for Dec. So hopefully we'll all have good luck!
It's:crazy:
 
Ann, I'm flying in exactly the same day, from the West Coast, for the 12/7 cruise. Definitely WAIT a while, fares right now are twice what they were last year for the same time. Keep an eye out for fare sales, which for December generally won't show up for a while. Hopefully some reasonable fares will pop up in the next few months! :)
 
Michelle, Yeah someone else will be on our cruise:D I was beginning to think we were all alone!
 
We're flying from Los Angeles to MCO on December 6th for the Dec 7th Western cruise. Last year for a December 1st cruise we were able to get $249 round trip in April 2001. This year the best we're finding is $456. I'm hoping that the fares will go down soon.
 
The best deal I can find right now from LAX to MCO is 410.50 per person round trip (United). It's been that same fare for the last few weeks, but I still check it everyday. Last year we paid 235.00 per person. I just can't bring myself to pay 175.00 more per person so I will keep checking the fares until about the 60 day mark. Then I might just have to bite the bullet! I have no expectations of getting as good a fare as last year, but I am hopeful that they will come down some. Here's hopin'!



'Beano':cool:
 
We just bought our tickets SFO-MCO for our 2/22/03 cruise for $288 pp with Continental. It's a little more that we would like to pay, but an excellent fare nonetheless. My DH and I always seem to buy our airfare months in advance, whenever the prices seem reasonable and unlikely to get cheaper. While they still might end up for less, we're not expecting a whole bunch of deals for FL during the winter!

I actually found this fare via Orbitz, searching for SJC-MCO - it told me that SFO would be cheaper, and by golly, it was! I then bought the tickets direct from Continental.
 
Don't forget in most cases if you purchase a ticket and then it goes on sale you can "rebook" (same flights/dates) at the lower rate and use the difference for a future flight. Even if it's just $10.

I had 5 people flying and I rebooked at the lower fare and used the 5 $10 credits for a future flight...that way in the end you don't lose money.

Keep in mind though that sometimes if you booked online and then have to "rebook" you may lose or internet booking discount. As long as you're still getting credit back, why not?
 
When booking in January for our spring break cruise, we were faced with very high fares from Washington/Dulles to Orlando. We were able to find cheaper flights to Melbourne. It worked well for us, and we saved about $400. The down side was that we weren't able to take advantage of the Disney transfers. We took an airport shuttle to the port, and a CM was in the parking lot to take the luggage.

Karen
Wonder 11/01
Magic 3/02
Magic 11/02
 

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