How to find cheap flights?

[LittleFlounder]

I've been looking up flights for MCO for early March 2011 and the best I can find(roundtrip) from Toronto is about $430 and from Buffalo about $350. I've heard of people getting much better deals (especially out of BUF.. $69). How do you find the really good deals? Am I missing something? I must be not looking in the right places.

 

[Baltica]

It's probably not so much looking in the right places as looking at the right time.

Your two best bets out of Buffalo, JetBlue and Southwest, will have those excellent prices you're looking for but seats for March 2011 aren't being sold quite yet. At the moment JetBlue has flights available through the end of February; Southwest only through January 7.

What I ended up doing was signing up for JetBlue's TrueBlue frequent flyer program on its web site before my tickets for early next year went on sale. As a result they sent me an email to notify me when the next block of seats became available, about 48 hours before they did, as a heads up.

 

[hockey mom]

I check the SW website almost every morning for my flights.

 

[Alderbrook]

You can use Kayak.com & it will search all flights out of BUF for you. March is a bit of a high season though & it's only August right now.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

The key ingredient .... be flexible in when you go. Also, seriously think about traveling from US based airports. Sure, seat sales can occur from Canada, but a simple drive to the US can save big money. Taxes alone ....

Also, if you travel a lot, get a rewards program going. I have continental's onepass for me, my wife and each kid. Already we have enough points for 2 to fly return to anywhere in North America. I even booked a deal on US airways, only to find out that I can even use Continental's one pass for their flights! My point is that these things add up!

 

[Sue M]

I sign up for fare alerts with Kayak.com but some airlines don't show up on Kayak, like Jet Blue (not so much of a deal for us out west) and SW. I joined the SW freq. flyer program, and get their e mails. The only thing I don't like about SW is that they are late with releasing dates.
We are flying in Jan 2011, and Continental already had a seat sale so I booked that. Would rather a sure thing then wait for SW and hope for a sale.
From Seattle multi city fare ( I fly into Ft. Lauderdale to visit family, then fly home from MCO) it was $325 CAD incl tax.

 

[CanadianPaco]

When I booked last year, on my first look - I got $59 flights out of Detroit. piece of cake. This year, I found $79 flights out of Buffalo. Super but I didn't book then. For some reason I waited. The next time I looked into it, those flights were gone and there were $109 flights ... lesson learned. Check as early and as often as you can . Then book it!

 

[Tower]

Just remember www.southwest.com
www.jetblue.com (the airline attendant with the emergency exit issue)
www.airtran.com

None of these airlines will be found on a general search on Expedia, you have to go to each of these sites individually. Southwest allows 2 free bags pp, Jetblue allows 1 pp, and Airtran charges for every bag.

We've never flown Jetblue or Airtan (though we're trying Airtran for the first time this December). Southwest is good if you get in early with the pricing. Jetblue is the preferred of many Canadian Disr's.
I checked these airlines and schedules are not all out for any of them for the dates you're looking for. Return to these sites daily and when you see your dates open up, check them out and book the most favourable one. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays tend to be cheaper as most people book their vacations on the weekends.

Put each of those airline sites in your favourites menu, and log in from 'In Private' so that these sites don't see you returning every time. Some have said that if you keep going to these sites, the cookie talk between your computers and theirs leads to increased rates. (I don't know personally, my only experience is that the rates are cheaper at the earliest point.)

Hope that helps!

 

[papertraveller]

The key thing, I have found, is to check the sites other posters have mentioned. But you have to do it when the schedule opens up (or be lucky enough to be travelling on very off-peak periods, i.e. non March break).

 

[Alderbrook]

I've always signed up for their deals to be emailed to me. I go to every carrier
s website out of BUF that flies to MCO & sign up for their specials to be sent to me. Book early. I find the longer you wait, the more you pay.

 

[Baltica]

Well, this was timely.

According to an email I just receive from JetBlue, tickets for flights up to 03 May 2011 will be available for sale starting Monday morning.

 

[TLPL]

On August 17, Southwest will open their schedule for sale through March 11, 2011.

 

[OntFamily]

The $69 fares you see people quote, do not include taxes and service charges. So, when you check air fares and look at the total the web site gives you, the total cost will always be more than $69...

For example, I'm flying SouthWest out of Buffalo in Oct, and am paying $64 for the flight, plus about $25 in taxes/fees, for $89 total (in US funds).

 

[mtmbyck]

Agree Ontfamily. Plus I think many select flight times that are not ideal and with stopovers. Rarely will you find this deal in March and flying on a weekend day. JetBlue wants $421 return US this year! I paid $400US on Airtran last year Friday to Friday. Never saw $69 flights - I am quoting taxes in.

 

[LdnCpl]

I know this doesn't help you out much now but when we decide we are going to go to WDW and what time of year, length of stay etc. I scout the airfare websites and when I find a deal that works for me I book it. Only then do I book Disney. I find it easier to make Disney work with my fliight schedule then the other way around. Also we fly out of Detroit as we're in London so travel time to airport makes no difference.

 

[torontodisneyfan]

I always start searching fares as early as possible. I bought our flights for May 2011 in June 2010. I find that Sunwing flies extremely cheap from Toronto.

My flight for next year (May 1 - may 13) was approximately $79 to MCO and $89 to YYZ plus taxes per person and totaled $710 for the two of us (return).

The flights are comfy and the food is free!

 

[LittleFlounder]

I always start searching fares as early as possible. I bought our flights for May 2011 in June 2010. I find that Sunwing flies extremely cheap from Toronto.

My flight for next year (May 1 - may 13) was approximately $79 to MCO and $89 to YYZ plus taxes per person and totaled $710 for the two of us (return).

The flights are comfy and the food is free!

I flew with Sunwing YYZ to MCO in Dec 2009 and it was the best flight I've ever taken! I'm hoping to fly with them again next year and everyday I'm keeping my eye on the prices. You bought your flight tickets a year in advance? I only just started watching the prices(for 1st week Mar 2011). Do you know if Sunwing reduces their prices any time around the 4-6 month mark? Right now its $428/person roundtrip and I'm wondering if they'll reduce the price at all in the next couple months.

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions everyone! I was hoping to fly out of Buffalo to save money, but since I'm taking my young nephews with me and their parents are taking us to the airport, they have vetoed a drive to Buffalo. They're too concerned about bad weather in early March and getting there for a 6:30am flight.... and said they'd rather fly out of Toronto. Oh well They're paying for the kids' flights... not me!

 

[torontodisneyfan]

I always book flights online and there are so many factors to consider. March is tough for cheap flights because of the school breaks but you can get lucky if you find a flight that is almost full or one that leaves mid week. Believe it or not, I find searching and booking flights on a Wednesday will sometimes get the flight even cheaper!

The key thing is to have your credit card ready and jump on the deal when you see it! Do not wait! Always remember you have no idea how many people are standing at the virtual "counter" with you looking to buy the same thing!

Good luck!

 

[jtdl]

I've been watching flights from Detroit to Tampa for months now and there are no good deals out there, that I can see, unless you can be very flexible with your dates and times - fly mid week and arrive at destination 11 pm or later. I even checked Southwest at 7 am on Aug 17, which was when they opened their dates for Feb, and there was nothing too cheap. We will be there during President's Day week - which I did not know until looking for flights and wondering why they were so high. You will probably run into the same thing with flights in March. We have a cruise booked so can't change our travel dates. If we fly back home on Monday instead of Sunday we will save $100 per person. Overall, I have read many comments that flights have increased quite a bit over the past year. Good luck in your search.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I've been looking up flights for MCO for early March 2011 and the best I can find(roundtrip) from Toronto is about $430 and from Buffalo about $350. I've heard of people getting much better deals (especially out of BUF.. $69). How do you find the really good deals? Am I missing something? I must be not looking in the right places.

You have to check Soutwest every day! Check in the morning after about 9am. Most we have every paid outta Buffalo for the 3 of us is $668. In April we paid $448 for the 3 of us, direct flight. It will go up and down..then really high prices, then usually thats followed by a nice price drop.
It seems as if they release most of their major sales monday mornings!