JetBlue Discount?

[HaViet]

Hi everyone,

We're looking to fly from Hartford, CT to MCO in early August. Where can we find discounts on airfares, and when should we book our flights?

Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi everyone,

We're looking to fly from Hartford, CT to MCO in early August. Where can we find discounts on airfares, and when should we book our flights?

Thanks

I have yet to find a discount for any airline. They really don't exist. JB has opened their booking window thru Oct 25...,I think that's the date. So, you should book as soon as you see a fare you can live with.

 

[HaViet]

Thanks,

Wow, I check back on the airfares and it seems that the cost of each ticket just went up by $20.

I need to book in a hurry.

 

[msb578]

I have yet to find a discount for any airline. They really don't exist. JB has opened their booking window thru Oct 25...,I think that's the date. So, you should book as soon as you see a fare you can live with.

And after booking, JB will issue you a non-cash credit if your fare goes down (not automatically, but you can call them- even more than once- and they'll apply it).

 

[francie57]

We had our flight back from Disney booked on JetBlue for the end of Aug. and just had them cancel the flight for a full refund since they changed the time by 6 hours. The flight is now mid afternoon instead of at night. Not sure what time you are looking for flights each way but unfortunately JetBlues changes no longer offer an early flight to Orlando and not late flight back. We will be booking our flights from BDL on Southwest on Monday when they open the new booking window. You may make out better with them since they offer several non-stops each way during the day. We find them to actually be cheaper than JetBlue and then we just at the early check-in so we are checked in at 36 hours and get better seating numbers.

 

[HaViet]

We had our flight back from Disney booked on JetBlue for the end of Aug. and just had them cancel the flight for a full refund since they changed the time by 6 hours. The flight is now mid afternoon instead of at night. Not sure what time you are looking for flights each way but unfortunately JetBlues changes no longer offer an early flight to Orlando and not late flight back. We will be booking our flights from BDL on Southwest on Monday when they open the new booking window. You may make out better with them since they offer several non-stops each way during the day. We find them to actually be cheaper than JetBlue and then we just at the early check-in so we are checked in at 36 hours and get better seating numbers.

Thanks.

Didn't know Southwest had direct flights to Orlando from Hartford.

We will wait then since we like to travel around noon or mid morning.

Honestly, the JetBlue flights are not very ideal since it leaves Hartford around 5PM and arrived in Orlando at 8PM, which meant we would already lost a day in our vacation plans.

Edit: And how do you get early check-ins? Would you do that online?

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I bought tickets for early August leaving from Hartford, CT to MCO. I had received an e-mail about the schedule changes and instead of refunding I just had them change my flight at no cost. We are leaving on a 10:25 a.m. flight and arriving at MCO at 1:20. I think that is still a good time. We are taking an after noon flight back to Bradley I think it is at 1:55 pm. I ended up booking an extra day so that we can have some more resort time.

We just flew Southwest to Orlando from Bradley last month. I thought the airline was o.k. We really like Jet Blues planes and service.

Personally I booked the air fare as soon as I saw it. I did notice it goes up frequently.

Happy Planning.

 

[francie57]

HaViet - you book the early check-in at the same time as you buy your tickets. Once you pick the flights you want and proceed through the screens on the site you will be asked if you want the early check-in. Everything is done at one time.

We really like JetBlue also but for us we want a flight to Disney that leaves much earlier than 10:25. We are used to landing before that flight even leaves BDL. We also like to have a flight back that basically gives us and extra day at Disney. We have extra points left with our DVC ownership but I don't want to use them just to get up and have to take a flight home. I would rather save them for another trip to Disney at some point in the year. This is the way we have always done our trips. Plus we have to work around the hours that we are able to pick up our dog from the kennel and there is very limited time on Sunday to do that and I don't like leaving him longer than I have to.

 

[suffieldhockeymom]

I almost booked JB a few months ago and I am sooooo glad I didn't. The flight times are terrible compared to SW and appear to suddenly change for the worse (as OP noted by 6 hours). SW is releasing 8/9 to 10/31 next Monday (3/3) and I will be up at the crack of dawn to book.

 

[PRomano]

I booked this morning. When I first looked the return flight for 2 of my party was low. By the time I booked the other 4 people it went up! UGH!! I booked anyway, the stress is getting to me. At least now I know that we are really going!

 

[HaViet]

Thanks everyone, didn't know we have quite a few Hartford area residents on this board

When I first started looking at JetBlue rates around last Nov/Dec, I think I saw it at around 230 for the nonstop flight. Then couple weeks ago, it went up to around 255. And now, it's at 275. The rates seem to keep going up.

I think we'll go with Southwest and try to book as soon as they released the dates. Can you pick your own seats with Southwest in advance? From what I've read from their site, it seems that as you board the plane you just pick your seat. I don't think this would be ideal since we have a party of 8 with young children and would definitely like to pick our own seats before we board so that we all would be close together.

 

[francie57]

There are no assigned seats on SW. You get a boarding number (A1-60, B1-60 or C1-60). We buy the early check-in when we purchase our tickets which has SW check you in 36 hours ahead of the flight instead of 24. There is usually family boarding between A and B. You could purchase the early check-in for a few of the adults and then just save seats for the few others. Otherwise be on the computer just before the 24 hour check-in and get checked in as soon as possible.

 

[HaViet]

There are no assigned seats on SW. You get a boarding number (A1-60, B1-60 or C1-60). We buy the early check-in when we purchase our tickets which has SW check you in 36 hours ahead of the flight instead of 24. There is usually family boarding between A and B. You could purchase the early check-in for a few of the adults and then just save seats for the few others. Otherwise be on the computer just before the 24 hour check-in and get checked in as soon as possible.

Thanks. So, you would pay extra for early check in online and then you would be able to pick your own seats?

How much more is early check-in for each ticket? And what are some of the better seats on SouthWest?

Thanks again.

 

[goofy4tink]

There are no assigned seats on SW. You get a boarding number (A1-60, B1-60 or C1-60). We buy the early check-in when we purchase our tickets which has SW check you in 36 hours ahead of the flight instead of 24. There is usually family boarding between A and B. You could purchase the early check-in for a few of the adults and then just save seats for the few others. Otherwise be on the computer just before the 24 hour check-in and get checked in as soon as possible.

The only time it's 'fair' to save a seat is if its a middle seat. It's just not fair to those that paid for EBCI to have to pass by seats that they might have liked, but were being saved for someone that did not pay extra.
Even when you fly with an airline that allows you to choose seats at the time of booking, there is still a chance those seats could be switched by the airline.

If you decide to go with SW......those flying with children 4 or younger can probably get away with doing family family in between the A and B boarding groups. Those that choose to, buy EBCI. Those that don't want to buy it, check un at the 24 hr window and board in their slot.

 

[HaViet]

We'll be traveling with 4 adults and 4 children ages 4-9. If we must pay for early check in on all tickets in order to seat together, and hopefully have better seats, then I wouldn't have any problem with it at all.

It seems the early check in is $25 additional on each ticket. Doesn't seem too bad.

Southwest seems like the most logical at this point for us since they have the cheapest fare ($210+$25 for early check in), but also 3 flights each day so we have much better choices in terms of when we want to depart/return.