Most you’d spend on airfare?

[_19disnA]

Many other variables to consider. If you live in a city with a hub airport for one of the major airlines, you can generally fly non-stop at reasonable prices. Live in a small city with only a small commuter airport, your choices are likely limited. If you live someplace that is 2-3 hrs from a large airport, choosing a vacation destination that requires flying wouldn't be my first choice. Deciding WHERE to go on vacation seems like more of a consideration. What is your budget and what are your interests as it relates to your vacation? When you travel also makes a difference since airline prices around major holidays tend to be higher due to the volume of people traveling. If you know your will be flying over a holiday, best to purchase your tickets as soon as plans are finalized. Once the lower price seats sell out, you will have to pay the fare of the next higher priced tickets. Planning a vacation that is not during a major holiday can result in lower prices for not only airline tickets but hotel accommodations as well.

 

[Lost boy]

We don't typically do further than Florida from CT and I like to stay around $300/pp roundtrip...We came in at $267.55 this upcoming trip so I'm happy.

267$ Where did you snag that price? I'm guessing flying out of Bradley, we went in Dec and it was $895 for two of us on Jet Blue from Bradley, middle of plane seats. We haven't been able to firm up our dates for this December but not seeing any prices close to that.

 

[1420Elexismc]

Yes Bradley through Southwest for May. JetBlue was so much more expensive even before the baggage fees.

 

[Lost boy]

Thanks, we have enough points to fly Jet Blue on points this year but will keep an eye on Southwest. We weren't happy with Jetblue this last flight, we were supposed to get to MCO around 3:15 until they dropped that whole flight and put us on a later flight arriving at 7:30, ruined our first day.

 

[Lesverts]

I've paid wildly varied prices and sometimes the prices are downright stupid.

To Denver, paid 750 in April, 990 at New Years
To Tampa, paid 550 in June, booked the day before the flight
To Orlando, paid 550 in November
To Los Angeles, paid 550 in September

Some places are absolutely ridiculous though.

I will note that I will pay extra for specific airlines and specific aircraft. Choice between an A220 vs a 737, I'll pay the extra to be on the A220.

 

[aerxo17]

I live near DC, close to 3 airports. I won't fly spirit or frontier and i never pay more than $200, unless a checked bag is necessary. Or we drive the 13 hours.

 

[Leigh L]

I won't pay more than $200 to $300 r/t pp for east coast flights (we're in DC) unless it's a trip somewhere that must happen if all 4 of us are going, we'll drive instead. I also got spoiled in 2020-2022 with the cheap flights I was able to get. A few times we got $29 flights for JetBlue and not much more for a few United ones up until sometime later last year.

I live near DC, close to 3 airports. I won't fly spirit or frontier and i never pay more than $200, unless a checked bag is necessary. Or we drive the 13 hours.

What airlines do you tend to fly and preferred airport? I too am in the DC area and often bounce between DCA and IAD and the occasional BWI. Not finding anything lately for under $200. SW and American I have trust issues when a trip is not flexible...lol...but will book them if needed. (Spirit and Frontier are also a no-go for us, unless it's a last-minute flight and I'm pretty sure the flight won't be canceled at that point...)

 

[aerxo17]

I won't pay more than $200 to $300 r/t pp for east coast flights (we're in DC) unless it's a trip somewhere that must happen if all 4 of us are going, we'll drive instead. I also got spoiled in 2020-2022 with the cheap flights I was able to get. A few times we got $29 flights for JetBlue and not much more for a few United ones up until sometime later last year.



What airlines do you tend to fly and preferred airport? I too am in the DC area and often bounce between DCA and IAD and the occasional BWI. Not finding anything lately for under $200. SW and American I have trust issues when a trip is not flexible...lol...but will book them if needed. (Spirit and Frontier are also a no-go for us, unless it's a last-minute flight and I'm pretty sure the flight won't be canceled at that point...)

I live about 4 miles away from DCA, so usually out of there. Occasionally BWI or IAD, but only at times I can take metro or amtrak to the airport, so not early morning or late night flights. I don't have a car and usually rely on ubers and public transport.

I just booked a basic economy American flight last night, for a saturday-monday in april for $188. Usually for southwest i'll pay a little more since they include 2 checked bags, but not more than $250 roundtrip. I've only flown JetBlue once and it was...unpleasant. Lol. But for $29, i would again. United is nice, but DCA isn't a big hub for them. Same with Delta.

I always book on a monday-wednesday, and I usually avoid travel days falling on a Thursday, Sunday, or Monday. That keeps flight prices low. I also only do nonstop flights to orlando, since its usually less than 2 hours in the air nonstop. Google Flights is my search engine of choice when not flying Southwest.

Good luck!

 

[Freshman]

Southwest dropped flights today for when we are traveling(10/14-10/21). Ended up flying out of DC (live in Harrisburg,Pa)because flight times worked best and more non stop options. Booked SW down and JetBlue back. Ended up being $317 pp round trip including bags. Will most likely need to book a room for the night in DC

 

[Leigh L]

I live about 4 miles away from DCA, so usually out of there. Occasionally BWI or IAD, but only at times I can take metro or amtrak to the airport, so not early morning or late night flights. I don't have a car and usually rely on ubers and public transport.

I just booked a basic economy American flight last night, for a saturday-monday in april for $188. Usually for southwest i'll pay a little more since they include 2 checked bags, but not more than $250 roundtrip. I've only flown JetBlue once and it was...unpleasant. Lol. But for $29, i would again. United is nice, but DCA isn't a big hub for them. Same with Delta.

I always book on a monday-wednesday, and I usually avoid travel days falling on a Thursday, Sunday, or Monday. That keeps flight prices low. I also only do nonstop flights to orlando, since its usually less than 2 hours in the air nonstop. Google Flights is my search engine of choice when not flying Southwest.

Good luck!

Thanks so much!
DCA is my preferred airport too, but IAD is closer. (I love that the Metro is finally finished at IAD so we can fly out of one airport and return to the other if needed.)

Maybe I need to wait a little closer to our dates (June) for prices. I'm going to check again today to see if any changed.

(Also considering auto-train for one way and driving back if flights don't drop. Or just driving. Since we're doing softball events/college/family visits outside of Orlando, we're going to need a car for a good 5-6 days anyway.)

 

[sjberg79]

My husband just got goosed on a 1 way flight he was booking from Seattle to Maui. Was 1st class and it was booking for around $700 (alaskan airlines). He got all the way through the booking and was doing the payment and it suddenly wouldn't go through. When he went back to try again, the price had jumped to $1800. I had already booked my son and myself on this flight and I couldn't book us all together because my husband and son have the same name and Alaskan Airlines is one of those ones where if you have the same name they won't let you book two tickets with the same name at the same time. So anyhow, my husband had to pay $1100 more because the software figured out they could gouge us. You know who is dead to us now? Alaskan Airways. Been using their credit card and the airline for 16 years but you duck us for $1100 and it's a good way for me to sign up for someone else's credit card. This will be our last trip with them.
We always fly first and I think the most we have paid is $1500 per person round trip. The 1st class prices are WAY higher this year than any other year we have bought. One of the first class routes I was looking at to Hawaii was $4000 pp round trip. I love travel, I love 1st but I will not pay $4000 for airfare.

 

[Dakota731]

1. Budget: Consider your overall budget for your trip, including all transportation costs, lodging, food, and activities. If the cost of flights is making it difficult to stay within your budget, you may need to consider alternative modes of transportation or adjust other parts of your trip to make it work.
2. Time: Flying can be a time-efficient way to travel, especially if you are traveling long distances. If time is a priority for your family, you may decide that the convenience of flying is worth the cost.
3. Distance: The distance you need to travel is also an important consideration. If you are traveling a shorter distance, driving or taking a train or bus may be a more cost-effective option.
4. Safety: During the pandemic, safety is an important consideration for travel. If you do decide to fly, make sure to take all necessary precautions, such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands frequently.
5. Alternative options: Consider alternative options such as road trips or staycations, which can be a fun and cost-effective way to spend time with your family.

Ultimately, the decision to fly with a large family will depend on your individual circumstances, priorities, and budget. Consider all of the above factors and weigh the pros and cons before making your decision.

I question your safety explanation - odds of being in an accident during a flight is one in 1.2 million, and the chances of that accident being fatal are one in 11 million. Your chances of dying in a car crash, conversely, are one in 5,000. So I’d take those odds instead of worrying about a mask which recent studies have challenged the efficacy of anyways.

 

[asgur5]

If im lucky I can get my family of 4 to disneyworld for about 7000 US dollars return in the cheapest economy tickets.

 

[Smugpugmug]

If im lucky I can get my family of 4 to disneyworld for about 7000 US dollars return in the cheapest economy tickets.

Just curious but where are you flying from where the total would be $7000? For that price I can fly to Europe or Asia for 3-4 people.

 

[Maria_Ohana]

I live near DC, close to 3 airports. I won't fly spirit or frontier and i never pay more than $200, unless a checked bag is necessary. Or we drive the 13 hours.

Same here coming from BWI area. We fly only SWA. I buy tix when the calendar first opens up, then I watch it daily and get the price adjusted. We just end up with credits for future flights. I just did a comparison and we will save about $500 if we opt to drive instead of flying. I don't know what to do. We travel to WDW about 2x a year.