Please Advise: Buy now or later?

[jake&samsmom]

I have been watching the Continental airline fares from Houston to Orlando for months now. Travel dates are Dec 18 to 24, 2010. In March they were $326 roundtrip per person plux tax. Last month was $356. Last week $376. Now they're $396!!!

For those who are familiar with the history of December fares, do they go down after the summer? Or does this trend of going up, up up continue? When is a prudent time to bite the bullet and purchase?

Thanks in advance for all y'all's help

 

[hipporina]

I am interested to see other people's thoughts, but I will give you my best guess. We are going out of Dallas the week before you, and I am still waiting to buy my tickets. I am signed up for the Travelocity service that notifies you when rates drop and the latest drop I have seen so far is for November. I am hoping that we are just a little early still. I sincerely hope I am not wrong! A little difference in fares makes a huge difference for 10 people!

 

[jake&samsmom]

Thanks for the reply, hipporina. I too am trying to be patient but it is sooo hard! (Have you considered driving? We may do that if the fares go up ridiculously high. But I worry about how my 10-month old at that time would handle the 17 hr drive.) Let me know if you see some fare drops for December.
Anyone else looking at December airfares?

 

[hipporina]

We have talked about driving, but having both flown and driven in the past, driving is the last resort! Right now, fares out of DFW for our dates are about $230. We have always flown for about $180, so that is what I am really hoping for. I have a friend in Houston who drove to Dallas to fly out to WDW because it was so much cheaper. The real kicker was that her flight stopped in Houston, but it was cheaper to go from Dallas than to get on the same plane in Houston!

If you have any flexiblitiy in your dates, it looks like you could fly out of DFW for less than $300. Still high, but a little better.

 

[goofyfordisney]

I have been watching the Continental airline fares from Houston to Orlando for months now. Travel dates are Dec 18 to 24, 2010. In March they were $326 roundtrip per person plux tax. Last month was $356. Last week $376. Now they're $396!!!

For those who are familiar with the history of December fares, do they go down after the summer? Or does this trend of going up, up up continue? When is a prudent time to bite the bullet and purchase?

Thanks in advance for all y'all's help

I check fares on bing.com...Go to Bing.com and then select "Travel", then "flights"

There's a fare predictor/indicator for most flights...you put your dates and locations in and it will let you know if you should wait or buy...

I just booked our flights for our early December trip because there was a great fare on Delta from SFO to MCO ($180.00!!) That's a great round-trip fare -- usually around $350+.

Hope this helps!

 

[jake&samsmom]

I check fares on bing.com...Go to Bing.com and then select "Travel", then "flights"

There's a fare predictor/indicator for most flights...you put your dates and locations in and it will let you know if you should wait or buy...

I just booked our flights for our early December trip because there was a great fare on Delta from SFO to MCO ($180.00!!) That's a great round-trip fare -- usually around $350+.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the very wise advice! Congrats on your purchase! Hoping for something like that for me!