presidents week airfare

[rubbergypsy]

been searching for good rates but prices are out of this world, is it just too early for feb 18-25 listings or will prices be like this due to holiday week?

 

[tinkerbell615]

been searching for good rates but prices are out of this world, is it just too early for feb 18-25 listings or will prices be like this due to holiday week?

I am looking for Feb 16-18, President's Weekend. I am waiting for Southwest fares. I will be watching with you because I am finding that fares are really high also.

 

[Anastasia]

We travelled President's Day week in 2004, and found airfares to be high. I ended up getting decent rates (about $250 rt from Philadelphia), but they were hard to find.

My advice would be that if you find a decent rate, to book it immediately.

 

[js]

My dh and I decided this weekend to try to go someplace during President's week. Not Disney since crowd wise too busy and we will be there on October 21. But, like you, finding someplace isn't the hard part, it is the air that is keeping us from committing to a trip. I belong to RCI and can get a place in Mexico for a great rate and some other places but acted to slow on air.
I would be flying out of JFK or EWR.

 

[Jacksmom99]

Keep checking Kayak.com everyday. Last weekend I got non-stop RT Boston to Tampa for $258 on Delta for Feb 17-25. They must have added the flight that morning because it was empty, but now the fares are $623! Airtran had some ok prices a few weeks ago, but I was holding out for a non-stop if possible. I was willing to pay between 250 and 280, but anything over that and we probably would have driven.

jetblue may come down a bit for a special, but I wouldn't count on it. Keep your eyes open for southwest also, and grab it when you can.

 

[js]

THank you. I will keep my eyes open on Kyak. $250 each for the 4 of us would be about all I would go. We have taken 3 major trips this year and would just like to fit something nice in for Feb. but hate thinking of adding another $1000 just for airfare. Driving for a 4 or 5 night cruise would be an option but we will see.
I don't live close enough for Southwest since I would only be a able to leave from JFK or EWR and I am a T E R R I B L E flyer so unfortunatley I will only fly non stop.
Does Kyak update all day or just once a day? Thanks.

 

[PURTYPAT1]

JS, I fly every year for Pres week. Try looking at one way fares, sometimes you might find a great price on different airlines. Try LGA airport too.

I actually booked our flight 330 days for 2/17 to 2/25 We are flying out of EWR & coming home to LGA. I worked hard this year, to find a good rate.

Keep us posted on your rates.

Good luck

Patricia

 

[keishashadow]

When we went early in '05 the rates were too high for our pocketbook for the week following Pres. Day weekend (along w/hotels, rental cars, etc.)

We were able to get lower rates by flying out the Sunday prior & returning the Tuesday after Pres., nice long trip too!

If you can swing it, the weekday fares are easier to book & get sale fares on,
good luck.

 

[MAGGIED]

I was able to get direct flights from Rochester NY to Orlando for 5 of us for a total of $1131 - mind you I will need to take the kids out of school - we are traveling Feb 15th thru the 23rd - direct flights.... the cost went up so much if we left on Friday or Saturday that it was worth it to take them out for 2 days...

 

[Rpsemont]

Not sure where you're from, but flying weekend to weekend during this time can be very expensive. If you see something you think you can afford, book it. We have gone this week for the last 4 years. Flying from BDL (HArtford), to get airfare under $230 RT we had to fly out Mon or Tues and return the following Tues or Wed. It meant some days missed from school. Last year we had Rapid Reward tickets and were able to fly on the weekends. I did notice, though, that all the discount SWA fares (Anything under $150 OW) for the weekend days were either not offered or sold out within minutes of the fares opening up.

 

[NotUrsula]

President's Day weekend has become a really hot travel holiday in all warm resort destinations, but especially in Central Florida because of Race Week in Daytona. I'm afraid it has gotten nearly as bad as Xmas and Thanksgiving in terms of nasty airfares.

If you wanted to spend the weekend in, say, Iowa, you probably wouldn't have any trouble finding something affordable.

 

[BigTigger]

February school break is always a more expensive ticket from the northeast unless you're lucky and catch a sale or a new flight addition. We gave up last year trying for Florida and went to southern California. The weather is the same and the airfare still very cheap for direct flights. So you get the same Disney experience at the old Florida prices for 2-3 extra hours on the plane. We are going on Delta from BOS to LAX leaving Friday the 16th and returning Friday the 23rd for just under $1100 for the five of us. JetBlue had similar fares from BOS to Long Beach for those dates last year and I'd expect will this year. We went with Delta so we could use upgrades to first, but have already had four schedule changes or a few minutes here or there and a plane change or two. Disneyland is also pretty cheap for tickets compared to Disneyworld and the two parks can keep you busy for three full days. You can get good deals on the Disneyland hotels if you book ahead too. And rental cars in CA are cheaper than Florida - a minivan for $216 for the week or a midsize car for $176. So look west before you give up on a Disney vacation in February!!

 

[kaceyisme]

I've been trying for days to get a good airfare from NY. The fares started at over $600 per person at the beginning of the week, and I now have on hold tickets for $263 pp (American non-stop from LaGuardia). I check kayak.com every morning and evening, and it has dropped three times since I started checking. I just put the flights on a 24 hour hold. Hopefully it will go lower before I am forced to purchase, but at least I can live with the $263 pp. It still kills me because we usually get tickets for around $150 pp.

 

[jeff968]

Be as flexible as you can. My wife's a teacher as well as three kids in school so we can't leave early or come back late. However, I can be flexible on the times and the airports. i have gone into jacksonville and drove down. I like hartford but always get better deals out of NYC. six weeks ago i was lucky and spotted non-stops out of LGA to Tampa for $220 per person, leaving friday the 16th, returning on sunday the 25th. Not bad so i grabbed them. But prices definately seem higher. My best I ever got was $147 non-stop into Orlando for president's week but that was in 2/2002 and no one was flying. I'll never see those prices again.

 

[PURTYPAT1]

I've been trying for days to get a good airfare from NY. The fares started at over $600 per person at the beginning of the week, and I now have on hold tickets for $263 pp (American non-stop from LaGuardia). I check kayak.com every morning and evening, and it has dropped three times since I started checking. I just put the flights on a 24 hour hold. Hopefully it will go lower before I am forced to purchase, but at least I can live with the $263 pp. It still kills me because we usually get tickets for around $150 pp.

Hi Kaceyisme,

We have been traveling to Disney President Week for the last 4 years. (Also Jersey week in Nov)

I fly from LGA also. I have never gotten a direct flight for "President week" date for under $200.00 per person round trip. In fact, this year I got my fare on the 330 day & got 2 one way fares for a total of $197.00 I feel like it's a steel. I think $263.00 is a great price especially for AA.

Let us know if you can a better price.

Good luck

 

[HeatherC]

Even thought it's a big pain, I would suggest checking constantly....several times a day since the rates do go up and down all the time. Check kayak, but also check the airlines websites because sometimes the rates change their first - and sometimes they change first on kayak.

We were lucky to get Feb.13-24th nonstop from Boston for $229 a person. With the weather in Feb. and three kids, I refuse to make stopovers. How spoiled am I?

We are actually flying home from FLL - visiting family). But at the time Airtran had just opened up one nonstop a day and I jumped on it for like $89 a person. That same flight is now $304 a person one way. And to fly Jetblue home from MCO that same day was $299 a person one way!! Insane.

Like others mentioned, price one ways as well. That's what we wound up doing. JetBlue nonstop down and Airtran nonstop back.

Also price flying into one airport and home from another if you are renting a car. Believe it or not, the car rental was cheaper to pick up in MCO and drop off at FLL. Who knew?

One other thing is to check the rates the same day that Southwest releases their February fares. It seems like sometimes the rates drop for a little while and then shoot back up. I'm talking about the other airlines since you mentioned that you are not near Southwest.

It's such a pain how buying plane tickets is like a game. Hopefully, they will drop because I can't imagine paying over $600 a person to go to Florida from the Northeast. Insane.

Best of luck to you.
HeatherC

 

[debster812]

Even thought it's a big pain, I would suggest checking constantly....several times a day since the rates do go up and down all the time. Check kayak, but also check the airlines websites because sometimes the rates change their first - and sometimes they change first on kayak.

We were lucky to get Feb.13-24th nonstop from Boston for $229 a person. With the weather in Feb. and three kids, I refuse to make stopovers. How spoiled am I?

We are actually flying home from FLL - visiting family). But at the time Airtran had just opened up one nonstop a day and I jumped on it for like $89 a person. That same flight is now $304 a person one way. And to fly Jetblue home from MCO that same day was $299 a person one way!! Insane.

Like others mentioned, price one ways as well. That's what we wound up doing. JetBlue nonstop down and Airtran nonstop back.

Also price flying into one airport and home from another if you are renting a car. Believe it or not, the car rental was cheaper to pick up in MCO and drop off at FLL. Who knew?

One other thing is to check the rates the same day that Southwest releases their February fares. It seems like sometimes the rates drop for a little while and then shoot back up. I'm talking about the other airlines since you mentioned that you are not near Southwest.

It's such a pain how buying plane tickets is like a game. Hopefully, they will drop because I can't imagine paying over $600 a person to go to Florida from the Northeast. Insane.

Best of luck to you.
HeatherC

ITA with Heather. We did much the same thing. Booked a one way Delta flight out of Boston on Feb 14th (DS will only miss 2 days of school due to a teacher in service on the 16th). And we also jumped on the new AirTran non stop coming home. All told our round trip flight was around $265 pp, but both non stops, at times that work OK for us.

 

[rubbergypsy]

quick!! just got airtran nonstop buffalo-orlando 2/16-2/25 132 each way, total for two 579.20

 

[PURTYPAT1]

quick!! just got airtran nonstop buffalo-orlando 2/16-2/25 132 each way, total for two 579.20

Congrats!!!!

 

[Tinkim]

I was trying to hold out for SWA for 2/25 to 3/4 but I got an e-mail from Travelocity about my Fare Watcher which usually means nothing because the dates I need are usually not available but I checked anyway. I got $230 R/T per person for 2/24 to 3/4. I couldn't find any weekend flights out of MHT for under $380 so I jumped on those. The US Air web site wouldn't let me book so I called and the reservationist booked them for me. She said she thought the $99 each way was a mistake but she booked them anyway. The same flight now is $361. I have other people considering going with us but none of them have committed enough to buy the plane tickets so I will still possibly be on the lookout for them. Keep looking . . . something will come up when you least expect it!