Should I bite the bullet (SWA)?

[gvillemama]

I am trying to book our vacation for June 24-June 30. In the past, when we traveled to WDW, it was just the three of us (myself, husband and son). This trip, we have the three of us + a baby (lap baby) and our moms. So we are purchasing 5 plane tickets. I have always booked Southwest and have always had really good luck with prices. We will be flying out of Nashville. My question is, should I bite the bullet and pay the higher than normal (to me) prices or should I wait a little longer? I have threatened my group that we would drive if I didn't get the price I liked!

 

[disney 4 5]

I am trying to book our vacation for June 24-June 30. In the past, when we traveled to WDW, it was just the three of us (myself, husband and son). This trip, we have the three of us + a baby (lap baby) and our moms. So we are purchasing 5 plane tickets. I have always booked Southwest and have always had really good luck with prices. We will be flying out of Nashville. My question is, should I bite the bullet and pay the higher than normal (to me) prices or should I wait a little longer? I have threatened my group that we would drive if I didn't get the price I liked!

I booked our family of 6 yesterday out of chicago roundtrip $173.60 per person roundtrip may 30 - 31. I thought that was a good price not as good as we got for our december trip $154.50 per person but still good. Keep watching is my suggestion. For our june trip last year I didn't book with SW until April to get the prices I wanted (it was just over $200 per person). Check every day around 9ish if you can & tuesday seems to be the best day to book. But I have gotten good prices with them on other days. Good Luck!

 

[disny_luvr]

UGH! I feel your pain, OP. I think SW prices are really, really high. I'm looking at $155/ticket for our return flight. Back in December I booked our flight down to Orlando on AirTran from our local airport. I paid $87/ticket and was very, very happy with that price. We were planning on flying into BWI on SW but I can't swallow these prices. We have to do something though as we can't stay in Disney forever (even though I'd love too) and we need to get home. On a brighter note, AirTran added an additional flight into our local airport at a decent rate, $107/ticket, on the day after we were planning on coming home so now I'm trying to decide if we should stay in Disney another night and take the cheaper flight home the next day. In that case, we'd be breaking even money wise AND would have an additional day in Disney but I worry that if I book now then the SW prices with drop. I'm at a lose as to what to do. I hate playing the airfare price game.

BTW, our dates are June 14-22 so around the same time you are looking to fly.

 

[bookwormde]

I would wait, you are still over 4 months out and SW opens the reservation from Sept-Nov on the 20th and often the prices drop on earlier flights about that time.

I have flights in mid June and the fares have been stubornly high, but I have points so a just booked some of the tickets since there is no penalty for canceling.

 

[mlittig]

I don't know what is up with Southwest's fares They are not bad for August but the end of April is ridiculous

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm in the same boat...or should I say plane

We are going to a convention at WDW and need to arrive on June 30th. The fares are about 50% higher than I was hoping to pay. I fully expected to pay more than I normally do just because it's a very busy holiday week. If I had booked the week that thoses dates were released I would have been much closer to what I had though my max would be(within about $40/ticket). At that time we thought that if airfare wasn't in the ballpark we would just drive but now I've had an issue with my car and really feel that driving is not an option.

In the past I have had great luck with booking our annual August trip. I've found fares that were just right in approx mid June for travel the end of August. So with that in mind I'm still holding out hope.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I'm looking for mid June too and I have points to buy the SW tickets. I see that they went up today for several of the flights I was looking at. I wish I would have bought yesterday.

 

[disneymom1229]

I'm in the same boat...or should I say plane

We are going to a convention at WDW and need to arrive on June 30th. The fares are about 50% higher than I was hoping to pay. I fully expected to pay more than I normally do just because it's a very busy holiday week. If I had booked the week that thoses dates were released I would have been much closer to what I had though my max would be(within about $40/ticket). At that time we thought that if airfare wasn't in the ballpark we would just drive but now I've had an issue with my car and really feel that driving is not an option.

In the past I have had great luck with booking our annual August trip. I've found fares that were just right in approx mid June for travel the end of August. So with that in mind I'm still holding out hope.

Hi! I see you are just north of me and was wondering if you fly out of BUF? We are going Aug 22-30 this year for the first time and I am in sticker shock over the SWA prices! I am hoping by waiting it out they will drop. We went in sept the past two years and have had great luck and our rt was below 200 both times. I am hoping for that again, but does Aug run higher than that? thanks for info you could share.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Hi! I see you are just north of me and was wondering if you fly out of BUF? We are going Aug 22-30 this year for the first time and I am in sticker shock over the SWA prices! I am hoping by waiting it out they will drop. We went in sept the past two years and have had great luck and our rt was below 200 both times. I am hoping for that again, but does Aug run higher than that? thanks for info you could share.

Hey there neighbour

I'm in Oakville...we use BUF all the time and luv it. We generally travel the last 2 weeks in August returning home on Labour day weekend. I think the most I've paid for that time period is about $180 all incl. for the non stop. I have often seen the fares much higher than that but I have always been lucky and caught a sale. So far this year there haven't been any sales.

If you can't play the waiting game and know that you can use a credit within a year then you could buy now and rebook later if a sale happens. For me, I'm not willing only because we have decided that we are going to do an island vacay next year....no FL.

 

[emmabelle]

We want to cruise out of Port Canaveral, July 4th week but the fares are so high for MHT and PVD. ugghhh...

 

[disneymom1229]

Hey there neighbour

I'm in Oakville...we use BUF all the time and luv it. We generally travel the last 2 weeks in August returning home on Labour day weekend. I think the most I've paid for that time period is about $180 all incl. for the non stop. I have often seen the fares much higher than that but I have always been lucky and caught a sale. So far this year there haven't been any sales.

If you can't play the waiting game and know that you can use a credit within a year then you could buy now and rebook later if a sale happens. For me, I'm not willing only because we have decided that we are going to do an island vacay next year....no FL.

I can definitely play the waiting game!! I will be checking everyday and am glad to hear that there may be a chance that I will be able to score more affordable fares. Enjoy your vacation..

 

[jdb in AZ]

With oil prices skyrocketing, I really don't see air fares dropping before the problems with Iran stabilize.

 

[oswaldtherabbit]

Hi, we are traveling down to Disney during the 3rd week of June and have been watching prices daily. We have always flown out of Atlantic City rather than Philly because it is much closer to our home however we are exploring other options. Some of you have mentioned Sales for South West. How do they work? Do you have to be a member, buy on a certain day or just luck out? Also, what is considered a good fare from Philly to Orlando? We have been pretty lucky with Spirit in the past however right now the prices are comparable enough for us to look into Soutwest. Thanks for any info!

 

[jjjmranch]

Southwest still has the best prices out of Chicago. I booked our May trip last November and then they dropped the price and I saved over $30 per ticket. Keep watching. I'm definitely waiting for the October prices to come out from them.

 

[gvillemama]

While I always have flown Southwest in the past, I also keep an eye on some other discount air carriers that are in our area (Allegiant, AirTran). After doing some researching and fully pricing out Allegiant, there is no way that is a good deal for us even if they are 20 minutes from our house.

I ended up booking through AirTran at a small airport slighter further than Nashville was for us. Round trip cost us $208 per person, plus baggage. Southwest might drop and end up being lower, but I have my doubts. This was less than I was wanting to spend, so I am very happy with it.

However, I better not get too attached to this airport or Airtran, because due to the Southwest/Airtran merger, they will not be flying from Lexington after August.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If it were me, I would have purchased tickets for June travel some time ago.

 

[gvillemama]

If it were me, I would have purchased tickets for June travel some time ago.

Normally I do book further in advance, but when the flights were released many months ago, they were still much more than I wanted to spend. That's why I waited.

 

[My 2 princesses]

I can definitely play the waiting game!! I will be checking everyday and am glad to hear that there may be a chance that I will be able to score more affordable fares. Enjoy your vacation..

Holding out with you 2 as well We are looking for August 21st to 28th. Direct Air is starting to look very good at this point.