Should I book or wait

[hollyk]

I currently have to decide if I should book our airfare for easter week. I have been checking flights for the last 3 months or more and they have fluctuated so much but when they were the lowest, I couldn't afford them. they have been running around $450-$600 a person. we need 5 tickets. I currently have on hold 5 tickets totally $1700, should I take it, or hold out for a cheaper flight, which might not come but could, or should we skip it and plan to drive and maybe the flights would come down in price. The drive would probably cost us around $1000 round trip since we would need to rent a car (ours is too old and wouldn't make it) and it's a 23hr drive with 3 kids (2,6,8). what do I do? My other concern is the fact that we would have to fly into NY for a layover and we are flying in march so I am concerned about the weather as well.

Thoughts, concerns????

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I currently have about one hour to decide if I should book our airfare for easter week. I have been checking flights for the last 3 months or more and they have fluctuated so much but when they were the lowest, I couldn't afford them. they have been running around $450-$600 a person. we need 5 tickets. I currently have on hold 5 tickets totally $1700, should I take it, or hold out for a cheaper flight, which might not come but could, or should we skip it and plan to drive and maybe the flights would come down in price. The drive would probably cost us around $1000 round trip since we would need to rent a car (ours is too old and wouldn't make it) and it's a 23hr drive with 3 kids (2,6,8). what do I do? My other concern is the fact that we would have to fly into NY for a layover and we are flying in march so I am concerned about the weather as well.

Thoughts, concerns????

There is now way in heck I would take a 23 hour drive with little kids. If you can afford to get the airfare, I would do it without hesitation.

 

[wdhinn89]

If you haven't booked yet, check out American Airlines.

 

[hollyk]

This was through American, right now it's at about $1800, and I just don't know if it will go down. I would only be saving about $300-$400 but for us that's alot but I don't know if it's worth the hassle of the drive. I just don't want to risk buying and then going down when I need to save as much as possible. or it never goes down but goes up.
This is flying out of Ohare, we actually live in milwaukee but the prices are $200 more at least to fly from milwaukee. I hate this game.

 

[webworm]

This was through American, right now it's at about $1800, and I just don't know if it will go down. I would only be saving about $300-$400 but for us that's alot but I don't know if it's worth the hassle of the drive. I just don't want to risk buying and then going down when I need to save as much as possible. or it never goes down but goes up.
This is flying out of Ohare, we actually live in milwaukee but the prices are $200 more at least to fly from milwaukee. I hate this game.

What city are you flying out of and for what dates?

 

[wdhinn89]

I haven't flown AA in many, many years but I know when I checked them out for fare on 4/18 & 4/26 they were $1000rt. Yesterday someone on my cruise thread mentioned the fares were down to $175rt. Huge difference. They started to rises\ during the day and are now up to $435rt. Cheaper than most airlines at this time. It looks like they have good sales but you have to keep checking the site or be really lucky. I already booked in Nov at $385rt. Still high but better than JB my usual air carrier

 

[NancyIL]

You're just a little more than 3 months away from Easter. The problem is going to be availability on desirable flights if you hold out much longer for lower fares. $1800 for 5 tickets is $360/ticket - which isn't bad. What is Southwest charging? If it were me, I'd put them on hold again with American - and then check fares tomorrow before purchasing them.

**I just looked at AA.com. From your countdown clock, I gather that you're leaving on March 20th for a March 22-29 cruise on the Magic. If you fly via LaGuardia on the 20th and return to Chicago on SUNDAY, March 30th, you can get RT for $301.60/pp.

March 20
ORD-LGA #368 1:20-4:30 p.m.
LGA-MCO #1329 5:59-8:49 p.m.

March 30
MCO-LGA #1368 7:40-10:15 a.m.
LGA-ORD #321 11:45 a.m. -1:29 p.m.

 

[hollyk]

we are flying preferably out of Milwaukee but most likely out of Ohare into orlando March either 20th or 21st returning 29th.
My biggest concern with any of these flights, is the layover in NY because as weather here is unpredictable, I would really not want to be stuck there since it seems NY has been worse with weather than Wisconsin

 

[NancyIL]

we are flying preferably out of Milwaukee but most likely out of Ohare into orlando March either 20th or 21st returning 29th.
My biggest concern with any of these flights, is the layover in NY because as weather here is unpredictable, I would really not want to be stuck there since it seems NY has been worse with weather than Wisconsin

The schedule I posted is from Chicago O'Hare with the return on the 30th, because the fare was lower than returning on the 29th. You never know what the weather will be like, but by the end of March, winter ought to be over - even in NY.