Should I buy now????

[TINKTWINS]

Im planning to go to WDW the last few days of November until the first week in Dec.

Ive been checking the airfare daily.

I can get R/T non stop on Delta from Boston to Orlando for $189.00.

I just dont know if I should get them now or wait a little to see if there are any online deals at a later date?

My last trip I purchased my tickets on Travelicity about 3 mos. in advance. In that time, my departing flight changed 3 times. On the last change they accidentally removed us from the list. I called them directly and they put us back in the system, however when we showed up at the airport at 4 AM, they only had seats for 3 of the 6 of us. 2 of my kids being 2yo twins, i was extremely panicked, especially on about 2 hours worth of sleep. We did get on the plane, umm the smallest one they fly it seemed like.

Anyway, im a bit skeptical. any advice

 

[zulaya]

Is $189 a good price for you though? I don't have any clue if that is a good price from Boston to MCO. If it was from MSP I'd jump on it!

If you have seen better prices closer to your dates in the past then wait. But you also run the risk of the price going higher instead of lower.

I think your signature says upcoming Xmas 2002. If you are traveling at Xmas, if IO were in your position, I would book sooner than later just for peace of mind that I had a ticket.

If Delta has given you trouble in the past, perhaps check another airline and see what kinds of deals you can get from them. Sometimes it's worth the extra money if that airline is more apt to not change the schedule on you.

 

[ducklite]

I would jump on that rate! Sure, it could go down $20, but it could also go up $150.

Anne

 

[webhead]

I'm having the same dilemma... we're going the first two weeks in December. I'm going to wait just a little while longer...

I have read on this board that Southwest may be extending the dates that they are selling tickets for on June 9 or 10. If they have Friends Fly Free at that time, we're buying those - if not, we'll buy the cheapest tickets available on whatever airline.

Good luck!

 

[mle]

I'm "rolling the dice" with my airfare, as well. My date are from Nov 28 (or the 27th), with a return on Dec 2. The best nonstop fare I've found from JFK is $214 (Delta). After picking up a rental car and driving the hour+ to my parent's house, I'll get there just in time for dinner! If I buy an earlier scheduled flight now, it will set me back an additional $100 to $250+ for my family of four. But if I wait for Southwest to release later dates, the fare won't be any worse than what I have available now (for a late afternoon flight) AND I will have their earlier flights to choose from.

However, TinkTwins, if that $189 fare from BOS is for the exact dates and time that you want, I say buy them now. If I changed my dates my fare would drop to $169, BUT, that would mean my kids would miss more days from school (and I already have them scheduled to miss seven! must... stop... this... WDW addiction -- no, I'm not going to WDW again, I'm going to visit my parents! yeah, I'm just going to Palm Bay to spend quality time with my family, really I am! LOL). I agree that you should get them now just to have peace of mind.

BTW, I called Southwest today and the customer service rep checked their bulletin which had no mentioned of later departure dates being released. She mentioned that usually their bulletin board will post a heads-up about a week or so of any new dates or upcoming promotions. So I guess I'll just be checking their website EVERYDAY until those airline reservations are booked!

-emily

 

[hightown]

Don't know what kind of competition there is between airlines in you city but to me, sounds like a great fare!

I'm looking for November tickets too. Being in Denver, fares are sky high! United non stop is $456!!!! Denver has always been a high priced market due to the lock United has on it! Just today though, saw some good rates on other carriers on connecting flights. I'll be traveling with 9yr old and 69 yr old so would like to avoid that.

Keeping my fingers crossed that 'Highnited' will come down.

 

[bigsis1970]

I am having the same delema from the same place.. I am going 11/29 to 12/07 am checking both Boston and Manchester NH almost daily and have seen that rate too go up bit by bit from about 176 to 192 ! i went 12-01-01 to 12-15-01 last year and waited till July to purchase out of Manchester NH on Delta for 95.76 a ticket ! so i am impaiently waiting and fingers/toes everything crossed that can in hopes the same fares will show up in the summer again.. good luck and post your decision.. Michelle

 

[4nana]

Chancing it also....
Need descent early Dec prices - BWI to MCO.
Have read things have a tendency to drop after July 4.
Meanwhile I will keep my fingers crossed

 

[ncligs]

TINKTWINS,

There should not even be any DOUBT!!Book it as soon as you can!! You will not find any lower prices at the times that you like to travel.

 

[NurseKim]

I got 157.50 last year, same time you are going, round trip from Boston to Orlando, non stop from Orbitz.
Don't you hate playing the airfare game!

 

[TINKTWINS]

Im litterally driving myself nuts.YES!!!!
Zulaya.. it was American that I didnt like as well as all the changes Travelocity put me through. I dont think ill purchase through them. Im looking through Delta.com, Expedia and Orbitz. All of them have basically the same price but different times.

Michelle, looks like were going just about the same time. Ive decided to leave on Thanksgiving afternoon so I can see my oldest son play football and ill stay till the 7th or 8th. We might end up on the same flight!!

mle I know this obsession is crazy. I went from settling for just a few days in early Dec. to justify my annual passes to oh what the heck your already going to be there, just stay the 10 days!!! The schools must love parents like us. I know Southwest sells out fast and id have to drive to Manchester to get them. they dont fly out of Logan. And the longer i wait the non-stops sell out too fast as well. When the price goes down to 100. they are very hard to get what you want.

 

[zulaya]

You all need to keep in mind that the chances of you having low prices like last year's are slim to none. Last year, 9/11 and the economy hit the airlines hard so of course those months immediately following they had huge price cuts to get people to fly. Now we still have the economy affecting somewhat, but you need to keep in mind that you may not see rock bottom prices.

Take your chances by waiting if you choose to, but remember that you run the risk of prices not only going down, but also going up.

 

[shelby2001]

I bought mine early direct flights out of Providence for the week of Thanksgiving and returning 12-4-02 I was affraid to play the waiting game, and they had them for $168.50 and I thought that was a good price per person, that same flight is now $313.00

 

[mle]

I just got off the phone with SWA. I was advised that fares for November aren't expected to come out until about a month to a month and a half AND that fares for December won't be released until a month after that. So for my short little trip that begins at the end of Nov and ends at the beginning of Dec, I will have to wait until about SEPTEMBER!!!!

AARGH! Well, I guess I'm "letting it ride" until Sept or at least until the other airlines provide more agreeable times/reasonable prices.

Good luck to everyone else playing airfare roulette!

 

[tinagirl]

Last year, I was able to book $198 from SNA (right near Disneyland in Orange County, CA) to MCO with one stop in houston on Continental. I booked through travelocity.com and had no problems at all. My dates were January 3 - 13, but I had booked it in August (before September 11 happened.) What was strange is that the lowest fare for the same exact flight booked later was $238, so September 11, didn't seem to affect Continental that much.

Keep trying, and you'll get through it. I do like travelocity.com myself, and was able to impress my mom, when we got a flight from Burbank to PDX (portand) to visit my Cousin for her wedding this August. She wanted to fly United, and called them, and was told that their cheapest fare was $298 - Then she called a travel agent friend of hers and was told $249. Then I checked travelocity.com about a week ago and was able to book $158 on United. Almost $100 less, for a flight up on a Friday, and back down on a Sunday.

Just keep trying all your options.
~Tina

 

[TINKTWINS]

I was checking the prices yet again today. No drops yet. Still the same availablity also.

On Delta.com you can look to see the seat availablilty and I check that to see how its going as well.

The price for 6 of us to go is 1130.00
Which is really decent. I paid about 200. less in April when they had the 99.00
My base price was about 129.00 PP and the total after all the extras was somewhere around 900.

Now the 1130. is total, with all the extra charges. taxes ect.

I dont think ill wait much longer. People are buying their tickets now which means when and if the fare does drop, there wont be many non-stop flights. I need the non stop flight, connecting is horrible with toddlers!!