Two first time flyers with questions :)

[ABDonovan]

My DH and I have decided to fly.

My question is, I'm making the deposit to hold our room for August in like...maybe a week. Should I definitely wait to book our flight as well? I've heard that there are companies that credit you with the difference if their rates change, and I've heard that rates can change drastically.

Right now, according to Disney, Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc, a roundtrip flight from Memphis to Orlando and back is $764 for two people.

Is there a chance this will change? I don't mind paying this price, but I would just like to know if there might be other options, since this is our first time going on any sort of vacation together. We're pinching pennies, but we don't want to drive unless we have to (14 hours one way ).

Any advice?

 

[dsneprincess]

Your money, your call....however, usually the earlier you purchase the better the price, especially with the traditional airlines. Some will refund you (usually with credit for future travel within 1 year); some you pay a $75 per person change fee. Only you can decide what price you are willing to pay for your vacation & to avoid a 14 hour drive. Just buy knowing that you are happy with what you paid & don't count on getting a refund at a later date; if it happens, great! If not, that's ok too. Happy planning

 

[Jestocost]

My DH and I have decided to fly.

My question is, I'm making the deposit to hold our room for August in like...maybe a week. Should I definitely wait to book our flight as well? I've heard that there are companies that credit you with the difference if their rates change, and I've heard that rates can change drastically.

Right now, according to Disney, Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, etc, a roundtrip flight from Memphis to Orlando and back is $764 for two people.

Is there a chance this will change? I don't mind paying this price, but I would just like to know if there might be other options, since this is our first time going on any sort of vacation together. We're pinching pennies, but we don't want to drive unless we have to (14 hours one way ).

Any advice?

It depends on how much you are willing to play the game. I don't track prices for flights from Memphis to MCO, but $382 per person round trip would be a good price for STL-MCO flights.

Only a few airlines offer credits when fares go down without charging a fee. All of the legacy carriers--including Delta, which dominates Memphis--will charge you $150 per ticket to make any changes and that usually wipes out any beneifts from fare reductions.

Southwest and JetBlue do allow you to make changes without charging any fees, but neither flies out of Memphis. Southwest does fly out of Little Rock and will have dates through Aug. 9 open for booking on Nov. 19 (this could change) and the rest of the month available probably in January or February. None of their flights out of Little Rock are non-stops at this time, however, and fares for dates in May (the latest you can book on SWA right now) are running $400+ per person round trip. Another option out of Memphis may be AirTran, but they won't release dates for a while and do charge a change fee.

 

[lylone]

running $400+ per person round trip. Another option out of Memphis may be AirTran, but they won't release dates for a while and do charge a change fee.

Airtran has never charged me a change fee when a fare has dropped. We just got a credit about a month ago when the fares dropped to $45 one way from ATL to MCO. August is a far way off and if it were me, I would wait until at least March to book flights.


And I can understand about not wanting to drive.. we don't even want to drive from Atlanta!

 

[Jestocost]

Airtran has never charged me a change fee when a fare has dropped. We just got a credit about a month ago when the fares dropped to $45 one way from ATL to MCO.

Then you either had a business-class ticket booked or got an exception. They may regularly waive such fees, but AirTran's change policy is clear:

Changes to Flight Itineraries
All AirTran Airways fares are non-refundable (except Business Class) and a $75 fee per person applies to any change made after purchase, plus any applicable increase in airfare. Customers not sure of which flight they may want also have the option of placing unused airfare in a credit file for one year from the date of the original itinerary booking, for a fee of $75.

 

[bumbershoot]

They may regularly waive such fees, but AirTran's change policy is clear:

They do waive it regularly for price drops.


OP, Southwest, Jet Blue, and Alaska are the ones that honor price drops. Alaska and Southwest make it clear in their policies that they do it; not sure about JB since 100% of my experiences with them were negative so I don't use them.

It's not going to happen if you book those airlines through a place like Expedia, though. You'll have to go directly through the airline to have a price drop honored.


All the others will have fees associated with changing anything.

 

[Snow Shoe]

Last month I booked our flights for our upcoming June vacation. Considering that we're starting our trip from a regional airport to DFW, I'm very pleased what it cost me.

I choose several carries I could live with, and started watching them for many months charting specific flights. Prices from one carrier or another would change during the week several times and then back sometimes to the price that I first saw them at. Very confusing at times. It wasn't a week after purchasing the tickets, that the price went up over $200pp on the carrier I purchsed. I'm so glad I bought those tickets when I did.

 

[lylone]

Then you either had a business-class ticket booked or got an exception. They may regularly waive such fees, but AirTran's change policy is clear:

NO, I didn't have a business-class ticket and NO, I didn't make any changes to my flight.
I just called up and asked if they could give me a credit for the fare drop and it has been given every time without any change fee.
I have even asked at the airport if we could jump on the earlier flight...and No fee was charged....

The key here is I "asked", and I didn't demand.

I have overheard of folks claiming some sort of hardship or start arguing with the checkin agent and being told about the fee. But NO fee was mentioned or charged when I just asked.

 

[mikehn]

August is a long way off. $764 sounds about run of the mill and I doubt you will get stuck with higher prices than this if you wait.

 

[pooch]

how lucky I am here in CT. My R/T non-stop flight from BDL-MCO on SWA is currently $152.00!!!

 

[ABDonovan]

So here's my next question:

If we wait, can we still book everything else, and then come back for the plane tickets later on? What's the latest you would book a flight?

 

[lylone]

I usually do 4-5 months out. Now if you are going/coming during a holiday or weekend I would keep an eye on the flights I want to make sure they don't fill up. This time we booked 5 months out and I wished I would have waited. I ended up getting off early and wished we would have booked an earlier flight.

 

[rwdavis2]

So here's my next question:

If we wait, can we still book everything else, and then come back for the plane tickets later on? What's the latest you would book a flight?

A word of advice. Book the airfare directly with the airline and NOT through Expedia, Orbitz, etc. it it doubtful it is any cheaper and if something goes wrong or something unusual happens a third party just complicates things.

 

[lylone]

A word of advice. Book the airfare directly with the airline and NOT through Expedia, Orbitz, etc. it it doubtful it is any cheaper and if something goes wrong or something unusual happens a third party just complicates things.

Darn good advice! Especially if the fare drops and you call to get a credit!

 

[Jestocost]

Darn good advice! Especially if the fare drops and you call to get a credit!

Recognizing that only Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue allow you to claim a lower fare without a penalty (usually $150 per ticket, which more than offsets most fare decreases). AirTran apparently does regularly waive change fees, but under their policies could charge them if they want to.

 

[lylone]

Recognizing that only Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue allow you to claim a lower fare without a penalty (usually $150 per ticket, which more than offsets most fare decreases). AirTran apparently does regularly waive change fees, but under their policies could charge them if they want to.

Ok fine.. you are right and I am wrong. Asking for a credit for a fare decrease is a "change" and therefore they charge a change fee.
I guess I have been dreaming for many flights and for many years.

...get over it!....

 

[cassie]

So here's my next question:

If we wait, can we still book everything else, and then come back for the plane tickets later on? What's the latest you would book a flight?

Yes, you can book everything else now, and do your flights later if you want. Just book directly with the airlines.