Waiting for a SW sale? Should I just give it up?

[jenn3456]

I haven't flown in years! I am taking my DH and our 5 kiddos to WDW in June 7-15th We are also bringing my niece and nephew. I just cannot fathom paying $400 RT from Chicago to Orlando. Does anyone have a idea based on past history when prices might drop (i.e a SW sale that actually includes my travel dates and cities)? Or am I just wasting my time checking 2x day to see if they have gotten any cheaper?
I know tickets get more expensive 14-21 days out but when would you recommend the latest to book our airfare?

Thanks

 

[DebbieB]

I haven't flown in years! I am taking my DH and our 5 kiddos to WDW in June 7-15th We are also bringing my niece and nephew. I just cannot fathom paying $400 RT from Chicago to Orlando. Does anyone have a idea based on past history when prices might drop (i.e a SW sale that actually includes my travel dates and cities)? Or am I just wasting my time checking 2x day to see if they have gotten any cheaper?
I know tickets get more expensive 14-21 days out but when would you recommend the latest to book our airfare?

Thanks

It depends on how many empty seats there are. If it's full or close to full, the price will not go down. The last time I booked SW for June from PIT, it started around $360 and never went down, ended up over $400.

 

[ironz]

SW hardly ever includes Sunday or Friday travel in their sales. If you can change the trip by a couple of days, using the low fare calendar, you can get under $300 per person. I just plugged in for one person going June 6-13 or 14 and can get as low as $259 per person.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Why not check other airlines? UA has flights ORD-MCO on your dates for $310 RT.

I would have purchased tickets for June travel months ago. It's unlikely prices are going down; don't wait too much longer.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you fly on a Tue or Wed the flights are cheaper. Have looked into flying into Tampa. Its only takes an extra 40 minutes to get to wdw.

It takes 30 minutes to get from MCO to WDW and it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tampa

The Tampa airport is so so so much nicer than MCO you can be checked in and through security in less than 15 minutes thats how quiet it is there.


I just looked at MDW - MCO for June 11-18 and the lowest price is $222 per person That is a wed to tue flights

And keep watching after you book becuase last Oct and just two weeks ago when we went my flight droped the night before we left. In oct it drop $36 and last month $76. Pays to check the status of your flight before you go to bed!!!

 

[gweninwb]

I just booked my October 26th flights from Midway on the day they were released. Can you believe there is already one flight for the day sold out!!! I don't know that I would wait much longer. You can always get a SW credit if the prices go down right?

 

[DebbieB]

If you fly on a Tue or Wed the flights are cheaper. Have looked into flying into Tampa. Its only takes an extra 40 minutes to get to wdw.

It takes 30 minutes to get from MCO to WDW and it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tampa

The Tampa airport is so so so much nicer than MCO you can be checked in and through security in less than 15 minutes thats how quiet it is there.


I just looked at MDW - MCO for June 11-18 and the lowest price is $222 per person That is a wed to tue flights

And keep watching after you book becuase last Oct and just two weeks ago when we went my flight droped the night before we left. In oct it drop $36 and last month $76. Pays to check the status of your flight before you go to bed!!!

That works if you already planned to rent a car. If you were planning on using DME, the extra transportation costs could eat up the savings.

 

[sbd78]

Have you considered flying Allegiant? We are also in Chicago area and have a trip planned for June 5th - 12th. We were able to get the flight down for I think around $75 per person and the flight back for around $79 per person flying Allegiant out of Gary, IN. You can't beat that! They fly into the Sanford/Orlando airport (smaller airport) so it could be a problem if you are planning on doing the Disney Magical Express since they are only available from the main Orlando Airport, otherwise that airport is close and much smaller and quieter. We flew into it the last time we went to Disney too. Allegiant also flies there from South Bend, IN and Rockford.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

We are flying to/from Midway for our trip 6/5-6/19 (both are Wednesday flights). I am paying $111 each way. DH is flying down on the first flight on Sun 6/16 and his flight was $135.

FWIW, this is the highest I have paid to fly SW in a few years (not that $222 is high ). My midweek flights are normally around $90 each way.

I think your issue is that you are flying on a Saturday. I would wait it out a few more weeks since they are finally starting to include June flights in their sales since most folks should have already booked their Spring Break flights.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

That works if you already planned to rent a car. If you were planning on using DME, the extra transportation costs could eat up the savings.

No always true. I have gotten flights into Tampa that were $80 cheaper each way than MCO. and a rental was under a $100 for the week.

 

[edk35]

I usually base our Disney trips dates by the price of the airfare if I can. IT is USUALLY..... cheaper to fly Tuesday/Wed/ Can you change your dates?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

IT is always cheaper to fly Tuesday/Wed/ Can you change your dates?

No, it is not always true. For example, if you want to fly from IAD-MCO the week of June 2 on United, it is cheapest to leave on that Tuesday (4) or Thursday (6); $172 for either of these versus a range of $204-$241. I could give you thousands of other fares where it is not cheaper to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

[jenn3456]

Thanks for the info! We have a bit of flexibility to our dates because we took a couple of extra days incase we were driving- which we have completely ruled out! I tried playing a bit with out dates but it isn't making a huge difference in price. I was worried about the Fri and Sat flights- URGH! I have looked at the other airlines but because of the number of us going- we will lose any savings in the baggage fees. I did look at Allegriant but we are not renting a car so that won't really work either.

I think I will give it until I am about 6-8 weeks out or if they start to climb, I will buy then!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You are going during the start of the peak summer season and Fri and Sat flights are going to be expensive.

 

[edk35]

No, it is not always true. For example, if you want to fly from IAD-MCO the week of June 2 on United, it is cheapest to leave on that Tuesday (4) or Thursday (6); $172 for either of these versus a range of $204-$241. I could give you thousands of other fares where it is not cheaper to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday.

We have always flown on SW and AirTran and for us.... Our flights have always been cheaper on those days.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have always flown on SW and AirTran and for us.... Our flights have always been cheaper on those days.

That's great, but it doesn't mean flights are always cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Just not true.

 

[conniehar90]

We go to MCO once or twice a year from Chicago. We used to be able to get fares around $200-$250. Not anymore - they have definitely gone up. My advice is to keep checking everyday and if you are flexible with your dates even better. I booked our July trip at $300 on the day it opened. I continue to watch and was able to get a $40 credit on our outbound flight when it went down one day. The next day it was back up higher than when I bought it. It seems like the rule used to be about 6-8 weeks out they would drop fares, but in the past year, it seems like it could be any day. so, don't get discouraged - just keep checking! But you may need to adjust your expectations of fare price.

 

[edk35]

That's great, but it doesn't mean flights are always cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Just not true.

I edited my original post to say USUALLY.....

 

[hsmamato2]

is this out of midway? I see SWa has a fare to Orlando on June 6 for 113.00 down- returning in the 12th for 115.00.... have you looked at the low fare calendar? to me,playing the waiting game with 6 people is not worth the stress... that's approx.240.00 per person....