When To Buy Airfare

[beansmom]

My tix for May were $1450 last week on Tues. I booked them Wednesday at $1250. Today I got a fare sale email and they were $1415. I do think they are cheapest on Wednesdays. Of course a month ago they were $1050 but we couldn't commit at that time. Early is good. (Five tickets Indy to Orlando.)

in the past, airfare seemed pretty reasonable until about 2 wks before your date...yeah...this time...airfare for one from dallas to orlando for march 12-18 was $700---at christmas...same short notice...(well, early december) we paid $150.

 

[englishrose47]

Subbing to get the latest news !! I too am not set to buy the tickets for august and am seeing a huge increase in SWA prices from last year !!How do you book airfares thru Disney ??? Any tips are so appreciated !!!

 

[jhaig]

I have also heard that checking on airfare prices at midnight on Wednesday may give you some cheaper prices. Should I check on Tuesday night at 12 mid (making it Wed morning) or on Wed night at 12 mid (which would be Thursday morning)?

 

[jhaig]

Do we check tonight at midnight for sales on airfare?

 

[deslynnpatterson]

I think we would check tonight

 

[Rumpus]

I have heard after 3 pm on Tuesday. I bought our October tickets (Columbus Day weekend) on Sunday. I had some concerns about the volitility of oil prices and the situation in the mid east. I have flown somewhat less but I was happy with these prices on a non stop both ways with Delta at the time I want to go. I was surprised to not have a wide range of seat choices. DH likes the aisle, I like the window so we like the right side of the plane (2 seats) not over the wing.

 

[FLAngie]

I have heard after 3 pm on Tuesday. I bought our October tickets (Columbus Day weekend) on Sunday. I had some concerns about the volitility of oil prices and the situation in the mid east. I have flown somewhat less but I was happy with these prices on a non stop both ways with Delta at the time I want to go. I was surprised to not have a wide range of seat choices. DH likes the aisle, I like the window so we like the right side of the plane (2 seats) not over the wing.

That was very smart of you to buy your tickets Sunday. I have been watching a Delta flight and it went up $45 each ticket from yesterday morning to just now. We were going to wait until tomorrow to buy them. Looks like the four of us may fly US Air this time. I still can't decide if I should wait until late tonight/tomorrow or just buy them now.

 

[kimgg]

I think it is smart to buy now. The flights I booked yesterday on SW are each $100 more today so for 4 of us that's $800 total more round trip!!! There are still flights available for the prices I paid yesterday, but they are at bad times and/or with multiple stops. The choices are not very good and this is for August!

 

[jhaig]

Checked at midnight and found...squat No breaks on airfare. Maybe I'll check again tomorrow night.

 

[yankebabie]

Me too! Stayed up til a little after midnight to check fares. Fares didn't budge!

 

[klacey1]

I used yapta.com (a website another Dis'er on this thread generously shared). It tells you whether flights are predicted to go up or down. For my dates in August, it was predicted that they'll either go up or stay the same (don't remember which). Moral of the story-- buy when they're a price you can live with (even far in advance) and then stop checking the airline sites!
We got Airtran for $77 pp per way, flight times not terrible. (A stopover in Ohio, but we don't have to change planes, thankfully)

 

[dumbodame]

I set a price in my mind and book the flight when I am at that price...then let Yapta track it for me.

Our family travels to Disneyland. I set my price at $300 RT. I booked my flight for this coming August back on September 24th when the fare was $260.

The same fare right now is $344.

 

[wvjules]

I am looking for flights to Hawaii in December. Right now the cheapest is $977. I'm almost tempted to buy them now instead of waiting. I'm going to try the midnight thing and see what the prices are then.

 

[juliebean]

I've heard that fares go down mid week to - but I don't know that I've actually ever had that work for me. We do usually manage to get flights for good prices, but I think flexibility in where you are flying to/from and dates is most important.

We are flying on Wednesdays in April. They are non stop RT from PHL to MCO for $150, including taxes and fees. If you went to Friday (for a lot the day spring break starts here) they were double.

I bought tickets Sunday from PHL to Portland, Oregon for August for $185 RT including taxes and fees. Usually we fly to Seattle, but I'd been watching and the prices have been $400+ anyway. So, we'll adjust our plans a little bit, fly cheap, and go see the Oregon Coast - something we haven't done in ten years and have been wanting to do anyway.

The day after I bought them they went up up to $395 and have stayed there, so I'm glad I bought them when I did. That's my last suggestion - don't wait if it's a flight you are happy with. I'd be kicking myself now if I hadn't bought them! I'm sure the oil prices are not going to lead to a lot of low priced tickets - how could it?

 

[Nik's Mom]

I heard on the news this morning that airfare has gone down this week. I have no idea what they are talking about because I've only seen it go up. I think it's best to buy the tickets when they are at a price that you are willing to spend. Most people end up kicking themselves for not buying and the airfare ends up going up.

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

A few days or so ago, flights on SW were a little cheaper than maybe a few weeks or so ago when I had checked. Then they went up about $5 each way... I am going to be booking tomorrow morning (DH's bonus being deposited tonight!) and I just PRAY that they don't go UP before then!!

 

[kacaju]

I booked airfare out of Newark NJ back in Jan for $200 per person for our trip in late Aug. Right now our exact flights are $251. A few weeks ago they were so much higher.
I booked with a price I felt comfortable with.

i posted this on 2/25 It is now 3/2 and my flights are up to $271

 

[jmpellet]

In doing research specific to Southwest Airlines, I believe the best flight are had about 9 weeks out -- outside of major holidays. So today being March 2 and looking at PVD -> MCO May 10 and return on May 17 they are in the range of $77 to $99/each way. If I look at one-way from PVD to MCO the consistently under $100 rates begin about April 12 and go through June 8 so that would mean from 14 weeks out until about 5 weeks out. I need a flight early August and I plan to look more carefully beginning late April or early May.

 

[Rumpus]

That was very smart of you to buy your tickets Sunday. I have been watching a Delta flight and it went up $45 each ticket from yesterday morning to just now. We were going to wait until tomorrow to buy them. Looks like the four of us may fly US Air this time. I still can't decide if I should wait until late tonight/tomorrow or just buy them now.

I am not sure if it was a sign of "intelligence" or "OCD", but I am relieved that I have them. Everything could calm down and the prices could calm down but i didn't want to wait.

 

[PHXscuba]

It's killing me to wait to buy our tickets for October. They have been all over the map the last couple weeks (I am torturing myself with a daily Kayak alert and the graph looks like an earthquake hit!) We are waiting to have the money firmly in the bank from the tax refund, but even if that came tomorrow I have to wait until the middle/end of May to book something unrefundable because we won't know DS14's fall competition schedule until then.

I asked my BIL, who works in management for a big airline, about waiting vs. buying and he could only tell me it was likely fares will rise based on oil prices. I suppose the airlines will adjust if no one books at the higher prices, so maybe waiting it out until May/June will see some shakeout. Plus Southwest will release their dates for that time in a few weeks. Wish I could have bought tix from Phoenix at $220 last week ...

PHXscuba