Why is airfare to and from MCO for December so expensive?! :-(

[GoingtoWDWagain]

Looking for airfare for late December right before Christmas to Orlando from HPN. Can not believe the current prices about $478.00 roundtrip.

Is this the norm for this time of year? Any suggestions greatly appreciated

 

[Missyrose]

Looking for airfare for late December right before Christmas to Orlando from HPN. Can not believe the current prices about $478.00 roundtrip.

Is this the norm for this time of year? Any suggestions greatly appreciated

You're trying to fly just before Christmas, it's the most expensive week of the year to fly.

 

[Gracie09]

Its a very busy travel time and you are going to a very busy travel destination. supply and demand.

 

[goofy4tink]

The airlines aren't stupid.....they raise fares for popular times. Spring break/school vacations, Thanksgiving, Christmas...those are all expensive times to fly. They even know when Jersey week is....so fares are higher then too!!! They seem to know when anything 'special' is happening at WDW.....fares always seem higher if something big is going on.

 

[prairiesarah]

I've been watching airfare since April for Christmas travel (Dec 17th to 27th) and it has not gone down at all - only gone up. I ended up booking at ridiculous prices in early June just because I was worried that they would keep going up and they have. However this week, read an article that claims that in August there will be a reduction in flight costs for late fall/xmas departures within the US. I will believe that when I see it, but you do never know. I am trying not to look at flight prices now that I am booked as I can't make any changes so I am committed to the amount I paid .

 

[Donna M]

That's what we're paying for Feb. school vacation. Crazy!

 

[johnnyr]

Looking for airfare for late December right before Christmas to Orlando from HPN. Can not believe the current prices about $478.00 roundtrip.

Is this the norm for this time of year? Any suggestions greatly appreciated

This is the worst I have seen it during this time. I travel every year late Christmas night from PHL and have never payed anything over $325. This year it's well over $500 a ticket. I don't know why it is so expensive this year.

 

[bumbershoot]

Can you fly from a different airport?

 

[goofy4tink]

This is the worst I have seen it during this time. I travel every year late Christmas night from PHL and have never payed anything over $325. This year it's well over $500 a ticket. I don't know why it is so expensive this year.

Christmas night is a whole different story! I've flown Christmas evening and it was really fairly cheap...compared to the days surrounding it. Same thing for Thanksgiving evening...but book in the days prior, or after? Fares go up.
Seems people don't want to fly on the actual holiday!

 

[GoingtoWDWagain]

Looked at leaving and returning to different airports and still the rates are the highest I've ever seen. Afraid it will keep going up, will have to buy asap. Thanks for the info

 

[jec6613]

Can you fly from a different airport?

For HPN, that's cheap for any time of year. JFK and LGA are much cheaper, usually at least $100. I paid $100 less for first class in December of this year on American out of JFK.

You have to remember: HPN is a smaller airport but near major hubs (it shares the market and ATC area with LGA, JFK, and EWR). It charges a premium because it can, because Westchester County and Fairfield County border it and so many people who live in those (very expensive to live in) areas prefer it for short haul business travel over LGA.

 

[theyoungs07]

I'm also looking to fly out in Dec, but earlier (Dec 13th). I've been surprised in the non-movement of ticket prices. I'm going to wait through August and hopefully into September before I book but I think I'll get too nervous getting closer than that. I usually drive down and don't fly much except for business where we have agents book for us...so I'm not used to this.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

When we fly, it's always when school is out so we expect airfare to cost more. Our next vacation is Spring Break 2016 to fly to MCO and airfare right now is $748. It has gone up over $200 from last Spring Break when we traveled in 2015. It's crazy! I saw on two separate news channels that gas is expected to go down dramatically and my first thoughts turned to airfare. Oh, how I hope it will go down but I doubt it very much.

 

[phoj69]

We are going the week before 12/12 through 12/20 and I was able to get tickets for $90 going down from islip NY and $108 coming back from Orlando through southwest