Will SW or Airtran lower their prices for August travel?

[Princess Amy]

Wow! Flight prices are out the roof. Last year I remember paying $59 each way. Now I'm looking at $131+ each way

Do these airlines lower their prices closer to travel? I don't know whether it would be cheaper to fly or drive. Ugh!

 

[dacky041208]

Wow! Flight prices are out the roof. Last year I remember paying $59 each way. Now I'm looking at $131+ each way

Do these airlines lower their prices closer to travel? I don't know whether it would be cheaper to fly or drive. Ugh!

They have been changing the last few weeks. We fly out of Baltimore or Philly, and although we haven't gotten close to the 54 dollars we got last summer, we were able to book BWI->MCO on SW for 67 dollars, and I'm waiting for the return flights to drop from the 120 they are now to something I think is reasonable.

 

[leahjade]

Dacky, when did you book?

Anyone kicking themselves for not booking earlier? We saw prices in the 70's a few months ago and now we're talking $40 more per person. When you're a family of six, the difference is staggering! We may just be staying around home this summer!

 

[wendydarling826]

I'm watching the prices out of PHL every day and they're still too high. I usually get the best prices about 3 months out, so I'm hoping for a good sale soon. No way I'm paying over $300 one way to go to MCO - I'll walk first!

 

[dacky041208]

Dacky, when did you book?

Anyone kicking themselves for not booking earlier? We saw prices in the 70's a few months ago and now we're talking $40 more per person. When you're a family of six, the difference is staggering! We may just be staying around home this summer!

I booked our flight at the end of March. Prices mostly were in the 80s then, and I just caught it at a good time.

 

[dacky041208]

I'm watching the prices out of PHL every day and they're still too high. I usually get the best prices about 3 months out, so I'm hoping for a good sale soon. No way I'm paying over $300 one way to go to MCO - I'll walk first!

maybe we can carpool, I'm originally from doylestown

I'm sure PHL prices will drop some. I'd expect the flights to be more expensive this summer than in the past, but they are way too high right now.

 

[santa's surpriz]

Dacky, when did you book?

Anyone kicking themselves for not booking earlier? We saw prices in the 70's a few months ago and now we're talking $40 more per person. When you're a family of six, the difference is staggering! We may just be staying around home this summer!

I am! From Columbus Ohio from $85 to $126. I wish I would have booked Wednesday! (went up Thursday.) I just booked my tickets today. I figured technically with baggage fees it's really only a difference of $30 if I went with another airline bc of the increase. My return flights are not out yet, so I am hoping that I will catch a price decrease between now and then to apply towards my return trip.

 

[Aristocath]

I booked in February for our August trip on AirTran. I got $79 each way from DFW to MCO. They've gone up except one day they went to $74 each way but that didn't last. Now they are back up to $99 each way. They usually have a good price about three months out but I'm glad I booked in February.

 

[eyeshadow]

One week ago SW fares were 94.00 out of Chicago Midway. On Wednesday they were 112.00, and now they are 133.00! I have had to hold off until I find out for sure if my husband can get his vacation for the week we are planning which should be tomorrow.

I will be happy if they go back to 112.

 

[tinkerdee]

SW fares from BDL to MCO for the beginning of August weren't bad when I first booked, $109 pp. Had to wait to book return flight til the fares were released and they were $202pp !! Now I have to wait for a ding or until closer to trip to book. I can wait until June until total panic sets in, last year we didn't pay $202 RT pp........The only other non stop is Delta and they are $250+ pp including one bag each.

 

[clanmcculloch]

My August trip has almost the most expensive flights I've ever booked to WDW and that includes a trip over our February break one year which was booked only maybe 2-3 months before the trip so the flights I like were getting more filled up (I happen to like the same itinerary that most others seem to like: earliest non-stop out and latest non-stop back). This year, I booked right away when the fares opened up. JebBlue was already higher than our $149 each way SWA cost as was every other airline from either MHT or BOS (though I'd like to stick with SWA and JB; it would take a good savings to get me to choose another one of the airlines). So far the only fare fluctuation I've seen is a $5 increase across the board. I've been watching.

For the first time EVER I'm finally seeing DINGs for MHT to MCO so I'm hopeful that I'll see them for August as well (I saw them in both May and June). I plan to travel again next February so I will get to use any credits if I do get any savings. Of course the only available flights are the worst possible times for my family (there's a reason the DINGs are available after all) so remember that if you do see DINGs that you may have to be flexible with your times.

 

[Brian Noble]

There is only one way to know for sure:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi



More seriously---rather than try to hit the lowest possible price, I usually have a "fair" price in mind. From DTW, anything under $325 round trip, non-stop, including all fees, is pretty reasonable. You can get it for less (and sometimes much less) but you never know for sure until you see it, particularly for peak-travel times. Once I see my "good enough" price, I buy it, and am happy. Was it the lowest possible price? Probably not. But, it's a lot lower than it could be.

As an aside, my "fair price" has crept up over the past few years---flying is simply getting to be more expensive, and it has to. Airlines can't continue losing hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter forever.

 

[Native NYer]

I booked our Airtran flights in March for our August trip. I paid $59 each way for DCA-MCO. The price went up a few days after we booked. I guess we booked just in time.

 

[Lewisc]

There is only one way to know for sure:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi



More seriously---rather than try to hit the lowest possible price, I usually have a "fair" price in mind. ..... Once I see my "good enough" price, I buy it, and am happy. Was it the lowest possible price? Probably not. But, it's a lot lower than it could be.

As an aside, my "fair price" has crept up over the past few years---

+1

BING will suggest if the airfare quoted is likely to go up or go down. BING doesn't search Southwest. The service has no value in any market where SW is a factor. Maybe a little more accurate then the 8 ball.

Airlines are reducing the number of flights to destination like Orlando that require unprofitable fares to sell out. Did SW reduce the number of flights from your city to MCO? Don't expect to get the same fares you got last year. SW has reduced or eliminated N/S flights from some airports to MCO. Some of those passengers now connect in cities like BWI. That means the number of seats being offered at money losing fares may be reduced.

Posters waiting for very low fares, probably anything lower then $200-$250 R/T should decide what they'll do if the fare never hits that level. Drive? Cancel their trip?

 

[eliza61]

There is only one way to know for sure:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi





As an aside, my "fair price" has crept up over the past few years---flying is simply getting to be more expensive, and it has to. Airlines can't continue losing hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter forever.

You're not far off the mark Brian,
Trying to predict airline prices is pretty much trying to predict the stock market.
I don't think we're going to see big leaps on airfare.
1) Summer season is high demand season, last year was a different animal in that the recession had folks scared to spend money. Lately we've seen folks spending more, no reason to lower fares.
2) Airlines are simply running out of things to "Charge" for to try and absorb losses. Outside of installing a pay toilet, they are already charging for absolutely every thing now.

We pretty much do the same thing. I budget a comdortable price for myself and then when fares hit that price +/- a few bucks, I buy.

(In the interest of self preservation, these are just my opinions, I repeat my opinions. no need to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about and I'm dead wrong.)

 

[3happydancers]

You're not far off the mark Brian,
Trying to predict airline prices is pretty much trying to predict the stock market.
I don't think we're going to see big leaps on airfare.
1) Summer season is high demand season, last year was a different animal in that the recession had folks scared to spend money. Lately we've seen folks spending more, no reason to lower fares.
2) Airlines are simply running out of things to "Charge" for to try and absorb losses. Outside of installing a pay toilet, they are already charging for absolutely every thing now.

We pretty much do the same thing. I budget a comdortable price for myself and then when fares hit that price +/- a few bucks, I buy.

(In the interest of self preservation, these are just my opinions, I repeat my opinions. no need to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about and I'm dead wrong.)

For what it is worth, we pretty much do the same as you and Brian. This is our comfort zone and it seems to work for us.

 

[tinkerdee]

I agree, I miss the days of $79 each way. But I don't expect them either, I would be happy with $250 RT X 4....Our option is taking a day off our vacation, saving the hotel and dining to pay for airfare. Sad but true. $109 down still leaves me with $150 return, not the $220+ it is right now. I'm not giving up, we still have 3 months before I do anything crazy like shorten our dream vacation.