Wow Trying to get airline tickets with Southwest...

[debden]

at reasonable prices.And that's not going to be easy! We (5 of us) are going the beginning of April for my nephews graduation from UTI.When the flight for April came out it was $237.40RT PP from Albany,NY and now their up to $257.40 for our dates....OMG....It just keeps going up and I'm waiting to see if they go down.We leave on a Wednesday and come back on a Sunday.But it looks like all the weekend days get booked super fast,way ahead of time.
I can't purchase tickets at that high a price! Their Tuesday night flight is still $73 one-way and I'm thinking of going that night.It doesn't get in until 9:50pm but at least it's not costing the $167 one-way!That's a $470 savings!!
All our tickets right now total around $1300!!! For five people!
I just don't know what to do.
Anybody else in the same boat???
Debbie

 

[mazzarafe]

I'm also waiting for better than $227 pp for our flights May 5 returning the 13th for our cruise. Delta is even worse, $272! We travel out of Bradley so not much non-stop flights to choose from. I'm not paying those prices, I want as much $$$ as I can for cruise spending.

Just anxiously waiting.... to book a flight.

 

[debden]

I don't blame you mazzarafe,I've also checked going out of Bradley and it's even higher than Albany! The prices are so high right now and they don't seem to be going down...
I do not want to book at those high prices.
I guess It'll just be a wait and see game.
Good Luck,
Debbie

 

[Nite0wl71]

I was looking all weekend on Southwest and others. It's about $250 RT from Chicago. Also it shows almost everything unavailable. We are also planning on April.

 

[debden]

Yes,It's really discouraging not be able to find a descent fare.And the sad thing is even if we take another airline with a connection to and fro the airfare is even higher! Around $280RT....
I am soooo hoping the fares go down.I know there's no way to tell what's going to happen with airfares right now....
Ho-hum...
Debbie

 

[CarolA]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't find $250 roundtrip at all unreasonable. I think we are spoiled by airfares that are too low for airlines to make money! The $49 fares are the reason DL and NW are in bankruptcy and the others are struggling. Even SW is starting to feel a finanicial pinch since their very favoriable gas contracts have expired.

 

[georgina]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't find $250 roundtrip at all unreasonable. I think we are spoiled by airfares that are too low for airlines to make money! The $49 fares are the reason DL and NW are in bankruptcy and the others are struggling. Even SW is starting to feel a finanicial pinch since their very favoriable gas contracts have expired.

I was thinking the same thing. We have always been happy with $200 RT fares from PIT to MCO, now I would take $250 or less and be happy. US Air has some less than that but we would have to leave Orlando at 5:15 AM! No thanks. I'm waiting for SW to come out with June/July schedules, and not expecting the super low fares, but I would sure take one if it was available.

 

[NotUrsula]

If you want to take advantage of the lowest fare categories, you have to accept that it is the airline(s) that will dictate your travel dates, not you. All of our leisure trips are planned around the airfare that is available; when we catch a sale, we plan a trip.

If your dates are set, then you have to deal with the price that is being charged for those dates. However, I will tell you that Friday and Sunday are almost always the most expensive days to travel (holidays excepted).

 

[goofy4tink]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't find $250 roundtrip at all unreasonable. I think we are spoiled by airfares that are too low for airlines to make money! The $49 fares are the reason DL and NW are in bankruptcy and the others are struggling. Even SW is starting to feel a finanicial pinch since their very favoriable gas contracts have expired.

I used to love it if I could get an airfare that was anywhere around $250. But, I'll admit it...I have gotten spoiled by those low airfares. Now, if it's around $150 I think I've scored big time!!! I really think you're right though. We are seeing the end of those cheap rates. Gas is way too expensive for the airlines to keep giving us those $60 each way seats for much longer.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am also choking at thinking I will most likely have to pay $300 each for the 5 of us on southwest for spring break/easter time. Already I have to pull the boys out of school one day coming home just to get a flight and most of all the days I look up are booked for the non stops anyway here from NY. Looks like everyone is heading to Orlando. I did check american and its about the same. Hmm, southwest, I really hate but its closer to home and $300 bucks for the privilege of not having an assigned seat makes this really hard to swallow.

 

[CarolA]

I actually posted a few weeks ago about an article in the Atlanta paper. The article indicated that airfares were up an avg of $40 to $50 over the holiday periods and the airlines still sold their seats. The analyst felt that this would give them the "courage" to creep the fares up....

I am to the state where I would really like some stablity in this industry and that may take some higher airfares. A poster posted recently that in 1983 he paid $79 each way to Orlando and was now looking at $49 airfares... that logic just won't work forever! Costs have risen, but airfares have dropped???

 

[mazzarafe]

luvmarypopins,

I too am not crazy about not having a assigned seat for SW, but I think I like it more than all the flight changing that Delta does.

The last few months SW has had $49 fares from Bradley, not that I need it to be that cheap, but under $200 would be nice.

I'm sitting tight for now and seeing what happens. Delta has more about 2/3 of the seats available for the flights I want.

Also pondering around the thought of going out of NYC and taking CT limo to the airport if JetBlue has a better deal.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i have been looking at some dates in march april and may and they are crazy
299 just to get there
never mind 199 to get back i do think thats crazy
200 round trip is fine but not 500 round trip
i have checked jet blue, sw, delta/song, air tran
they are to much

 

[jlbower79]

Just wanted to share.. I got my tickets from SW for 29 one way, but I had to wait until almost a two months out before I got this DING.. all I'm saying is, I would wait.. by the time I purschased my tickets, Delta had dropped their prices so all together my flight on SW was only 10 dollars cheaper then flying Delta, but I worry more baout Delta's times changing.

Anyways
Just wanted to share
Jaime

 

[mazzarafe]

There was a Ding fare posted today for $79 each way, but for travel thru February. Also have not gotten any email specials since dates were extended for travel from my airport for my dates to Orlando. There have been specials for earlier travel though. I think waiting is the best bet right now to get better prices.

 

[n2mm]

Normally I wait to much later, but I also just purchased my airfare for my April 23-May 5th trip. With the demise of Independence Air out of Dulles (Wash. DC), we only have one carrier (United) flying non-stop out of Dulles. So with a fare of $182, I bite the bullet and bought my tickets. Lucky for me I had a 10% off coupon and only paid $165 rt from dulles to MCO, so think I still got a good deal. There were not many seats left for our return flight. Actually we had to move our trip from May 6th to May 5th as our return flight, because there were no seats left for the afternoon May 6th flight for our group of 6. With FLYI gone, folks like me who fly out of Dulles are scrambling to get on a non-stop.

 

[owtrbnks]

I agree with CarolA. You need to understand the fares are dictated by supply and demand. EVERYONE wants to go in April for spring break, so you won't see any cheap seats available around Easter - THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN BOOKED!
Forget about flying home on a Sunday!!!
We're going at the end of January from ALB - Ding! $34 each way.
In December we paid $49.
I NEVER go for spring break or major holidays and consider myself lucky.
Best of luck on finding a low fare.

 

[CarolA]

I am not going to attempt to predict airfares, but a few things to consider

If you are using the seat maps to determine if the flight is full you may be WAQY off. The seat map only tells you what seats are empty. There is NOT always a relationship to sold seats. Lots of times folks book without booking a seat.

If you are flying a major holiday it may be tough. If you want the last flight home on a Sunday following a school holiday it's going to be tough. Figure you are not the only family in your area trying to go away for the holiday. For example, folks on this board routinely post that they buy Presidents' Day trip tickets the MINUTE they are released and don't seem to post about seeing lots of "deals" they missed.

(And my fav, we had someone post once asking if they would get a Ding fare on a sold out SW flight... no, once it's sold out they don't give you a deal!)

 

[ptrbryant]

There was a $29 fare between Nashville and Orlando a few weeks ago, but only through the end of January (yes, $29, not $39!!!) We're not going until May and the "great" Orlando fares haven't appeared yet. But, if you check out their website--not the dings--it features a different region each week or so that has the deeply discounted fares. They haven't done Florida yet, but they always do it several times a year. Last year, I got the $39 each way in March for our May trip. I think if we're patient, the fares we're looking for may appear!

Karla B., optimist

 

[Twende]

We are patiently waiting on May DINGS to MCO too. Although I think I can say I am impatiently waiting!