Airline flights

[Mr_Incredible]

We are thinking of flying to our vacation in September instead of driving per usual. Flight prices right now are around 242 a person (for 3 people)....we don't know if that is good or not, so we are skeptical in buying now or waiting for the prices to come down. But we are also worried the prices go up.

Its a flight, wanting non-stop, from Charlotte douglas internation (charlotte nc) to Orlando.

Any advice or suggestions to get cheaper tickets?

 

[Rob562]

I don't have experience with flying in/out of CLT, but $242 is more like sometimes I'd pay for roundtrip from here in New England in the off-season.

I use www.kayak.com to find the cheapest airfares.
Sometimes I use its companion website www.yapta.com to track airfares to see what they're doing.

-Rob

 

[disneylemons]

Thats about what we usually pay to fly from Memphis - but so far this year the tickets are running closer to $370-400 so that price sounds great to me!

 

[GeoDonJac34]

It doesn't seem like a bad price, we paid around 250 last fall out of Newburgh, NY. This year the price is around 330.

 

[Eldon_Brasche]

Personally, I think it is a bit early to buy. The prices always seem to be high at 6-9 months out. They usually drop at 3-4 months out and then start to climb again during the final month or two.
You can confirm this by looking at flights between now and 2 months out, then look at flights 3-4 months out and then go out 6+ months and see how they stack up.
Check out this site for more info.
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

 

[wilkeliza]

We are thinking of flying to our vacation in September instead of driving per usual. Flight prices right now are around 242 a person (for 3 people)....we don't know if that is good or not, so we are skeptical in buying now or waiting for the prices to come down. But we are also worried the prices go up.

Its a flight, wanting non-stop, from Charlotte douglas internation (charlotte nc) to Orlando.

Any advice or suggestions to get cheaper tickets?

If you are looking at round trip use Bing.com to do the search. Their search will give you are forecast of the prices and tell you if you should buy now (prices will go up), your safe and can wait (prices will stay the same) or buy later (prices will go down). The system they use isn't perfect but they codes they wrote the program with track airline trends and make pretty accurate guesses on what will happen in the ticket price.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I looked the other night and el-cheapo tickets on southwest from phila to orlando in October were $136 each roundtrip.....:sohappy:

Good luck and try joining AAA to see if you can get a tasty discount from them as well!

 

[Disneydreamer23]

i pay round trip 2 people chicago to orlando 600.00 total doesnt seen bad to me!

 

[LuLaSue]

Last October we paid $207 round trip per person out of Newark on Jet Blue.

I recently purchased air for August 2012 on Jet Blue for $300 round trip per person. Continental/United wanted $474 round trip per person. I check it regularly to see if the price dropped because Jet Blue will put credit into your Jet Blue account. I am glad I booked it is almost $400 round trip.

 

[LuLaSue]

If you are looking at round trip use Bing.com to do the search. Their search will give you are forecast of the prices and tell you if you should buy now (prices will go up), your safe and can wait (prices will stay the same) or buy later (prices will go down). The system they use isn't perfect but they codes they wrote the program with track airline trends and make pretty accurate guesses on what will happen in the ticket price.

I am going to check this "Bing.com" out! Very interesting....

 

[ShookieJones]

We are thinking of flying to our vacation in September instead of driving per usual. Flight prices right now are around 242 a person (for 3 people)....we don't know if that is good or not, so we are skeptical in buying now or waiting for the prices to come down. But we are also worried the prices go up.

Its a flight, wanting non-stop, from Charlotte douglas internation (charlotte nc) to Orlando.

Any advice or suggestions to get cheaper tickets?

That's VERY expensive! Yesterday I booked 4 round trip tickets on Southwest Non-stop from CT to Orlando for the last week of September at $125 a piece.

Even at that price I can't imagine that flying would be less expensive than driving from Charlotte....unless your driving a bus....:lookaroun

If it is more expensive or if you are driving a bus... Check Pricline, Jet Blue, or Southwest - you should absolutely find better pricing than $242 per person.

 

[graphite1326]

I bought my tickets early thinking that due to the rising gas prices the airfares are sure to go up.

 

[disneygirl1]

Right now for some reason airfare is threw the roof. In comparison for what I usually pay to fly round trip non stop for philly to Orlando $250+ is expensive. When we flew down to Disney this past Sept '11 I paid $164 round trip!

Try using Kayak. Its a travel site that help search for the lowest airfare.

Your trip is still awhile out. I'd hold off booking just yet. Keep a check over the next few weeks and see how the prices are flutuating.

Another good tip to get cheaper airfare is travel mid week as opposed to the weekends.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

We had been checking on flights since November for our spring trip and they never came down below $275 roundtrip from Portland, ME to MCO. Even Boston was expensive! Portland is always expensive and nothing direct. We did just book our flights for September's Tower of Terror 10 miler and we got $242 on AirTran for the times we wanted. That price is good for Portland, so we didn't want to wait.

I used to work for a travel consultant and there is never any rhyme or reason why flight prices go up or down. Usually they sell in "tiers" and once the lowest prices sell out, the prices just keep going up. Sometimes they drop again though but sometimes not.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Wow! Such awesome suggestions here, thanks everyone! That bing tool sounds just like what I was invisioning, something to give me a trends chart or something to see when would be around the best time to buy.

I agree buying this far out is not a good idea.

And to who said its going to be more expensive than driving, we agree, but to be there in 1 1/2 hours instead of 8-9 hours, not getting the miledge on the car, having a 4 year old in the back, and the physical toll of driving that long (with fears of speed traps, traffic etc), we will pay a bit extra to fly.....it also gives us an extra day at disney!!!!! :sohappy:

 

[DisneyRunner]

Milwaukee to Orlando has been around $300 rt. In the past, I've paid around $200 rt. I've been checking everyday. I also, use Bing. I recently started checking Kayak, as well. As a PP said, with the increase in fuel prices, who knows what will happen. I've always booked a flight when I see a price I'm comfortable with. Over the last few years, I've purchased one way tickets. Down on airline A, back on airline B.

 

[onesandzeros]

From California, I find the best prices 9 to 8 weeks out on a Tuesday, for departures on a Tuesday. Wednesday and Saturday travel are the next lowest. I've booked many flights this way.

 

[mickeysshoes]

I use ORBITS.com!! I get an email every week with weekly specials. It is tailered to my home airports. One is always to MCO..I just booked round trip with all fees for $198 each from Regan (in DC) to MCO. Now the only thing about these specials are that they are not the best times. Leave at the a$$ crack of dawn and come back on a red eye. But for the price who cares. SW and Jetblue for the same time frame was $159 ONE WAY!!!! 49 days and I will get a much need break from reality!!!

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

ugh...have to stop reading threads with US air fares. It's so depressing to see prices under $200. I'm coming to WDW next month from Nova Scotia and my ticket is over $800. That really cuts into the Disney budgeting.

 

[jcldtrek]

Airfare prices are like playing Russian roulette. One day their very low and the next day their through the roof. Usually though the best prices are before 3 months out usually. Only thong is, your flying from Charlotte, and usairways is the major carrier, good luck on getting anything cheaper than what u found. Unless you can find a different cheaper carrier. Word of advice though, don't wait too long. I already booked my september flight through delta for september leaving through a regional airport. Was around 300 for the ticket, but thats with a stop at a major airport. Use the airlines websites though ,sometimes their cheaper, or use expedia , Travelocity, orbitz, priceline . May find a good deal there. Good luck