When to book a flight

DarthVader

DarthVader

Sith Lord
So, now that we're (hopefully) moving into a post-pandemic situation, I'm hoping to get advice of when to book our flights from Bos to MCO?

Our vacation is scheduled for 02/19/2022 and we return home on 02/26/2022 (Saturday to Saturday). I'm seriously thinking of moving our arrival back a day to Friday or departure to Sunday. Either giving us an extra day (the sunday departure) or saving some money on the flight and giving us an extra day. It appears that friday flights are a tad cheaper

Anywhoo, I see for Jetblue the time frame is open to book, but the prices are absurdly high, I mean 4,000 dollars. I'm not sure if that's there Feb vacation price here in the Boston area, or that I'm terribly early. I think perhaps both, I've seen airlines really jack up the price during school vacations and its probably way too early to book a flight.

So that begs me, when do you think its best to book the flight to try to achieve maximum savings?
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
You're traveling during February break, and unfortunately, JetBlue now opens up its schedule 331 days ahead.

We booked February break flights on JetBlue two months ago when they first opened up, when the prices were at their "lowest" (the quotation marks are because the initial prices were still 1.5-2 times the usual price, since it's a vacation week and they'll gouge you any way they can -- but we were stuck with JetBlue simply because I was booking using JetBlue points). Unfortunately, you're seeing the even-more-jacked-up price tiers from flights that are partially booked. JetBlue will only keep on raising those prices as flights fill up, so if the price is already prohibitive, that carrier is out.

I'd find the lowest-cost carrier you can and book ASAP. Barring some anomaly, prices will only go up from here as 2021-22 school calendars get finalized, and parents sort out vacation plans. Recent news stories suggesting that COVID vaccines may be approved for ages 12-and-under by this fall may also spur some families, who are waiting to travel until the whole family is fully vaccinated (I don't know that this is a huge number of people, but anecdotally I know 3 families with immuno-compromised kids who are doing just that), to look to February break as their first big opportunity to hit the road (or the skies) again.
 
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ilovelabs2021

ilovelabs2021

Well-Known Member
JetBlue has become quite pricey, even though we love that airline. We had a JetBlue flight credit from our canceled trip last summer and I wanted it to cover the cost of our flights for our trip this July. I started looking right after we booked in January and was frustrated to see the prices. One day I was looking and the prices were ok (still had to pay over the flight credit but not by that much). I am glad I booked when I did as the same flight now is double the price as the fare I got in January.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Weather_Lady said:
You're traveling during February break, and unfortunately, JetBlue now opens up its schedule 331 days ahead.

We booked February break flights on JetBlue two months ago when they first opened up, when the prices were at their "lowest" (the quotation marks are because the initial prices were still 1.5-2 times the usual price, since it's a vacation week and they'll gouge you any way they can -- but we were stuck with JetBlue simply because I was booking using JetBlue points). Unfortunately, you're seeing the even-more-jacked-up price tiers from flights that are partially booked. JetBlue will only keep on raising those prices as flights fill up, so if the price is already prohibitive, that carrier is out.

I'd find the lowest-cost carrier you can and book ASAP. Barring some anomaly, prices will only go up from here as 2021-22 school calendars get finalized, and parents sort out vacation plans. Recent news stories suggesting that COVID vaccines may be approved for ages 12-and-under by this fall may also spur some families, who are waiting to travel until the whole family is fully vaccinated (I don't know that this is a huge number of people, but anecdotally I know 3 families with immuno-compromised kids who are doing just that), to look to February break as their first big opportunity to hit the road (or the skies) again.
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Most places don't have a full February break anymore. When you live up in the small states, always check the neighboring airports. Flying out of Providence instead of Hartford has saved me a fortune during weeks when it was spring break in Connecticut but not in Rhode Island.
 
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ilovelabs2021

ilovelabs2021

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Most places don't have a full February break anymore. When you live up in the small states, always check the neighboring airports. Flying out of Providence instead of Hartford has saved me a fortune during weeks when it was spring break in Connecticut but not in Rhode Island.
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In our town (I live in MA), parents complained about Feb break, so the district abbreviated it. Then, they started complaining about NOT having the full week off (most districts in MA still have it), so it got changed back! Can't please everyone, lol! :)
 
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DarthVader

DarthVader

Sith Lord
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
Book Southwest and book ASAP.
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I hate southwest, plus I have jetblue skymiles to help soften the blow. As for flying out of state, I mentioned albany as a potential as jetblue has a presence there.

Weather_Lady said:
book ASAP
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Yeah, I'm going to start keeping an eye on things, but we're not really wanting to spend 4,000 dollars on a flight (well 3,000 as I can use my skymiles to save 1,000). I was hoping to see flight prices in the 1,400 range, which was semi-normal in the pre-pandemic world. I've seen airlines gouge flights out of boston during april vacation as high as 7,000

As spring turns into summer, I'll keep an eye and if I see prices dip into the 2k range, maybe I'll take the plunge. I thought I read that 8 weeks prior to a planned trip was usually the cheapest - not sure if that will be the case coming out of a pandemic - I kind of doubt it as there's pent up demand


CaptainAmerica said:
Most places don't have a full February
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Not in Mass, most communities in Massachusetts still have February vacation.
 
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Queen of the WDW Scene

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I book my flights as soon as I know my dates and the flights are available.
I fly Southwest Airlines.
I booked my Disney vacation for late August in late March. Flights opened for my dates April 1st. I booked them April 1st.
I booked my Disney vacation for mid November in mid May. Flights open June 10th. I'll be booking them June 10th.
With Southwest Airlines it does seem that the lowest prices are the day the flights open and then they go up up up and then down some but not to as low as when they were first released so unless there is some reason that I have to wait I book asap.

Shifting to a Friday likely will not help much with the price.
Monday-Thursday tends to be when airlines have the most reasonable prices.

Also with that being President's Day week you can expect higher flight prices.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
ilovelabs2021 said:
In our town (I live in MA), parents complained about Feb break, so the district abbreviated it. Then, they started complaining about NOT having the full week off (most districts in MA still have it), so it got changed back! Can't please everyone, lol! :)
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Our districts aren't even really allowed to have different schedules from one another. Teachers who were also parents with kids in different towns were complaining that their work spring breaks didn't line up with their kids' spring breaks, so now pretty much everybody has the same spring breaks.
 
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NYwdwfan

NYwdwfan

Well-Known Member
DarthVader said:
So, now that we're (hopefully) moving into a post-pandemic situation, I'm hoping to get advice of when to book our flights from Bos to MCO?

Our vacation is scheduled for 02/19/2022 and we return home on 02/26/2022 (Saturday to Saturday). I'm seriously thinking of moving our arrival back a day to Friday or departure to Sunday. Either giving us an extra day (the sunday departure) or saving some money on the flight and giving us an extra day. It appears that friday flights are a tad cheaper

Anywhoo, I see for Jetblue the time frame is open to book, but the prices are absurdly high, I mean 4,000 dollars. I'm not sure if that's there Feb vacation price here in the Boston area, or that I'm terribly early. I think perhaps both, I've seen airlines really jack up the price during school vacations and its probably way too early to book a flight.

So that begs me, when do you think its best to book the flight to try to achieve maximum savings?
Click to expand...
How many people are traveling?
 
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Queen of the WDW Scene

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
DarthVader said:
When I booked the resort, the flight calendar wasn't opened yet and I think there was still so much up in the air pandemic wise, that these things took longer to open up
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I'm confused... As of yesterday you hadn't booked your trip yet.... I thought anyways...
Have you had this trip booked for a while or no?
Also as a PP mentioned they already booked their flights with JB for next February at 331 days out... so I'm also confused as to how the flights were not open when you booked your trip if you hadn't booked your trip until yesterday?
 
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DarthVader

DarthVader

Sith Lord
Original Poster
Queen of the WDW Scene said:
I'm confused... As of yesterday you hadn't booked your trip yet.... I thought anyways...
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Sorry for the confusion. I've booked the Poly back in March, I created another thread asking about DVC rentals. Since I'm free to cancel my reservation, I could in theory do that and get a DVC rental but so far as mentioned in that thread, I've not seen any compelling cost savings to tempt me to do so.
 
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DarthVader

DarthVader

Sith Lord
Original Poster
Queen of the WDW Scene said:
Also as a PP mentioned they already booked their flights with JB for next February at 331 days out... so I'm also confused as to how the flights were not open when you booked your trip if you hadn't booked your trip until yesterday?
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I can't answer that but when I tried to see what flight costs were on jetblue.com in March it only let me get to December (or January I forget exactly) Either way I looked and their website wouldn't let me go further ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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Queen of the WDW Scene

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
DarthVader said:
I can't answer that but when I tried to see what flight costs were on jetblue.com in March it only let me get to December (or January I forget exactly) Either way I looked and their website wouldn't let me go further ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Click to expand...

Oh Ok. That's unfortunate.
I think the basic answer for when you should book your flights then is when you feel comfortable with the price.
 
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Kingdom Konsultant

Kingdom Konsultant

WDWMAGIC Board Sponsor
Premium Member
WDWMAGIC Sponsor
There are apps that you can use that will alert you to a change in price if you are watching for decent air. I use 2 that help for my personal trips

Pam
 
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