How to Get the Best Prices on Airfare

Remember the days when we could get one-way fares on Southwest and Jetblue for like $59 and $64?? Man, it was nice for a family of four to fly for only like $500!!! I wish I had a magic wand that would make airfare prices drop. Seriously...that might be my super power if I could have one. Or maybe just the power to fly! The one part of trip planning that stresses me out more than anything else is buying airfare.

These days, I really think there is no surefire way to get cheap airfare. I've read articles about waiting 50 to 75 days before your trip, cause thats when airfare is cheapest, or at 3 a.m on a Wednesday morning. Not in my experience!!! Maybe on major airlines. But I really don't know. I stopped flying major airlines years ago when they decided to charge insane amounts of money to check suitcases. And the prices were more than the discount airlines! With crappy flight schedules. Forget about a direct flight!! Sorry. It just makes no sense to me. If you can get a good deal on a major airline and if you can get away with only taking a tiny suitcase as a carry on, more power to ya. But I can't. And I've yet to find a real deal on a major airline.

So here's what I do.

Most of the trips we take these days are to Disney World. But even if you aren't always flying to the same designation, as soon as you know where you're going, or even when you have the inkling of where you might be going, start watching fare prices. Southwest and Jetblue may not have released their fare schedule yet, but thats okay. Put in fake dates with the same days of the week you are thinking of going. See what it costs. See what the other days of the week cost. Make mental notes, or real notes. You need to know what normal prices are and what cheap prices are. Check when there's fare sales and see what is offered out of your home airport. (my home airport rarely has anything decent) Airfare fluctuates constantly. You need to know what a good price is so when your trip plans are set, you can jump on good airfare when you find it.

If you plan trip far in advance like me, then you usually have plenty of time before SW and JB open their fare schedules. Find out EXACTLY what date they will open. Be on your computer as soon as they open. Check the fares and if they are good, book immediately. Don't wait. I've seen SW change fares within hours after releasing them. And in my experience, they RARELY go back to what they were the day they were released. And even more rare that they go below. Just as an example. I booked RT air on SW for our upcoming WDW trip for $123 each way. Within days, the flight down was $240 and the flight home was $191. I just checked today and the flight home was $196, the flight home, $240. Point is, they will fluctuate constantly, but the chances of it going back to what it was are rare. In my experience ;) It may be different for others. And other airports.

Day of the week is a huge factor too. If you plan on flying Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you just have to expect higher fares. Those are the popular days to fly. If you fly Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, it's usually cheapest.

And don't be afraid to book a one one flight if it's a great price. And book the return flight on a different airline. These days everything is priced out per way, so its not cheaper to buy a RT ticket rather than 2 one-way flights. Last year we flew SW to LAX and Jetblue home.

So there it is! It's what's worked for me. No magic formula...just good old fashioned research.

Airfare is booked...going to Orlando, anyway!

Southwest opened their fares today and I've been waiting for this for months. Airfare ALWAYS gives me the most stress when planning any trip. You just never what you're going to find and you're kinda stuck. If you wanna get where you need to go, you need to pay the crazy prices. Driving is not an option for us. The drive is just too far.

So I've been stalking all the websites for weeks....praying for some kind of great deal today. And I did get it...on the flight down, anyway. $110 for a direct flight leaving at 7:55 am, arriving in Orlando at 10:40 am. We've done early morning direct flights before, but in the past they have been more like 6:30. That got us to Orlando around 9:30, and that was great, but this extra time in the morning to sleep will hopefully ensure that we won't be as tired once we get there!

But the flights home were not as great. SW had a direct flight home, also for $110, but it leaves Orlando at 2:40. That means Magical Express will pick us up around 11:30-11:45. That means our last day is pretty much a waste. We like being able to have at least half a day in the parks. The later flight, 5:20, cost $175. Yikes! I might book with Jetblue for the home flight...they have a direct flight leaving Orlando at 6:55, but it's $160. Not much better in price. The same flight is $110 the next day..........I'd save $200. The extra night at the resort would be less than that! LOL!

So, the stress of purchasing airfare is not yet over for me. :( Hopefully soon though.

Wordless Wednesday

Getting ready to take off!

Airfare.....yuck!

For me, the most stressful part of planning a Disney vacation is airfare.

We've done the drive...it's just not worth it. We are from Western NY, so Florida is pretty far. We did a cheapy trip to Orlando and Daytona Beach one year, no Disney. We had to drive. It was awful. I get motion sickness- headaches and nausea- in the car, so long road trips are not enjoyable. I kinda have to just sit there and do nothing. I can drive and be okay, but I found out on that trip that driving at night, in pitch-black darkness, makes me feel really sick. And it took us 22 hours to get there. We did save some money, even with gas being crazy. We figured it cost us about $400 or so for gas and food while traveling. We stopped for the night on the way home and lucked out with a free room with hubby's Marriott points. If not, we would have incurred an extra $100 in traveling expenses.

So, for us to hop on a plane and be in Orlando in 2-1/2 hours on a direct flight is super super nice, and well worth the money. But the price of airfare lately has me nervous.

Last year I booked Southwest flights the day they were released, regardless of the prices, because I was so afraid they would go up. And I wanted to guarantee I got the flights I wanted. It was $1000 for 4 seats. And the most I have ever spent on flights. A month later the flights dropped, and then dropped again. In the end, the flights were almost $300 less. I did get Southwest credits and we did manage to use them, but I can't do that again. Basically I took another trip specifically so the credits wouldn't go to waste.

We like Southwest (despite the recent plane issues). They always have the best prices an flight schedules. But I am open to Jetblue and Airtran too (we have flown both airlines in the past). I stay away from major airlines because their prices are awful, their schedules horrendous, and I refuse to pay baggage fees.

How do you save money on flights??