Best time to buy airline tickets

[rob1863]

Thanks all. Ended up getting tickets from Peoria, IL to FLL, flying in the day before for $400 per person. I'll use SAS to get to Port of Miami.

 

Just checked and the tickets have gone up $10 since I bought them last week. Ended up buying them from Orbitz since their price assurance seemed the best. They'll track until the day you leave and if an other Orbitz customer buys the ticket cheaper, they'll give the difference. Supposedly, at least.

 

 

Wouldn't put too much faith in the Orbitz price assurance thing. Booked wife's rt to Rome in October on Delta with frequent flier miles and have been monitoring prices to hopefully find a good deal for my ticket. Price started out around 1260 and I found the same flights and price on Orbitz. When Delta lowered the price to around 1000 I checked Orbitz and the same flight wasn't listed anymore on Orbitz. Did some internet research and it would appear that in the opinion of some that Orbitz's price assurance is not what it is made out to be.

[taschr]

There is no way of knowing the best time to buy. I bought r/t tickets to SJU from Hartford through Charlotte for $275.60 each in March of last year for Jan this year from US thinking there's no way they could ever be lower. The flights left at 6.15am, which required us to get a room the night before at a hotel offering free parking (yeah, and 2 feet of snow to shovel off our car on the way back after we dug the car out of the plowed in hotel parking space). In July, AA had the same route non-stop at 7.30am for $274.60, which would have eliminated the need for the hotel and eliminated the orry about the chances that weather would make us miss a connection in Charlotte. It's basically a crap shoot. If gas gets to $5 a gallon, airfares will get so high people reduce leisure flying and businnesses will probably cut back also, as consumers dig in to stay afloat with everything else that will go up as a result of the cost of gas (groceries, clothing, yada, yada). I read airlines are reducing capacity between 5-10% this year to tighten up passengers loads, so supply and demand may not be a problem for them even with consumers and businesses cutting back. Revenue may be down, but so will costs.

 

$24 for a taxi is cheaper than $10 per person = $40??

 

btw I flew into Miami last fall and wound up taking the city bus to Intercontinal, a 5 star hotel near Bayside and the port, and it only cost me $2. Yes, we can mention the names of hotels. I got it for $84 on lastminutetravel.

 

I really wouldnt pay that much to fly into one or the other airport, as they are about 30 minutes apart. If you prepay for the carry on, its $30 not $45, assuming you dont join their club, then its cheaper.

 

You really have to sit down and look at what it costs bottom line to decide which airport. I found the $2 bus in Miami took a while, maybe an hour, but it was the right price and I had lots of time to wait for my friend who flew into FLL.

[ktylvr13]

I read somewhere that the best time of day to get the best prices is like 2:00 am. I've never done it but I read that in a travel article. I personally shop for a short time and when I see a price I'm comfortable with I buy. Then I quit looking at prices. I think that price is pretty fair. We paid 480 per person to fly earlier this month. At the time I was looking it was the best price I could find and I wanted to be sure to get my flights. I think it's really a personal choice.

[Cuizer2]

I read somewhere that the best time of day to get the best prices is like 2:00 am. I've never done it but I read that in a travel article. I personally shop for a short time and when I see a price I'm comfortable with I buy. Then I quit looking at prices. I think that price is pretty fair. We paid 480 per person to fly earlier this month. At the time I was looking it was the best price I could find and I wanted to be sure to get my flights. I think it's really a personal choice.

 

2:00am where? New York or Hawaii?

 

When it is 2:00am in New York, it is 8:00 or 9:00pm in Hawaii (depends on daylight saving time - NY changes its clocks, Hawaii does not). When it is 2:00am in Hawaii, it is 7:00 or 8:00am in New York.

[botbienvn]

Can you please tell me which hotel this is ?

 

It's La Quinta Inn & Suites Miami Airport East on Le Jeune Road. Look it up in TripAdvisor. It seems they have good reviews from past cruisers.

 

I just noticed today that the price published on their website for standard room is $105 per night. Yesterday, I attempted to book Hotel + Car combo (just one day) at LastMinuteTravel, the total price came out to be less than $100.

 

I also learned that (not with this hotel, but with a different one in the area,) sometimes when you call the hotel, they offer a lower rate than the published rate on their website.

[itsajoke]

Tuesday into early Wednesday morning sometimes finds the best pricing for the week, but with the way the price of oil is increasing, all the recommendations we are seeing are to buy now. Many airlines implemented a fuel surcharge this week and if the price of oil continues to go up, you may see more of this.

[Nansafan]

That is why we try and fly Southwest whenever possible. There are no baggage fees and if the fare goes down, you can cancel and rebook your flight and have credit with Southwest for your next vacation.

[ladyd11933]

I'm aware of the flat taxi rate of $25. However, when I called a taxi compay last week to check out, they said with my family size (4 people plus 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons,) taxi may not work out.

 

Thanks for the information on Spirits carry-on charges. I have not flown with them and unaware of the $30 rate. It's good to know.

 

We are family of four also and usually have 4 large suitecases and each of us has small carryon (one roller and a backpack for our kids) and we have always taken a taxi minivan. Just to let you know it is doabl

[ladyd11933]

That is why we try and fly Southwest whenever possible. There are no baggage fees and if the fare goes down, you can cancel and rebook your flight and have credit with Southwest for your next vacation.

 

 

I have never had much luck with Southwest it seems. We bought our airline tickets back in October for our cruise in June. I had been watching fares for a while and we ended up paying $836 for 4 of us nonstop roundtrip from Indy to Miami. When Southwest published theirs, it would have been $700 more. Even though we have to pay for luggage, it pretty much evens out with the shuttle cost from FLL to Miami.

 

I am not opposed to Southwest, just have always been able to get flights for lower on other airlines.

 

I have checked a few times and I have not seen our flight go lower, right now it is $144 more a person, which adds up for 4 of us.

 

We are planning on going to Ft. Myers in July and am kicking myself for not buying flights ealier because now they are $100 more per person. Waiting on our traveling friends to decide for sure what day they wanted to go.

 

It just seems as if it is a gamble anymore, right time, place, and price all has to align at the same time.

[gersus]

I couldn't wait anymore. Yesterday, I purchased airfare for the 4 of us from STL to SJU (San Juan). I booked AA for the trip down and Airtran for the trip back. Our cruise is in September. The rates have been slowly increasing. I'm generally not afraid to wait but with 4 of us travelling, the risk is higher lol. Also, AA raised the prices from $178 to $209 and up for afternoon flights back. So, I decided to go ahead and book. Airtran and AA were the same prices more or less (after misc charges) but AA had a better itinerary. Airtran was cheaper on the return flight so I chose them.

 

I don't think prices are going to rollercoaster much, I think they'll slowly increase or stay the same thru the summer.

[jhaig61852]

I've been watching prices for 2 months...they keep inching up. Today I booked Continental from our home town to Seattle and Anchorage back home. $1286 (2 passengers). That was a $250 increase in last 3 weeks. :mad: Sure glad the cruise is booked...have to finish paying it off Friday. Imagine those prices will be going UP too. I did take a look and balcony/suite cabns are sold out. Alaska is popular in June, I guess. This is our 1st cruise.

Joan & Kenny

[Cuizer2]

I have never had much luck with Southwest it seems. We bought our airline tickets back in October for our cruise in June. I had been watching fares for a while and we ended up paying $836 for 4 of us nonstop roundtrip from Indy to Miami. When Southwest published theirs, it would have been $700 more. Even though we have to pay for luggage, it pretty much evens out with the shuttle cost from FLL to Miami.

 

I am not opposed to Southwest, just have always been able to get flights for lower on other airlines.

 

I have checked a few times and I have not seen our flight go lower, right now it is $144 more a person, which adds up for 4 of us.

 

We are planning on going to Ft. Myers in July and am kicking myself for not buying flights ealier because now they are $100 more per person. Waiting on our traveling friends to decide for sure what day they wanted to go.

 

It just seems as if it is a gamble anymore, right time, place, and price all has to align at the same time.

 

Southwest is not the low cost leader it used to be.

[firefly333]

2:00am where? New York or Hawaii?

 

When it is 2:00am in New York, it is 8:00 or 9:00pm in Hawaii (depends on daylight saving time - NY changes its clocks, Hawaii does not). When it is 2:00am in Hawaii, it is 7:00 or 8:00am in New York.

 

spoil sport ... I was going to try the 2 am thing ...right now Id stand on my head if that would help.

[Cuizer2]

spoil sport ... I was going to try the 2 am thing ...right now Id stand on my head if that would help.

 

All that would do is change the two to a seven. :)

 

P.S. Would you quit changing your avatar. How am I going to know it is you if you keep changing your avatar???