Flights just keep going up.... :(

[Dsnygirl]

So, we are long-time Jet Blue fans -- every trip to FL has been with them. So when I started watching airfares for our trip in August last year, I was disappointed to find the flights so high. ($1200 for the 4 of us...have NEVER paid that much, esp. at 9 or 10 months out.)

So -- I decided to wait, as they usually drop. They didn't, and were up to $1400 for the 4 of us last week.

Now?? Almost $1600!!!

I know gas prices went up, but even the market and 'trending' say the prices are inflated for all the wrong reasons and should be dropping... so I really thought waiting was going to be worth it.

Now I'm wondering if we'll end up adding in & eating up 2 extra vacation days driving...

Does anyone out there think flight prices might drop for the summer/early fall??

[Disney4us2]

I am in the same boat as you. Right now on United the fare would be $1,118 for the two of us. That is a direct flight. I may have to switch and fly Southwest, come in a day earlier and have to deal with changing planes. The plus of that is it about $670 for the two of us round trip.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Finding the same annoying trend up here.

Always been able to get a decent price this far out(looking for Nov), and it's slowly creeping up. I keep agonizing if I should book now or wait . . . . I NEEED a crystal ball . . . . .

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! I'm driving myself NUTSO!!

[DisneyWhirled]

Feel the same way!! For the four of us, I usually spend between $800-1000.

I just bit the bullet and paid $1400 for the four of us to go in August as I was afraid they would go up more....bummer!

[Dsnygirl]

Just talked to my DH and we may just have him fly down on his own, and the girls and I will drive. He'll already be taking 7 days for our trip -- I can't see him wanting to add two more days on, just to be in a car. It would save us over $1000... add tax and two hotel rooms back in, it would still save us over $700. And I don't particularly enjoy flying -- although I have to admit, it has become a part of the whole "trip experience", and I'll miss the convenience of it, that's for sure!

So... we'll keep watching the flights... but I'm guessing that if the airlines keep raising their prices, more & more people will be driving, at least during the summer months where kid's schedules are more flexible!

Still keeping my , though....

[DisneyMom12]

My family will be driving for the 1st time due to flight costs. My brother in law has agreed to drive with us, so between him and DH will drive straight through.

[princessjojo]

I've been watching the fares for SWA since we started planning our trip back in July. I've seen their rates go from $69 (but not during our travel time) to $120 which is where we booked our departure reservations at, to $191, $126, finally booked @ $99 each way. It's still more than I'd like, but somewhat acceptable. I'm still hoping that before we leave, they'll come down some more, but otherwise we'll settle.

[TiggeRia]

I'm sorry! I have a trip coming up in May, and I had been putting off purchasing my airfare down to see if prices came down. Two days ago, JetBlue dropped to $85 one way out of Newark, and I jumped on it. That is the lowest I have seen it for them. I usually wind up purchasing each leg of the trip separately because I find it is cheaper that way. I am flying down JetBlue out of Newark and back on AirTran (super cheap for me, but not always the best times) into a local airport, ABE. I think the total trip is costing about $170 r/t per person. I hope the airfare improves for you!

[CanadianWDWFan]

We almost always drive due to high airline prices from Toronto. When we don't fly from Toronto we will fly from Buffalo. Lately flights from Buffalo are even getting way to expensive. My expenses for driving will cost us around $500 round trip, this includes gas and lodging. So it has to be a REALLY good deal for us to even consider driving.

I also want to mention that we will leave for WDW right after work on a Friday and get down on Saturday night. Coming home we will leave Saturday morning after a good breakfast and get home Sunday afternoon. It is a lot of driving crammed into a couple of days but for us it is worth it.

[RedSoxFan]

Did you check Southwest out of Albany? They might be cheaper and it's only a 2 hour drive. Or maybe Buffalo? I have friends that have driven to Buffalo because it's cheaper.

[VWL Mom]

I'm holding off on my June trip still. Last year the rates for summer travel on JB came down towards the end of March (I did mine on March 19th) so I'm hoping they'll follow suit this year.

[Dsnygirl]

I'm holding off on my June trip still. Last year the rates for summer travel on JB came down towards the end of March (I did mine on March 19th) so I'm hoping they'll follow suit this year.

I'll keep my for both of us!

Traci, I did check -- Buffalo, Roch, Albany... even Boston and JFK. All the same price, most with worse flight times. Not a trend I'm liking... but regardless, at least I'll always have my car...

[johnO]

Does anyone out there think flight prices might drop for the summer/early fall??

With the intentional inflation of the US Dollar, otherwise know as "Quantitative Easing" by the Fed, I'd say.....NO

[princessgirls]

My friend in Rochester booked her tickets on Southwest the day the opened flights for the end of August out of Buffalo. It was about two weeks ago, and fares were about $189 per person round trip.

I have struggled with fares as well. Jet Blue our normal choice for an Orlando trip was outrageous coming in at $1800 R/T for good flight times. I paid $980 last year.
Continental was OK, but you have to factor in luggage for a family of 4.
Southwest is starting to run some flights out of Newark Liberty, but they weren't listing their prices yet.
So...I ended up booking on Delta, good times, with a layover in Atlanta which I was NOT crazy about, but here is what sold me...$1,000 for my family of 4 and I am a Delta Skymiles Amex card holder and with that card, everyone in my party can have up to 2 bags checked for free. Sold!!
Good luck playing the flight game. I drove once, with the kids, and was going to do it again, if it meant being able to go.
Julie

[TinaAndGlenn]

The high price of flights on Southwest has forced us to drive from Chicago area. Even with the high price of gas & an extra hotel there & back, we will be saving $$$! I do not understand the rational of these airlines...people can barely afford to travel now.

[Dsnygirl]

Just adding this in -- the girls and I are almost definitely driving at this point... our airfare is over $1100, and with gas & lodging, it's only $450 to drive. (Found a great Marriott hotel just south of Charlotte, NC that is only $67/night if you book early & online... indoor pool, bkfst included. How do you beat that??? ) My DH will still fly so he can keep his vacation days shorter, but it will allow him to use our SUV to get back & forth to the golf courses while we're there, and allow me to bring our groceries, thus saving even more $$. And if it works?? We might ALL just do it next summer, b/c it sure shaves a TON off the price of our vacation! It won't ever be possible for us to do it during the school year, so may as well give it a shot now!!

[Melanie]

(Found a great Marriott hotel just south of Charlotte, NC that is only $67/night if you book early & online... indoor pool, bkfst included. How do you beat that??? )

Just curious Blythe, what route are you taking? Not I-95?

[UCJen]

The high price of flights on Southwest has forced us to drive from Chicago area. Even with the high price of gas & an extra hotel there & back, we will be saving $$$! I do not understand the rational of these airlines...people can barely afford to travel now.

I just checked Southwest for the 3 of us at the end of August. It's $1200. I am hoping they come down. We went last August and I bought air fare for the 3 of us for just under $600 in late June. I hope I can do that again this year. My husband says we'll cancel the trip before we drive down again. (Nooooo!)

I think this is due to speculation of gas prices and unrest in the MIddle East.

[Dsnygirl]

Just curious Blythe, what route are you taking? Not I-95?

Nope.... I heard that going around DC and through some of the bigger cities was a headache, so I thought I'd go the route we took to Charlotte, NC and head south from there. It's basically 81S into Virginia and onto 77S just before you cross into NC.... then 77S merges w/ 95S just south of Columbia, SC and we take 95S to I-4 into Orlando. (I'm glad you asked, b/c it forced me to look at the routes closer... )

[Melanie]

Yeah, I take that route from my mom's home near Charlotte, which is fine. But when I lived in Maryland and eastern NC we always took 95 south. Is it really going to save you time?