Question for experienced travelers - price increases

[bnme]

Hi,

Last week we researched going to Florida from 8/21-8/27. One way ticket prices on Southwest were available for about $125 non-stop from our local airport to MCO. A few days later we decide to book and they are $50+ more a ticket. Do you think prices will drop again or is it too late? We had our whole itinerary planned and the price increase was not in the budget! Our dates are not flexible because my parents are taking the kids down to Florida 2 weeks earlier and I have to go pick them up (on 8/21). We decided that DH and I would both fly down and make a vacation out of it. We are locked into those dates due to the days they already booked at WDW for them and the kids (we are meeting them in Orlando) and school starting/work obligations. We were palnning on staying in Orlando on RCI pints and doing Universal and Sea World.

The weird thing is that I looked at a rental car for that time period and it was about $150 and now the same place is $288 for the same car (Ford Focus!). Please tell me there is hope the prices will drop again.

[amatahrain]

Hi,

Last week we researched going to Florida from 8/21-8/27. One way ticket prices on Southwest were available for about $125 non-stop from our local airport to MCO. A few days later we decide to book and they are $50+ more a ticket. Do you think prices will drop again or is it too late? We had our whole itinerary planned and the price increase was not in the budget! Our dates are not flexible because my parents are taking the kids down to Florida 2 weeks earlier and I have to go pick them up (on 8/21). We decided that DH and I would both fly down and make a vacation out of it. We are locked into those dates due to the days they already booked at WDW for them and the kids (we are meeting them in Orlando) and school starting/work obligations. We were palnning on staying in Orlando on RCI pints and doing Universal and Sea World.

The weird thing is that I looked at a rental car for that time period and it was about $150 and now the same place is $288 for the same car (Ford Focus!). Please tell me there is hope the prices will drop again.

It's very likely that prices will change especially this far in advance. The great thing about Southwest is you can very easily change your ticket online. The downside is that the difference is given as a credit toward travel. We used our difference (I think it was $40 x 3 tickets) toward the cost of our rental car from a Southwest affiliate.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Look at Yapta.com to see the historical prices for the flights and projected costs.

eta- car rentals through Costco is the way to go, imo, btw.

[Jen841]

From my experience of traveling with my family prices only go up.

[gymnbomb]

I have never seen southwest prices go down, and not frequently on other airlines. I have done very well in the past on Both Hotwire and Priceline for rental cars.


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[sweetsue98]

I think it's hard to predict prices increasing or decreasing. For airfare I've seen it both ways after I had purchased. We went to Florida in March and I watched the prices like a hawk hoping it would drop and it didn't so I had to bite the bullet and pay more than I wanted. The car rental fluctuated quite a bit too. I used orbitz and you can make a reservation without a down payment so just cancel it you find a better deal.

[Mommy_Mea]

I have never seen southwest prices go down

:yeahthat: We buy the day they extend the schedule (we plan ahead for our trip to the in laws every year), and I have never seen the prices decrease after that.

I use Kayak for car rentals, and I have done very well finding the best deal that way. We scored a mini van at the airport for $250 for 10 days through Kayak (booking 6 months in advance)!

[egoldber]

I think it's unlikely prices will go down. SW typically only has so many seats at the very inexpensive price point and once they are gone, they are gone. I suppose if the flight is undersold closer to the date they may offer more reduced fare seats. But at a popular flying time, that is less likely IMO.

[hillview]

In general I don't see prices go down. I think SW is like JetBlue and as Beth said they have a set of lower price tickets, once those go, the prices go up.

[bnme]

Thanks. I guess I am gona have to bite the bullet and book at these higher prices. Totally bummed, but lesson learned. I better book this weekend. At least we can get a credit if it does go down. Do you know what happens if I use points for a ticket? Do I just get them back? Luckily I have enough SW points for 2 one-way tickets (it would have been more like 3 or 4 with the lower rates...:banghead:)

I looked at Yapta.com, but they don't have the info for Southwest for some reason. And I will definitely shop around for the rental car.

[ZeeBaby]

I booked with southwest 2 years ago. I waited until two months before travel and the tickets dipped a little bit, but not a huge enough difference for the stress of watching prices go up. If prices go down and you use miles. You get the miles back and you can get a credit on the fare. I see it as a win win. I would book now.

[MMMommy]

I usually price SWA flights from San Francisco to LAX and John Wayne Airport. I do see the prices fluctuate up and down, versus just up. One week the flight was $89 one way, the next week it was $69 one way (for the exact same day/flight). The prices can go up or down at any given time with SWA, but usually up. When they have sales, you may see the prices drop. However, this is what i see for CA flights. Not sure if that is the case with Florida flights.

Regardless, I would book, hope for a later price drop, then get the difference in credit. The credit will expire one year from the date of original purchase.

Another thing to note is that when you use the credit to book another flight, that credit will attach the expiration date to the amount you have to pay for the difference. For example, let's say you buy a ticket on May 1, 2014. Then the ticket price drops and you get credit. The credit will expire on May 1, 2015. Then, you book a ticket on Sept 1, 2014 using the credit that originated from May 1, 2014. You use a credit card to pay the difference. The entire credit (plus the difference that you charged) will have the expiration date of May 1, 2015. So if you cancel the trip you booked on Sept 1, 2014, that entire credit/payment will have the May 1, 2015 expiration date. Hope this makes sense.

Good luck!