Flying [when is the best time purchase tickets?] - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
So, last time my family went to WDW we used a travel agent. This time we are planning it ourselves. We could use some advice making flight reservations. Should we make them as soon as possible or wait to see about deals as we get closer?
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Personally, I would not book this far in advance. I would start looking at prices and get an idea of what the going rates are. Explore the airlines you can use and the different airports (if that's an option). If Southwest is available for you, then they haven't even released their rates yet for your timeframe. (Their next few months are released on Oct. 27, I believe.) Again, I would explore for a while, then you will know when a good rate comes out and you can jump on it.
Due to a major snafu in our vacation plans (thanks, brother!), we already have our tickets for next year. We are flying on Alaska Air, and they have a low-fare guarantee. Meaning if we find a cheaper fare, they will match it. If you do book that early, make sure your airline has such a guarantee. Also check into what they charge for changing your tickets in case something comes up.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
Post Thanks / Like
We don't plan trips months out. It seems like 6-8 weeks out we can get better fares.....but this isn't always the case as, some flights do sell out quickly and then the fares go up. You should check on the flights you want for a few weeks and see what the fares do on a day-to-day basis before making a decision.
If you Fly SWA you can get notification of a fare change I think (I now fly Jet Blue). Other than holidays, I do not book too far out, usually a couple of months at best.
I am also a big fan of sales. Last month, I booked my trip to Houston for this week. They had a $31.00 one way fare for Halloween. Although I would have preferred a longer trip (I have to be in court Wednesday) I go once a month and could not pass up Boston to Houston and return for $90.
If you can be flexible with your dates and not go on school vacation weeks, you will do better.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Depends on when (time of year) you're flying. I always try to book the day flights are released but I fly with Southwest. They open flights tomorrow for my dates and my alarm is set for 6:00 am. I am also traveling during a school vacay (Passover) so need to jump on the flights the minute they open.
Depends on when (time of year) you're flying. I always try to book the day flights are released but I fly with Southwest. They open flights tomorrow for my dates and my alarm is set for 6:00 am. I am also traveling during a school vacay (Passover) so need to jump on the flights the minute they open.
I usually book as soon as they open with SW, however I travel during school vacations. During spring break especially, flights go up quickly and some do sell out. If I travel during the summer, I book as soon as I can and then watch the fares for price drops, but I also book with points and if the price goes down, I just change my flight and have points credited back to my account.
If you are flexible with your dates, look into flying midweek ( Tuesday to Tuesday vs. Sat. to Sat. Or Sun. to Sun.). The fares will be better, sometimes A LOT better - half the price many times.
Fares go up & down. If you don't know what a good fare is for your flights, I agree with tracking them for awhile to see what they do.
Some airlines will issue you a flight credit if fares drop, but they're only good if you have another trip planed within the year before the credit expires.
How'd you make out? My flights were literally going up in price while I was trying to purchase them By 9 am my flights were sold out and the cheapest one-way for my dates was running about $450 Insanity!
How'd you make out? My flights were literally going up in price while I was trying to purchase them By 9 am my flights were sold out and the cheapest one-way for my dates was running about $450 Insanity!
I cancelled my April trip, but I decided to check flights yesterday for the heck of it. The dates of my (cancelled) trip had NO wanna get away fares left, either leg, from 2 local airports by the time I checked at 4:30! There must have been a heck of a run on tickets!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I don't fly SW, they don't fly international, and fares are rarely cheap out of Seattle.
I fly Alaska, mainly because I get a companion fare every year.
I booked for my Aug trip today, because I noticed my preferred travel date already went up so I booked a day earlier. With companion fare, it will cost a little over $400 each (for 2).
I've noticed fares from my area are creeping up. Sometimes cheaper to fly out of Seattle, but this time adding hotel overnight both ways I do t come out ahead.
Due to a major snafu in our vacation plans (thanks, brother!), we already have our tickets for next year. We are flying on Alaska Air, and they have a low-fare guarantee. Meaning if we find a cheaper fare, they will match it. If you do book that early, make sure your airline has such a guarantee. Also check into what they charge for changing your tickets in case something comes up.
Isn't the low fare guarantee only if you find a lower fare within 24 hrs?
I love it if I can be flexible with dates. You can save a ton. I just got back from Houston. My fare from Boston to Houston was $90. round trip. I came back on Saturday instead of Sunday to take advantage of a $31.00 fare.
MY next trip is Thanksgiving -same flights, same airlines. Because my DD has an exam, I wasn't able to book until Wednesday morning and we return Friday night. A whooping $550. each fare and we are npot flying on the weekend to avaoid the highest fares.
OUr Christmas trip is $180.00 each round trip. We are flying down Monday, again because my DD cannot do Sunday and returning Christmas evening. Same flights as every other trip Jet Blue 932 down and 1031 back. I booked them all within a week of one another (actually October on a Sunday, the other two that Tuesday.)
We got the best fares by being flexible with days. Would an extra day be nice? Yes. Is it worth a few hundred dollars. No not to me.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Crystal
Our last WDW trip as a family 
By 9 am my flights were sold out and the cheapest one-way for my dates was running about $450 
Linear Mode
