Tips for Booking Your Airfare

You’re booked for your trip through us….now what? You’ll want to start researching your flights!

Finding low prices on airfare can be really challenging, but with these tips you will be able to save hundreds of dollars.

Tip 1: Know Air Discount Patterns

Sometimes it’s random, but looking at previous data the lowest airfares are often available approximately 4 months in advance and again 6-8 weeks in advance. It’s best to avoid booking within 14 days of your trip, or worse yet, within 7 days!

If you will be traveling during a peak period such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, or the summer months (especially Friday departures and/or Sunday returns), book your tickets early or you may not be able to get seats!

Helpful hint: The cheapest and least crowded days will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday!

Tip #2: Set up a search in google

Google Flights is so easy to use and is a great place to start when you’re looking for flights to your destination. Google Flights has flexible-date searches that can show you the lowest possible fare for each date combination. Google Flights do not offer pricing for Southwest, JetBlue, and some other low-fare airlines. You have to separately check the airline’s website directly to compare prices to them.

Tip #3: Book Direct With Your Favorite Airline

Although there’s so many search engines that can help you find flights, booking with a third-party like Expedia or Orbitz can still have a markup. Once you find the flights you want, book directly through the airline to make sure you are booked correctly and if anything happens you’ll be able to work it out directly with the airline.

Tip #4: Know what airport you’re flying to

If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland in California, you have a lot of airport options! The closest airport to Disneyland is Orange County (SNA) or Long Beach (LBG). If you plan to visit San Diego (SAN) or Universal Studios (Burbank Airport, BUR) during your time in California, booking a one way flight either to or from these airports could save you time and money.

Helpful hint: Although many places will tell you to fly through Los Angeles (LAX) the traffic and driving distance will severely cut into your trip. We never recommend our clients fly into LAX unless it’s their only option.

If you are going to Walt Disney World, the closest airport is Orlando (MCO). If you’re looking for another option, Tampa’s airport (TPA) is fairly close but the drive time will cut into your trip.

If you are taking a Walt Disney Cruise, we will recommend where to book flights based on your cruise embarkment location.

Tip #5: Check Promotions

Promotional fares are used by airlines to help them secure your patronage. Once you have an idea of what your fare will be to your destination, you can be savvy about knowing when tickets go on sale. If you see a discounted fare, snag it! Sometimes that discount will only last a few hours so it’s good to keep an eye on it periodically.

Helpful hint: Experts say the best day to find cheap promotional fares is Wednesday!