<p>I just bought an air ticket for our freshman to come home at Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>To date, we have flown out of Providence and paid about $250 round trip. I decided to spring for a ticket to Boston, because it is closer (about a 45 minute drive instead of 1 1/4 hour) and therefore will not be as much of a hassle if weather is bad and traffic is heavy. </p>
<p>I paid $413 and change.</p>
<p>For those of you experienced with these things – do you find that there is a sweet spot in terms of a time to buy the Thanksgiving ticket home? How much of a premium do you find yourself paying?</p>
<p>I recently signed up for email alerts from a number of websites like farecompare.com. Just enter the route you want to track and it will notify you each time there’s a drop in fare. I don’t fly much so it was news to me that the cheapest day of the week to fly is a Wednesday (except for the day before Thanksgiving, sorry to say).</p>
<p>Bought DS’s T-day tickets on Southwest last week and have already redone to save $10. I will be checking mid-week for the next month or so - doubt either flight will drop further now. The Sunday flight back is the tricky one but not too bad right now. I’m not sure what we would do if we didn’t have SW to rely on with their great change/credit policy. I did the same thing last year and I think the fares stayed relatively constant until late Sept/early Oct, but the flights started getting booked up. So far I’ve gotten the tickets down to $203.</p>
<p>Ugh, wish I knew that Marilyn. For some reason (panic over son’s imminent departure?) I bought his Tgiving roundtrip (900 miles away) weeks ago. It’s well over $350. Not sure what I was thinking, though it was supposed to be the best price. Will try Southwest, next time.</p>
<p>Peace of mind is worth a great deal & buying tickets is like playing the lottery. I just try to stick with airlines that will most likely remain in business until the flights have been completed. LOL (but seriously, I do think about that a lot, especially since HI lost two major airlines not all that long ago).</p>
<p>Oh yes, peace of mind. I booked D’s Thanksgiving travel ages ago. There are only so many non-stop flights on those days, and the break is too short to be spent at O’Hare. This is where H’s frequent flyer miles come in very handy.</p>
<p>HIMom, what’s the word on Hawaiian Air? Is it OK to book something for next Feb?</p>
<p>HImom, those were the words I needed to hear…</p>
<p>I too found that the flight back on Sunday was the expensive leg. The fact that the coach fares were already selling out was what convinced me to go ahead and buy now.</p>
<p>BunsenBurner, it also played into my thinking that, when the visit is so short, the time of day of flight, time spent getting to the airport, etc. matters more than usual.</p>
<p>My s didn’t want me to book tix til he knew his schedule. Some professors frown on their missing any class. So hopefully there will be another sale in the next month or 2. Usually happens. Farecast is another website to use.</p>
<p>How early Weds morning did you book?? My s initially griped about getting up/flying too early on Weds last yr, then wished he’d come in earlier to be with friends! ITs also possible for us that he may get a ride (though its a long drive) so we will see…</p>
<p>Definitely consider weather if the region requires that. Last Christmas there were storms in Boston and it took my son two full extra days to get home. American was trying everything but the weather prevailed. He made one trip to the airport when they thought his flight would go and then had to pay for another cab back to his dorm.
Luckily his dorm was open over the holiday. Unfortunately the cab fare each way is 40 dollars. They did eventually get him home and thanks to my begging upgraded to first class for no charge.
DS does not fly home for Thanksgiving. The break is too short and the weather too unpredictable. If he was I would be hesitant to schedule the flight back on Sunday. If there is a problem with that flight classes will be missed on Monday.</p>
<p>We also have made reservations for both Thanksgiving and Christmas…made them in June. Both are on Southwest and neither flight has been reduced in cost. I don’t suspect they will be either. Thanksgiving weekend is an expensive time to fly…everyone is doing it. DD returns to college on Jan 3 (why do colleges do that…WHY can’t they have classes resume on Wednesday so that kids are NOT flying on the most expensive weekend days). DD is a senior this year. Freshman year, her ticket home at Christmas was $299 round trip. This year…$438 round trip. It’s coast to coast from one small airport to another small airport. While not a bargain, at least I KNOW she has a seat on the plane to come home!!</p>
<p>ebeeee, I know what you mean about weather considerations – I guess I am very unsentimental by wondering if the few days home at Thanksgiving are worth the hassle, risks with the weather and expense, but we will try it this year and see what happens.</p>
<p>Fortunately D does not have to be back in school until mid January, so reasonable flights should be much easier to book for the winter break.</p>
<p>Weather–S had no trouble flying back and forth over Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Cleveland got hit with a blizzard when he was coming back over spring break! I was sitting at the computer watching SW flights get cancelled, finally booked him on a Continental non-stop, the last flight out before they shut down the airport, he ran to the other side of the airport, printed the boarding pass out at a kiosk, then walked onto the plane. Stressful!</p>
<p>Am looking at Fall break and Thanksgiving flights now. SWA has eliminated some of his favorite flights, though. He has classes until 4 on Wednesday (who knows whether they will cancel), so will book after 7, probably have to go continental instead of swa. Can’t change those without a big fee, though.</p>
<p>We chucked the whole Thanksgiving homecoming altogether. DS has class until 5 pm the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so he wouldn’t get home until sometime in the early am Thanksgiving day, if all flights are on time. The cost was another factor - geez - it cost three times as much to fly him home for Thanksgiving than for Christmas (which is already purchased.) </p>
<p>DS is the one who asked me to not make him fly home at Thanksgiving. He heard there’s alot going on on campus that weekend. (Confirmed by an alum.) I think the stress of having to be in class until 5 pm, get a ride to the airport, hope for good weather, etc. just to be home for a meal he only kind of likes was just too much for him to think about. I’m going to miss him, though.</p>
He has classes until 4 on Wednesday (who knows whether they will cancel), so will book after 7, probably have to go continental instead of swa. Can’t change those without a big fee, though.</p>