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I have been pretty frugal lately but made a huge blunder recently and have been having a hard time dealing with this personal loss. I have to make a trip to see family about 3 months down the line and just booked my air ticket. Now the fare came down by $300
I am kicking myself for not waiting as $300 is a *****load of money, that I could've spent on something else. I already called the airline to see if I could get a credit or something but they just laughed at me! I know it's too late now but this is making me go into a depression as I was financially careless to lose so much money because I was impatient
According to the TV ads, Alec Baldwin is supposed to come around to your house and hand you the refund for the difference, even if you don't expect it.
You know the old adage . . . "No use crying over spilt milk."
Well, the milk has spilled . . . and no good reason to be crying about something you cannot fix.
If you were willing to spend that extra $300 for a ticket, why would you now be feeling it was the end of the world? I hope you don't use rear view judgment on all your decisions. Things often look different when viewed from that perspective.
Think this through. You booked a ticket and were settled on the price. I am assuming you got what departure and arrival time you wanted? The closer you get to departure date, the greater the chances the flight will get solidly booked . . . and did you select your seat? So that is settled, too. Hopefully, you have a decent seat and workable departure and arrival times. You paid that extra $300 to make sure you got the flight and seat you wanted.
When you make a decision, don't look back. Don't second guess. If you are making decisions based on what you believe to be the best data and info you have available at that moment, then you have no reason to be upset at yourself later.
I learned a long time ago that it is never wise to wait til the last minute to book a ticket when I need specific arrival or departure times. You just never know what can happen to make it impossible to book when you desire. Be glad you booked that ticket, have it all taken care of . . . and quit obsessing over the money. You are gonna end up resenting the whole trip if you keep it up!
So learn from your mistake. You can't change it, but you can keep from repeating it. I have spent time educating myself on when to buy a ticket. A lot depends on the destination and the timing. I rarely buy a ticket more than 30 days in advance. Exceptions are if you are going somewhere popular and chances are seats will be sold out or more expensive closer to the date. One way to check this is to go through the booking process (without finalizing) and see how many seats are available on that flight.
There are also lots of websites that will keep track of the fares for you and you can sign up for emails that signal you when the fares drop. Bing travel has a "predictor" that tells you if the fares are likely to rise or fall. And I think someone mentioned Orbitz - I think they have a money back guarantee. Learn to use all these tools.
Sometimes, you just have to book in advance because you don't want anything to go wrong. Yes, you might pay a little more, but you bought security and peace of mind. There is no guarantee that those fares will come down.
I've spent less than $200 and more than $500 depending where and when I am going - it all evens out in the end. Nothing you can do now, so just stop worrying and vow to save some money between now and then so you can enjoy that trip!
Think this through. You booked a ticket and were settled on the price. I am assuming you got what departure and arrival time you wanted? The closer you get to departure date, the greater the chances the flight will get solidly booked . . . and did you select your seat? So that is settled, too. Hopefully, you have a decent seat and workable departure and arrival times. You paid that extra $300 to make sure you got the flight and seat you wanted.
When you make a decision, don't look back. Don't second guess. If you are making decisions based on what you believe to be the best data and info you have available at that moment, then you have no reason to be upset at yourself later.
I also tend to having difficulities with thinking & rethinking about things in the past. The way I handle it iswhenever a negative thought crosses my mind I immediately replace it with a positive thought (sometimes, first saying emphatically NO to the negative thought). It is usually very effective and has greatly decreased my negative thinking. Perhaps, whenever you think of the money just replace it with something positive like " I'm really excited to see my family on April 20" or perhaps something directly related to money such "I am good with money". For some people beingvery specific in their self-talk is the most effective way. "No, it wasn't a blunder. I will see my mom right on timer to get ready for the reunion", just add your own specifics.
Buying airline tickets is always a gamble but what the others are saying is right. You have no idea if you would have been able to get the best day or time of day if you had waited. Also, if you had waited the price could have gone up (that has happened to me on several occasions). Once, I was too tired to book the tickets late one night and decided to do it bright and early the next morning. The next day each seat had gone up $150. It is annoying but you have to just focus on the good parts.
Good luck on using positive self talk. As, I said it has been extremely helpful for me.
I have been pretty frugal lately but made a huge blunder recently and have been having a hard time dealing with this personal loss. I have to make a trip to see family about 3 months down the line and just booked my air ticket. Now the fare came down by $300
I am kicking myself for not waiting as $300 is a *****load of money, that I could've spent on something else. I already called the airline to see if I could get a credit or something but they just laughed at me! I know it's too late now but this is making me go into a depression as I was financially careless to lose so much money because I was impatient
What site did you use to book your flight?
Airlines are run by bastards, parasites and toilet bugs. They stink and they are annoying.
I rejoiced when I read about American Airlines bankruptcy. I'd rejoice more if I read the same about US Airways and importantly, Delta.
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