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cruiser20145
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Please do some reading here on how to select airfares...there are many, many threads. There is no magic way, no special time or date. It just takes the research required, buying, and not looking back.

 

Without specifics, cities flying to/from, approximate dates, it is hard to give advice. I would start with matrix.ita.com

 

By the way, there is no correlation between your cruise fare, and air fares. None.

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By the way, there is no correlation between your cruise fare, and air fares. None.

 

Indeed. Could be that the airfare is more than the cruise fare, depending on your port of embarkation.

With oil prices higher than airlines thought they'd be at this time, and the airlines moaning about their profits being affected by increased operating costs, you can expect the general trend of airfare pricing not to be in a downward direction.

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Indeed. Could be that the airfare is more than the cruise fare, depending on your port of embarkation.

With oil prices higher than airlines thought they'd be at this time, and the airlines moaning about their profits being affected by increased operating costs, you can expect the general trend of airfare pricing not to be in a downward direction.

 

Agree. This is commonly discussed here. A great example is a short flight, followed by a long cruise in a suite. The cruise fare will no doubt be much larger than the airfare. But a long flight in first class, followed by a short cruise in the cheapest cabin on the ship, the airfare will likely be much higher than the cruise fare.

 

Thus, no correlation. None. Far too many variables.

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When do you typically book airfare?
I try to book when it's cheap.

 

If you're looking for a quick shortcut to being reliably able to book when it's cheap, then forget it. It takes work and knowledge to find out (a) what "cheap" means for the route that you want to fly; and (b) when fares might be cheap for the time that you want to fly. And then it takes luck to be able to book when it becomes cheap.

 

I am trying to decide on a cruise for next year, but airfare is outrageous! I'm talking over half of the cruise fare.
Some people might say that's exactly what you would expect to see if you're contemplating a $199 cruise.

 

Which is just a demonstration with numbers of how meaningless it is to compare the cost of the flight to the cost of the cruise.

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I try to book when it's cheap.

 

If you're looking for a quick shortcut to being reliably able to book when it's cheap, then forget it. It takes work and knowledge to find out (a) what "cheap" means for the route that you want to fly; and (b) when fares might be cheap for the time that you want to fly. And then it takes luck to be able to book when it becomes cheap.

 

Some people might say that's exactly what you would expect to see if you're contemplating a $199 cruise.

 

Which is just a demonstration with numbers of how meaningless it is to compare the cost of the flight to the cost of the cruise.

 

 

The cruise is $1119 per person in a balcony...

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As has been stated above in numerous posts; there is NO simple answer

and YES, I have diligently checked air fares a few times a day for about the past

4-5 months. Today, I finally booked our flights for our October cruise and it has been

quite the learning curve! So, technically, I booked about 4 months out, however,

that is by NO means a guideline at all.

Many posters say to book when you feel comfortable with the rate.

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  • 2 weeks later...
When do you typically book airfare? I am trying to decide on a cruise for next year, but airfare is outrageous! I'm talking over half of the cruise fare.

 

When do I book? It depends on the situation. I just booked a domestic flight next month a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, I booked an international flight for October several months ago.

 

Quit comparing cruise fare to airfare. They are completely different products and the price of one has no bearing on the price of the other.

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Where are you flying FROM and TO? What are the dates of your travel? What do you consider expensive? And, then check Kayak.

 

When I booked my September cruise in March, I expected a bit of a sting for the airfare as I was doing cross-country from Sacramento to Miami and back. I figured $400 each way. (I'm not much of a flyer.) I was surprised when the airfare was just $324 round trip, with a 8 AM departure from SMF, and a 1:30 PM departure from FLL. You can see how quickly I booked those tickets. Three months later, and while the prices have dropped a little bit, the departure times are not as convenient.

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I always try to book airfare 300-330 days out. Rely more frequently on cruise line air for final purchase than directly with the airline. Never book through a consolidator. Two years ago we toured China with Uniworld and booked R/T MIA-PEK about 300 days out and grabbed $3,000 R/T business seats. Watched the fare increase to $6,990 two weeks prior to departure. Conversely, just today informed by Delta that my 6 month old reservation was changed from a non-stop TPA-LAX to a TPA-ATL-LAX 45 minute change planes connection at ATL. Impossible, especially with thunderstorms impacting arrivals/departures in the afternoon. Delta was showing non stop MCO-LAX R/T as $500 less expensive than TPA-LAX. Princess EZAir offered $400 more expensive. After 4 long hours of holding and discussions with reps, EZAir provided an earlier flight with a 2-hour ATL connection window. After hanging up checked online with EZAir and the first offering originating from MCO for the whole R/T to Australia was $500 less than original booked out of TPA. Baffling why the EZAir folks could not provide what their website did.

 

As people are suggesting, its a crap shoot with airfare these days. I always check multiple airports, several days either side of an optimum schedule, and multiple airlines for fares. Also check partner code share airlines. Two years ago flew to MIA-USH on Aerolineas Argentinas for an Antarctic cruise for one-third of what Delta, its code share partner for the route was asking on its website, for seats on the very same airplane. Living in Florida always check flights to/fm all major FL airports: MIA, MCO, TPA and FLL. Many times have seen $1000 differences in R/T fares. "Google flights" is your friend and a good starting place for airfares/schdules.

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Anywhere from three or four months out to a little as 10 days for a transatlantic or transpacific flight. Seven days for a last minute cruise in the Med and one way cruise air home from BCN. The very best fare that we have booked to Bangkok was booked mid Jan 10 days out and it remains the most attractive of the fares that we have had to that airport over the past four years. Same going the other direction to Portugal. And the same experience flying home from Australia via HNL.

 

We travel fairly frequently. Other than obvious vacation times, our experience is that there is not set rule. Demand and supply.

 

We also use matrix.it etc.

 

You just never know. The biggie is leaving it until the last minute. That can be very iffy if you have dependent reservations or do not want to end up with a stayvacation. We do a fair amount of last minute travel so we are frequently browsing fares with short fuses.

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  • 3 weeks later...

For economy seats many people recommend the cruise lines air program.

 

I use Chase Sapphire points and transfer them to a partner airline for award flights. I also get a preferred airline's credit card and build up points for an award flight. And, I've built up British Airways points PLUS transferred Chase Sapphire points. When you have the better part of a year to do this, you can get your air much cheaper. I do it so my husband and I can fly premium economy or business class.

 

If none of the above works, and I have to pay straight cash for flights, I will use my Chase Sapphire points as a credit on my card, and help pay for the flight that way.

 

I just booked British Airways yesterday for award flights, plus cash. Between now and when we fly I will almost pay for one of the fares with credits on my monthly Chase Sapphire statements.

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airfare is outrageous!

 

I think that airfare is cheap!

 

I took my first flight to New York 1993 and paid around $600. It's still easy to find tickets to New York for $600 but my salary is trippled!

 

A shorthaul flight in economy within Europe costed around $300 in the 90's and now I's possible to fly in business for $300!

 

That's the reason why I think airfare is cheap.

 

I don't say that the specific flights you are looking at aren't expensive. It's just my opinion about the cost for airline tickets.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am shocked at next year 2019 summer Europe Airfares. I am doing sample fares , taking a cruise out of Rome and have to fly jax to Rome and come home Athens to Jax.

We were going to go last year but had to reschedule for this year. Last year we got round trip per person approx $980 per person which was great. Now I’m checking next May ( we are actually flying in mid June 2019) and RT fares today are at around 2800-3000 RT. How can there be such an increase. ????? Of course the $980 fare quoted us in 2017 for 2018 Cruise was throughprincess ez aire. But still. It looks like we are looking at. Tremendous airfare for summer 2019. More than the cruise fare.

:loudcry::loudcry::loudcry:

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I'm not feeling to bad at $3900 for the two of us (booked directly with DL) in DeltaOne LAX-BCN May 2019....It's been pricing as high as $10,000 directly with DL and currently $5300 using Air2Sea.

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I'm not feeling to bad at $3900 for the two of us (booked directly with DL) in DeltaOne LAX-BCN May 2019....It's been pricing as high as $10,000 directly with DL and currently $5300 using Air2Sea.

 

Is that economy, economy plus, business?

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DeltaOne is business. Ashland got a screaming deal. I love hearing when people find these fares.:)

Technically business .... but as far as seating is concerned it's "first class" :hearteyes:... So excited about this deal ... Pays to check prices at midnight here on the west coast (I grabbed my credit card and could hardly complete my booking fast enough, I thought this pricing was a flook) .... by early the next morning ... prices had gone way back up.

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Is that economy, economy plus, business?

Business technically but to me it's really first class. DL can call it anything it wants.

 

I came so close a day or two before booking same DL C+ flights for $2458.00 so glad I waited :')

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It does look like a really good price. I compared the seats to ours going home on BA in business. The DeltaOne seats are 80/21 for pitch and width, while the BA business seats are 72/20. I flew this exact BA flight last year in business, and it was very comfortable. But, you have to do your homework to pick seats that have access in/out without stepping over someone else's feet and footrest. We paid $1,350 one way FCO-LAX for both of us with cash and points.

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It does look like a really good price. I compared the seats to ours going home on BA in business. The DeltaOne seats are 80/21 for pitch and width, while the BA business seats are 72/20. I flew this exact BA flight last year in business, and it was very comfortable. But, you have to do your homework to pick seats that have access in/out without stepping over someone else's feet and footrest. We paid $1,350 one way FCO-LAX for both of us with cash and points.

Oh yes...I obsess about seats and research it thoroughly on every site I can find. Now to just keep an eye out for those darn flight changes DL makes and be ready to make any changes necessary ;)

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