I could kick myself... but now what?

[yayvacation!]

We booked an Alaskan cruise leaving out of Seattle on Aug. 12. When I was looking at flights a month or so ago they were around $420 pp out of Providence (PVD) or Boston (BOS) of course I didn't book them because ... well I don't know why! Now they are up over $600 - $700 each :eek:

 

So my question is ... do I suck it up and spend the $600 to lock in, do I continue to wait for a better price? Is there anywhere I can look for a better rate? I don't really care which airline at this point, I would just like to get there for less than $600!

 

Any opinions/help is welcome! Thanks!

[dcward89]

Did you try Southwest? I usually always find a good price on Southwest, if they fly to the cities I'm going to...and no baggage fees unless you take more than 2 bags each.

[6rugrats]

Look at what's going on, then make an educated guess. You want to fly in summer, oil prices are rising, and many airlines have cut routes. Tickets for your dates have been for sale for about six months now, which could mean the lower fare buckets are now sold out.

 

I don't see anything much lower than $570 for your fare (CO). Personally, I'd purchase now.

[6rugrats]

Did you try Southwest?

Amazingly enough, the least expensive flights for OP on Southwest with times that will work are leaving Aug 11 (5:10 p.m.), return Aug 19 (2:05 p.m.) is $870.80. No bargain.

[dcward89]

FWIW, we already purchased our plane tickets for Jan/2012 cruise. With what's going on in the middle east and gas prices rising practically daily, I am convinced ticket prices will just keep going up.

[Gonzo70]

Looks like the best you can do with flight times that are viable would be on JetBlue. They have non-stop flights for $537 (flying in evening before cruise, leaving 11:35am day cruise ends). I believe JetBlue permits one free bag per person, and possibly gives price drops in form of credit towards a future flight (not 100% sure). Flights are from BOS to SEA.

 

Also check Choice Air to see if they happen to have anything cheaper.

 

Good luck. :)

[MSMcDuffy]

If it were me, I'd wait, but that's just me. I've usually had good luck booking 2-3 mo's out, in good & bad economic times. But the longer you wait, the good (window/aisle) seats will disappear. Keep an eye on the seating charts.

 

We purchased airline tickets a few weeks ago and the fare has gone up & down several times since and even a brand new flight was added for one of my legs which would have been a better connection on my return (go figure--thanks Delta:rolleyes:).

 

Keep checking daily and even a few times a day (fares can be volatile) on the airline websites in addition to comparing fares on Kayak, Orbitz, etc.

[AF-1]

if u book on orbitz and someone books the same route for less; orbtiz refunds u the difference.

[alidor]

That is a gimmick and nothing more --- the chances of someone booking the same itinerary, same flights on the same day are small - but the kicker is that it would have to be booked in the same class of service. One day the lowest class could be in "M," for example, and the next day, or even a few hours after booking, the lowest class could be in "Q" - no refund.

 

That is just a marketing gimmick by Orbitz.

[CtheW0rld]

have you checked the pricing through your cruiseline? there are drawbacks with cruiseair (see sticky at top) but it may be worth making a phone call.

[Gonzo70]

If it were me, I'd wait, but that's just me. I've usually had good luck booking 2-3 mo's out, in good & bad economic times. But the longer you wait, the good (window/aisle) seats will disappear. Keep an eye on the seating charts.

 

 

Was oil at $105 a barrel at the time you got good rates 2-3 months out? Different story right now unless oil spikes back downwards.

[frugaltravel]

I would probably wait too. But why not consider returning a day later too? That would drastically reduce the price.

 

Just depends on how creative you want to be!

[greatam]

Sun Country flies on certain days from BOS to SEA with a stop in MSP. Leaving the night of Aug 12, you would arrive SEA at 8AM Aug 13. Same thing going home. Certainly not the most convenient or fastest flights but less than $400. Otherwise, Jet Blue as was mentioned for about $540. Continental also has a flight for slightly more than $500 that works with a cruise. Continental also has some other flights but they leave and arrive from different airports (PVD/BOS).

[kelmac]

Looks like the best you can do with flight times that are viable would be on JetBlue. They have non-stop flights for $537 (flying in evening before cruise, leaving 11:35am day cruise ends). I believe JetBlue permits one free bag per person, and possibly gives price drops in form of credit towards a future flight (not 100% sure). Flights are from BOS to SEA.

 

Also check Choice Air to see if they happen to have anything cheaper.

 

Good luck. :)

 

I would go with Gonzo on this one! Non-stop flights are really worth it these days! $537 is a "fair" price; waiting for the "best" price will cost your more in time spent and pre-vacation anxiety. Book it and feel good about it!

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[6rugrats]

We booked an Alaskan cruise leaving out of Seattle on Aug. 12..

 

Sun Country flies on certain days from BOS to SEA with a stop in MSP. Leaving the night of Aug 12, you would arrive SEA at 8AM Aug 13. (PVD/BOS).

OP's cruise leaves Aug 12, so this won't work, but if they have enough time off to arrive early, Sun Country would work leaving Aug 10, at $380 pp rt.

 

OP - use this site to search. Try changing the dates and departure cities to see if you can find better prices:

 

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

 

If you can leave from BOS, look also at AirTran.

[yayvacation!]

I would probably wait too. But why not consider returning a day later too? That would drastically reduce the price.

 

Just depends on how creative you want to be!

 

Because of DH's work schedule we can leave either late Thursday or early Friday and stay until either Saturday or Sunday after the cruise is over. I'm being as flexible as possible, now I'm hoping for a little give with the airlines :)

 

OP's cruise leaves Aug 12, so this won't work, but if they have enough time off to arrive early, Sun Country would work leaving Aug 10, at $380 pp rt.

 

OP - use this site to search. Try changing the dates and departure cities to see if you can find better prices:

 

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

 

If you can leave from BOS, look also at AirTran.

 

Thanks for this link - it's very helpful!

[MSMcDuffy]

Was oil at $105 a barrel at the time you got good rates 2-3 months out? Different story right now unless oil spikes back downwards.

 

No, but the airfare I purchased 2 weeks ago has come down a little bit in price (for the exact same flights) and the gas prices have certainly gone up:confused:

 

Prices for the 2 markets I've been watching have gone up & down & up & down since I've been looking in January and I caught the fare at the down turn. Sounds like the OP has only checked once a month and perhaps missed a low fare since they can change several times a day and the airports they are looking at are competitive markets like mine, well at least BOS is.

 

I'll retract my comment about purchasing 2-3 mo's out (for this year) but IMO they should at least be checking fares daily.

[scottbee]

We booked an Alaskan cruise leaving out of Seattle on Aug. 12. When I was looking at flights a month or so ago they were around $420 pp out of Providence (PVD) or Boston (BOS) of course I didn't book them because ... well I don't know why! Now they are up over $600 - $700 each :eek:

 

So my question is ... do I suck it up and spend the $600 to lock in, do I continue to wait for a better price? Is there anywhere I can look for a better rate? I don't really care which airline at this point, I would just like to get there for less than $600!

 

Any opinions/help is welcome! Thanks!

 

If you book your trip on AS/Alaska Airlines; if it drops in price, you can get a voucher for the difference.

[kelmac]

If you book your trip on AS/Alaska Airlines; if it drops in price, you can get a voucher for the difference.

 

Same thing on Southwest Airlines + No luggage fees!

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[scottbee]

Same thing on Southwest Airlines + No luggage fees!

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

 

Last I checked WN didn't fly to either Alaska or Vancouver, which is 2 out of three of the ports used in Alaska cruises.

[yayvacation!]

Last I checked WN didn't fly to either Alaska or Vancouver, which is 2 out of three of the ports used in Alaska cruises.

 

 

I'm leaving out of Seattle, so SW or Alaska Air would be fine, but Southwest is actually more expensive (around $800 at last look) and Alaska Air isn't much better.

 

I have hope, I'm checking multiple times a day but right now everything is headed in the wrong direction! It also doesn't help that DH is convinced prices will go down..... :rolleyes:

[kelmac]

I'm leaving out of Seattle, so SW or Alaska Air would be fine, but Southwest is actually more expensive (around $800 at last look) and Alaska Air isn't much better.

 

I have hope, I'm checking multiple times a day but right now everything is headed in the wrong direction! It also doesn't help that DH is convinced prices will go down..... :rolleyes:

 

I still think the non-stop Jet-Blue, for $537 p/p, is the way to go! Aug is a high demand month, Jet fuel prices are up, and people are ready for a vacation.

 

Good Luck!

Kel:)

[greatam]

 

It also doesn't help that DH is convinced prices will go down..... :rolleyes:

 

Why would he think that????

 

With the limited time frame you have to fly, flights into Seattle are most likely sold out for the cheaper seats. On cruise days, flight prices are generally higher than those a couple of days before or after. Why would the airlines sell tickets cheap when they KNOW they have high demand on specific days?? Don't forget, the cruise line bought large blocks of tickets a YEAR AGO for their cruise air passengers so that took a lot of seats off the market.

 

Can you leave on the 11th??? Sun Country is flying on the 11th. 11:45AM leave BOS, arrive Minneapolis at 1:50PM, leave MSP at 2:50PM, arrive SEA 4:25PM. Buy a one way ticket for $227.95pp. There are a lot of one way tickets FROM Seattle on the 19th/20. some priced as low as $200. Most in the $250 range.

 

Just throwing out a few options.

[yayvacation!]

Why would he think that????

 

With the limited time frame you have to fly, flights into Seattle are most likely sold out for the cheaper seats. On cruise days, flight prices are generally higher than those a couple of days before or after. Why would the airlines sell tickets cheap when they KNOW they have high demand on specific days?? Don't forget, the cruise line bought large blocks of tickets a YEAR AGO for their cruise air passengers so that took a lot of seats off the market.

 

Can you leave on the 11th??? Sun Country is flying on the 11th. 11:45AM leave BOS, arrive Minneapolis at 1:50PM, leave MSP at 2:50PM, arrive SEA 4:25PM. Buy a one way ticket for $227.95pp. There are a lot of one way tickets FROM Seattle on the 19th/20. some priced as low as $200. Most in the $250 range.

 

Just throwing out a few options.

 

He thinks that because he's crazy!! lol. I don't know, I think it is completely irrational to continue to wait.

 

We could leave on the 11th, but not unitl after he gets out of work because he can't take that day off. When comparing the night flights to Seattle + the hotel for the 11th, it ends up being the same price as the overpriced airline tickets on friday morning. So in that regard I'm not sure it's worth trying to leave on Thursday.

[yayvacation!]

I still think the non-stop Jet-Blue, for $537 p/p, is the way to go! Aug is a high demand month, Jet fuel prices are up, and people are ready for a vacation.

 

Good Luck!

Kel:)

 

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this flight - I found a friday morning leaving Boston with a return on Saturday (red eye) landing in Bos around 8am

 

I don't think that's horrible seeing as it's a direct flight and we have sunday to recover :)

 

Thoughts on that plan? Or red-eye flights in general I've never taken one before.