Roundtrip Air CLT--HNL September 2012

[Countrygirl44]

Beginning to price air for our cruise in September 2012. Will depart September 13 and return September 22. Right now I am pricing the week prior (cannot book 13/22 until at least this Friday). TA is quoting me $942.00 on United with the flights I really like. Only one connection each way and at least a two hour lay over. I like at least two hours so that is good. Delta is a little cheaper but I do not like the connections. AA probably has my favorite return flight, however, it is about $400.00 more for a 4:50 departure than a 7:10. For that kind of money, I can handle the 2hr.20 min. difference.

I think if I can book Friday for $942.00 and get to choose my seats now, I will go with it. That is a little cheaper than the same flights would be next month.

O.K. cruise critic friends, may I have your thoughts and suggestions.

[mpk218]

My suggestion is you are booking way to early ;)

[welove2cruise*]

We are also booked on the Hawaii cruise for Sept. 2012 but the week before you. I saw prices around $840 from Charlotte this year same time so my goal is no more than $850. Hope they come down. Wish there was a price protection on flights.

[6rugrats]

Thoughts and suggestions? Your font is really difficult to read.

 

Your TA can't quote you an accurate price yet, as the flights aren't available to book on UA. I think it's way too early to book this and that price seems pretty high. It's no bargain. I'd watch it for a while before I'd purchase.

 

But if you aren't comfortable waiting, book when the price is something you can live with.

[critterchick]

I only book this far in advance if I'm trying to use miles for something. Hawaii often goes on sale - when we went last year, we paid about $700pp and the price dropped to around $450 three months out. We were able get the difference from UA in the form of travel vouchers (the agent found a loophole in the $150 change fee, too).

 

So I would hold off booking and monitor prices.

 

I, on the other hand, am going to jump on booking a flight for September 21 as soon as it's open for booking, since I'm using miles and hoping for the front of the plane.;)

[Ashland]

Step back, wait and let the price checking begin.. Over $900pp at this time of year is high..Set up a price alert on one of the online sites...Good luck !!

[Starry Eyes]

I would not book nonrefundable air tickets yet. OTOH, Frequent flyer, I'd do as soon as I could. I'd wait to pay tickets for several reasons. Prices may well drop when a sale comes along. Cruise lines sometimes change itineraries or charter the ship, and it is oh so upsetting if one has already bought expensive air. Personal, family, health, fanatical issues, etc could arise between now and then. Airlines can change flight schedules, especially so far out, so an itinerary you love today may be changed to one you hate. JMHO.

[Countrygirl44]

We are also booked on the Hawaii cruise for Sept. 2012 but the week before you. I saw prices around $840 from Charlotte this year same time so my goal is no more than $850. Hope they come down. Wish there was a price protection on flights.

That sounds like a great price.:) Did that also include taxes? A problem that I have is that DH has health issues on a long destination when non-stop flights are not available, I try to get only one plane change and at least a two hour layover. This is usually more costly.:mad:

Do you remember the flights you were pricing at $840.00? DH's brother and girlfriend went to Hawaii on the POA this past September and I am thinking he paid about $1000.00 for his air out of Charlotte. He booked about a month out as the trip was sorta " last minute".

My TA was pricing this using September 06 and September 15 when we actually would be flying out on September 13 and returning September 22.

Were you pricing the air through the airline direct or through an agency like cheap air, priceline, hotwire, orbitz, etc.

I am open to all the help and suggestions I can get.:)

[FlyerTalker]

I wonder if someone is trying out the fonts button.....

 

Guess that old fashioned Verdana doesn't make the proper "statement".

[Countrygirl44]

I wonder if someone is trying out the fonts button.....

 

Guess that old fashioned Verdana doesn't make the proper "statement".

Yeah, I do like to play with the buttons. :D

Flyer-Talker, I am so glad to see your reply. I had not seen a response from you in some time and was conccerned that you had not been posting.

I know you are an expert on flying and have always given such "right on" advice. :)

We usually only fly once a year and that is to our cruise port. The nearest airport to us that can usually get you to your destination non-stop or with one connection is Charlotte and it is about a three hour drive for us

Sorry, now I am playing with the icon buttons.:p

[CruiserBruce]

Any chance you look at fares using the "flexible dates" feature? Maybe coming or going a day or two earlier/later than you need to. Could save you a few bucks.

[Countrygirl44]

Any chance you look at fares using the "flexible dates" feature? Maybe coming or going a day or two earlier/later than you need to. Could save you a few bucks.

I just looked on Cheap Air and if the hotel rates would be the same for Saturday and Sunday night in Honolulu that we are paying for Thursday and Friday, it would actually cost us more.(depart on Thursday as planned and return on Monday instead of Saturday) Now, I would truly love to spend an extra two days in Honolulu.

Stretching the travel dollar for us seniors is getting to be more difficult all the time. :mad: I think I did get a good cabin price on this sailing. We paid less than the cabin is pricing on the NCL website plus we booked during a promotion and got some OBC. We also signed up for the NCL credit card and got enough points as an incentive to get the card to get another $100.00 OBC. I use credit cards very limited, however, with how I would normally use a card, by the time we would have to use points for this trip I should have another couple of hundred dollars of OBC. Should be plenty to pay gratuities, a little shopping and soda cards. Now that you pay up front using your credit card for excursions booked in advance, I would not be able to use the OBC for those.

Will continue to check prices and as a previous poster suggested, if it is a price I feel comfortable with, go ahead and book. I did read somewhere that Wednesday is usually the best day to get better airline prices.

Keep the advice coming. I need all the help I can get!:)

[crystalaziza]

Hello all, I + 3 others are going 08/21/12 - 09/-1/12 from Rochester, NY to HNL. Airfare is now at $968.00 w/ Delta. I am waiting for it to go down. I know gas has gone up, but I paid $606.00 in 2007. $800.? in 2008, & $743.00 in 2009. I do not want to pay $968.00 unless of course it is for 1st class.:D

[FlyerTalker]

A collection of responses:

We usually only fly once a year and that is to our cruise port. The nearest airport to us that can usually get you to your destination non-stop or with one connection is Charlotte and it is about a three hour drive for us.

Driving to a fortress hub will rarely result in low prices. Non-stop and one-stop flights have an attractiveness that results in higher demand and higher pricing. Toss in a lack of competition and you get more dollars flowing from your pocket.

 

My thought is that you should consider other airports in your mix. Having additional connections is not necessarily bad unless you really need to reduce overall travel time. There can be a therapeutic effect to having time outside the aluminum tube. I don't need/want health issue details, but you should put other cities into the mix, at least in your price/value evaluations. RDU? GSO? RIC? You never know what you may find, especially in mid-tier markets with decent competition.

I just looked on Cheap Air

If you are talking about Cheapoair, I would suggest a search in this forum on their name. You would be getting a very different product than what you would purchase from an airline or hotel directly.

We also signed up for the NCL credit card and got enough points as an incentive to get the card to get another $100.00 OBC. I use credit cards very limited, however, with how I would normally use a card, by the time we would have to use points for this trip I should have another couple of hundred dollars of OBC.

I hope that you checked into just what you are getting in return for your credit card spend. And a sign-up bonus worth $100 is quite low in the CC market. For example, Marriott has a new 70,000 point bonus plus a free night up to Cat 4. Cashing in for Cat 4, you need 80,000 points for a 4 night reward. With a 4 night redemption you get the fifth night free. Toss in the extra free night from the bonus and you get almost SIX nights at a good quality Marriott just for signing up. Significantly more value than $100.

I did read somewhere that Wednesday is usually the best day to get better airline prices.

Urban legend for purchasing. FLYING on Tuesday or Wednesday often results in lower pricing, but that is a reflection of supply and demand. Remember that arrival and departure of a cruise ship results in a large number of passengers distorting normal supply/demand patterns.

I am waiting for it to go down. I know gas has gone up, but I paid $606.00 in 2007. $800.? in 2008, & $743.00 in 2009. I do not want to pay $968.00 unless of course it is for 1st class.

Start doing your research so you know what market prices are for YOUR city pair. Then you can know what a "good" price will be for your trip. As others have mentioned, I think you should wait some and not just buy at the "opening bell". But also have some defined trigger points - if it drops to a number, you'll buy and not look back. Same with a ceiling trigger - if it starts to rise past a certain point, you bite the bullet and lock in before it goes further.

 

Most of all: Remember that the search for "best" may lead you towards resellers. Research EXACTLY what you are purchasing (including fare rules and restrictions) and make sure that you know what you are buying. Just because it is on the same flight as what the airline would provide does not mean that it is the same ticket. Search for "consolidator" on this forum for more details.

[Countrygirl44]

FlyerTalker, I knew you would have all the good information on what to do. I will check the other airports to see their pricing.

Wow! That is good information on the Mariott card. Actually the only time we use a motel is the night before we fly out of CLT and the night of the return flight. We may go to Myrtle Beach for a few nights once a year...but we could use a Mariott for all of those. I will certainly check into that.

It is really easier with DH to only have the one plane change and at least two hour layover. I know both of these options make the flights more expensive. A balcony cabin works better for him too. All of these do tend to make a cruise a little more expensive for us. One reason we only cruise once a year.

Again, thanks FlyerTalker and I will check out your suggestions tonight. You may have still been responding, however, it has been a long time since I have read your responses. I do appreciate your help.:) And all the others too!!!:)

[FlyerTalker]

Bit of clarification: The Marriott CC mention was just as an illustration that folks need to do some research before jumping on a credit card offer. For many, getting Marriott points would be useless. Same with an NCL card for me. I just want readers to exercise due diligence in their finances and not just jump on whatever happens to come along. Or what seems good at first blush. It was NOT a blanket recommendation for anyone to get the Marriott card.

 

Info on building connections: If you are on a domestic itinerary, connections need to be either a) within 4 hours OR b) on the first onward flight for your routing, whichever is longer. So, if you have two connection flight options, one being 50 minutes and the other 4 hours and 1 minute, the first will price out as a connection while the second will be treated as a "stopover" (which usually breaks the fare and caused higher pricing. So, your desire for 2+ hours on a connect may have some side effects - be aware and plan accordingly.

[Countrygirl44]

Just a quick update, GSO, RDU, and RIC are pricing more than CLT. Looked at the flights I want for September 2012 and they are $1400 for August 2012 and $942.00 for September 2012.:confused:

Flights are also booking for $850.00 plus tax but are not the flights I really like or want. I guess the bottom line is

• How much more am I willing to pay for the flights I want
  
• Is it to my advantage to wait (but look what the prices are for August 2012...will they go down closer to time)
  
• Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
  

[FlyerTalker]

]Just a quick update, GSO, RDU, and RIC are pricing more than CLT.

Quite possible. The main point is to keep multiple options on the horizon - whether they pan out or not is less critical than being aware of them in the first place.

Looked at the flights I want for September 2012 and they are $1400 for August 2012 and $942.00 for September 2012.

Supply and demand. Higher demand periods (August) yield higher pricing than lower demand periods. You see this for "spring break" to Florida and for many destinations after school is back in session in September, just for example.

How much more am I willing to pay for the flights I want

AHHH....our old friend Cost Benefit Analysis.

Is it to my advantage to wait (but look what the prices are for August 2012...will they go down closer to time)

I thought you were traveling in September 2012?? You should be glad that the September prices are already lower than August, right?? (And FWIW, I concur on waiting a while and keeping the close eye.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Yep....that's what life is. With consequences for all of your choices. Go for it - it's an empowering concept!

[TSUmom]

I will be on the same cruise as you and am planning on booking my airfare soon. I have decided to book with Alaska air. I know it is early to book but I have decided since this is a special occasion we will fly 1st class. As far as I can tell from watching over the past few months it will be expensive no matter what and I see no price difference any time during the year. I figure if it is a price I can handle I will just book and take a gamble, if it goes up good for me and if it goes down...well that is the gamble right???

[Countrygirl44]

Quite possible. The main point is to keep multiple options on the horizon - whether they pan out or not is less critical than being aware of them in the first place.Supply and demand. Higher demand periods (August) yield higher pricing than lower demand periods. You see this for "spring break" to Florida and for many destinations after school is back in session in September, just for example.AHHH....our old friend Cost Benefit Analysis.

I thought you were traveling in September 2012?? You should be glad that the September prices are already lower than August, right?? (And FWIW, I concur on waiting a while and keeping the close eye.Yep....that's what life is. With consequences for all of your choices. Go for it - it's an empowering concept!

Is that not true....we do have our consequences for some of our decisions and then on some we have pleasures.:)

Just spent a good part of an hour on websites checking cost of flights for November/December, January, February, May, and July. Now I will admit that on some of those dates you can get flights for about $825 (with taxes) but not any departure or return flight I would want. Again, our dates in September 2012 are the cheapest for the flights I want. Other costs for these are very similar flights range from $1151.00 to $1402.00. Seeing these other months at much higher rates than the $943.00 does make me consider booking now.:confused:

As Scarlet OHare(?) said "I'll think about that tomorrow".:)

[6rugrats]

Scarlett O'Hara said, “I'll think of it tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”

 

I am confused as to why you are checking flights for months when you don't want to cruise?

[FlyerTalker]

As Scarlet OHare(?) said "I'll think about that tomorrow"

I believe she actually said "And my gate is nearer to Milwaukee than Chicago". Nice girl....got an airport named after herself. :D

[TSUmom]

FlyerTalker, I just read all of the quotes in your signature and I must say I enjoyed them - especially the "Do you feel Lucky" one:D

[Countrygirl44]

Scarlett O'Hara said, “I'll think of it tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”

 

I am confused as to why you are checking flights for months when you don't want to cruise?

Sorry if I confused you, we are booked on the POA for September 15, 2012. And I booked it over a year out. But then, if I have a cruise in my future it makes my "travel savings" a little more real.

TSUmom who is on the same sailing, booked her air yesterday. I check with my TA this morning and believe it or not, there are several booking already out of CLT for the flight on September 13.

I am probably going against all the good advice I received (and I am so appreciative of all the thoughts and reasons) but I think I will go ahead and book, since it is the flights I want and the price is better than I am seeing for those or similar flights from November 2011 through August 2012.

Sorry I did not quote Scarlett in her complete statement. Have not watched that movie in awhile. It is really a classic.

Never thought about it, but she does have an airport named after her.(LOL). To tell you the truth, all airlines, cruise lines, and most everything is named after me...my last name is MONEY and that is not a joke. Can you imagine the comments I have received over the years?