Dec/Jan Airfare high compared to last year?

[CantWait08]

Checking out airfare for our Jan cruise on the Breeze and finding air to be almost double what it was for our cruise this past Jan. What are you finding? Any airfare tricks or tips?

[jmwg49]

I just booked airfare yesterday (although we are in Canada) for next March. Typically I find that booking as far out as you possibly can, you will find the cheapest fares. Sell off fares come a couple months before, but I would not risk that. Check out some of the discount sites too!

[lola61]

Very high, we got a free ticket with miles and bit the bullet for the other:eek:. We are also flying in January on Delta.

[firefly333]

I had to stay in a hotel overnight the night after my cruise to get a decent airfare last March airfare was so high. The lowest fare was late that night I dimembarked and they wanted $330 plus tax to fly from Tampa to DFW. (yes thats one way)

 

I sure hope its not worse next year as I have 5 I need to book airfare for :(

 

I did get the SW card, and they charge $99 but give you quite a bit of free miles on your anniversary .. there is a cheaper fee card too, with less miles on your anniversary.

 

My card gave me enough miles for 3 flights if I stayed the night that time. Im trying to only charge on that card right now to get another free flight by next year.

 

the one out of san juan next year, Im crosssing my fingers

[IslandToIsland]

Airfare prices are definitely on the rise. I booked SW to FLL for this September for $499. I had been watching the fares for a while and they finally dropped for 1 day only and I jumped on it. Soon I'll be looking for fares to Orlando and I know that will be worse.

[scchasgal]

Not only the cost of the airfare through the roof but the add on cost are getting ridiculous with some charging for carry on, checked luggage and all the decent seats.

[theavonb]

I just booked airfare yesterday (although we are in Canada) for next March. Typically I find that booking as far out as you possibly can, you will find the cheapest fares. Sell off fares come a couple months before, but I would not risk that. Check out some of the discount sites too!

 

Hello fellow canuck...I'm waiting for prices to come out for Nov. but right now they are pretty high. Did you get a good price for next March? We want to fly from TO to Orlando and prefer a non stop flight. I don't want to wait to long so I'm hoping the prices will come down some.

[bobmal99]

I have been looking for about a month now

for flights to Miami.

 

No deals anywhere. Maybe after Labor Day,

and as we get closer to the ELECTION

gas, & oil prices should come down

considerably..

[jmwg49]

Hello fellow canuck...I'm waiting for prices to come out for Nov. but right now they are pretty high. Did you get a good price for next March? We want to fly from TO to Orlando and prefer a non stop flight. I don't want to wait to long so I'm hoping the prices will come down some.

 

Hi! We are flying to NY, and then return to TO from LAX...two flights, about $550 each (99 to NY and 299 from LA)...I always find Air Canada to be the cheapest for us flying out of YYZ! Keep watching!!!! Air Canada puts their sales out on Tuesdays! (I think!, maybe Wed, but I'm almost certain it is Tuesday!). Most importantly, when you see a price you are comfortable with, grab it immediately...there are usually only a certain # of seats at the saleprice!

[theavonb]

Hi! We are flying to NY, and then return to TO from LAX...two flights, about $550 each (99 to NY and 299 from LA)...I always find Air Canada to be the cheapest for us flying out of YYZ! Keep watching!!!! Air Canada puts their sales out on Tuesdays! (I think!, maybe Wed, but I'm almost certain it is Tuesday!). Most importantly, when you see a price you are comfortable with, grab it immediately...there are usually only a certain # of seats at the saleprice!

 

Thanks for the advice. I will be checking Tuesdays and if I see a price that works for us I will certainly grab it.

[jmwg49]

Thanks for the advice. I will be checking Tuesdays and if I see a price that works for us I will certainly grab it.

 

** Another alternative choice is to fly out of Buffalo...you may get something cheaper (if you don't mind the drive over the boarder!)...lots of good park n fly hotels, but you have to do your research and see if it is worth it to you. I saved $800 last February by flying my family out of Buffalo versus Toronto!!

[Kamloops50]

Hello fellow canuck...I'm waiting for prices to come out for Nov. but right now they are pretty high. Did you get a good price for next March? We want to fly from TO to Orlando and prefer a non stop flight. I don't want to wait to long so I'm hoping the prices will come down some.

 

As fellow Canuck I'm finding prices are going steady up unless an airline has a seat sale to your destination. On cruise I saved almost $800 person by driving to Seattle . Fare $400 below the normal fare .

[soccersharon]

I just booked airfare yesterday (although we are in Canada) for next March. Typically I find that booking as far out as you possibly can, you will find the cheapest fares. Sell off fares come a couple months before, but I would not risk that. Check out some of the discount sites too!

 

 

We were also looking at next March - and I guess I waited too long, because the airfares are through the roof!

 

We booked the Liberty for December instead - saved $$$ on airfare and cruisefare :)

[soccersharon]

As fellow Canuck I'm finding prices are going steady up unless an airline has a seat sale to your destination. On cruise I saved almost $800 person by driving to Seattle . Fare $400 below the normal fare .

 

I know many of us Canucks fly from US airports - at a great savings. I have looked many times to fly out of either Plattsburg or Burlington - but the times were not convenient and sometimes just as expensive as big carriers. The other downside I can see about smaller airlines are a lack of "backup aircraft" should something mechanical go wrong. Flying a larger airline gives me peace of mind. Having said that, I know many people have no issues - and have a few extra $$$ for spending elsewhere :)

[theavonb]

I guess it doesn't matter when you are flying as far as high prices goes. I will continue to search and hopefully find a good price for us. Good luck everyone in your quest to find a good price!

[pe4all]

We are sailing out Christmas week on the Breeze. I caught $115 each way for direct flights on AA from LGA to Miami and back- leaving on a Friday (we always fly in a day early pre-cruise) and coming home on a Sunday - peak price times, especially during a holiday week. I booked the flights the day they opened -330 days before the flight date. I booked at 5 a.m. on a Thursday morning. The prices then zoomed up to over $600 per ticket, and have been hovering anywhere from $400 to $600 for the same flights we got. We have always done pretty well booking the week the flights open. I have also found that booking one way flights somehow gives me better prices than booking round-trips. Try looking at your flights early mornings mid-week, and one way flights. Good luck!

[firefly333]

We have always done pretty well booking the week the flights open.

 

I had planned on that, but flight I got caught out on that was so high, I was on a cruise that week, and tried to book immediately as soon as I got home.

[pe4all]

I had planned on that, but flight I got caught out on that was so high, I was on a cruise that week, and tried to book immediately as soon as I got home.

Keep looking midweek in the early a.m. We have caught most of our good fares then - and they literally go back up after 6 a.m., for some reason. And the one way tickets seem to be the way to go. I check my flights constantly- mostly because my booked flight times change without notification to me, and I can't believe the day to day changes in prices!

[VIQT]

The tickets have gone up $100 per ticket for us. Last year we booked our flight for February 2012 in November on AA from DCA to MIA for $150 r/t. This year it's $250 at 10 months in advance. It's not the $500 per ticket that others have to pay, but for us it's up $200. That's a flight somewhere else. :(

[sunshinecruiser62]

I have also found that booking one way flights somehow gives me better prices than booking round-trips. Try looking at your flights early mornings mid-week, and one way flights. Good luck!

 

I've never thought of that! Thank you so much for that GREAT idea!:)

[dvan68]

I have to agree that airfares seem a little crazy. We are looking for airfare the first week of march to Miami - FLL is def. cheaper Last year this same week we booked to St Thomas for $850 for 2 of us - so far the cheapest I can find is out of PHL for $954, which is 2 hours away... and I have been checking since the dates have opened - it's pretty frustrating!

[Ehpride]

Airfare is definitely higher. I finally had to suck it up and just pay mor than I wanted. They've gone up since!

[Redsfan]

OP, can you fly out of the U.S.? We save about 1K for the 5 of us to fly out of Buffalo. Best price out of YYZ has been about 800 more! Pain out of Buffalo yeah, need hotel etc, but still worth it if we catch a deal..

[JohnHall1965]

I usually fly Southwest because they are usually cheaper , years past they book 330 days out, now they are only booking through November 2nd , ran some comparison rates for that date and they were higher than several other carriers. Ran our dates (April 13th return April 21rst '13) St. Louis to Miami and ended up booking a round trip on AA for $314.00 a person round trip. I may or may not of got it cheaper had I waited ,but I am ok with the price and the piece of mind it is booked . Ans yes I understand that there will be baggage charges involved also .

[tiggerman101]

Flights are crazy right now. I will wait for the Fall for what I need to book. I need to buy tickets for my Breeze cruise in December and right now it is $295 RT from Atlanta on Delta. No thanks. I have never pad that. I also need to (God help me) buy our tickets for our Asia cruise next February. We recently paid $1,700 each for our RT flights to Venice for July. The cruise was dirt cheap at least......