Wow, Airfare prices

[vacation_junkie]

Wish our airfare was as cheap as Americans fees are, we just booked Nova Scotia to Fort Lauderdale in April. Total is 1710.00 for the two of us!!!!

 

And that was a good price from this part of Canada

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I agree!

We are in Canada but are fortunate to live close enough to the U.S. Border to be able to fly out of Buffalo.

Flights out of Toronto would cost around $1500.

We usually pay in the $600-$700 mark out of Buffalo. And take that for granted. Presidents week we are paying $900 for the 3 of us. I guess all things considered its a good price compared to flying out of Canada.

[CruisanSusan]

Last month I received an offer from my ta for a 7 nighter on Jewel 9/20/14. It's for a Superior balcony, deck 9. Price was $1440.pp incl. taxes, tips and Choice air (PHL/San Juan) round trip. The air was $368 non stop on United. Now we usually fly SW because the bags are free. But this price so good, we don't mind paying for a bag and stuffing as much as we can into carry on;). I've been checking SW and all that's available has stops and cost $400-$600. Now I know this was short notice for us but what I'm trying to say is SW is not always the best price even with the free bags.

I hope the prices come down for all of you but remember to check all options.

Have great cruises everyone!

[TruckerDave]

So southwests fares are high....here is a thought......look at another airline. :roll eyes:

 

I will never understand why folks always cling to the belief that they are always the cheapest.

Edited August 6, 2014 by TruckerDave

[fbgd]

So southwests fares are high....here is a thought......look at another airline. :roll eyes:

 

I will never understand why folks always cling to the belief that they are always the cheapest.

 

+1 Especially since people like greatam who have access to very detailed databases, far more than the combined anecdotal evidence thrown up on here, has suggested their fares are in the middle of the pack.

 

I think it's just the Walmart mentality in that it must be cheaper to get a certain good at Walmart versus anywhere else.

 

Speaking of Southwest, I took about a three year break from posting on here and have only been back a few months, what happened to their number one fanboy Sgt. Schultz who would drove most people insane by lauding them and typing in all caps that BAGS FLY FREE! :rolleyes:

Edited August 6, 2014 by fbgd

[FlyerTalker]

Speaking of Southwest, I took about a three year break from posting on here and have only been back a few months, what happened to their number one fanboy Sgt. Schultz who would drove most people insane by lauding them and typing in all caps that BAGS FLY FREE! :rolleyes:

Maybe he got sent to the Eastern Front.

[slidergirl]

+1 Especially since people like greatam who have access to very detailed databases, far more than the combined anecdotal evidence thrown up on here, has suggested their fares are in the middle of the pack.

 

I think it's just the Walmart mentality in that it must be cheaper to get a certain good at Walmart versus anywhere else.

 

Speaking of Southwest, I took about a three year break from posting on here and have only been back a few months, what happened to their number one fanboy Sgt. Schultz who would drove most people insane by lauding them and typing in all caps that BAGS FLY FREE! :rolleyes:

 

 

Maybe Sgt. Schultz went away because he figured out that "he knew nothing…" ;) (apologies to my riff on Hogan's Heroes)

[kenish]

+1 Especially since people like greatam who have access to very detailed databases, far more than the combined anecdotal evidence thrown up on here, has suggested their fares are in the middle of the pack.

 

And the UC Irvine Institute for Transportation Studies, who have the same conclusion. Additionally, their latest study found that WN is the most expensive for tickets purchased within 2 weeks of the travel date. (I know most people on this board purchase far in advance of that).

[fbgd]

Maybe Sgt. Schultz went away because he figured out that "he knew nothing…" ;) (apologies to my riff on Hogan's Heroes)

 

His online persona was equally knowledgeable.

[vjmatty]

Maybe there should be a sticky in Cruise Air titled: "I'm shocked at air prices, it costs more than my cruise and I want to whine". All those posts could go there.

 

Nah...it would get the same notice and attention as the sticky on when Southwest opens their booking window.

 

Separate thought. Consider if CC levied a charge every time someone hits the "New Thread" button.....

 

Would the threads whining about the whining go in the same sticky or would they get their own? ;)

[vjmatty]

+1 Especially since people like greatam who have access to very detailed databases, far more than the combined anecdotal evidence thrown up on here, has suggested their fares are in the middle of the pack.

 

I think it's just the Walmart mentality in that it must be cheaper to get a certain good at Walmart versus anywhere else.

 

Speaking of Southwest, I took about a three year break from posting on here and have only been back a few months, what happened to their number one fanboy Sgt. Schultz who would drove most people insane by lauding them and typing in all caps that BAGS FLY FREE! :rolleyes:

 

greatam is very knowledgable.... I just wish she didn't yell with caps every three or four words, it gets tiring to read. I too was wondering what happened to Sgt Shultz, he was a loud cheerleader for Southwest, I agree.

 

I hate the bickering over it here.... choose the airline you like with the best rates for your dates and keep it to yourself. Sometimes SWA it is the best choice and sometimes it isn't. I think it depends on where you live... if you are near one of the smaller airports they service it is a very helpful airline. If instead you are near a larger city it is less so.

[sharona211]

Southwest is no longer a bargain airline. Hasn't been for a while but... At least with Southwest and JetBlue (and Alaska) you can get a credit if you catch a price drop. Not a refund but a credit to be used later so if prices are close I usually choose one of them. With WN fares are usually cheapest right out of the gate and head north from there until long past when I'm comfortable waiting.

 

We're looking at April school break week for our cruise out of San Juan and prices for decent direct flights are terrible out of BOS. 1 stop brings it down a bit but then the flight times suck. It's way too late for award seats. We are considering driving to JFK (4 hrs) the Saturday morning before the cruise as JB rt fare JFK/SJU is almost $300 cheaper pp for direct flights with great flight times. With 6 of us, that's a huge savings and would pay for our excursions. We only hesitate because we'll have to drive back on a Sunday night after disembarking and then flying 6 hours. We're waiting for WNs schedule to expand to decide. That won't be until late September for flights after 4/6 AFAICT.

[waterbug123]

 

We're looking at April school break week for our cruise out of San Juan and prices for decent direct flights are terrible out of BOS. 1 stop brings it down a bit but then the flight times suck....We are considering driving to JFK (4 hrs) the Saturday morning before the cruise as JB rt fare JFK/SJU is almost $300 cheaper pp for direct flights with great flight times. With 6 of us.... hesitate because we'll have to drive back on a Sunday night after disembarking and then flying 6 hours. We're waiting for WNs schedule to expand to decide. That won't be until late September

 

So you know right now you can save $1800 and get an agreeable itinerary? But you want to wait at least a month and a half to MAYBE find something better? If it was me, I'd be all over the JFK flights before the price of those goes up. To each his own.

[FlyerTalker]

So you know right now you can save $1800 and get an agreeable itinerary? But you want to wait at least a month and a half to MAYBE find something better? If it was me, I'd be all over the JFK flights before the price of those goes up. To each his own.

It's called the triumph of hope over experience.

[sharona211]

It's called the triumph of hope over experience.

 

Or it's called not wanting to drive 4 hrs unless we have to. It's still 8 months away. Since that is not a school vacation week for NY or NJ, don't see the need to decide before seeing WNs prices which should be out next month.

 

But thank you for your smug contribution. I expect that on FT but was hoping to get away from that here.

[FlyerTalker]

Or it's called not wanting to drive 4 hrs unless we have to. It's still 8 months away. Since that is not a school vacation week for NY or NJ, don't see the need to decide before seeing WNs prices which should be out next month.

 

But thank you for your smug contribution. I expect that on FT but was hoping to get away from that here.

No need to decide? The need to decide is based on this equation:

 

(Today's guaranteed cost differential divided by value of driving hassle) vs (Unknown cost differential using Southwest). Add in the factor that Southwest is known to price their tickets based on other airline ticket prices AT THAT TIME, which is frequently higher than what could be obtained with other carriers prior to the opening of a Southwest schedule.

 

So, the "need" is a question of bird in hand vs unknown in the bush. Especially since WN may release a few seats at a comparable level but perhaps not the six that you require.

 

As for the smugness, it was a clear statement. You are hoping for something better - many people's experience (and research) suggest that it is unlikely. Nothing smug, just putting it into clear terms, because hope is a human trait that we all experience. It does need to be tempered with reality though.

[iancal]

Just booked the first cruise air flight that gave us some decent savings.

 

Needed one way from Barcelona-Calgary on Nov. 6. Cruise air came in at $482. each on British with a good flight (only downside is the change in LHR).

Going home so we do not care about potential delays. Have a 3 plus hour change in LHR so that should be plenty of time. How we hate, hate, hate Heathrow! But the next less expensive one way on cruise air was over $800.

[kenish]

Or it's called not wanting to drive 4 hrs unless we have to. It's still 8 months away. Since that is not a school vacation week for NY or NJ, don't see the need to decide before seeing WNs prices which should be out next month.

 

One thing I want to be sure you understand...waiting to release fares is a key business strategy of WN, and brilliant marketing. In your situation, WN is waiting to see what fares other airlines will have available and price theirs accordingly. Yes, there's a good chance that WN will have good fares when they release them in Sept. But presuming competing airline fares are higher (in absolute dollars) than they are right now, the WN fare will probably be higher than the best fare available today.

 

You've found an $1800 savings but the downside is a 4 hour drive. Only you can decide whether it's worth it; my bet is you won't beat that bottom line price out of your home airport, and the fare out of JFK will be sold out by then (if it hasn't already). So you're actually at a decision point- act ASAP on the JFK fare because it's probably the lowest you're going to find, or wait for WN and be prepared to pay quite a bit more regardless of the airline or airport involved....of course it could be less and that's a gamble. Hope this helps.

Edited August 17, 2014 by kenish

[ducklite]

A bird in the hand...

[sharona211]

One thing I want to be sure you understand...waiting to release fares is a key business strategy of WN, and brilliant marketing. In your situation, WN is waiting to see what fares other airlines will have available and price theirs accordingly. Yes, there's a good chance that WN will have good fares when they release them in Sept. But presuming competing airline fares are higher (in absolute dollars) than they are right now, the WN fare will probably be higher than the best fare available today.

 

You've found an $1800 savings but the downside is a 4 hour drive. Only you can decide whether it's worth it; my bet is you won't beat that bottom line price out of your home airport, and the fare out of JFK will be sold out by then (if it hasn't already). So you're actually at a decision point- act ASAP on the JFK fare because it's probably the lowest you're going to find, or wait for WN and be prepared to pay quite a bit more regardless of the airline or airport involved....of course it could be less and that's a gamble. Hope this helps.

 

 

Thanks for your feedback. Yes it was helpful info. I suppose the 4 hour drive to an airport doesn't seem like much to many people. I know some of you have a drive like that for every trip! Not sure how you do it. We live less than 10 miles from BOS so I admit we're a bit spoiled when it comes to that. The great fare out of JFK has several flight times, seems B6 has a bunch of non stops each day JFK/SJU, I know we risk it being gone but it's a chance we will take with 8 months still to go.

[greatam]

Thanks for your feedback. Yes it was helpful info. I suppose the 4 hour drive to an airport doesn't seem like much to many people. I know some of you have a drive like that for every trip! Not sure how you do it. We live less than 10 miles from BOS so I admit we're a bit spoiled when it comes to that. The great fare out of JFK has several flight times, seems B6 has a bunch of non stops each day JFK/SJU, I know we risk it being gone but it's a chance we will take with 8 months still to go.

 

 

 

"We're looking at April school break week for our cruise out of San Juan and prices for decent direct flights are terrible out of BOS."

 

THIS should be the biggest clue that the 4 hour trip to JFK is the only winner you are going to find. WHY would ANY airline drop their prices during Spring Break (just like President's week, Xmas, Thanksgiving or any other major traveling holiday)???

 

Take one of the buses from Boston to NY if you don't want to drive. There are plenty of Chinatown type buses for very cheap (not saying those are very good but they are cheap). Take the train. Get a one way rental from Hotwire or Priceline BIDDING so you don't have to pay for parking (that alone should save enough to entice you to drive).

 

Spring Break are some of the highest airline prices year round. College kids are sucking up the cheapest of the fares right now. I know this for a fact-my niece and nephew were putting together Spring Break trips for a lot of people while they were both in college. FIRST week of the school year-flyers went out when they knew they could get the cheapest flights and lodging in San Juan, Florida, San Padre Island and Lake Havasu. Deposits had to be paid and airline tickets were purchased immediately. They both made a chunk of money doing it-enough to not have hardly any student loans to pay off when they graduated. My nephew, who just got his Masters from Duke, put together one heck of a wing-ding on a private yacht last year for Spring Break this year. Just about paid for his entire year of nice apartment living WITHOUT roommates. Not a bad deal.

 

Those cheap tickets won't be around very long.

[ducklite]

Don't take one on those Chinatown type buses--terrible risk! Take Bolt. They are well maintained and have a good safety record. Have you looked at MHT and PVD. The hour drive might be worth it.

[sharona211]

MHT and PVD are even worse than BOS. I looked into the train, which we took to DC last April school vacation and loved but t he cheapest is $98 rt and then we need to add in Penn Station to JFK for 6 w/ bags... plus the schedule doesn't quite line up for the flights we would want. IF we go to JFK we'll likely drive and park my SUV since it will hold 6 plus luggage. I'll investigate rental prices and the priceline option if we commit to it. I can use my corporate code for personal travel so maybe it won't be too much more than driving and parking.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

[waterbug123]

We're looking at April school break week for our cruise out of San Juan

 

It's still 8 months away. Since that is not a school vacation week for NY or NJ, don't see the need to decide before seeing WNs prices which should be out next month.

 

 

Do you know for a fact that NO schools in NY or NJ (or PA or CT or anywhere else one might live, but choose to drive to JFK for a cheaper flight) have break that week?

[sharona211]

Do you know for a fact that NO schools in NY or NJ (or PA or CT or anywhere else one might live, but choose to drive to JFK for a cheaper flight) have break that week?

 

Seriously? Of course I wasn't referring to every school in NY and NJ and I never mentioned PA or CT (which I believe does have the same break as MA and RI). NH is sometimes the same but sometimes not for April. I have several coworkers in NY and NJ with children in both public and private schools. I know that it's not "Jersey Week" and I know NY public schools are not off. I'm sure if you try hard enough you can find a NY/NJ school that is off that week. Thank you for your input.

[ducklite]

Seriously? Of course I wasn't referring to every school in NY and NJ and I never mentioned PA or CT (which I believe does have the same break as MA and RI). NH is sometimes the same but sometimes not for April. I have several coworkers in NY and NJ with children in both public and private schools. I know that it's not "Jersey Week" and I know NY public schools are not off. I'm sure if you try hard enough you can find a NY/NJ school that is off that week. Thank you for your input.

 

April is a crap shoot in NJ. half the schools are off the week before Easter, the other half start Good Friday and go through the following week. If Passover and Easter fall during different weeks, all bets are off.