So frustrated.. flights just so expensive!

[pbnjrockette]

Have been watching fares to Amsterdam for 3 months now and am considering canceling the cruise before final payment because can't seem to find a flight that isn't over half the price of the cruise!! Do fares EVER drop? Our trip is in May. Have researched flying from other cities and staying overnight but still can't find a "deal". How far in advance should I have started looking for a flight that is now 7 months away??

[hobbsie65]

Have been watching fares to Amsterdam for 3 months now and am considering canceling the cruise before final payment because can't seem to find a flight that isn't over half the price of the cruise!! Do fares EVER drop? Our trip is in May. Have researched flying from other cities and staying overnight but still can't find a "deal". How far in advance should I have started looking for a flight that is now 7 months away??

 

You are lucky - our cruise next month is cheaper than the flight :)

[Zach1213]

I'm heading to Amsterdam tomorrow, I can pack you in my bag for a small fee ;)

 

Do airfares ever go down? Sometimes...but I never count on it. They usually go up. The days of airfares going down are becoming fewer and farther between as capacity (number of flights, and thus seats) has largely been cut to increase profit - flights are usually full, so there's not a ton of incentive to decrease prices.

 

A bit more info might result in some assistance - origin city, dates, preferred airlines if any, etc etc.

[Zach1213]

You are lucky - our cruise next month is cheaper than the flight :)

 

There's no correlation between flights and cruises - they are completely different pricing and economic dynamics. There's a lot of "how can my flight be more than my cruise" talk around here, but there's no correlation between the two. Just an FYI for anyone who may be reading.

[Twickenham]

Have been watching fares to Amsterdam for 3 months now and am considering canceling the cruise before final payment because can't seem to find a flight that isn't over half the price of the cruise!! Do fares EVER drop? Our trip is in May. Have researched flying from other cities and staying overnight but still can't find a "deal". How far in advance should I have started looking for a flight that is now 7 months away??

 

OK, so as your signature mentions a North Cape cruise on the Rotterdam, I'm assuming it's the 14-day sailing departing on May 21. And with your location listed as New Jersey, I'm going to assume that any airport in the NYC area is possible. Thus, searching on http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ using the dates May 18-19 and June 4-5, I'm finding some very good rates out of JFK on Ukraine International ($787) and Aeroflot ($809). Of course, this depends on you being willing to fly either of these carriers... :D.

 

Next in the prices are Icelandair ($909 out of JFK, $991 out of EWR), TAP ($1031 from EWR), Aer Lingus ($1059 from JFK) and Turkish Airlines ($1078 out of JFK), all of which I would be perfectly willing to fly, especially if I worked out a stopover on the way. And here is the common thread among all these options: they are all connecting flights; the non-stop flights start at $1573. So, what you really have to ask yourself is if a non-stop flight is worth $500 to you - and only you can answer that question (I know what my answer would be - I'd be researching hotels and tours in Reykjavik).

 

That said, Air France/KLM do have seat sales, so sign up for their emails. Whether one of their sales will line up with your exact dates is hard to say, however, so it is a bit of a gamble.

[6rugrats]

Just curious. What price would you consider a "deal"?

[Hawaiidan]

Just curious. What price would you consider a "deal"?

 

That's very subjective.....I would say one that gets you in and out for the exact times you want... Playing with several flights days earily and later you have to factor in hotels, meals, car, etc

 

So one ticket costs you 650 arrives 3 days before and leaves 1 day after

4 nights inahotel$150@=$600, meals@50 aday x4= $200. Mic costs $100

 

Sothe $650 ticket is really costing you $900 in ground costs for a total $1550 real cost to you vs a fly in and out day of....

This is a classic case of when you need to pick an airline, join its program get a cc card and work to accrue miles It takes afew years but then when you get sever 100K you are set, You can go to web sites like United and buy miles for 3 cents each.... Sign up for a card and 40K, all you need is 35K for free coach each way... so in 7 months you could easily get a free ticket just buying regular stuff and paying fro your cruise!!!

[Anthomaniac]

Our flights to FLL from Iowa are costing more than our cruise. If we were more flexible and were willing to drive 4 hours to Kansas city it would have saved us 600 total. The convenience and ease of flying out if our own city in mid November was worth the extra for us.

 

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk

[broberts]

May seems to be a very popular time of year to fly to Europe from NJ.

 

Curiously, it is significantly less expensive to fly from Montreal YUL to Schipol (AMS) than from Washington IAD. Even if the trip goes through IAD!

[FlyerTalker]

Our flights to FLL from Iowa are costing more than our cruise.

And to say it again, perhaps more bluntly, so what?? There is ZERO correlation between air travel and cruise travel. Why do folks keep trying to compare apples and oranges? (or is it just that folks want to have it be less than their cruise. Much less.)

 

It's like saying....OMG....my new car costs more than my pair of sneakers.

 

Yes, both are involved in transportation and will get you from A to B. But that's the extent.

 

PS: Book on Seabourn/Silversea/Regent/Crystal and you will never again have to say "my flights cost more than my cruise". :)

Edited October 8, 2015 by FlyerTalker

[CruiserBruce]

I don't think people get why this is comparing apples and oranges. The reason is there are two many variables. For example, if you book the cheapest cabin on a 3 day cruise out of Florida, but buy a first class air ticket from your home town, your air fare will cost more than your cruise.

 

 

If you book a 20 day cruise in a suite in the Med, but get a reasonable coach airfare, your cruise will cost more than your airfare.

 

 

Or, to use our personal example, we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in Australia, including a 17 day cruise in a suite. But we saved our miles, so our First Class, 14 hour flight cost all of about $60pp in taxes. Needless to say, the cruise cost considerably more!

 

And you can't say "an average air fare should cost less than an average cruise". Those items don't exist.

Edited October 8, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[pbnjrockette]

OK, so as your signature mentions a North Cape cruise on the Rotterdam, I'm assuming it's the 14-day sailing departing on May 21. And with your location listed as New Jersey, I'm going to assume that any airport in the NYC area is possible. Thus, searching on http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ using the dates May 18-19 and June 4-5, I'm finding some very good rates out of JFK on Ukraine International ($787) and Aeroflot ($809). Of course, this depends on you being willing to fly either of these carriers... :D.

 

Next in the prices are Icelandair ($909 out of JFK, $991 out of EWR), TAP ($1031 from EWR), Aer Lingus ($1059 from JFK) and Turkish Airlines ($1078 out of JFK), all of which I would be perfectly willing to fly, especially if I worked out a stopover on the way. And here is the common thread among all these options: they are all connecting flights; the non-stop flights start at $1573. So, what you really have to ask yourself is if a non-stop flight is worth $500 to you - and only you can answer that question (I know what my answer would be - I'd be researching hotels and tours in Reykjavik).

 

That said, Air France/KLM do have seat sales, so sign up for their emails. Whether one of their sales will line up with your exact dates is hard to say, however, so it is a bit of a gamble.

 

 

Thanks for your input. We are in South Jersey so our preferred airport is Philadelphia. JFK is over 2 hours away and Newark almost as far IF the Jersey turnpike is running smoothly! So it would really need to be a great deal to consider flying anywhere but from Philly. Most of the flights seem to be $1600-1900 with with the flights that are at hours and layovers that make sense for us.

Edited October 8, 2015 by pbnjrockette

[Alaskanb]

We allow about $1500+ for transatlantic flights --more in high season. Our last trip was on Icelandair and we did a2 night stayover in Rekyavik --an amazing country! We plan on additional time when we travel to Europe to explore and usually have 2-3 days before the cruise to adjust to time zones. Google flights is an easy to use search engine.

[6rugrats]

Suggest you check Norwegian when they open their calendar for June 2016. A one way departing 19 May, 2016, JFK-AMS is $336.10.

[klfrodo]

Thanks for your input. We are in South Jersey so our preferred airport is Philadelphia. JFK is over 2 hours away and Newark almost as far IF the Jersey turnpike is running smoothly! So it would really need to be a great deal to consider flying anywhere but from Philly. Most of the flights seem to be $1600-1900 with with the flights that are at hours and layovers that make sense for us.

 

My opinion only

Your self imposed limitations vs. expectations are unrealistic.

Don't want to go to JFK because it's 2 hours away? AND it could save anywhere from $500 - $1000 per person???

For many people, that 2 hour drive is a commute to work. Then they have to do it again that night.

[pbnjrockette]

My opinion only

Your self imposed limitations vs. expectations are unrealistic.

Don't want to go to JFK because it's 2 hours away? AND it could save anywhere from $500 - $1000 per person???

For many people, that 2 hour drive is a commute to work. Then they have to do it again that night.

 

We would have to use a limo service costing over $200 each way to reach the airport so that eats a bunch of the savings.

 

Our limitations are Philadelphia Airport... period.

 

Thank you for your input....

Edited October 8, 2015 by pbnjrockette

[Got2Cruise]

Is it too late to purchase the cruiseline airfare? It is better than staying home.

[6rugrats]

If you have to fly from/to PHL, I see nothing for your dates under $1700 RT. If you could book Norwegian for about $750 RT, it is certainly saving money, even if you have to pay $400 RT for car service. That would be $1900 RT including everything for both of you. That is a tremendous savings over $3500 total.

 

Impossible to predict what Norwegian's price will be as schedule isn't open, but in the past is has been about what I've posted above for a roundtrip. You'd have to wait and see.

Edited October 8, 2015 by 6rugrats

[Hawaiidan]

This is one reason for booking cruises like Oceaina that include everything... air fare included.

You have to think...what is the total cost of transportation not the flight alone

Point to point with mimimum layover is the best possible way to think

 

Then there is the milage saving...I just got a LAX to Malta, business/first class for 57,000 miles or $1500 of personal spenfind... and that $1500 was about 2 months of buying beans bacon and gas as I would normaly do,.... Just like you!!!

 

So can you if you plan ahead and look at your future..........if not you will pay a terrible price.

 

Think about it...

[alidor]

$1017 from Philadelphia to Amsterdam. See a good travel agent.

[FlyerTalker]

We would have to use a limo service costing over $200 each way to reach the airport so that eats a bunch of the savings.

Not true at all.

 

Did you ever think about renting a car locally and dropping it off at JFK/EWR?? Sure would be less than $200. Nothing to park, just leave it and fly.

 

Do the same on the return.

Our limitations are Philadelphia Airport... period.

I think that should read: Our self-imposed limitations are Philadelphia Airport.

Thank you for your input....

Why do I think you really don't want input, but rather just want someone to push a button and say "Here's the magical hidden website that will give you air non-stop from PHL for much less than your cruise."

Edited October 9, 2015 by FlyerTalker

[Keith1010]

Before we book a cruise we consider the cost of flights as well as the ease or challenge of getting to the ports of embarkation/disembarkation.

 

While often we book cruises 2+ years in advance we look at current airline pricing to get a feel recognizing that it could go up or down.

 

As mentioned, there is no correlation to cruise and air fares.

 

I would look at all options before giving up. Sometimes you can find something creative. For example, flying from where you live to New York City area airpot and flying next day out of NYC. Not saying it will be cheaper but sometimes we have found some opportunities that make sense by being creative.

 

Keith

Edited October 9, 2015 by Keith1010

[twin123185]

We would have to use a limo service costing over $200 each way to reach the airport so that eats a bunch of the savings.

 

Our limitations are Philadelphia Airport... period.

 

Thank you for your input....

 

 

I just rented a car from the Atlantic City airport and drove to JFK. It was $100 less than a car service.

I hear you about AMS. I didn't go to my high school reunion because airfare was ridiculously high in June. If I was able to commit early Icelandair and Aer Lingus were much cheaper but I missed the boat....

[waterbug123]

We would have to use a limo service costing over $200 each way to reach the airport so that eats a bunch of the savings.

 

Our limitations are Philadelphia Airport... period.

 

I don't know how many are in your party, but you've said "we" so I assume it's at least two. The cheapest flights you've found using your parameters are 1600 each, or 3200 total. Twickenham showed you a lot of options for around $1000 each (or less) if you could fly out of the NYC area, but you refuse to do so because it would mean $400 in round trip limo fare, even though it would save you $800-1000 total, after paying limo costs. I don't get that, but to each his own.

 

Prices do change, but you've put some pretty strict restrictions on what you're looking for, by only considering PHL. You are also traveling at the beginning of tourist season in Europe which means demand is high and prices usually follow suit.

[iancal]

Our experience is that you need to be a little flexible, a little imaginative, engage a good TA or do some work on your own in order to find an acceptable fare. You also need a map and a good understanding of the major airline hubs.

 

We do this with air, cruise, and land travel. It has worked well for us....as recently as last week on a transatlantic and trip. We exactly the same on transpacific flights and cruises. We treat them much the same.

Edited October 9, 2015 by iancal