Whats your strategy for finding the lowest airfares?

[renjrusa]

We book most cruises at least a year in advance and since we live in CT we have access to several cruise ports within driving distance. Boston, NYC , Bayonne NJ (cape liberty), and even Baltimore. But we also cruise from San Juan and would like to hear strategy for finding the best airfare deal as most airlines haven't posted schedules yet..Thanks in advance for any advice..

[Clarea]

You may also want to check out the Cruise Air forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=128

[CruiserBruce]

You may also want to check out the Cruise Air forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=128

 

Agree...discussed there daily.

 

It all boils down to research- there is NO SECRET or MAGIC way or time to book. Just because your flights aren't available for booking doesn't mean you can't be looking at fares for the weeks prior to your desired flight dates. Just make it an apples to apples comparison. If you are planning on flying Sat and Sunday a week later, compare fares to that type of schedule.

 

We do these regularly... Then, when you find a fare you are comfortable with, you book, and don't look back.

[pris993]

flying is so challenging today, we focus on obtaining the most desirable flight, route, vs cost alone... Most desirable is the most direct, on one carrier if at all possible... then montor carriers web site for desirable price... book early. If price alone is the priority... then maybe some one else can help you.

[Flatbush Flyer]

We book most cruises at least a year in advance and since we live in CT we have access to several cruise ports within driving distance. Boston, NYC , Bayonne NJ (cape liberty), and even Baltimore. But we also cruise from San Juan and would like to hear strategy for finding the best airfare deal as most airlines haven't posted schedules yet..Thanks in advance for any advice..

 

 

ITA Matrix

[navybankerteacher]

Because airfares fluctuate in response to factors which generally defy prediction, the notion of an efffective “strategy” is a bit of a pipe dream. Seats on a given flight might continually go up from the day initially posted.- or they may fluctuate in response to varying demand.

 

What you need to do is gather price information concerning all options for your travel date - decide if price is the only option - then figure how much of a premium you are willing to pay for your favorite line, most convenient airport(s), ideal time, lack of connections, etc. when you find a flight that matches your requirements —- book it. Or wait to see if the fare goes up (in which case you will kick yourself) or if it goes down (in which case you will pat yourself on the back). Of course, while flight costs might move one way or the other, cruise fares will as well , and maybe not in the same direction at the same time.

 

Buying cruises, and air transport, is like anything else - decide what it is that makes you think what you want is worth the asking price - then either buy it, decide to wait, or decide you cannot afford it at all. You will not find a reliable strategy - beyond checking prices and acting when you feel comfortable with the price.

[Z'Loth]

This is my opinion...

 

First off, the big recommendation is that you fly in one day prior to the cruise and spend the night. If you fly in the same day of your cruise, you risk unexpected flight delays, not to mention that you have to catch an early flight, then end up tired the first night. As for the return flight, you should not book a flight no earlier than 4-5 hours after your ship is scheduled to return to dock. (e.g. for a 7 AM scheduled arrival, no earlier than 11 AM-noon).

 

Now, having said that, do you want a decent-priced flight and a departure at a decent time? I am NOT a fan of 6 AM flights, nor am I a fan of waiting for a 7 PM flight when my ship docks at 7 AM. I was fortunately enough to find a flight last March for my cruise next month which departed at 8 AM from Sacramento, and departs at 1:30 from Miami at a damn good price. That was six months in advance.

[NotThePest_Too]

First there is an App for that called Hopper it is in both Android and IOS (Apple shore). It used an algorithm that uses past flights, day(s) of the week, airport traffic, etc. etc. that calculates possible flight costs. You enter your dates, flexible or inflexible, then leave it alone. It will send pop up messages on your phone from time-to-time stating the cost of tickets as of the pop up date, whether they will go up or down and whether it is a good time to purchase your tickets or to hold. It is pretty accurate.

 

2nd Didn't see where you live, but short of a holiday season, school break time, in the United States, Tues, Wed, and Saturday is the cheapest days to fly in that order as business travel counts for the airlines busiest travel time and the law of supply and demand are working.

 

I have a cruise in 2019 that leaves on a Saturday. I'm flying in on a Wed. and planned using the money from the cheaper ticket (same place different day) to pay for accommodations; however, I kind of hit the lottery as my TA scored a airline cruise perk and the ship is picking up the cost of my flights.

 

Ramona

[Herfnerd]

The cheapest way is to check deep discount airlines, sign up for email specials, and check airline booking sites/online travel agents/aggregators - also consider multi-stop/multi airline itineraries. Look into flying out at non-peak times and days. And when you look for airfare, try not to do it during the weekends when fares tend to be higher. You will also not be able to check out flights/fares if they are not published. Generally, flights seem to be the cheapest 2-3 months prior to departure date. There are a few online aggregators that can recommend whether to wait or buy your tickets but they aren't foolproof.

 

Also keep in mind that airlines do NOT allow anyone to discount their published fares. In other words, if you find a particular flight that you like in terms of times and prices anywhere, whether its with an online aggregator or a travel agent, you will find the EXACT same price on the airline's website. If you see a flight that is cheaper than that, I would give that site/person/place wide berth.

 

And if you do find tickets at a price that you like, I would highly recommend purchasing it and not looking back. Many times there are only a few seats available for a certain price and once they're gone, they're gone. And continuing to check after purchase will only lead to buyer's remorse

[diane.in.ny]

I use Kayak.com and set a Price Alert for the flight I'm interested in.

 

Got a nice price drop on a RT to SYD from the east coast and grabbed it. And about a 20% price drop on flight we need for another trip.

[Flatbush Flyer]

First there is an App for that called Hopper it is in both Android and IOS (Apple shore).

 

One problem with Hopper is that it doesn't do "multi-city" itineraries.

[NotThePest_Too]

One problem with Hopper is that it doesn't do "multi-city" itineraries.

 

But your issue is not everone's issue. We have access to many different tools that essentially perform the same thing so we can approach a problem from a different perspective .

 

Ramona

[Flatbush Flyer]

But your issue is not everone's issue. We have access to many different tools that essentially perform the same thing so we can approach a problem from a different perspective .

 

 

 

Ramona

 

 

Not saying Hopper doesn't provide some value. Another tool (web) is Scott's Cheap Flights. Even the free version has value in certain applications.

Still, nothing beats ITA Matrix for the most comprehensive and flexible searching. Of course, it means that it must be checked manually (though itineraries can be stored). Its Google Flights version can do flight tracking as well.

[Hlitner]

We do have a strategy which is far from perfect, but generally works for us. We live in the Northeast USA and are within driving distance of many larger airports as well as our own home airport. If we are talking about a simple domestic flight we will use Kayak to compare the usual airline offerings from all of the airports within driving range. We then go on to Southwest and JetBlue's web sites (since they do not often show on many search engines) and compare their offerings. If its a cruise trip we will also look at what the cruise line offers (very easy to do with Princess (and you can use Princess to get an idea about HAL offerings since they use the same booking system)). With many cruise lines you might have to call the cruise line or your cruise agent.

 

International is different since we prefer to fly Business Class which means paying careful attention to the airline (some are much better then others), the actual equipment and seat specs on the various flights, and the price. For Business (and also for Premium Economy) the best prices are often to be found by using the cruise line's air options.

 

Keep in mind that airfares are constantly changing....sometimes multiple times an hour! When we see absolutely no good deals we will often wait and watch. This works for us because we do have access to many airports (MDT, BWI, IAD, PHL, EWR and even JFK if its worth the long drive).

 

Hank

[snyniew]

I actually found the best rates this December to San Juan by booking one way tickets (I fly out of a small international airport so fairs can be pricey). Delta on the way down was the cheapest and Southwest on the way home. For me the history for best rates to SJ seemed to be about 6 months before from history (4th time going out of SJ). Ever since I booked in June fares have just gone up.

[BDRebel]

I tell my TA where I am leaving from, where I am going and when. They generally find me a ticket at better than half the price I could find on my own.

[Hermione60]

Also keep in mind that airlines do NOT allow anyone to discount their published fares. In other words, if you find a particular flight that you like in terms of times and prices anywhere, whether its with an online aggregator or a travel agent, you will find the EXACT same price on the airline's website. If you see a flight that is cheaper than that, I would give that site/person/place wide berth.

 

From my experience, that is false. Through an online TA, I got tickets for Zürich-Miami and return, business class, about 40% lower than published by the airline. It's an airline on whose site I have an account, and the tickets can be found in my account, totally legit.

[Hlitner]

.................................................

 

Also keep in mind that airlines do NOT allow anyone to discount their published fares. In other words, if you find a particular flight that you like in terms of times and prices anywhere, whether its with an online aggregator or a travel agent, you will find the EXACT same price on the airline's website. If you see a flight that is cheaper than that, I would give that site/person/place wide berth.

 

And if you do find tickets at a price that you like, I would highly recommend purchasing it and not looking back. Many times there are only a few seats available for a certain price and once they're gone, they're gone. And continuing to check after purchase will only lead to buyer's remorse

 

My goodness you are wrong :(. There are some sources of deep discounted airline tickets and the cruise lines are often the best place to find amazing prices. For example, next week we will fly Business Class from Harrisburg PA to Copenhagen for about $1100. The lowest published fares are multiples of that price. We could have had economy for about $330 or a fraction of the lowest published price. There are also so-called "Airline Consolidators" that obtain vastly reduced prices (especially on international prices) although one should always use some caution when dealing with consolidators. Some airlines call these deeply discounted fares "bulk fares" and other airlines have their own terms. For example, if booking Air Canada one would ideally want to snag a "P" fare. Bottom line is that there is nothing simple about dealing with the airlines...and it becomes even more complex as you enter the international arena..especially for Premium Economy, Business and First Class.

 

As to domestic flights, the cruise lines sometimes have discounted prices although not nearly the kind of savings one can find on International flights. Domestic fares are a real mine field because they can change...sometimes several times an hour. But there are ways to snag good deals...which will sometimes mean using an online service that constantly monitors fares and will notify you if there is a price drop.

 

We have met many cruisers who seem to have their heads buried in the sand when it comes to finding good deals on both cruises and air fares. One needs to always keep an open mind, open eyes, and open ears :). In fact we have learned many booking tricks from just listening to fellow cruisers and also following certain airline blogs.

 

Hank

[iancal]

We are not looking for the 'best' price. We are looking for a very good price.

 

The trick is to understand the pricing rhythm, understand what a great price is, and be prepared to push the buy button when you see it.

 

BUT, before pressing the buy button double check the date, the connections, understand the fare code restrictions, and understand the change fees if applicable. No different than buying cruises or pre buying hotel rooms.

[Flatbush Flyer]

We are not looking for the 'best' price. We are looking for a very good price.

 

 

 

The trick is to understand the pricing rhythm, understand what a great price is, and be prepared to push the buy button when you see it.

 

 

 

BUT, before pressing the buy button double check the date, the connections, understand the fare code restrictions, and understand the change fees if applicable. No different than buying cruises or pre buying hotel rooms.

 

 

True.

What some folks on CC don't realize is that price is only one element of a "deal."

Looking for/booking "bargain" cruises just because there's a big price break makes little sense if it's a location you don't necessarily want/need to visit or, even worse, if you have to lower your expectations for accommodations/quality/other specifics. In a sense then, "flexibility" can mean "mediocrity." This may be fine for some. But, we'd prefer a "staycation" over settling for less than as-close-as-we-can-get to our ideal experiences. And we are not alone.

 

That said, IMO, a true "deal" is one where you get YOUR preferences and pay an exceptionally reasonable price. Of course, that takes a ton of research and perseverance. But, in the end, it's always worth the extra effort.

[Heidi13]

For us, price is only part of the equation, as finding flights on our preferred airlines on dates we want are the primary consideration.

 

We do not use budget/discount airlines and for any flights > 4 hrs will fly Business or First. Using Visa points, we can usually get 2 long haul Business Class flights every year or two.

 

If the cruise line offers free (included in fare) flights, we will pay the small fee to have flights booked on our preferred airline/partners. Where no free flights are included, my preference is to book flights on points, with BA/Oneworld partner, I book flights when they become available about 11 months out. If using cash, I compare the cruise line cost to what I can book myself & generally our cruise line has better pricing for specific flights.

[iancal]

Absolutely. We fly to Thailand every winter. We have lots of choices. Lots of prices. We can do it in 33 hours w 2 connections or we can do it in 18 hours with 1 connection from where we live. The trick is to get a good price on the 18 hour duration, even if it costs a little more than the standard 23 hour or extend 33 hour scheds.

 

We are watching prices now for return and open jaw flights to Europe for a potential Oct/Nov flight. If and when we are ready to book in late Sept we will know what our target price should be along with a preferred schedule/routing. We are also looking at cruise prices as a last minute Med may be in the cards as well.

Edited August 28, 2018 by iancal

[renjrusa]

Thanks for all the replies. Will take some of your advice into consideration and keep checking as soon as the fares open up. And being from CT we do have access to several airports including JFK .

[Joebucks]

There's lots of urban legends and legacy processes that may or may not work. There are tools like Hopper that can help you. At the end of the day, technology raises and lowers price in accordance to demand that can be hard to account for.

 

One of the best things you can do, is getting a good travel credit card. My Chase Sapphire Reserve will get me 4.5% back on all travel and dining purchases(generously categorized). Saving maybe $50-$100 through watching prices can be minuscule when suddenly you pay nothing out of pocket for an entire ticket.