Need Help With Air To San Juan!!!!!!!

[mikeblum]

It's been a long time since i have been on the boards but here we go again....not even sailing for another 13 motnhs but it is a sickness...cruising that is...lucky number 12 on RCCL coming up in march of 2007...here's my problem...air fare from minneapolis to san juan is super super high...any idea's of how we can get this number down below $500 per person...the saling is on a sunday...our group wants to do a pre-nite in san juan which is another issue...hotels in san juan in march aint cheap kids...looking for any help that i can get...by the way RCCL wants 660 for airfare with the cruise package...that does not include the pre-nite hotel...i have already been on orbitz and travelocity but it is way to far out...HELP!!!!!!!

[jouset_1345]

12 on RCCL coming up in march of 2007

 

I am Sailing On Jan 7 /2007 from Miami Florida , And I am still waiting for prices to came up . Because Airlines Just book whit a 330 day timeline. So I think you should wait till march 2006 to book air for march 2007. :D

 

I think you are seeing march 2006 prices , there are not prices listed yet for march 2007.

[superjerryw]

I can't help with the airfare, but you might try Priceline for the hotel the night before the cruise. Of course your group might end up in different hotels, but they would likely save a lot of money. I cruised from San Juan in 2004 and got the Caribe Hilton in March for $95.

[mikeblum]

How far in advance did you book the Caribe Hilton? for $95?

[nancyox]

i agree with the priceline idea. i got the caribe hilton for april 2006 for $80...lowest published rate i found elsewhere was over $200.

 

we're flying usair from philadelphia to san juan...but it's inexpensive...only $150 including tax one way.

 

nancy

[ukcrazycruisers]

i posted a few days ago with the same problem,we are needing flights from uk to san juan in jan 07,i know its a killer but we have to just wait until nearer the time.

you think your flight prices are expensive?,we managed to get some to san juan last year for roughly $700 each which is an absolute bargain even though there is five in our family,but im sure we wont get so lucky again...

we stayed in the embassy suites and loved it,for about $200 a night it fitted all five in,and had breakfast cooked to order ,plus a real bonus, a happy hour in the evening ,where you got free drinks and a few snacks,a fantastic start to the evening-and the cruise.

needless to say ,we will be staying here again in jan...:D

[janep]

I too was in the same "boat" as all of you. Looking for airfare was scary as I watched it climb every day!! I called our credit card company to use my miles and their airfare was cheaper than anyone elses! I got 1 free ticket, two at 1/2 price and one at full. 4 people from SC to San Juan for under 750 bucks! That's good enough for me!:D

[weary traveler]

take a look at the jet blue web site and look at the prices in march 2006 for travel to san juan from NYC.. depending on your flexibility there was round trips available for less than 200 pp... you could then look for the easiest and cheapest flights from your home to nyc. this isnt gospel.. but there's no reason to believe unless the roof caves in that the flights will cost much more than this year.. (based on me flying jet blue for the last two years boston to long beach for like 99 each way). Jet blue usually allows you to book over the net approx 6-7 months in advance.. and look for any promotions for the Wyndham hotel in Condado.. thats a great hotel not too far (maybe $10 cab ride) from both pier areas in San Juan... there's always a way..

 

your pal

[mikeblum]

we are not going til march of 2007 but i have been pricing air and hotel for march of 2006...and again the air has been running 550 to 700 per person and hotel is around 200 per nite for a pre-nite in san juan...we have looked into flying into both new york and atlanta early but both of those options adds another 200-250 round trip to the total...then you add the flight from those cities to san juan and add in hotel...kind of mind boggling...wanted to try to keep the pre-cruise expenses (until we get to the pier) to around 3000...ya sure...the travel agent is doing her share...we can get a balcony cabin and port charges and tax for approx 1050 per person...rccl is also kicking in for our diamond memeber discount...the air fare and hotel in san juan are killing me...our travel days would be saturday (pre-nite to san juan) and return to minneapolis the following sunday...maybe we should sail out of miami instead...

[weary traveler]

What you will probably find is that the spring break.. March-April will just be inflated airfares across the board... after all they literally hand credit cards to the students and suggest they deserve a trip and walla! It was just a suggestion of alternative thinking as to attack the pre and post travel. I wish you luck

[kimala]

Go to the Jet Blue Airlines web site and check to see if they are going to San Juan from your departure airport. They are presently flying from Newark NJ airport for one at a caost of $79.00 each way. They are scheduled to add more departures including my closest intl port Tampa on May 3rd.

[3redheads]

We booked our flight from DC to San Juan as early as we could. For 4 people on American, it's $1400.

 

The same exact flight is now $7000 for 4 people!

 

A couple of sites to visit:

 

www.cheapair.com

www.sidestep.com

www.airgorilla.com

 

Good luck!

[superjerryw]

How far in advance did you book the Caribe Hilton? for $95?

 

About 2 months before the trip.

[rbm444]

I know that you are anxious to get it all booked but I think that the fares you are seeing for 06 are high because it is so "last minute". I think that some of the suggestions for FF programs etc are great. Low budget airlines like jetblue, southwest, etc are probably your best bet. Unfortunately, I do not know what airlines operate out of MN.

One webpage I really like is bookingbuddy.com It saves time because you only have to enter your info once and it transfers it to all the different travel webpages you select. I also like Kayak.com especially for hotels, really gives you a great selection in a user friendly list. I am in the process of searching for flights and hotels for our group traveling in November to Tampa for a Legend OTS cruise. Prices seem a little high to me right now which may still be a reaction to the increase in gas prices. Hopefully they will drop soon. Good luck and hope this helps a little.

[mikeblum]

i'll take a peak at their web site at lunch time to see what other cities they go from...they do not go out of minneapolis...to save a couple hundred per person i have no issue's going to anothyer city first...

[cdw29]

I know that you are anxious to get it all booked but I think that the fares you are seeing for 06 are high because it is so "last minute"

 

I think this is pretty spot-on. Keep in mind that airlines have really elaborate computer models that are designed to fill the plane at the maximum total fare. These models set prices based on how many tickets have been sold for a given flight and how many days are left until it goes. Keep watching as the flights around your date start to get listed. I think that sites like Expedia allow you to list your "favorite" routes and they'll track the prices for you. The bottom line in airfare is that the farther in advance you're willing to book, the better the deal you're going to get.

 

Good luck!

[cruizeblues]

:( I know exactly what you are going through! We had to cancel our Serenade cruise scheuduled for next week because we couldn't find a flight for under $900 pp (x's 4:eek: ) When we originally booked the cruise last spring, air was going about $600pp, but I thought that I could snag a bargain if I waited--not so in this case! BUMMER! Anyway, if you can afford it, the islands that you will visit out of SJ are well worth the extra $$. We have sailed out of there twice before and really love the southern itin!

[cesarrcabrera]

A couple of hints regarding traveling to San Juan, as well as hotel stays...

 

1. If you can find a way to connect your trip through JFK, you may be surprised with a nice price for the last leg of the trip. There are a LOT of people from Puerto Rico over at NY, and hence airlines like AA usually run special fares...

 

2. Hotel prices in San Juan are on the high end. However, I've heard of many people using Priceline with great success.. I also recomend you look at:

 

http://www.biddingfortravel.com

 

You will find some help on bidding on Priceline, and some hits on what hotels have been going on PL, and at what price.

 

3. There are also some other smaller hotels you may want to consider. One that I've heard many good things from, is the Coral Inn (which is in Condado). I believe the rate is about $145 per night,. and includes breakfast.

 

Hope this helps..

 

Cesar

[mikeblum]

sounds like there are a number of other options out there but it is toooo early to book air and hotel for march of 2007...sounds like most airlines won't go any further out then 330 days...i just go sit on the sidelines for a month or so and then start looking seriously...i'm just a little concerned about booking already for my cruise but leaving the air and pre-nite hotel open...

[heartofamerica]

We flew to San Juan for our Serenade cruise last Thanksgiving. The airfare thru the cruiseline was better than what I could have booked myself. E1 cabin AND airfare for $1260...

[wrp96]

We flew to San Juan for our Serenade cruise last Thanksgiving. The airfare thru the cruiseline was better than what I could have booked myself. E1 cabin AND airfare for $1260...

 

I'm cruising on Serenade next month and had the same experience as well. Cruise air has always been much cheaper than anything else I could find from my area even taking into consideration paying for custom air and choosing my own flights. We originally booked cruise air thinking we would drop it when we found less expensive air but never did.

[KKeeganS]

sounds like there are a number of other options out there but it is toooo early to book air and hotel for march of 2007...sounds like most airlines won't go any further out then 330 days...i just go sit on the sidelines for a month or so and then start looking seriously...i'm just a little concerned about booking already for my cruise but leaving the air and pre-nite hotel open...

 

Be sure to set up a "fare search" on sites like Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz. You can just set up general searches for MIN to SJU, or give your actual dates and the fare range you are looking for. You will get an e-mail when the fares change or your target has been met. When it actually gets within the time frame of when you can book, I suggest searching these sites every day. A little time consuming, but it is so worth it when you get a good deal.

 

We cruise during hurricane season and have always been able to get cheap flights to SJU by waiting and searching. You are flying during a high travel time with spring break, but I was considering a cruise this March and found some cheap airfares to San Juan "last minute". Keep looking, it can be done!

[mikeblum]

i check travelocity almost every day mon-fri during lunch...for march of this yr it's been ranging from 500- to 650...rccl was asking 660 for it's air package...as a diamond memeber i do not have to pay for custom air...but hopefully i'll find something a little cheaper...i told the folks in my party going to miami would be cheaper...

[missme2]

Mikeblum:

 

I have been checking the same thing. We will be leaving on AOS March 25, 2007. Airfair from Chicago to San Juan is insane right now. Making me a little nervous. ATA, which usually offered good prices to San Juan, is no longer flying to San Juan. If fares don't go down, I might check into flying into Tampa or Miami and then on from there. Let me know if you have any luck. BTW....are you cruising 3/25/07 with me??

[AngieC]

It's been a long time since i have been on the boards but here we go again....not even sailing for another 13 motnhs but it is a sickness...cruising that is...lucky number 12 on RCCL coming up in march of 2007...here's my problem...air fare from minneapolis to san juan is super super high...any idea's of how we can get this number down below $500 per person...the saling is on a sunday...our group wants to do a pre-nite in san juan which is another issue...hotels in san juan in march aint cheap kids...looking for any help that i can get...by the way RCCL wants 660 for airfare with the cruise package...that does not include the pre-nite hotel...i have already been on orbitz and travelocity but it is way to far out...HELP!!!!!!!

Have you tried searching airfare by using the "flexiable dates"? Use your month that you are leaving and your starting and finishing months. Sometimes you can get a better price that way. Also, if you have other close airports- 1-3 hrs away, use their locations and see if you can get a better rate. We are flying out of Philly to San Juan next month for our first RCCL and we saved over $150.00 per person. Our home airport is BWI in Baltimore, MD. Philly is only 2 hrs away. Its worth it for me. I hope it works out for you!