Holiday flights, are you having problems booking?

[scopewest]

We're taking the O at Christmas and are flying from Phoenix to San Diego. Every single America West coach seat is booked for the flight(s) that we could take. (Southwest hasn't opened up December yet unless they did it when I wasn't looking.) We're wondering if booking flights at this time is a problem across the country this year or it's always been a problem, we've just never encountered it because we haven't flown at Christmas in years! I'm just mumbling to myself that all the seats are gone in April?!?!

 

And let's not discuss the prices, I'm just thankful that the planes are flying.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we used to fly during the holidays, we had a terrible time getting flights out of Pittsburgh. So we gave up cruises at Christmas. And that was when we used to have a ton of flights everywhere.

 

It is even worse now that US Airways has gone from 550 flights a day to 190 flights and no other airliner has picked up their slack.

[wrp96]

I did a search and America West is showing available seats on non-stop flights from Phoenix to San Diego on the 23rd, of course the price is close to $600 per person.

 

Southwest just opened today through middle of September. I would watch for a couple of months and then book Southwest when they open up for December. If for some reason they open up bookings for your flight there but don't open up bookings for your return, go ahead and book your flight going to guarantee a seat and then when they open up the return flights book the return.

[VOLEYMOM]

If it is going to cost you $600. for a flight I would think about driving to San Diego. It really isn't a bad drive and you can park right by the pier for a reasonable rate. You could even drive down a few days early and enjoy San Diego.

[Tricia724]

....It is even worse now that US Airways has gone from 550 flights a day to 190 flights and no other airliner has picked up their slack.

 

It's even getting to be a pain trying to get to and from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami for Caribbean cruises out of PIT. I've been looking at flights for a January or February cruise, and good old US Airways has only one direct flight at a really high price. And it used to be so easy.

 

As far as sold out flights go, I wonder whether they are really sold out. When we were looking for flights to Miami for last February, US Airways had a direct flight that was exactly what we wanted and we didn't hurry to book because there were very few coach seats taken. However, right before we decided to book (5 months out), it suddenly came up as filled....except for first-class seats. So we booked other flights. About a month later that flight miraculously reappeared....once again, almost all coach seats were open.

 

Sometimes I think when the airlines are considering shuffling flights around, they simply mark them "closed" (similar to the cruiselines) until they get their plan together, although there is higher demand during the holidays. Still, it seems like there should be something this far out. I hope it works out for you.

[scopewest]

Yes, we could drive to SD but my husband's schedule is so tight on the departure side that we can't do it. We found a cheap flight home via Delta that goes from SD to SLC to Phx. I've been advised that we'll get a nice view of the Mormon Tabernacle upon landing, which should be a wonderful sight at the holidays, and we're looking forward to going from ocean to snow to desert in the space of three hours.

[LHC]

DD and I got bumped from our flight from Atl to FLL last December, so we have a freebie to use this holiday! I like you, are watching everyday to see when the flights go up. Our cruise is on the 23rd but our flight has to be by the 21st, so we have a pre-cruise hotel assignment for two nights.

The way gas is going up in the South (almost 3.00 per gallon) I am grateful for the free airfare vouchers.

Currently the airline does not have Thanksgiving or Christmas flights on board yet.

LHC