Airfare is Killin' Me!

[yj2cute]

In my recent experience, I've found that groups fares are not cheaper, but actually more expensive! The reason being that they only have a certain number of seats in each price range. If you want a lot of seats, they can't give them all to you at the lowest price so the price ends up being higher. I've seen this on Continental several times in the last year or so. We needed about 25 seats from Newark to Orlando and the price was $374! That's outrageous for this route. Definitely the cheapest way is to book individual fares online.

[beach08]

Per American Airlines, if you book as a group via a proposal, not just online there is a significant discount offered. I guess I could call and request a proposal quote...just to see if it is a tru discount.

 

Group Incentive Travel

 

 

Select the incentive destination for your top sales individuals, and we'll get them there with a program tailored to the incentive market. Plus, we provide future-date pricing enabling you to forecast your travel expenses.

 

A request for meeting travel fares may be submitted online or you may contact the Group & Meeting Travel Desk at 1-800-221-2255.

 

 

Low-Rate Zone Fares For incentive travel of 10 or more, we will guarantee economical fares from different geographical zones of departure to your destination. Domestic zone-fare discounts range from 40% to 70% off full, unrestricted Coach rates. Zone fares require no Saturday-night stay, so they're ideal for mid-week meetings. Zone fares are valid for travel originating in the United States or Canada for meetings in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.

 

 

 

Low Group Fares Groups traveling to any American Airlines destination can secure a low-rate fare and may block space, up to 11 months in advance, when traveling together on American Airlines to the same city. AmericanAirlines Group & Meeting TravelSM provides additional flexibility to these groups by offering the following features with your guaranteed fare:

 

• Names and ticketing 30 days prior to departure (ticketing dates vary by destination)
  
• One name change per ticket
  
• Saturday-night or minimum stay waived

[md40901]

After watching the prices on the flights I was interested in go up and down all in the same day I booked our flight from Detroit to Orlando through Spirit ( the scheduale fit ours the best ). Because I didn't want it to keep going up. We got a pretty good deal $217 round trip. I just checked and it had gone down $20 a person. Oh well I'm just glad I don't have to stress everyday about if the prices go up!!!

[waterrats]

Originally Posted by llsullie

Rhapsody April 9, The Cruise That Almost Wasn't ...

Royal Caribbean Rocks ! ! ! Delta ... not so much.

 

Our flight was 1.5 hours leaving Dulles Int'l !, I have never run for a flight in my life ... I did in Atlanta. We made it to the gate 5 minutes before our flight was supposed to leave and they had ALREADY backed away and were gone ! !

 

Delta wanted to put us on a flight thru Cincinatti! to arrive in Houston at 7:58p. Needless to say I fell apart. Delta rep was on the phone with RCI, not getting anywhere, and so was I, however it seemed I was making some progress (pretty sure the hysteria didn't hurt :rolleyes: ). Delta/RCI got us on a flight at 2:30 that landed at 3:40. I was given a cell phone # for a wonderful RCI Rep at the port in Galveston. I had our luggage forwarded on to Key West, as there was no way we could wait for it at the Houston Airport. RCI arranged for a cab to be waiting for us. Luckily we landed on time. We ran thru Houston airport to meet up with Gary, the RCI rep at the airport, who threw us in a cab and we were off.

 

Did you know that if you do 85/90mph from the airport you can make it in under an hour? ... Neither did our cab driver, however it's amazing what $50 can do.

 

I kept in contact with Jean at the port who arranged for police intervention, so we didnt' get stopped. The cab driver was told that the sherriff was waiting at a gate that isn't normally used right near security and to look for the police van with lights on. Jean met us at the door, we were rushed thru security, I "threw" our passports at an RCI employee, an RCI employee "threw" our Sea Passes at us, and we ran for the gangplank where several RCI employees were waiting graciously for us. Pictures taken, a wonderful woman with a Swedish accent escorted us to our room where we were able to take a breath and watch the ship pull away from the dock.

 

THANK YOU GARY and JEAN ! ! ! and CAPTAIN ANDERS ! ! ! and EVERYONE THAT HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE ! ! !

 

WHEW ! ! ! And I was stressin' about what to wear ... LOL

 

 

 

 

This is why we always fly in a day early. Thanks for the read.

[LLSullie]

This is why we always fly in a day early. Thanks for the read.

 

I learned my lesson ALL TOO WELL :p

 

 

Also - DELTA -

 

Don't

Expect

Luggage

To

Arrive

[waterrats]

llsullie - One thing is for sure, it is a vacation you won't soon forget. I still remember back in oh 1985 I think when my parents took us to San Fran. Well it rained all day and when we went to a nice restaurant, they stuck us all the way in the back because we were all (6) drenched to the bone. It overlooked the marina so we didn't care at all. Basically, when odd things happen on vacation, you tend to remember the trip a little bit better than just having the same vacation year after year.

[beach08]

What's one to do? The airfares are rising like crazy !!! If this trend continues I think it could start to affect alot of travel plans... When you have to pay more for your air then your entire cruise. :mad: :mad:

Is there any hope in relief????

[cmich068]

Airfares are going up..... RCCL's airfare may look affordable one day.

[yittles&boone]

ok just bought 2 airfare tickets from jfk to miami for late august cruise .. tell me why american airlines is cheaper then Jetblue .. they are supposed to be discount right ?? AA blue them out of the water w/ their prices ! Spent $440 total for tickets !! almost as much as my cruise !! i hate airfare !! I really wish that RCCL had a port in NYC it sure would be less hassle !

[joeinsb]

Yep, air fare is a killer, especially if you book on your own, as we mostly do. In fact, our trip on Celebrity's Infinity to Alaska out of Vancouver cost us as much as a trip to the Mexican Riviera on Radisson Seven Seas Mariner, which left out of Long Beach near where we live.

 

On a future trip on Princess, we opted for the cruise line's air package and that seems to help, but if you can drive to the port and park, that's still the cheapest way to go.

[cmich068]

I really wish that RCCL had a port in NYC it sure would be less hassle !

They do... Explorer sails out of there... (well, Bayonne NJ, it's pretty close)

[wrp96]

Airfares are going up..... RCCL's airfare may look affordable one day.

 

They already are from my area to certain ports!

[waterrats]

Most ports up and down the east coast have sailings. Boston (i think), NY, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Charleston, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. I think I got them all on the Atlantic. If you want to cruise to the Caribbean from NY, I would suggest checking out Crown Princess. It is a 9 day and you wouldn't have to fly to Florida. This is the sister ship to Caribbean Princess which is a great ship.

[beach08]

I don't know how booking air through the cruise line would save $$$. I know I always check price with and without air and , I have always been able to find air cheaper on my own. Example with my current booking, RCCL is charging $370 pp for air from Baltimore and when I priced it , air is coming in around $270.00 with American Airlines. Is there a trick getting it cheaper with the cruise line?

[wrp96]

I don't know how booking air through the cruise line would save $$$. I know I always check price with and without air and , I have always been able to find air cheaper on my own. Example with my current booking, RCCL is charging $370 pp for air from Baltimore and when I priced it , air is coming in around $270.00 with American Airlines. Is there a trick getting it cheaper with the cruise line?

 

It depends on where you are flying from. Since you are flying from an area with tons of options, you can usually find airfare less on your own. My area has no major hubs, and few options in flights. Except to Texas, cruise air is almost always less expensive (but by no means cheap).

[beach08]

It depends on where you are flying from. Since you are flying from an area with tons of options, you can usually find airfare less on your own. My area has no major hubs, and few options in flights. Except to Texas, cruise air is almost always less expensive (but by no means cheap).

 

Ok, that makes sense, more options,

more compentition, so lower fares....