Help! Trying to find a decent price for air during school Vacation

[cruiseaddictColleen]

Hi All, Unfortunately the only time we are able to cruise is during the school vacations due to my job in the school system. I was wondering if anyone may have a suggestion where I can find a "fair price" for airfare. I have spent countless hours & days looking on almost every website, etc. & still cant find anything! I am even willing to travel a distance to the airport & still nothing. Turns out I would be paying almost as much for the air as I do for the cruise. If anyone has any helpful hints I would surely appreciate them. (Trying to cruise out of Florida in Feb.) Thank you

[zoncom]

Some really savy Flyertalk types will answer if you imput details ; where to,when,what airports you can use, etc.

[cruiseaddictColleen]

Some really savy Flyertalk types will answer if you imput details ; where to,when,what airports you can use, etc.

 

 

You are right I should have put in some details. We live in Providence, RI but could easily fly out of Boston, Connecticut, New Hampshire, or if we had to New York. Tried pricing it with leaving the day before & returning the day after the cruise but still have received outrageous prices for Feb. school vacation which begins on 2/15 & ends on the 25th. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I want to book my cruise as soon as possible! Thank you.

[Desert Cruisers]

Since you live in Providence, have you tried Southwest? I think that they fly out of there.

 

If your cruise is out of either Miami or Fort Lauderdale, look at flying into Fort Lauderdale, Miami and even West Palm Beach. Sometimes, even with added transportation costs, it is cheaper this way.

 

Airfares have gone up so the bargains of yesterday are just not around.:)

[Globaliser]

Tried pricing it with leaving the day before & returning the day after the cruise but still have received outrageous prices for Feb. school vacation which begins on 2/15 & ends on the 25th.

What do you regard as outrageous?

 

What about this for $388.10? (From a quick and dirty search on ITA Software.)

 

Midwest Airlines YX62

Departs Boston, MA (BOS) Fri, Feb 15 12:30p

3 hrs 10 min

Arrives Kansas City, MO (MCI) 2:40p

 

Layover in Kansas City 40 min

 

Midwest Airlines YX730

Departs Kansas City, MO (MCI) Fri, Feb 15 3:20p

2 hrs 50 min

Arrives Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) 7:10p

 

****************************************

 

Midwest Airlines YX851

Departs Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) Mon, Feb 25 12:35p

3 hrs 18 min

Arrives Milwaukee, WI (MKE) 2:53p

 

Layover in Milwaukee 1 hr 42 min

 

Midwest Airlines YX207

Departs Milwaukee, WI (MKE) Mon, Feb 25 4:35p

2 hrs 15 min

Arrives Boston, MA (BOS) 7:50p

[Chicopee]

What do you regard as outrageous?

 

What about this for $388.10? (From a quick and dirty search on ITA Software.)

 

Midwest Airlines YX62

Departs Boston, MA (BOS) Fri, Feb 15 12:30p

3 hrs 10 min

Arrives Kansas City, MO (MCI) 2:40p

 

Layover in Kansas City 40 min

 

Midwest Airlines YX730

Departs Kansas City, MO (MCI) Fri, Feb 15 3:20p

2 hrs 50 min

Arrives Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) 7:10p

 

****************************************

 

Midwest Airlines YX851

Departs Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) Mon, Feb 25 12:35p

3 hrs 18 min

Arrives Milwaukee, WI (MKE) 2:53p

 

Layover in Milwaukee 1 hr 42 min

 

Midwest Airlines YX207

Departs Milwaukee, WI (MKE) Mon, Feb 25 4:35p

2 hrs 15 min

Arrives Boston, MA (BOS) 7:50p

 

 

Globaliser - that is a decent rate but I don't think it is practical for a February vacation. You would be flying from New England to the midwest to the southeast. At that time of year, I would be petrified that there would be a blizzard either in the northeast , the midwest or both and ruin my vacation.

 

Colleen, I have been looking for months and we are going the week before you. I finally settled on a rate just under 400 flying BDL-FLL (Delta down/USAir back). I used Kayak and checked every day. JetBlue BOS-FLL had better rates but the parking fees would have been more than the savings for us 2.

 

A couple years ago, the same flights were way under 200. Times have changed and I just had to change our air budget to reflect. Good Luck and let us know how you do :)

[greatam]

Globaliser - that is a decent rate but I don't think it is practical for a February vacation. You would be flying from New England to the midwest to the southeast. At that time of year, I would be petrified that there would be a blizzard either in the northeast , the midwest or both and ruin my vacation.

 

IF you can get out of BOS, Kansas City is VERY, VERY, VERY rarely shut down in the winter.

 

I fly into MCI at least once a month, year round. I have NEVER seen it closed due to snow. Small airport-they can keep the runways open.

 

I would jump on these flights IMMEDIATELY. The cheap seats for Presidents Week/Spring Break are GONE, GONE, GONE. Most flights are in the $450.00 range AND UP (and especially UP leaving late Friday night/early Sat morning and coming home on Sunday). Once the college kids go back to school, the cheap seats are gone.

 

To the OP,

 

I hope you can find something, but plan on at least $400.00pp.

[Chicopee]

IF you can get out of BOS, Kansas City is VERY, VERY, VERY rarely shut down in the winter.

 

I fly into MCI at least once a month, year round. I have NEVER seen it closed due to snow. Small airport-they can keep the runways open.

 

That is GREAT info to know. I'm going to put it in my file for future reference. Thanks!! :D

[FlyerTalker]

Globaliser - that is a decent rate but I don't think it is practical for a February vacation. You would be flying from New England to the midwest to the southeast. At that time of year, I would be petrified that there would be a blizzard either in the northeast , the midwest or both and ruin my vacation.

 

Well, if there is a blizzard in New England, it doesn't matter what routing you have, you aren't leaving. MCI rarely gets shut down - ditto on MKE.

 

If you only consider non-stops, you GREATLY reduce your options. A creative routing on YX is a good alternative, plus you deal with much smaller hubs for your connects.

[JJPNYC]

If thinking of creative routing, you might want to look at Continental, connecting through CLE. Like MCI, CLE is a medium-szied airport, easy connections, and is rarely shut down due to snow/winter weather as they know how to deal with it.

 

Just remember that airline pricing is based on supply & demand. Partially the airlines have curtailed the supply (i.e. seats) so that means planes are flying fuller today. With that their yield management programs keep pushing the prices up to what the market will bear.

[cmmarch]

Hi All, Unfortunately the only time we are able to cruise is during the school vacations due to my job in the school system. I was wondering if anyone may have a suggestion where I can find a "fair price" for airfare. I have spent countless hours & days looking on almost every website, etc. & still cant find anything! I am even willing to travel a distance to the airport & still nothing. Turns out I would be paying almost as much for the air as I do for the cruise. If anyone has any helpful hints I would surely appreciate them. (Trying to cruise out of Florida in Feb.) Thank you

 

 

Have you considered April vacation? Here in MA we are off wk of 4/21-25. Not sure if RI has an April vacation but I booked Airtran out of Boston w/one short stop in VA for a good price( $89.00 pp each way) - leaving 2 days pre-cruise and returning last day of cruise. Cruising out of Miami but flying into FLL as price was better - can easily rent a car or shuttle/limo transport over to Miami.

Going in late April so hopefully no snow/weather delays. It was just a thought.............good luck.:)

[cmmarch]

Hi All, Unfortunately the only time we are able to cruise is during the school vacations due to my job in the school system. I was wondering if anyone may have a suggestion where I can find a "fair price" for airfare. I have spent countless hours & days looking on almost every website, etc. & still cant find anything! I am even willing to travel a distance to the airport & still nothing. Turns out I would be paying almost as much for the air as I do for the cruise. If anyone has any helpful hints I would surely appreciate them. (Trying to cruise out of Florida in Feb.) Thank you

 

 

Have you considered April vacation? Here in MA we are off wk of 4/21-25. Not sure if RI has an April vacation but I booked Airtran out of Boston w/one short stop in VA for a good price( $89.00 pp each way) - leaving 2 days pre-cruise and returning last day of cruise. Cruising out of Miami but flying into FLL as price was better - can easily rent a car or shuttle/limo transport over to Miami.

Going in late April so hopefully no snow/weather delays. It was just a thought.............good luck.:)

[kestrel1]

I also live near Providence and fly out of TF Green every Christmas, Feb and April vacation. Key is to book EARLY. I got a $268 RT flight from Dec 21 to 1/2 PVD- FLL but that was booked back in Feb. I have often had to fly into Orlando on Fri PM to get a MUCH better fare and have rented a car to drive to FLL. Also, the hotel choices on the way are much cheaper than in Ft Lauderdale!

Once I flew direct from FLL to White Plains, NY on Airtran, rented a car and drove to PVD (2 1/2 hrs). Also, fly to Baltimore or Pitt or Phili (if you dare) on SW and then get a cheaper flight to FLL. They have a different school vacation week but it's still President's Day weekend. Just some other options! good luck!

[teachergirl]

We're flying pvd to san juan during that week. Hubby and I are both teachers and unfortunately just end up paying top price for flights during school vacation weeks.... We're going thru RCCL which is high but not much more than what's being offered and includes our transfers. Pray for no snow!!

[cruiseaddictColleen]

Thank your everyone for all of the helpful tips for my school vacation airfare. I have been spending numerous hours researching everything you all have suggested - the longer I hesitate the higher the prices are going up daily. We may end up cruising out of New Orleans instead of my previous choice Florida because I am finding better prices from New Orleans. Thanks again!!

[mom23guys]

We're having the same issues for Esater week. I was able to book one-way from PHL to MIA for $77 each. So that was great. The return flight on US Air is $324 before taxes:eek: so we only book the one way hoping to jump on SW when the rates come out. We have to fly back on March 30 since we both must be at work on the 31st. We both work in the school system and since we're retiring within 2 years we can't afford to be docked pay. Anyway I check everything three or four time s day. We usually fly Spirit out of Atlantic City but they RT is over $600.