Book Airfare Now - Don't Wait Another 15 Minutes Like I did!

[gooselover]

At exactly 5:45 cst, I checked the airfare on our cruise...$898 total for both. Since everything else is going up, I decided to get the airfare as, you all know, I can cancel. So, I call RCL at 6:01pm, and tell me to add the airfare to the cruise...the rep informed me it was now $1100! I said, wait, 15 minutes ago it was $898, so we both did a mock cruise...sure enough, in 15 minutes went up $200.

 

Book your airfare now - don't wait another 15 minutes as I did!:(

[crusinmama06]

:eek:

 

Is it cheaper to get the airfare on your own? I always book my own airfare so I don't price out the cruiseline air fares.

 

I waited too and had to pay $79 more pp. I could have kick myself.

[PH8]

Oh jeez....expensive lesson learned............sorry..:(

[gooselover]

I will search and get it on our own when the time is right (our cruise is 10/09), but wanted to lock in price with RCL now, just in case...

 

Geez, didn't know 15 minutes was worth $200!. Yeah, I'm kicking myself, too.

[PH8]

$550 each for OKC or TUL to MCO???:eek: Holy cow.....seems it is always cheaper to fly coast to coast ,than anywhere in between.........

[gooselover]

I just checked hotwire.com, if we fly from OKC to Tampa, the round trip fare each would be $189. I'm taking the airfare off with RCL...geez. That's $700 savings - but unfortunately, I can't book yet.

[BarbaB]

When I booked our airfare for our upcoming Alaska trip in Feb - DC to Sea was less than $ 500 for both. When I looked the other day, it was almost $1200. Boy was I happy I don't like to let this stuff go. I like to have all the arrangements done so I don't have to worry about it later.

 

Barb

[crusinmama06]

I just checked hotwire.com, if we fly from OKC to Tampa, the round trip fare each would be $189. I'm taking the airfare off with RCL...geez. That's $700 savings - but unfortunately, I can't book yet.

 

Yep that's what I thought. My airfare is now $179/direct to Orlando. I use kayak to monitor the different prices.

[DEBCAT65]

We booked airfair in Jan for our 10-11-08 Liberty cruise. We booked for 3, from PHX to MIA, non-stop for just over 1000. Same flight now is 2100!

 

Glad we booked when we did!

 

Deb

[sea-cruise]

OMG...I'm shocked at how much airfares are jumping! I guess I'd better stick to cruising out of my own home port for sure.

[gooselover]

The folks on this board that just drive a few hours (or less) to get to a port are SOOOOOO LUCKY!

 

If there was a port here in Oklahoma, I'd be cruising 3x a year. The airfare on this cruise that we are taking is just as much as the cruise (almost). Seriously, we may just drive to Port Canaveral and take our sweet time - it would sure be cheaper.

 

Hey, and don't forget, on top of these steep airfares, we get to pay for our luggage now too!:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: .

 

Yep, maybe we will drive - heck with the price of gas, I wonder if we can get the suitcases on the motorcycle?????:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[jillyfish]

Yep, maybe we will drive - heck with the price of gas, I wonder if we can get the suitcases on the motorcycle?????:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Get one of those tow behind trailers for the motorcycle. :p

[Flossie]

Wow these airfares are jumping all over the place. I booked our air two weeks ago when all the news channels were saying how high it was going to go . I just checked all our flights for our up coming cruises and the fares have actually gone "down" now. Whats up with that! Gone down 80 dollars round trip. Not that is an extreme amount but I never thought that they would go down. Wish the prices at the pumps would go down too!

[FL_Cruiser64]

Waiting never pays off.

 

You book early you have a full complement of the schedule and most likely the lowest prices. Even if the air fare goes a little down you still made the better deal.

 

Just for kicks I checked on a flight I had initially booked last November. I was supposed to cruise on the southern route from San Juan this September. So I booked flights from FLL to SJU as soon as they came out. I was able to pick from lots of flights and the airfare was only $244 pp. It went only one time down by 20 bucks. But I changed the cruise thus I am using this flight to go to LA in July (the changed cruise is now out of Miami).

 

So I was wondering what I would pay on AA now. The cheapest flight on AA now is $692 pp and goes from, read this, FLL to Dallas to Miami to San Juan!!! Only 13 hours. LOL

Back is even better: From SJU alllll the way to Chicago and back down to FLL. Only 19 hours!!!

 

Of course in this case I'd take the nonstop from Mia for $340 pp. :D

[sea-cruise]

The folks on this board that just drive a few hours (or less) to get to a port are SOOOOOO LUCKY!

 

If there was a port here in Oklahoma, I'd be cruising 3x a year/quote]

Grand Lake of the Cherokees looked pretty darn big to me! Now....how to get a small ship to your location?.....hmmm ;) :D ;)

[silentbob007]

I recently booked air for my cruise in December ... it was holding at $243 RT for non-stop IND to MIA (with the next closest happening to be $100 more). Once I used my Entertainment book coupon, I ended up paying closer to $220 RT. I had been watching it for a while, and that price had held for about a week. A few days later, that $220/RT turned into $921/RT. I think when you find something you want at a price that seems reasonable, you just have to go for it if you can.

[isujim]

$550 each for OKC or TUL to MCO???:eek: Holy cow.....seems it is always cheaper to fly coast to coast ,than anywhere in between.........

 

Somedays Kathy that is a good rate:)

[cant51]

When I say the price you all most pay for your air fair I'm very

lucky I pay for two $ 1400,00 round trip from Holland Europe to Orlando USA

with Delta airlines, I book last January for October 5 days later the price

went up $ 400.00 for two.

 

Grtjes Toos

[KelJ]

I recently booked air for my cruise in December ... it was holding at $243 RT for non-stop IND to MIA (with the next closest happening to be $100 more). Once I used my Entertainment book coupon, I ended up paying closer to $220 RT. I had been watching it for a while, and that price had held for about a week. A few days later, that $220/RT turned into $921/RT. I think when you find something you want at a price that seems reasonable, you just have to go for it if you can.

 

Hey, silentbob007, sorry to go off topic, but you posted on our 7-3-08 Explorer roll call a long time ago and haven't been back. Looking at your signature, I see you're going 7-31-08. Did you switch? I hope you have a great cruise.

[just4kixx]

Wow these airfares are jumping all over the place. I booked our air two weeks ago when all the news channels were saying how high it was going to go . I just checked all our flights for our up coming cruises and the fares have actually gone "down" now. Whats up with that! Gone down 80 dollars round trip. Not that is an extreme amount but I never thought that they would go down. Wish the prices at the pumps would go down too!

 

Same here! I booked through Southwest.com and was able to get the price adjusted to the new lower price (twice!) and now have a future flight credit of $80. I would have preferred to have a credit to my CC, but I'll take the future flight credit as Dh will be flying this summer... or else I'll have to fly some other time! :p

 

A~

[TennisLover]

I think when you find something you want at a price that seems reasonable, you just have to go for it if you can.

 

Completely agree! I had done a lot of research on airfares from NYC to SJU (and know what I paid for 2008 - same itin) -- so I had a number in mind.

 

So when airfare was posted for the first leg -- at $124 pp -- I grabbed it. Waited a few days for the return to be posted -- it came up at $254 pp -- and I grabbed it. In my head, I was thinking, anything less than $400 pp is my goal (nonstop).

 

I've been getting kayak alerts, but the price isn't coming down. I am sure it will only go up (Easter week). Of course, I still have to pay luggage fees, but with the rates I got, the luggage fees won't kill me.

 

I hate playing these airfare games. Crazy.

[Screwbit]

Booked our air months ago to Miami for Liberty sailing this October, and glad I did. Fares, r/t, are now $110pp higher ! We will book our air for Med. cruise next October('09), as soon as they become available. Going out of Barcelona, and spending two days pre-cruise. The way things are going, I'm pretty sure air will cost us more than the cruise itself !!

[DEBCAT65]

Waiting never pays off.

 

You book early you have a full complement of the schedule and most likely the lowest prices. Even if the air fare goes a little down you still made the better deal.

 

Just for kicks I checked on a flight I had initially booked last November. I was supposed to cruise on the southern route from San Juan this September. So I booked flights from FLL to SJU as soon as they came out. I was able to pick from lots of flights and the airfare was only $244 pp. It went only one time down by 20 bucks. But I changed the cruise thus I am using this flight to go to LA in July (the changed cruise is now out of Miami).

 

So I was wondering what I would pay on AA now. The cheapest flight on AA now is $692 pp and goes from, read this, FLL to Dallas to Miami to San Juan!!! Only 13 hours. LOL

Back is even better: From SJU alllll the way to Chicago and back down to FLL. Only 19 hours!!!

 

Of course in this case I'd take the nonstop from Mia for $340 pp. :D

We originally were going to fly to San Juan for the Adventure cruise in Oct. Last night, just for kicks, I checked airfare from PHX to San Juan. It was on American (same as our flight to Miami), we would have to change planes in Miami (same exact flight that we are on from PHX to MIA) and it is about $50.00 CHEAPER to fly to San Juan than Miami!! Doesn't seem to make much sense. We take the same flight to MIA weather we stay in Miami or proceed to San Juan.

 

Crazy pricing structure!

[chazg]

We where looking for Air for 4 from Philly to MIA or FLL and for a while couldn't find anything under $1000.00. We checked Southwest, USAir and still no luck. So we finally checked on Spirit that flies out of Atlantic City and found a Red Light Special that got us at $158 RT PP. We waited a few days and booked before the end of the month and got that special deal. 1 Day later the price went up about $30 pp each way!

 

The only thing we have to do now is Pay the discounted rate for checked baggage. So the 4 checked bags will cost us $80 RT at a discounted rate.

 

So if it fits into your budget jump on them. Do be afraid to look at another Airport nearby, and don't be afraid to join the loyalty clubs for the Airlines, sometimes you get a good deal that way.

[HorrorFan]

If there ever was a time when it was better to wait to book airfare, I think those days are long gone. Does anyone REALLY think airfare prices will drop with fuel prices skyrocketing? Maybe they will if fuel prices drop a bunch, but I'm sure not betting on that happening.

I booked our flights from Toronto to Miami as soon as the dates became available for next March. We got the times we wanted for direct flights.

I checked again the other day (less than two months later) and the prices have gone up approx $1000 for the four of us.