Airfare...I just don't know anymore!

[denisey]

We have a cruise booked in January of 2009. I put off booking airfare earlier this spring, because we were getting ready to go on a transatlantic cruise, and I didn't want to spend the money. We are flying from Seattle to Southern Florida, so it is never cheap.

 

And there was plenty of time, things weren't going to change that much, right?

 

WRONG!

 

All through the Spring we watch airfares go up, extra charges added on. I thought I'd better act soon. I am expecting a $50 companion fare coupon that I wanted to use on this flight. I still haven't gotten the coupon, but kept haunting the search sites and looking for air fares.

 

All of a sudden, a fare for $240 popped up. Hmm, that can't be right. It is for the dates we want, the times we want, pretty good connections. If it's too good to be true.....So I called my TA friend (went to high school with him 150 years ago, trust him completely!) and he said "Grab it!"

 

So we got flights for as little money as I've ever spent. I figure we saved $200 over the Campanion fare price and $900 on just paying for the tickets out right (those are $$$ going into my jewelry fund!)

 

So I guess my point is to get your tickets as soon as you can, when a price comes up you can live with. Know that prices will keep going up. But every once in a while, a miracle occurs and you have to be ready to grab it.

 

Happy Sailing everyone!

[trock]

Have you checked Jet Blue?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Have you checked Jet Blue?

 

I just checked JetBlue from Seattle to FLL for January and the cheapest price for 2 tix was $670pp.

 

I guess she did well.:)

 

I just read about all the vacation destination flights being hurt by flight eliminations and price jumps.

related story

 

Bill

[Susie51]

I'm happy for you!

[denisey]

Have you checked Jet Blue?

 

I know you East Coasters love your Jet Blue, but it usually isn't a viable option for the Northwest (Long flights, bad layovers, higher prices) They are on the search engine I use.

 

Airfare is a funny world anymore, my crystal ball just doesn't work anymore!

[CanTex]

Continental has an interesting new option that may be useful for those looking at locking in a flight sooner rather than later. It's called "Bill Me Later" and you can pay for your flight purchase 90 days after the booking date. For more expensive flights (over $1,500) you have 6 months.

 

There's no added cost unless you don't pay up when its due, and right now, they're actually offering $20 off the flight for the first time you use this option.

[paul929207]

Continental has an interesting new option that may be useful for those looking at locking in a flight sooner rather than later. It's called "Bill Me Later" and you can pay for your flight purchase 90 days after the booking date. For more expensive flights (over $1,500) you have 6 months.

 

There's no added cost unless you don't pay up when its due, and right now, they're actually offering $20 off the flight for the first time you use this option.

 

Is this at a low non-refundable price? Is there any penalty if you cancel rather than make the full payment?

[grandmato4]

So I guess my point is to get your tickets as soon as you can, when a price comes up you can live with. Know that prices will keep going up. But every once in a while, a miracle occurs and you have to be ready to grab it.

Happy Sailing everyone!

 

Congrats !!! Yours is a good example of the fact that some decend prices can still be found "sometimes", but one has to do a lot of looking and when they've found one they are happy with jump on it quickly before it disapears.

[FlorenceItaly]

 

So I guess my point is to get your tickets as soon as you can, when a price comes up you can live with. Know that prices will keep going up. But every once in a while, a miracle occurs and you have to be ready to grab it.

 

Happy Sailing everyone!

 

 

This is SO true.

 

 

 

Marie

[KAWS]

Here's another little tip that I recently learned.

 

If the airline has a "vacations" component to it, like say WestJet and Westjet Vacations, check out the price for the Vacations and price out flight + car. Then just don't use the car. Today my friend priced a flight from Winnipeg to Ottawa (Canada) return in November. Cheapest nonstop flight was $897 with the taxes included. I suggested this little tip to her and she did - $565 return with the taxes included!! That's a heck of a savings.

 

Thought I'd pass this one on.

[NCMtnBoys]

Yours is a good example of the fact that some decend prices can still be found "sometimes"...

 

Yep, they're still out there to be found - sometimes! Just last night I found a ticket for my Mom to come and visit us in the Fall, she'll fly from Sacramento to Raleigh/Durham and then return to Sacramento from Greensboro - all on Delta Air Lines - total price including all taxes and fees was $290. I think this is a great price nowadays considering all the turmoil over fuel prices and surcharges, etc. Essentially this is a coast-to-coast itinerary and I thought the days of those prices were gone for good.

 

Keep looking and looking - and when you thought you've looked enough, look more and look often. No one knows then the bargain fairy will visit!

 

Jon and Mark

[kenish]

Keep looking and looking - and when you thought you've looked enough, look more and look often. No one knows then the bargain fairy will visit!

 

Jon and Mark

 

The key is to recognize when the bargain fairy is visiting and realize she can disappear instantly. Congrats to the OP for getting a great fare, but while calling their TA the fare could have easily vanished. Fares can change literally from minute to minute!

[CC Help Michell]

I'm with the OP on this one. For several years now what constitutes a "good" fare or a "great" one have been pretty well documented. But the target is moving constantly now and who the heck knows?!

 

We have a cruise next April from Miami (we live in Atlanta) which means ATL-MIA/FLL is our routing. Right now, with sale prices (driven by AirTran) a good deal is just at $190 all in. By April, who knows? In theory it could be back at $120 (about the lowest I can recall in the last 15 years or so)... or it could be $300.

 

I found a fare today on Delta at $258 per person, all in, and after talking with my SO we've booked it. Yes, there's a possibility that it's $70 or so more per person than we MIGHT get if there's a sale for spring break next year. But we know there's also a possibility that the price won't ever go down, and instead could go up, and maybe a whole lot more than $70 per person, before next April.

 

The price we got isn't a budget breaker, SO needs a Delta flight next year to keep his FF miles active (oh yes, we are looking to use both of our FF balances asap as well, with all the changes and uncertainty in that arena, but I refuse to use FF miles on a puddle jump from Atl to Mia -- I'd sooner lose them entirely! ;) ), so we're booked, we know we're going (we also booked a great state employee discount rate last night on our hotel), and now I'm going to forget about it. What, me worry? :D

 

Airfare these days is indeed a roulette wheel. Congrats to the OP on a great price!

[pcur]

I'm with the OP on this one. For several years now what constitutes a "good" fare or a "great" one have been pretty well documented. But the target is moving constantly now and who the heck knows?!

 

We have a cruise next April from Miami (we live in Atlanta) which means ATL-MIA/FLL is our routing. Right now, with sale prices (driven by AirTran) a good deal is just at $190 all in. By April, who knows? In theory it could be back at $120 (about the lowest I can recall in the last 15 years or so)... or it could be $300.

 

I found a fare today on Delta at $258 per person, all in, and after talking with my SO we've booked it. Yes, there's a possibility that it's $70 or so more per person than we MIGHT get if there's a sale for spring break next year. But we know there's also a possibility that the price won't ever go down, and instead could go up, and maybe a whole lot more than $70 per person, before next April.

 

The price we got isn't a budget breaker, SO needs a Delta flight next year to keep his FF miles active (oh yes, we are looking to use both of our FF balances asap as well, with all the changes and uncertainty in that arena, but I refuse to use FF miles on a puddle jump from Atl to Mia -- I'd sooner lose them entirely! ;) ), so we're booked, we know we're going (we also booked a great state employee discount rate last night on our hotel), and now I'm going to forget about it. What, me worry? :D

 

Airfare these days is indeed a roulette wheel. Congrats to the OP on a great price!

 

I'm with you and the OP on this. Buy it if it looks decent, and then you can stop worrying about it. In your case $70 pp difference isn't going to break the bank, and I'm all for advance purchases.

 

I thought I was being a little anal and silly in late April getting antsy about my airfare to FLL in mid-September. My friend thought she had an extra SW freebie, but it didn't work out, so I just felt a sense of urgency to book it right then. Well, it cost $242 roundtrip LAX-FLL on American with no luggage fees! Just had to scratch that "book-it" itch. A few weeks later in May, the circus started.

 

My DH calls this my witchy-woman-ESP-travel-intuition-"thing". Creeps him out when I do this stuff.

[FlyerTalker]

SO needs a Delta flight next year to keep his FF miles active (oh yes, we are looking to use both of our FF balances asap as well, with all the changes and uncertainty in that arena, but I refuse to use FF miles on a puddle jump from Atl to Mia -- I'd sooner lose them entirely! ;) ), so we're booked, we know we're going (we also booked a great state employee discount rate last night on our hotel), and now I'm going to forget about it. What, me worry? :D

 

You do NOT need to fly to keep your DL FF account active. What is required is account activity, not necessarily flight activity.

 

Probably the easiest ways to keep a balance alive are the SkyMiles Dining program (eat a meal and charge it to get miles), hotel or rental cars (crediting to DL SkyMiles), or an online purchase through the DL website portal. Go to THIS WEBPAGE for more info on how to earn miles.

 

One important caveat....since partner activity takes some time to post to your account, do not get right up to the expiration date to get some activity...I would recommend at least 2 months beforehand to be on the safe side.