New Years cruise -when would you book air

[Casey12]

Going on our first New Years cruise out of Fort Lauderdale -- when should I book air? Live in upper midwest. Thank you. Air is around $350 now

[sue d. miller]

Airfare is brutal. When you see a price you can live with, book it. If you have Jet Blue near you, they have decent pricing.

Sue
7 days on Star Princess 10/24

[cruisingfreak]

We're doing the Island, Hawaiian 15 day cruise r/t from LA., x-mas & new yrs. We started looking in March & that's when we booked.

I also agree with Sue, when you see a price that looks good to you, book.

Minette

Caribbean Princess......7/24/2004

Island Princess.......12/20/2004

[srphnx]

Remember to keep checking prices with YOUR carrier even once booked they will refund if it drops, but they won't match another carrier.

So we book early, unless horribly high and check in a couple of times a week there after.

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[cruisingfreak]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by srphnx:
Remember to keep checking prices with YOUR carrier even once booked they will refund if it drops, but they won't match another carrier.

So we book early, unless horribly high and check in a couple of times a week there after.



That's great to know. I'm going to start checking prices, a few times a wk.


Minette

[srphnx]

Spread the word, I am happy to save anyone especially me money that can be used to cruise more often. We are sailing 4 times this year on what some pay for one or one and a half cruises.

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[azsunshine]

I have never ever heard of an airline matching a fare after you have booked it previously and paid for it. To the best of my knowledge, if you book it, that is what you pay regardless of any sales that come along.

Which airline are you referring to?

Carol and John
Caribbean Princess May 22, 2004

NORDIC PRINCE 2/1994
RYNDAM 1/97
ENCHANTMENT 1/98
VEENDAM 6/98
SEA PRINCESS 3/99
RHAPSODY 1/2000
GRAND PRINCESS 11/00
VOYAGER 11/00
LEGEND 3/02

Future:
CARIBBEAN PRINCESS 5/04
STAR PRINCESS 11/04

[sunnyv]

Northwest Airlines will allow you to take advantage of a price reduction for a $25 service fee. So if the prices drops more than the $25, they will give each passenger vouchers for the difference.

We are flying out of Minneapolis on Dec 25th(Saturday) for the 12/26-1/2 Caribbean Princess New Years cruise. Knowing that January 2nd was a Sunday and probably a day many travelers would want to go home. We booked our flights as soon as NWA released them for sale. We booked nonstops, with times we liked. I too, watch the prices as least 3 times a week, but my same flights are now $457 MORE than I booked them for.

I would book flights sooner than later. Find a price and a schedule you can live with and Book It!

Vicki

12/26/04 Caribbean Princess to Eastern Caribbean
Princess Star 8/03 Alaska
Princess Coral 3/03 Panama
Disney's Wonder 12/01 Bahama's
RCC Majesty of the Seas 11/99 Southern Caribbean

[Crowsie]

Book now.
We're going to Hawaii over Christmas..I booked the flights the day the airfare became available in January and the lowest priced seats were already gone....
There are no bargains over the holidays.

Sky Princess 01/1999 Australia and New Zealand
Sky Princess 03/2000 China
Royal Princess 02/2002 South America
Golden Princess 05/2003 Med
Sapphire Princess 03/2005 Sydney to Bangkok


March 2005 - Sydney to Bangkok on the Sapphire
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=191970&cdt=2005;3;7;20;00;00&timezone=GMT+1030

[srphnx]

QUOTE]Originally posted by azsunshine:
I have never ever heard of an airline matching a fare after you have booked it previously and paid for it. To the best of my knowledge, if you book it, that is what you pay regardless of any sales that come along.

Which airline are you referring to?

Northwest and America West have both issued credit vouchers for cost reductions, not having heard of it is not a surprise, why would they go out of their way to advertise this?[

Carol and John
Caribbean Princess May 22, 2004

NORDIC PRINCE 2/1994
RYNDAM 1/97
ENCHANTMENT 1/98
VEENDAM 6/98
SEA PRINCESS 3/99
RHAPSODY 1/2000
GRAND PRINCESS 11/00
VOYAGER 11/00
LEGEND 3/02

Future:
CARIBBEAN PRINCESS 5/04
STAR PRINCESS 11/04

[/QUOTE]

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[Tania]

If you plan on flying out of DTW, try www.spiritair.com (http://www.spiritair.com). They usually have an escalating structure so the sooner the better.

Diamond Princess 03/04
Sun Princess 12/03
Grand Princess 12/02
Royal Princess 08/02
Ocean Princess 08/01
Pacific Princess 12/00
Carla C. 03/83

[BluIDblonde]

I booked my air with Jet Blue the day the flights became available 2 weeks ago to go to Puerto Rico fron NYC. The price was somewhat high, but that's such a "hot" week. The desirable flight times sold out in a matter of a few hours!

[usavvy2]

Delta also gives credit vouchers (good for a year from original ticket purchase date). New Years is PRIME TIME for flying into FLL. We flew in on 12/27 for a New Years cruise and there were SO MANY FLIGHTS scheduled to land in FLL taht our flight was delayed about an hour to allow the air traffic to subside. That being said, book YESTERDAY! I monitored prices (and regretted it as prices jumped more than $100pp in one day and never retreated from that point on). BOOK NOW b'c the lowest price seats go first. the likelihood of them having a reduction in price for a holiday window is slim as they make their money when they can! (Ditto hotel rooms.)

not taking vacations but collecting experiences - usavvy2

Royal Princess 9/04/04 - "Europe or Bust!"&nbsp;http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=008080&cdt=2004;09;04;22;00;00&timezone=GMT-1000

[jhannah]

It's always a crap shoot. I bought tickets for my whole family last June on Hawaiian Airlines. (We fly out in the morning!) When I booked, the Super Saver option was dimmed. I figured those fares were already gone, so I purchased the tix. Well, within days the Super Saver option was available. Even now, tickets are WAY cheaper than what I paid ... but Hawaiian Airlines refuses to budge one bit. I know. I agreed to the purchase. But the impression their website gave was that the cheaper fares were all gone. Oh well. Live and learn.

'Vegas Jim

[usavvy2]

any other time of the year, I'd say it's a crap shoot too, but for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years, the longer you wait, the greater the risk that you'll pay more $$ for your airfare.

not taking vacations but collecting experiences - usavvy2

Royal Princess 9/04/04 - "Europe or Bust!"&nbsp;http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=008080&cdt=2004;09;04;22;00;00&timezone=GMT-1000