Flight Costs and options

[narsibvl]

Originally Posted by ddloml

Our recent cruise ended in Vancouver. One way flights from Vancouver were outrageous - close to $500 pp. We took the Amtrak Cascades train to Seattle for about $40 pp and then got a non-stop one-way flight home from Seattle for $208 pp - with no baggage fees!

That is exactly what I am leaning towards too, right about now.. only catch is Southwest doesn't have flights for June 2013 released yet.

My bigger problem though is getting to Fairbanks from Denver...costing me an arm and a leg...

[AkSusan]

Originally Posted by narsibvl

If you are choosing southwest only for bags, then you pay that in any case on your onward journey, from seattle to anchorage. You do save your baggage cost back home though, I agree.

Have you checked car rentals from Seattle to anchorage ? Any idea how much that runs upto ? Would like to get an idea.

You'd be looking at least a 3 day trip to get from Seattle to Anchorage up the Alcan. And the 3 days is probably pushing it with long driving days.

Susan in Anchorage

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I found I got better prices by using the Multi-city function on the airline sites. We got a United flight (through Denver) to Richmond, Virginia for $725 each (roundtrip) for August of this year.

[sue402001]

Originally Posted by Cattravel10

Well I am soooo mad too! Less than a week ago airfare was $298.00 from Phoenix to Anchorage for next June 16 on Alaska air. Looked today and went up to $432. Will keep checking back for any price reductions. Granted it is not a huge increase but still, grrrr!

I had that same situation recently. We are flying from Grand Rapids to Anchorage next August. When the fares first came out it was at $365 one way, then went up to $372. The day we got online to buy it, it was at $412 so we got it. For the heck of it we checked on it yesterday and the flight we got is now $565!

Now come the hard part of finding a flight out of Vancouver to head back home.

[Gardyloo]

Just my opinion (as a pretty frequent flyer, including to/from Alaska) but I think that looking at ticket prices for August 2013 in September 2012 is not an especially good idea.

That far out, the airlines don't know what their own costs are going to be - fuel prices, new labor contracts, etc. - so they tend to "hedge" by setting prices high, so that if their costs go up in the meantime their back ends are covered. So you pay an "uncertainty" penalty, and of course you give the airlines the use of your money for almost a year.

Closer to flight date (e.g. by, say, April 2013) the airlines have a much better idea of their costs, of who they're competing with on any given route, and on how the economy is doing, so they're better able to forecast demand on a given flight/route/date, and can adjust prices accordingly. Airline ticket prices change all the time, and not just in one direction.

I know it's uncomfortable for many cruise passengers who like everything planned out and settled far in advance, but waiting a little while to book your airfare really doesn't have that big a downside.

For travel next summer, you have plenty of time to poke around and look not just for the best airfares, but also to get familiar with websites and resources that can help you find them. For example, go to http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ and learn how to use the "multi-city" option. It will show you numerous alternatives, which you can then use to purchase your ticket directly from the airline or from an online agency like Expedia or Orbitz. Substitute Seattle for Vancouver on the return, for example, and you can see the difference badda-bing.

The idea is, when you do purchase your ticket, you'll have done your homework and given it your best shot, which is really all you can do.

[TwoSue]

Originally Posted by ddloml

Our recent cruise ended in Vancouver. One way flights from Vancouver were outrageous - close to $500 pp. We took the Amtrak Cascades train to Seattle for about $40 pp and then got a non-stop one-way flight home from Seattle for $208 pp - with no baggage fees!

We did the same thing. Flights from Vancouver to LAX were $350/pp. Flights from Seattle to LAX were $110/pp. We spent the day in Vancouver, took the train for $100 for the four of us (AAA discount), spent the night, explored Seattle the next day and were still way ahead on money! And to top it all off, the train ride was one of the most beautiful trips I've ever been on. I highly recommend it!!

[narsibvl]

Thanks guys

Bagged Denver to Fairbanks on June 15th for 249 pp on United. Couldn't think of a better deal.

[LuckyStar]

We are doing the exact same itinerary as you, except opposite in 7/13. Denver to Vancouver then Fairbanks to Denver. I am looking at the one way fares and have been tracking them for a while. I have found that Alaska Air is the most flexible and the prices, I think, are terrific, considering it cost us almost the same for airfare to go to Orlando.

Jenny

[ntvsdgrl]

Yesterday when I went through Princess I got a multi-city rate of $929 and Alaska Air was $1,014. This morning I was checking through Kayak.com and Alaska Air went down to $695. I'm not sure if this is a good price or not. Should I book now or wait?

[jigger]

Just booked 2 round trip seats to Seattle for August 2013. From believe it or not Harrisburg, PA - Cincinnati - Seattle for $ 403 pp flying Delta !

[crazycruiserdc]

TwoSue,

How did you get around Vancouver and what did you do with your luggage? I see the train leaves late in the day for Seattle. I'm looking into this option for our Alaska trip next July and want to fly out of Seattle rather than Vancouver. Just wasn't sure how to kill time after leaving the boat until the train leaves.

[PennyAgain]

All the airlines and search companies such as Kayak put cookies on your computer. Most of the time the fares go up with each search.

We look on one computer and book on another to avoid this problem.

You can sometimes save money booking Southwest into Seattle and then changing airlines to fly into Alaska, but if your Southwest flight is delayed, Southwest will not help you rebook your onward tickets. Also the baggage is not interlined between Southwest and other airlines so you will need the time to claim your baggage, recheck it at your continuing airline and go through the TSA again to get to your next flight.

[cruisin'mama]

We are planning to take the Amtrak Cascades train on the evening after we disembark also. We plan to take a taxi to the train station, check our bags for the day, then take the HOHO bus to see the sights of Vancouver. Then we need to be back to the train station about an hour before the train leaves to go thru customs/immigration.

We got a great price of $387pp total, inc all taxes and fees, for LAX-ANC and SEA-LAX. And I was able to use Guest Gold Upgrades for 1st Class upgrades on the longer flight to Anchorage.

I purchased the first leg to Anchorage and kept watching the prices. Then went I saw a price drop of about $75pp, I called AlaskaAir and got the price difference applied in "codes" which I then used to buy the return flight tickets, and they were on sale at the time that I bought them too. I had budgeted $500pp for the flights, hoping that I could stay within that budget, and I am very happy that I was able to only spend $387pp! More $$$ to spend in Alaska!

[Budget Queen]

Originally Posted by MAHA

We are looking at airfare from Baltimore to Anchorage and then from Vancouver into Baltimore for our cruise next summer. I priced it our when I booked the cruise in April of 2012 for June of 2012 and it seemed that what I am proposing to do might be less costly. I am thinking about flying Southwest into and out of Seattle and fly Alaska air into Anchorage. We will rent a car and drive back to Seattle if that is less costly than flying. We will already be renting a car in Anchorage for our week land trip prior to the cruise for Denali and Seward. Have to wait for airfares to see what will be best for this trip. Southwest does not have baggage fees and for 2 people for a 15 day trip, the baggage will be 4 pieces plus 2 carryons. We'd only have to pay for baggage to Anchorage from Seattle. We are doing Denali and the Kenai Fjords on our own for a week prior to the cruise out of Seward.

If an option, doing laundry is a major room saver. I never take more than one bag, and do just fine. (also go for twice as long as you do) Zoot soap is a wonderful product for hand washing in the sink and some cruiselines have self laundries on board. I have done laundry easily in Skagway since, many times it is a long port day. Some cruiselines have "bag" days that are very reasonable in costs. Just a bulk saving consideration to think about.

[Ashland]

Originally Posted by PennyAgain

All the airlines and search companies such as Kayak put cookies on your computer. Most of the time the fares go up with each search.

We look on one computer and book on another to avoid this problem.

You can sometimes save money booking Southwest into Seattle and then changing airlines to fly into Alaska, but if your Southwest flight is delayed, Southwest will not help you rebook your onward tickets. Also the baggage is not interlined between Southwest and other airlines so you will need the time to claim your baggage, recheck it at your continuing airline and go through the TSA again to get to your next flight.

Clear your "cookies" after each search and you won't have this problem

[alaska_planner]

my daughter and her husband were on the radiance this past summer..
they flew into fairbanks at the start and after the cruise, they took a train from vancouver to seattle and then alaska air from seattle.

[alaska_planner]

i should have noted that they flew Delta into Fairbanks and then Alaska Air out of Seattle.

The Alaska Air flight was incredibly cheap, but they bought the tickets really far in advance when the rate was rock bottom.

[vermonter16]

Keep checking for the airfare and don't give up. We are flying from IAD (Dulles, Washington DC) to ANC (Anchorage) and then from YVR (Vancouver) back to IAD. My husband checked for 6 months and was kicking himself for not booking it when it was around $660pp roundtrip....I was kicking him too. And then it kept going up and up and up and I told him to just be patient. The minute someone books....the airfare generally changes a little...or a lot... Check every day! Two weeks ago on a Friday afternoon I was sitting down and thought - let me look up the airfare as my husband was thinking about booking it from Seattle on the way back since from Vancouver roundtrip was running $820pp and Seattle was $670. BAM, airfare was down to $569 pp anchorage going out and Vancouver coming back. I hopped on it. I kept checking the seats on the plane and someone else hopped on it and the airfare went up to $809. Three days after that - back at $820. Airfare does this a lot....just try and be patient, know what you want to pay and also research what is reasonable. I was aiming for the $600s because I knew that $500s would be slim pickins if any pickins at all. Don't let it ruin your day.

[Radioguyaz]

Originally Posted by Ashland

Thanks all...I'm feeling better about my LAX-YVR & ANC-LAX in May for $418pp on DL

You have my PHX-YVR, ANC-PHX fare beat by about 65 pp.

[mapleleaves]

Originally Posted by crazycruiserdc

TwoSue,

How did you get around Vancouver and what did you do with your luggage? I see the train leaves late in the day for Seattle. I'm looking into this option for our Alaska trip next July and want to fly out of Seattle rather than Vancouver. Just wasn't sure how to kill time after leaving the boat until the train leaves.

there is luggage storage at Canada Place.
You'll be very close to Stanley Park .. easy to spend the entire day there, walking or riding rental bikes along the seawall, rose gardens, totem poles, fabulous aquarium. Look at reply #5 from BCHappy Girl for a long list of things to do: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1238430