Flight prices - is it just me?

What is going on with air prices?

For years we've flown out of Portland or Bangor Maine to Mia or FLL. We typically pay around $275-$375 for February time frame and $200-$300 for the fall. Looking this year I see the prices are ridiculous for February. I'm getting prices well above $600. Its getting to the point where the prices from our Canadian airport are actually competitive and boy, that's going some to say that. So is everyone seeing these prices?

Thankfully I have enough Delta Skymiles to book my tickets for free for next year so I'll be forced to redeem some miles for that but I'm shocked at the prices. Hopefully is just the demand this year because I'll be out of miles come 2016. Us Canadians depend on you guys down south to offer cheap flights - what's going on?

It's not just you, we are seeing much higher airfare too. Haven't seen any $79 fares to Florida for a while.

February could be presidents week and it is a big vacation week...which means high airfare..

sent from my ellipsis..

Prices are terrible flying out of Minnesota in January too. The cheapest ones I've seen are still almost $600. Another person on here is flying to San Juan from Denmark and their flight was about that price :eek: Two years ago our flights to Miami were only about $300...

I too noticed the sky high prices for flights! The prices for my March 2015 flights from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale range are quite high $600+. :eek:

I blame it partly on all the airline mergers and it's going to get worse with the AA - US merger. There is just way less competition these days to keep the prices down.

Don't give up yet. I have found when looking for prices from Bangor that they are usually high when the date is FAR away, then seems to drop about 3-4 months out, then starts to elevate. We held out last year and got a Delta flight from Bangor to Santa Ana (in Cali) for $345.00 each return. I booked it in August and we went in November.

Take consolation that unless things have changed, flying from Saint John is cheaper than Fredericton even if you have to go Air Canada.

We have also found the flight prices to be about double what we paid last year. Even Southwest seems to be higher than last year. Hopefully prices will come down a little. Right now we are waiting for the Southwest spring schedule to come out for our flights to San Juan. Hopefully the prices aren't too much more than last year.

Our flights from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale next April are over $600 too. If they don't come down, we'll be driving :(

Don't give up yet. I have found when looking for prices from Bangor that they are usually high when the date is FAR away, then seems to drop about 3-4 months out, then starts to elevate. We held out last year and got a Delta flight from Bangor to Santa Ana (in Cali) for $345.00 each return. I booked it in August and we went in November.

 

Take consolation that unless things have changed, flying from Saint John is cheaper than Fredericton even if you have to go Air Canada.

Yep, airfare will drop as the dates get nearer, the sweet spot is usually about 6 to 8 weeks out from your travel date.

Yep, airfare will drop as the dates get nearer, the sweet spot is usually about 6 to 8 weeks out from your travel date.

I have always heard and observed this to be true - the airlines don't start actively managing flight pricing until 3-4 months out at which point you will see changes begin to happen (up or down). But in checking prices on flights 8-16 weeks from now for a route we will be taking next year, the prices are the exactly the same and about $200pp higher than they were just a week or 10 days ago. It's puzzling.

Yep, airfare will drop as the dates get nearer, the sweet spot is usually about 6 to 8 weeks out from your travel date.

I agree with everything on this thread so far. I normally book trips and flights around 6-12 weeks out. I currently have 2 cruises next year (very rare for me) and looking at March 2015 flight prices are absolutely CRAZY. So I checked flight for June and July 2014... "last minute" quite pricey. Sept - December down to the range I'm used to. Jan 2015 on stupid crazy again.

My best results overall is to book cruise and flights within 0-3 weeks after final payment date... normally best combo of flight connections/prices plus cruisefare.

What is going on with air prices?

 

For years we've flown out of Portland or Bangor Maine to Mia or FLL. We typically pay around $275-$375 for February time frame and $200-$300 for the fall. Looking this year I see the prices are ridiculous for February. I'm getting prices well above $600. Its getting to the point where the prices from our Canadian airport are actually competitive and boy, that's going some to say that. So is everyone seeing these prices?

 

Thankfully I have enough Delta Skymiles to book my tickets for free for next year so I'll be forced to redeem some miles for that but I'm shocked at the prices. Hopefully is just the demand this year because I'll be out of miles come 2016. Us Canadians depend on you guys down south to offer cheap flights - what's going on?

agree Canadian air prices are high but I don't live near the border so am stuck with Edmonton to Fort L.!! Within Canada is even worse - now costs me more to fly to Toronto than to Honolulu! Go figure.

What is going on with air prices?

 

For years we've flown out of Portland or Bangor Maine to Mia or FLL. We typically pay around $275-$375 for February time frame and $200-$300 for the fall. Looking this year I see the prices are ridiculous for February. I'm getting prices well above $600. Its getting to the point where the prices from our Canadian airport are actually competitive and boy, that's going some to say that. So is everyone seeing these prices?

 

Thankfully I have enough Delta Skymiles to book my tickets for free for next year so I'll be forced to redeem some miles for that but I'm shocked at the prices. Hopefully is just the demand this year because I'll be out of miles come 2016. Us Canadians depend on you guys down south to offer cheap flights - what's going on?

My wife and I like you drive and fly out of portland maine, we flew delta and paid 700$ for both. This was in May a month ago and we booked back in September 2013

I was able to book January and February on Spirit air from Minneapolis to Fort Myers for $68.00 one way then I bought the big front seats for $60.00

only two seats in row instead of 3 with more leg room these are direct flights we will rent a car and drive to fort Lauderdale We are lucky we have a place to stay in Fort Myers. then when we get off ship we will go back to fort Myers stay for 4 days then back home. Two week vacation instead of 1 and total about the same cost and less hassle with Fort Lauderdale busy airport.

We frequently take the repositioning cruise from Boston to Tampa each Fall and have found that within hours of the books opening for Jet Blue flights back to Boston on the day the ship arrives in Tampa, airfares can increase by hundreds of dollars due to the demand. Airlines use some sort of algorithm that automatically adjusts flight prices as bookings increase

Wait til about 2 months before your trip, max, before you book (unless its international, in which case, it really doesn't matter THAT much) and book on a Wednesday afternoon after 5pm ET.

Airlines jack up the prices early because they know business fliers are going to be the ones booking that far in advance, most likely (also why its such a premium to book the week of a flight). I took multiple trips last year, and for each one, I would see fluctuations of upwards of $100 round trip for simply looking on a Monday afternoon, as opposed to the weekend. The prices would always fall come Wednesday.

as long as people pay it they will only go higher.

My beef is flying to aruba

we started a few years ago and it was only like 450.

today its close to 800. from PHL flight is almost sold out too- so goes to show people will pay anything to get them to their destination

but if i take the train to bwi that same flight is under 400.

Flight from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale for two in October $1,460.00. Ridiculous!! Yes, hoping.prices come down.

Last year, I paid about $500 direct flight from Ottawa to and from Orlando (the week before the US Thanksgiving), this year for the same time I'm paying about $650 (direct flight going down, one stop coming back as the direct flight coming back was too late for our time schedule and it would have saved as $50 pp). And this is WestJet.

I did research, and even the US flights can't compare as WestJet has one free check in bag pp and all other airlines do not have that luxury!

I guess its just cheaper to fly out of the NY/BOS area. Not sure of your dates, but Spirit has a two way direct flight from Boston for $228 in Feb of 2015. And JFK its about $100/pp more.

What is going on with air prices?

 

For years we've flown out of Portland or Bangor Maine to Mia or FLL. We typically pay around $275-$375 for February time frame and $200-$300 for the fall. Looking this year I see the prices are ridiculous for February. I'm getting prices well above $600. Its getting to the point where the prices from our Canadian airport are actually competitive and boy, that's going some to say that. So is everyone seeing these prices?

 

Thankfully I have enough Delta Skymiles to book my tickets for free for next year so I'll be forced to redeem some miles for that but I'm shocked at the prices. Hopefully is just the demand this year because I'll be out of miles come 2016. Us Canadians depend on you guys down south to offer cheap flights - what's going on?

Ever use Southwest?

Sign up for their card and get 50000 points. Usually good for at least 2 roundtrips for the cost of the yearly fee

Ever use Southwest?

Sign up for their card and get 50000 points. Usually good for at least 2 roundtrips for the cost of the yearly fee

Southwest just started flying out of Portland Maine this year so that may be an option for us in the future. We currently have a Delta Skymiles CC which is pretty good to be honest.

So you guys are saying that for my Thanksgiving 2015 cruise I should wait until August/September 2015 to book airline tickets?

I'm booked through an online travel agent. Can I still use Choice Air? If I book through Choice Air I can make payments on the airfare just like cruise, no?

So you guys are saying that for my Thanksgiving 2015 cruise I should wait until August/September 2015 to book airline tickets?

 

I'm booked through an online travel agent. Can I still use Choice Air? If I book through Choice Air I can make payments on the airfare just like cruise, no?

You can use Choice Air even if you use a travel agent. However, all air purchased on Choice Air must be paid in full when you book the air. Choice Air no longer allows deferring air payment until final payment date for the cruise.