Spring Break flight prices

Our cruise is the second week of April. We've never cruised during Spring Break before. The current air fare is a real eye-opener. :eek: We've got our flight to FLL booked. Flight departs on April 7. Booked it a few weeks ago when prices were lower. However, the return flights out of both FLL and MIA on April 16 are really high. And prices are essentially the same on the 17th. Can anyone that's flown before during this time period tell me, is there a certain time period before April when prices go down? Maybe after the holidays?

Check MCO for a flight home. We did this after Thanksgiving when prices are sky high. It saved us several hundred dollars to rent a car and drive to Orlando to fly home.

 

 

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Check MCO for a flight home. We did this after Thanksgiving when prices are sky high. It saved us several hundred dollars to rent a car and drive to Orlando to fly home.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks for that tip. Don't know why I didn't think of Orlando.

Can anyone that's flown before during this time period tell me, is there a certain time period before April when prices go down? Maybe after the holidays?

 

Why would prices go down? There's plenty of demand at the price point you're seeing.

 

Anyone who claims to know when prices will drop is pure speculation based on past performance which is obviously no guarantee of future results.

 

I don't travel for spring break but my experience of flying on high traffic times (Sunday after New Year, Thanksgiving weekend, the British Expat Xmas exodus to the UK from NY) is that prices are higher for economy and will not go down. You may find that you get more value and benefit from looking at premium cabin travel, if you have no frequent flyer status/credit card benefits for free checked bag allowance (if you need it) can offset the difference.

Why would prices go down? There's plenty of demand at the price point you're seeing.

 

Anyone who claims to know when prices will drop is pure speculation based on past performance which is obviously no guarantee of future results.

 

I don't travel for spring break but my experience of flying on high traffic times (Sunday after New Year, Thanksgiving weekend, the British Expat Xmas exodus to the UK from NY) is that prices are higher for economy and will not go down. You may find that you get more value and benefit from looking at premium cabin travel, if you have no frequent flyer status/credit card benefits for free checked bag allowance (if you need it) can offset the difference.

 

Totally agree. Hoping prices will go down for a peak period is really wishful thinking. The cheapest fares for Spring Break were sold months ago.

What dates are considered "spring break"? What to what?

What dates are considered "spring break"? What to what?

 

Depending where you are in the country, from the beginning of March until the week after Easter. Also, in the northeast US many schools have off the week of Presidents' Day.

Totally agree. Hoping prices will go down for a peak period is really wishful thinking. The cheapest fares for Spring Break were sold months ago.

And given that "Spring Break" is variable from area to area, you can't even say when things will be worst overall. It's not like Thanksgiving or Christmas when it's the same day for the country. Reports come in on "Spring Break" anywhere from February through April, depending on the area. Also on schools vs colleges.

 

Two simple rules:

 

1) Remember the law of supply and demand, and know that supply is virtually fixed.

2) Hope is not a strategy.

Also...April 16 is Easter, prices are going to be sky high. Literally.

Also...April 16 is Easter, prices are going to be sky high. Literally.

 

We didn't specifically choose the cruise dates. This will be a reunion cruise with a large roll call group we met and made friends with on a previous cruise. Knowing it would be during Spring Break, I wasn't real thrilled about the choice of sailing date. But, it is on Carnival's new ship the Vista, and we'll be meeting up with some good friends, so I know we'll have a good time. In the meantime, I'll keep a close watch on the air fare, and when I see a price that's not approaching the National Debt, I'll book it. I just want to get a couple of seats, at a reasonable price, on an airplane. I don't want to have to buy the airplane.

Not sure what you consider "sky high" prices...

 

A quick look on AA.com and Google Flights right now shows flights with pricing in the $319-$388 range per person from airports in the vicinity (FLL, MIA, PBI) to CMH.

 

that seems pretty good to me for coming home at the end of a Holiday time. What price are you expecting?

And if you fly back on the 17th, which in your OP you seem willing to do, you can get a flight for $177.

Not sure what you consider "sky high" prices...

 

A quick look on AA.com and Google Flights right now shows flights with pricing in the $319-$388 range per person from airports in the vicinity (FLL, MIA, PBI) to CMH.

 

that seems pretty good to me for coming home at the end of a Holiday time. What price are you expecting?

 

Under $200.00 per person preferably.

 

And if you fly back on the 17th, which in your OP you seem willing to do, you can get a flight for $177.

 

I've checked Southwest (out of FLL), and Delta and American out of Miami, and the prices on the 17th are pretty much the same as they are on the 16th.

 

A flight for $177.00? Which airline, and what time?

Edited November 10, 2016 by beachbum53

Under $200.00 per person preferably.

 

 

 

I've checked Southwest (out of FLL), and Delta and American out of Miami, and the prices on the 17th are pretty much the same as they are on the 16th.

 

A flight for $177.00? Which airline, and what time?

 

Delta out of FLL - leaving at 6:45 pm, arriving in CMH at 11:30 pm. Yeah, it's late, but I really don't think you'll see much downward movement in prices on these flights - high prices are usually an indication of high demand, thus no reason for airlines to cut prices.

Under $200.00 per person preferably.

 

 

 

I've checked Southwest (out of FLL), and Delta and American out of Miami, and the prices on the 17th are pretty much the same as they are on the 16th.

 

A flight for $177.00? Which airline, and what time?

 

Right now AA out of MIA @ 5 pm and DL out of FLL @ 7 pm.

when I see a price that's not approaching the National Debt, I'll book it. I just want to get a couple of seats, at a reasonable price, on an airplane. I don't want to have to buy the airplane.

 

Under $200.00 per person preferably.

 

Under $200? To me that goes way beyond reasonable to unrealistically low for a peak holiday time period. Given your travel dates, I'd be thrilled to find tickets in the $300's like someone posted.

Delta out of FLL - leaving at 6:45 pm, arriving in CMH at 11:30 pm. Yeah, it's late, but I really don't think you'll see much downward movement in prices on these flights - high prices are usually an indication of high demand, thus no reason for airlines to cut prices.

 

Right now AA out of MIA @ 5 pm and DL out of FLL @ 7 pm.

 

Thank-you to both of you for posting that information. Sitting in the airport for 7 hours (or more) isn't exactly how I wanted to end our vacation, but, if that's our only option to save on air fare, we may have to consider it.

April 16 is Easter! This is generally a very busy weekend and when combined with Spring Break...fares are generally going to by sky high (pun intended).

 

Hank

We want an unrealistic price.

 

We want to fly at prime times on our preferred day.

 

We are flying at a time of high demand.

 

We didn't buy our return tickets earlier, like we did the outbound.

 

Can't see any reason why you shouldn't find tickets for around $99 round-trip. Just check Unicorn Airlines for their special fares.

Thank-you to both of you for posting that information. Sitting in the airport for 7 hours (or more) isn't exactly how I wanted to end our vacation, but, if that's our only option to save on air fare, we may have to consider it.

 

There's absolutely no reason to sit at an airport for 7+ hours.

 

Rent a car. Tour around, go to the beach, go shopping. Then return a couple of hours before your flight.

 

Having a rental car will also give you a greater number of hotels you can stay at, not needing to be near the port/airport or have a shuttle available. Can stay at a less expensive hotel, thus saving money on that extra night.

 

Even if you do just stay at a hotel without a car, you can often extend your check-out time to 2 pm, or at least have the hotel hold your bags.

 

Lots of options, you just need to think out of the box and look at all possibilities.

Not sure what you consider "sky high" prices...

 

A quick look on AA.com and Google Flights right now shows flights with pricing in the $319-$388 range per person from airports in the vicinity (FLL, MIA, PBI) to CMH.

 

that seems pretty good to me for coming home at the end of a Holiday time. What price are you expecting?

 

That's not bad at all for that time of year! I'd be happy paying that :)