SLC to MIA/FLL?

What does everyone think is a good deal for SLC to MIA/FLL? The most I have paid is $400/per person landing in Florida around 4-6PM, but this year, I am seeing nothing that low and horrible flight times are up around $480. Did flights really go up that much in the last 2 years?

What does everyone think is a good deal for SLC to MIA/FLL? The most I have paid is $400/per person landing in Florida around 4-6PM, but this year, I am seeing nothing that low and horrible flight times are up around $480. Did flights really go up that much in the last 2 years?

What day are you flying?

Exact dates would be very helpful if we are to help get you some fares.

Sorry, but what you paid in the past really doesn't affect what you might pay for your next flight. Nor does what we think is "fair".

Are you flying the same time of year as in the past?

Are you flying the same days of the week as in the past?

Are you pricing flights the same distance out as you did in the past?

All of these things can make a difference. In the end, it boils down to supply and demand, and even if all of the above is exactly the same, the airlines may be seeing higher demand than they did then, and/or supply may have been reduced. To that end, at least one additional major airline merger has taken place since then (AA/US) and when that happens there is typically a reduction in flights, as the "new" joint airline eliminates overlap in flight schedules.

The OP is in a DL fortress hub, SLC. Options through other airlines are not that great unless you want to take the few other airline flights to their hub and go from there. AA: 4 flights/day that will get you to CLT or DFW - 1 is a red-eye, 1 has a 45 minute connection in DFW, the others have 3+ hour connection times. WN (aka the "flying cattle car"): there are 3 choices, but all have stops and all but 1 have change of planes, but even WN is more than $400 for SLC-FLL…

The STL market has been dumped on over the past several years. First, TWA had a major hub there, and there was a great variety of flights. Then AA bought out TWA and over the course of a couple of years, eliminated a lot of direct flights out of STL, making it a non hub. Now, go east, flights are often sent to ORD, CLT, or DFW. You can still get to LGA and Dulles. Next, USA was bought out and AA cuts/consolidates more flights! :eek: Frontier is slowly disappearing, and US just doesn't pay much attention to that market.

I have the option of either flying out of STL or BNA. I typically have better options out of Nashville but still use STL on occasion. Gone are the days of non-stop STL-HNL and other destinations! Your stuck in a market where AA pretty well does and charges what it wants now.

I did get the best ticket prices for my upcoming China trip by flying through STL, but it happens rarely these days, where STL is price competitive to BNA.

Did I miss something? OP is asking about SLC. Why the STL info?

Did I miss something? OP is asking about SLC. Why the STL info?

I thought I missed something as well. :confused:

Of course with consolidation LOTS of cites have been de-hubed. Cleveland, Pittsburgh,Cincy, Memphis all come to mind. And it wouldn't surprise me to see Phoenix and Philly follow suit in the next few years as well.

The OP is in a DL fortress hub, SLC. Options through other airlines are not that great unless you want to take the few other airline flights to their hub and go from there. AA: 4 flights/day that will get you to CLT or DFW - 1 is a red-eye, 1 has a 45 minute connection in DFW, the others have 3+ hour connection times. WN (aka the "flying cattle car"): there are 3 choices, but all have stops and all but 1 have change of planes, but even WN is more than $400 for SLC-FLL…

I've usually gone through AA because they are usually cheaper than Delta, same as here as well for my desired flight times. All flights including Delta, have 1 stop, whether it is regional to a hub or hub to hub makes no difference to me. I've found a cpl with shorter layovers, but I am taking my kids this trip and would need to stop and grab them something to eat during the layovers. My daughter has food allergies and packing food for her isn't very easy with security.

Still can't help you with specifics of airfares unless you give us some dates...

Still can't help you with specifics of airfares unless you give us some dates...

As I see from your post on the Florida Departures board, you have already selected the red eye flight. So we can stand down from trying to help you...

I haven't made a decision yet, but that is a choice we are thinking about. The dates I am looking for is Jan 13-22, 2017. Although I am debating about leaving late Jan 12 for the overnight flight, because it is quite a bit cheaper.

For SLC-MIA, I see the $366 for the redeye, but the return flight is more complicated. I don't really see any reasonable return flights, unless you spend the night and fly out at 7 or 9am the next day.

For SLC-FLL, I see a couple more choices, with better timing, under $400, but again the return is a little difficult. Plus you would have the shuttle to get to POM. That was just a quick look on my part.

Overall, I don't see around $400 as a bad price these days.

The flights I am seeing have me flying into Miami on the red eye and out of Fort Lauderdale at 2:30 ish for $411.

The flights I am seeing have me flying into Miami on the red eye and out of Fort Lauderdale at 2:30 ish for $411.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

The flights I am seeing have me flying into Miami on the red eye and out of Fort Lauderdale at 2:30 ish for $411.

Consider this though: Redeye flights from SLC are only going to be a few hours long. You and your kids will need to stay up til around midnight then board a flight. Best case scenario: The kids go right to sleep and sleep the whole flight, but will only have had a few hours sleep before a very early am arrival and will probably be cranky all day. Worst case scenario: They don't sleep well and are even crankier the next day. You said you were seeing $480 previously, presumably for a non-redeye flight. Just my .02 but if it was me, I'd consider the additional $ well worth it not to put my kids on a short redeye flight. YMMV

I know my kids and my wife won't have any issues sleeping on the flights. I, on the other hand cannot sleep on planes. I am looking into renting a room for an extra day, but then that will eat up the cost saved. So I might end up getting the more expensive flights. Not in a big hurry though, I can afford to wait a bit.

I know my kids and my wife won't have any issues sleeping on the flights.

My point wasn't so much "will they sleep" but rather, consider how little sleep they will actually get given the late departure time, early arrival time, and relatively short flight time of most transcontinental red eye flights. It can sound great to say "oh, we'll book the overnight flight and sleep" but if that flight departs at midnight and lands 4.5 hours later, you really don't have much opportunity to get a good night's sleep. ;)

Again, just something to consider.

My point wasn't so much "will they sleep" but rather, consider how little sleep they will actually get given the late departure time, early arrival time, and relatively short flight time of most transcontinental red eye flights. It can sound great to say "oh, we'll book the overnight flight and sleep" but if that flight departs at midnight and lands 4.5 hours later, you really don't have much opportunity to get a good night's sleep. ;)

 

Again, just something to consider.

I've got this nasty dance to do this week. 12:55am flight SLC-ATL, sit in ATL for 3 hours, then ATL-SJU. Oh joy. I had a choice - either do this and have the whole day at my hotel (sleeping on the comfy lounge chair in the cabana) or spend the day taking flights and getting in at 9:30pm or so, getting to my resort around 11:30pm. The price wasn't much different.

MIA and FLL are special creatures because of the huge number of passengers coming and going mostly for the cruises where 8 or 9 monster ships are in each port Sat. and Sun. Can not schedule return much before 11 AM if disembarking -- too many choice ways to miss your flight and no chance of getting a later flight. It is supply and demand. You and half the world seem to want a seat to South Florida for cruises or just for weekend start of vacation. A FACT!

My grandkids live about 4 miles from FLL -- so this MeMe has to stay a week to get a decent fare (mostly around $100 each way WN or Jet Blue) and that is most often the Tues, Weds or Thursday 11:00 AM flight out of Baltimore TO FLL and return the late morning flight on Weds or Thurs. BACK. I call them the granny runs. My last in Feb. I saw 18 wheelchair folks waiting to board my flight! AHHHHH. It does not matter where you are flying from in Jan/Feb. if you are coming to Florida. Tourism is up by huge amounts and most folks fly in. Top season (mid Dec to mid April) about $450 each way is norm now and occasionally can get to $150 mid week or bad timings. Also they almost always overbook -- don't give up your seat for much less than $500! That's what I usually hear it going for.

I was able to book flights getting me to Miami just after 6PM, and leaving Miami at 12:30 PM, for $417/pp. Could have gone a little cheaper but the savings would have mostly gotten eaten up by Transportation from Fort Lauderdale to the port. My hotel in Miami has free shuttle from hotel to port.