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Seems Expensive - 2 People DEN - FLL Jan '18 RT Southwest $971


mnocket
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Why would prices increase due to Irma?

Did you check pricing on other airlines? You've been able to book these flights on legacy carriers since last February. Wonder what the prices were with them?

Yeah, probably has nothing to do with Irma (edited my post)

We like to fly non-stop because we can leave mid-morning and still get there in time for a nice dinner out. This limits us to only a few airlines. I've read numerous times that for domestic travel it's best to start looking 3-4 months before departure. That's why I started looking now - might have been a mistake.

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We like to fly non-stop because we can leave mid-morning and still get there in time for a nice dinner out. This limits us to only a few airlines.

 

In economic terms, in addition to transportation to SoFla, you are also purchasing the absence of a stop along the way. That may very well provide the premium over a ticket with a connection. Add in the desire for mid-morning flights and you are restricting your choices significantly.

 

You want that convenience, you may have to pay for it.

 

I've read numerous times that for domestic travel it's best to start looking 3-4 months before departure. That's why I started looking now - might have been a mistake.

 

Read from any reputable source? And if so, did you discern that those kinds of "advice" are merely compilations of averages. The average of averages. Which has very limited (if at all) application to your own specific ticket purchase. What fare patterns are like between NYC and Dallas, for example, have no bearing on YOUR purchase.

 

The best time to start looking? As soon as you know you will be travelling. Ticket prices are a function of supply and demand, not of how far out you purchase. In times of higher demand, the lower price buckets go sooner than "usual". Same with non-stops, desirable flight times and the like.

 

At this point, it doesn't matter what you could have bought a ticket for on some other carrier a month or two ago. What matters is today's pricing and going forward. Have you been watching for any kind of trend - oops, nope, just started. Do you have a price you are willing to pay? Are you hoping the price will go down? What will you do if the price, instead of dropping $50 per person (and most discussions about pricing are done on a per-person basis), it goes up $100? Up $150?

 

Finally, since you don't mention when you are planning to fly (January has 31 days), we can't give you more detailed info and suggestions. I do see that you can fly major carriers (aka not Spirit or Frontier) non-stop for under $350 each way, even on "cruise days". If you want Spirit or Frontier, you can fly for under $275 (plus a bunch of add-on fees).

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I am not sure what your dates are in January.

 

I put in some dates and not surprisingly the fares vary within the month depending on date/ and time of day.

 

January is one of the peak months for travel to/from Fort Lauderdale, Florida so airline rates and hotel rates are higher there compared to late April and October.

 

Try adjusting your dates even by one day to see whether or not it makes a big enough difference where it would be less expensive to stay over. It might not but worth looking at. Also be flexible on what time you fly.

 

Again, January is part of the winter season when many people go to Florida for a land visit or a cruise.

 

Keith

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In the past we have flown DEN - FLL/MIA for $750. However these trips were in April & Oct. Is this much of a price jump normal due to high season in Jan?

 

In the past you have flown in the spring or early fall. This year you are going during peak ski season for Colorado. I've never flown to DEN in April or October but I've flown multiple times during ski season, and even on a ticket with a connection, my ticket is typically $500+. January is also peak cruise season for south Florida; in October some ships are still doing Alaska, New England or Europe. By April some are already heading over to Europe. January? You have a max number of ships in FL doing the Caribbean. That combination is likely bumping your ticket up.

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January is also peak cruise season for south Florida; in October some ships are still doing Alaska, New England or Europe. By April some are already heading over to Europe. January? You have a max number of ships in FL doing the Caribbean. That combination is likely bumping your ticket up.

 

I know this may astound some people around here but only a very small fraction of people that are flying, even to places like MIA, are actually going on a cruise.

 

In 2016 44.9 million people used MIA and 29.2 million people used FLL.4.48 million people boarded boats at Miami/Fort Lauderdale in 2014 and obviously not all them flew in.

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Its expensive, but it all depends on the exact weekend and flight times. You seem to be a little specific on the times you want, which will limit your choices. For example I am going to Vegas in November from Miami. I would rather leave Vegas in the afternoon, but that flight is $496.00 roundtrip. Instead I need to wake up early and take an earlier flight that is $370.00 round trip. The less restrictions you place the more options you have. Depending on how busy it is that fare is not crazy, especially if its a holiday weekend. And South Florida in January will be expensive regardless.

 

Have you looked at fares to MIA?

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I know this may astound some people around here but only a very small fraction of people that are flying, even to places like MIA, are actually going on a cruise.

 

In 2016 44.9 million people used MIA and 29.2 million people used FLL.4.48 million people boarded boats at Miami/Fort Lauderdale in 2014 and obviously not all them flew in.

Well keep in mind at MIA a very large percentage, over 50% of those passengers are connecting. In FLL that percentage would be much smaller, maybe less than 20%. And the cruise passengers in Miami and Port Everglades is around 7.9 million. 3.6 million to Port Everglades and 4.3 million to Port Miami.

 

Outside of connections and people who live in Miami, I would not be surprised if cruise traffic was the 3rd or surely the 4th most popular reason people fly into and out of FLL and MIA. Its a bug funnel for passenger airline traffic, especially on the weekends.

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Outside of connections and people who live in Miami, I would not be surprised if cruise traffic was the 3rd or surely the 4th most popular reason people fly into and out of FLL and MIA. Its a bug funnel for passenger airline traffic, especially on the weekends.

 

DING DING DING.

 

It's the weekend cruise "spike" that affects the pricing in/out of SoFla, especially for the "desirable times". I have a trip coming up that is not cruise-related, but involves a return on a Sunday. Pricing for my flights would vary greatly, depending on the time of day. If I grab a 7:30am departure, I save over $200 vs leaving later that same day.

 

As for the "bug funnel"....I've heard passengers referred to as "flying cockroaches" before....

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I know this may astound some people around here but only a very small fraction of people that are flying, even to places like MIA, are actually going on a cruise.

 

.

 

I am well aware of that, and did not say that the majority of pax flying to MIA/FLL in Jan were cruise pax. I said January is in the peak of cruise season for Florida ports; hence, an increase in folks flying to cruises. Doesn't have to the be the majority of pax, just an increase from other times of the year, to potentially affect airline pricing.

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I have been flying in and out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale for over 30 years. It is pretty much a fact of life that prices go WAY up on Thursday night, all day Friday, all day Sat, all day Sun and Monday morning early. Very much cheaper on Monday afternoon through Thursday afternoon. Wednesday seems to be send granny home day and there are lots of wheelchairs to wait for bordering. Summer is usually cheap except for Friday and Sundays. Example from this month. Buying tickets from Baltimore to Bridgetown Barbados to meet a cruise on Jan. 13. I bought $79 one way to Bridgetown from Miami on Wednesday night leaving 6:30. Going Thursday morning 7:30 AM (less than 12 hour difference) the same tickets were $279 through Friday. Sat. went to 92$ but real chance of missing the 2PM sailaway. Since I would have to get a hotel in Miami anyway to visit family prior to cruise no difference if I sleep US or Barbados.Try different routings/times/sales/LUCK and see what is available. It does change. Sometimes up and sometimes down and be ready to snap up a good price when you see it.

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