Help! My flight went up $200

[gypsyrose]

Yes, I know I should have booked early when the price was good. My MIL is not well and I was actually waiting until closer to be sure she was going to be okay. I usually book a few months in advance and never look at it again so didn't even think about the price sky rocketing. For 2 people it has been $586, now it is almost $800 travelling the times we want. I am not looking for pity, just wondering if I should shut up and pay the price now or keep checking and maybe the price will go down. Or, is it just gonna get higher:(? Lesson learned...trust me. Even tho it is non refundable tickets I should have already purchased. So all you smart and savvy travellers, do the prices ever drop again?

[big_duck]

Oil prices are going up so I wouldn't count on price drops.

 

Try looking at coming a day early or staying a day late you may save some money that way. You almost might try looking at an alternate airport.

 

You might as a last resort also look at Carnival air, it might be cheaper.

[Traveler353]

As you said Lesson learned: just pay the price and move on.

[robin32470]

Yes, I know I should have booked early when the price was good. My MIL is not well and I was actually waiting until closer to be sure she was going to be okay. I usually book a few months in advance and never look at it again so didn't even think about the price sky rocketing. For 2 people it has been $586, now it is almost $800 travelling the times we want. I am not looking for pity, just wondering if I should shut up and pay the price now or keep checking and maybe the price will go down. Or, is it just gonna get higher:(? Lesson learned...trust me. Even tho it is non refundable tickets I should have already purchased. So all you smart and savvy travellers, do the prices ever drop again?

 

I would buy them now for sure. The price will continue to go up. I always buy my plane tickets about 10 months before we even leave but then I plan a vacation pretty far in advance too. I cruise in July and we are flying to Los Angeles and I bought our airfare in Sept 2009 and tickets round trip were $199 and now they are $470 same flight. I look every week and it has changed each week too. Another thing I always look at is I go directly to the airlines web page and check rates going directly thru their site and a lot of times I find it cheaper thru their own site like delta.com can sometimes be cheaper than Expedia.com for the same flight.

 

Good Luck and have a great cruise.

 

Robin in Cincinnati, OH.

[gypsyrose]

Thanks everyone Gonna bite the bullet and get them now. To everyones replies...we are going in 2 days early and stay in south beach, checked FLL instead of MIA and checked just about all websites for flights including the airlines and they were all pretty much identical. Yep...lesson learned. Thanks again for your replies. Trust me, it won't happen again!

[onthehighseas606]

Buy now! If I could buy now I would but I can't--we're flying Southwest and they won't let you book out this far in advance (we're flying in October). But the first day I can book, I surely will. It's like gambling, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

[familycruzer]

What about driving? It should be way cheaper than $800.

[DGryg]

I suggest you drive or be driven to Raleigh, NC airport and take Southwest to Fort Lauderdale. On 4/23/10 the flight is only $94 and if you return on Sunday, May 2nd, it's very similar airfare cost. You can take a rental car from Fort Lauderdale airport or a shuttle or taxi to Miami ($40-$60). Now that's a bargain! Good luck !

[suebart112]

Buy now! If I could buy now I would but I can't--we're flying Southwest and they won't let you book out this far in advance (we're flying in October). But the first day I can book, I surely will. It's like gambling, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

 

 

Same with us! Southwest is only taking reservations thru August 13. I called tho and they are releasing more dates on March 26 (or somewhere around then).

[onthehighseas606]

Same with us! Southwest is only taking reservations thru August 13. I called tho and they are releasing more dates on March 26 (or somewhere around then).

 

Thanks for letting me know, I'll keep checking at their website. I've got to find a hotel in San Diego as well.

[mimgan3]

Yes, I know I should have booked early when the price was good. My MIL is not well and I was actually waiting until closer to be sure she was going to be okay. I usually book a few months in advance and never look at it again so didn't even think about the price sky rocketing. For 2 people it has been $586, now it is almost $800 travelling the times we want. I am not looking for pity, just wondering if I should shut up and pay the price now or keep checking and maybe the price will go down. Or, is it just gonna get higher:(? Lesson learned...trust me. Even tho it is non refundable tickets I should have already purchased. So all you smart and savvy travellers, do the prices ever drop again?

 

Not sure where here in NC you are, but from RDU, US Air has $404.00 R/T to Miami, leaving on 4/25 returning on 5/2. Depending on your location, may be worth $400.00 to come to Raleigh. If interested and you can't find this flight you can email me, I don't think we are supposed to give website names here. tpmorgan@nc.rr.com

 

Mimgan

[familycruzer]

From the SW website .. you might want to check earlier than the 26th.

 

Now accepting reservations through August 13, 2010.

On March 23, we will open our schedule for sale through November 5, 2010. This date is subject to change! Please check back frequently.

I am waiting too. I have flight for my cruise but not back home.

[onthehighseas606]

From the SW website .. you might want to check earlier than the 26th.

 

 

I am waiting too. I have flight for my cruise but not back home.

 

That's what's so cool about this CC, the information shared is awesome. I'll mark my calendar and check the prices. Hopefully we won't get stung too bad with prices.

[mariemorgan]

Look into farecast. Sometimes it can predict fares.

 

Or depending on where you are sailing from maybe think about driving?

[pjpu]

I'd give driving some more thought too before I'd pay $800, unless MIL is not up to the long ride? Besides the price - flying s just a real pain these days. We're driving from the Garner/Raleigh area to Port Canaveral for our May cruise - woo hoo!! :)

[auggie43054]

Thanks everyone Gonna bite the bullet and get them now. To everyones replies...we are going in 2 days early and stay in south beach, checked FLL instead of MIA and checked just about all websites for flights including the airlines and they were all pretty much identical. Yep...lesson learned. Thanks again for your replies. Trust me, it won't happen again!

 

Did you try Airtran? They have some really cheap flights. My friends booked with them and 3 weeks later the prices went down by $100. They called and were given a credit. The booked directly on the Airtran site though. I'm not sure if they would have received the credit if they booked with another website like Expedia or Travelocity.

[phyzz]

another trick -- the best time to book at a flight is at 1 AM -- yes ,1 in the morning - thats when they dump empty seats . the deals go quick .

[walkswife]

Thanks for letting me know, I'll keep checking at their website. I've got to find a hotel in San Diego as well.

 

Holiday Inn Bayside.... more expensive but so convenient

[ericrz]

Buy now! If I could buy now I would but I can't--we're flying Southwest and they won't let you book out this far in advance (we're flying in October). But the first day I can book, I surely will. It's like gambling, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

 

Booking on Southwest, you never lose. Prices drop, you rebook and get your excess money back in the form of a credit.

 

(OK, if you then don't use that credit within 12 months, you'd lose that.)

[keishashadow]

Did you try Airtran? They have some really cheap flights. My friends booked with them and 3 weeks later the prices went down by $100. They called and were given a credit. The booked directly on the Airtran site though. I'm not sure if they would have received the credit if they booked with another website like Expedia or Travelocity.

 

 

AT has changed my flight into FLL twice in less than a month:mad:cancelling one outright & sticking me on a 8+ hr connecting flight (yeah right, changed that to another NS as soon as I caught it;)), still...for 1/2 the price of even SWA, i'll hang onto it (only NS from my 'burg into FLL/MIA not a regional/prop plane).

 

Nice thing about AT changing flight times willy nilly, is that even if your flight changes a few minutes, u can insist upon a full refund & book another, better, deal if it's out there.

 

try yapta for monitoring flight drops/refund info...SWA doesn't participate though

[firefly333]

I just checked flights to Alaska, I cant quite book yet. Waiting to hear about something else in the next few weeks ... mine went up $50 pp for the cheapest flight, from a total of $278 pp .. now its over $300 including fees per person.