Alaska airfare prices?

[jauyeung]

I'm kicking myself right now. When I booked our May 14th cruise to Alaska the airfare from NJ to Vancouver then Seattle back to NJ was $530 roundtrip and nonstop. That was only 2 days ago. Now the airfare has gone up to $660! My husband didn't want to book thinking that it's so early and the prices are bound to go lower but now I'm kicking myself for not going with my gut. Should I book it now at $660? Does anyone have any idea what the average price would be around? Was $530 an awesome deal that I shouldn't have passed up? :(

[Jolie214]

Whenever you find a great price your best bet is to book it, why chance it going up on a non-stop flight. Who knows though, maybe it will go down again. . . I am going on a cruise the same date as you and my airfare actually went down today, but I am flying from Florida. Best of luck.

[jauyeung]

Whenever you find a great price your best bet is to book it, why chance it going up on a non-stop flight. Who knows though, maybe it will go down again. . . I am going on a cruise the same date as you and my airfare actually went down today, but I am flying from Florida. Best of luck.

 

The problem is we didn't think it was a good price. Are you saying that is a great price? It would be great to know what the average is so we have an idea going foward since we haven't booked it yet.

[indiesmom]

I have noticed that airfare seems to always go up on the weekend. Check Tuesday afternoon through Thursday for the best fares. It is very possible that middle of next week it will be back where you originally saw it.

[LEtue]

I'm kicking myself right now. When I booked our May 14th cruise to Alaska the airfare from NJ to Vancouver then Seattle back to NJ was $530 roundtrip and nonstop. That was only 2 days ago. Now the airfare has gone up to $660! My husband didn't want to book thinking that it's so early and the prices are bound to go lower but now I'm kicking myself for not going with my gut. Should I book it now at $660? Does anyone have any idea what the average price would be around? Was $530 an awesome deal that I shouldn't have passed up? :(

 

jauyeung, we're on the same cruise. Consider flying RT to Seattle and taking Amtrak to Vancouver. That is what we're doing after spending 2 days pre-cruise in Seattle. We have taken the train before and it is very scenic :D You should be able to save some $$$$$

[LEtue]

Just checked fares from Newark to SEA - May 12 to May 21 and American is only $301 pp.

 

Good luck!

[Sun 4-ever]

Don't feel bad the same thing happened to us. We are flying from Seattle to Fairbanks on June 17th (one way). When I looked on Oct. 15th the price was $222.00 per person. My husband thought the same thing, that prices would go down so we waited. On Nov. 1st I went on to Alaska Air just for the heck of it and our same flight was now $257.00 ea, $135.00 difference times three:(. I was not happy and I booked right away. With the price of gas going higher and higher everyday I would think air prices are also going to increase. You always wonder should I or shouldn't I.

[MSMcDuffy]

I'm kicking myself right now. When I booked our May 14th cruise to Alaska the airfare from NJ to Vancouver then Seattle back to NJ was $530 roundtrip and nonstop. That was only 2 days ago. Now the airfare has gone up to $660! My husband didn't want to book thinking that it's so early and the prices are bound to go lower but now I'm kicking myself for not going with my gut. Should I book it now at $660? Does anyone have any idea what the average price would be around? Was $530 an awesome deal that I shouldn't have passed up? :(

 

Don't kick yourself too hard...this happens to most people. Airfare can go up & down often, even more than a couple times a day. I would have had the same thoughts about the fare as your husband. I agree with the other poster who said to check Tues-Thurs, though a few times I've found decent fares on other days.

 

I've usually had good luck booking airfare 2-3 mo's out, but this year might not be the case with the high gas prices. $530 seems decent considering you are coming from the East coast and flying in & out of 2 different cities, but it doesn't seem awesome, especially for May.

 

Good luck!

[karlsselindh]

In the last 24 hours the ticket price from either LAX or SAN to Vancouver for late May 2011 has shot up by about 30-35%. Now WestJet (the Canadian Southwest?) is even more expensive than United, Delta, etc.

 

I bet it's a temporary thing.

 

A year ago we were also looking to book airfare from San Diego to Seattle for late May 2010, and I grabbed what I thought was a good price in early December on Alaska Air. Lo and behold, on Christmas day last year the price went down unbelievably. I called Alaska, and they gave everybody in our group a $75 credit, which must be used by this December 25. A few days after Christmas last year the prices went back up to normal, reasonable levels.

 

Don't panic ... prices will probably bounce around... just check frequently, especially on Tuesdays.

[greatam]

Tickets into Vancouver are generally $80-100pp MORE than tickets into SEA. Limited flights in and out of YVR to the lower 48. Higher taxes and fees. On cruise days, the YVR tickets at the cheapest prices sell out VERY quickly.

 

OP-$530 was a real decent price for Coast to Coast flights with a YVR portion. Hope it comes back. Otherwise, explore the possibility of an East Coast/SEA return and make your own way to YVR if you have the time (usually takes one extra day plus a hotel in Seattle).

 

The cheapest of the flights have now been sold (except for a last minute sale, which you may or may not even see and with 1000's of college kids monitoring cheapo flights that they can post on Slick Deal or Fat Wallet, they don't last long). The cruise lines have their seats set aside for them (cheapo tickets), the PDF sales have concluded and Alaska/YVR are very popular destinations with limited flights in and out other than on Alaska Air. The airlines are into making money-the days of cheap, cheap airfare are gone. They have reduced capacity to a level they can sustain. Econ 101-less seats = higher prices.

[Sailkeywest]

I watched airline prices nearly daily for over a year when planning our trip. As others have stated, airline fares change daily and sometimes change several times a day. I would sometimes get up in the middle of the night to check prices, lol. Good Luck and let us know how it works out! Have you tried Kayak also?

[chinita415]

I have noticed that airfare seems to always go up on the weekend. Check Tuesday afternoon through Thursday for the best fares. It is very possible that middle of next week it will be back where you originally saw it.

 

I have been monitoring the prices on Kayak for our May trip as well. I also notice that the prices are cheapest on Wed AM. Read somewhere that that airlines adjust their prices for unsold tickets at midnight Tue night/Wed morning.

[epixx]

Check Delta Airlines. You can still get a one stop/change of plane itinerary in May EWR to YVR and SEA to EWR for $444 pp.

[agabbymama]

I think anybody that travels has run into this exact problem many times. I booked our NCL Pacific Northwest cruise in June and the airfare for '10 was $138 one way LAX to Vancouver. Now it is up to $203 pp. Our cruise isn't until Sept '11, so I have time to keep looking.

 

I called a consolidator I know, and she advised me to wait until at least March to get serious about airfare. Just too far out right now.

 

I could go LAX to Seattle for $155 but then the train to Vancouver is $55, so not much of a savings for me. Even checked out a rental car and they want $126 for just 5 hours rental.

 

So we are in waiting mode. Hopefully prices come back down before we absolutely have to book.

 

Good luck in your search! And have a great cruise!

[greatam]

To the OP-I forgot about one of the greatest travel bargains to Vancouver from the East Coast.

 

Cathay Pacific flies daily from JFK to Vancouver. Pricing for June is $555.00pp all in. One of the BEST airlines in the world. Super service (even in coach), cheap flights and nonstop on a big plane (773).

 

The downside-the plane leave JFK about 10PM, arrives YVR about 1:30AM. The flight continues on to Hong Kong. So you have to figure out what to do in Vancouver at 1:30AM. But this flight would allow you to transfer easily from Seattle to Vancouver AFTER the cruise.

 

I fly Cathay any time I get the chance. The service is very, very good even on the short hops I take frequently in Asia and the Middle East. You can use AA miles (although there is not a lot of availability unless you have status). You can also credit all those miles flown to AA which is another benefit.

[jauyeung]

Thanks all. We're trying not to have any stops along the way so we'll wait to see what the prices are the next week or 2 and on Tuesday PM/Wednesday AM to see if they lower again. I didn't realize there weren't so many flight to Vancouver and they were pricey. I miss how affordable airfare used to be a few years ago. I remember when I used to fly to Europe on $300 roundtrip without having to stalk prices. Oh well. On the brightside, we're going to Alaska! :D

[greatam]

Thanks all. We're trying not to have any stops along the way so we'll wait to see what the prices are the next week or 2 and on Tuesday PM/Wednesday AM to see if they lower again. I didn't realize there weren't so many flight to Vancouver and they were pricey. I miss how affordable airfare used to be a few years ago. I remember when I used to fly to Europe on $300 roundtrip without having to stalk prices. Oh well. On the brightside, we're going to Alaska! :D

 

Please take a look at the Cathay flight I posted. That is truly the bargain off the East Coast.

They sell that leg cheap as there are many out of YVR that need to to to Asia. This is strictly a "connector" flight because they need to get the plane to YVR. You can't beat the service-wine, beer FREE, even in coach. Meals, pillows, blankets all free. You won't find that on ANY US carrier. And a nonstop to boot. The only downside is the arrival time in YVR. Priceline a hotel and you have a VERY good trip for little money. Waiting will NOT help.

 

I am in the business and have access to the loads and pricing (you can even sign up for Expertflyer-$5.00 per month-to see almost the same info I have available to me). The cheap tickets are sold out. Unless you wait until VERY CLOSE to your cruise, you will NOT have much cheaper prices. They are already sold out.

[mytime53]

Anyone needing LAX-ANC RT this summer should check right now. Don't know availability, but less than $400.

[jody]

jauyeung,

I ended up paying nearly $800 for a direct flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage with a direct return from Vancouver. I booked in late Oct/early November. I could have paid $200 less for a connection but wanted a direct flight. I was happy with it, until Delta changed my flight time. We now arrive at 5:30 pm instead of 2:30 pm, which wastes our whole first day in AK. Just remember those darn airlines can change flight times at whim, so go for a good prices. I can change my flight for 'free' but to arrive at a better time, I'd have to switch to a connecting flight, which means I wasted that $200 for the direct flight. The airlines will get you coming and going these days.

 

Good luck!

[CPAMom]

I got round trip from BWI to Vancouver, one stop (ORD) for $675 pp. Ouch -- but it was the best I could do and since our return times are very limited I needed to get this nailed down. We disembark on a Saturday and my daughter and her friend start school on Monday. We really need to get home on Saturday -- I want them to have the opportunity to sleep in and have one day before going back to school.

 

I looked at flying in and out of Seattle -- but there was no way to get back on Saturday using that option.

 

I always considered having all three DC airports a real advantage to flight selection. But I didn't find much difference between the airports, times and prices in this case.

 

Looking at the other postings on this board and my TAs opinion, its a reasonable fare. Probably are better ones, but given our restrictions it works.

 

Good luck.

[Robinhill]

I'm kicking myself right now. When I booked our May 14th cruise to Alaska the airfare from NJ to Vancouver then Seattle back to NJ was $530 roundtrip and nonstop. That was only 2 days ago. Now the airfare has gone up to $660! My husband didn't want to book thinking that it's so early and the prices are bound to go lower but now I'm kicking myself for not going with my gut. Should I book it now at $660? Does anyone have any idea what the average price would be around? Was $530 an awesome deal that I shouldn't have passed up? :(

 

I paid $600ish for my trip the end of August last year. It doesn't go much lower than that- i forgot to mention that i flew from Baltimore to Seattle and Seattle to Anchorage and then flew from Vancouver straight back to Baltimore.

[frugaltravel]

We're trying not to have any stops along the way

 

The more restrictions one puts on their flights, the more it will cost. So you have two things going against you for getting a cheap fare:

 

1. you want non-stops

2. there are limited non-stops to Vancouver

 

And if you only want to go from NJ, Continental is your only option, yet another strike against getting a good fare.

 

Note that fares to Vancouver are generally more than fares to Seattle, but taxes to Vancouver are identical in price with taxes to Seattle. It is when you fly FROM Vancouver that there are more taxes (US immigration, customs, agricultural fees, etc).

[welly world]

We booked from West Palm to Vancouver and then from Anchorage to West Palm on October 31st for 637. I just checked today and it was already 822! :eek: So the sooner you can book, the better!

[frugaltravel]

We booked from West Palm to Vancouver and then from Anchorage to West Palm on October 31st for 637. I just checked today and it was already 822! :eek: So the sooner you can book, the better!

 

The fare increase was true in your case, but the blanket statement of "the sooner you can book, the better!" is not always true. Go through old threads to find people who booked them the fare dropped later. There is often no rhyme or reason as to how airfares fluctuate. In your case, I believe the Alaska PFD sale was going on, and fares are generally lower during that time than other times of the year.

[jauyeung]

Good news! I've been checking the fares every single day and finally this morning the far went down again. I was really losing hope since only yesterday the far had gone up EVEN MORE than last week. So original was $530, then went up by ALOT 2 days later, and then slowly crept up to each day until it was about $700. This morning, the fare went down to $560! We quickly snatched them up. They are non-stop from NJ to Vancouver, then return is Seattle to NJ. Yes, I definately took a big risk. My plan was to check daily and also hope the Tues/Wed AM to see for discounts and if nothing happened in 2 wks, that was my deadline to suck it up and pull the trigger. I got lucky this time. Next time I'll know better to read more airfare posts on the boards before I stupidly dismiss an originally great fare.

 

GreatAM, thanks for the information on Cathay. That definately is a superb airline. I've flown it a few times to Asia and they have great service, food and comfort.