airline cost

[seeing this world]

is anyone else fustrated by the cost of flights. We could fly (up last year) for a reason fee, I am looking to book another cruise for later this year and airline fee has stopped us in our tracks. I am not talking here about your high end airline carriers, we are talking about jet blue , southwest etc. our flights will cost us more than our cruise fare for a balcony and by air we are only 2 1/2 hours away by plane.

 

it is cheaper for us to go to a land resort 5 * than a cruise. sadly that may be our option. (plane fare and cruise fare)

 

I have to book flights for another cruise later this year and this may be our last cruise.

 

what has cost the increase?

[Lovetwocruz2009]

is anyone else fustrated by the cost of flights. We could fly (up last year) for a reason fee, I am looking to book another cruise for later this year and airline fee has stopped us in our tracks. I am not talking here about your high end airline carriers, we are talking about jet blue , southwest etc. our flights will cost us more than our cruise fare for a balcony and by air we are only 2 1/2 hours away by plane.

 

it is cheaper for us to go to a land resort 5 * than a cruise. sadly that may be our option. (plane fare and cruise fare)

 

I have to book flights for another cruise later this year and this may be our last cruise.

 

what has cost the increase?

 

Hi,

 

I have noticed that too. We fly Jetblue, Southwest, Virgin America. We are flying from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale. But the increase is about $100 per person higher than the same time last year. I figure it is the gas prices or maybe supply and demand. Maybe more people are traveling again. I am not sure.

 

Try not to book too early. I see the fares have come down since last month. I try to book 4-6 weeks out at the most. Plus book on a Tuesday night. I hear the prices are the lowest around Tuesday at 1am.

 

Good luck!

[snc_cam]

If you book SWA, you can at least get the price difference as future (1 year from original booking) credit. Have done this alot. However, if you book using SWA points, the point difference is put back into your account and no time factor involved on when you need to use them, like the dollars. Only problem with SWA is the schedules are usually only out for 7 months into the future.

[Aplmac]

Air fares are outrageous, in view of the sucky cattle-herding experience delivered! :cool:

 

Air fares are always the cruise killer.

I can get great cruise deals in the Med, Alaska, wherever

but getting to the cruise is a whole nuther matter, usually costing 2x to 3x the cruise cost.

 

.

[kurukthemal]

If you book SWA, you can at least get the price difference as future (1 year from original booking) credit. Have done this alot. However, if you book using SWA points, the point difference is put back into your account and no time factor involved on when you need to use them, like the dollars. Only problem with SWA is the schedules are usually only out for 7 months into the future.

 

I agree and try to fly Southwest as much as possible. No baggage fees nor change fees. I wind up doing the latter one a lot. So, if you book early and the price drops, they will credit you the difference which you have to use at least 12 months form the original purchase. Much better deal than the $100+ change fees on other carriers.

[1midsun]

That is why we book a balcony cabin.

 

Flying from Calgary, Alberta to Miami.

 

I can't justify spending more on an 8 hour flight than an 8 DAY cruise!!!

 

Happy Cruising!!

[fbgd]

Why does the cost of the getting to the cruise have any bearing on the cruise price? :confused:

 

Hi,

Plus book on a Tuesday night. I hear the prices are the lowest around Tuesday at 1am.

 

Sorry, but that's nonsense. There is no cheapest time to book tickets otherwise everyone would book then!

[ducklite]

Bottom line, airfare saw ere artificially low for years, with many airlines ending up out of business as a result. Current fares are simply where they should have been all along.

 

I've never paid anywhere near my cruise fare for my plane ticket. Even going to French Polynesia with premium economy airfare from the east coast, my airfare was only about 25% of the cruise cost.

[cruising cockroach]

Bottom line, airfare saw ere artificially low for years, with many airlines ending up out of business as a result. Current fares are simply where they should have been all along.

 

Sssssssssssssssssssh. Better not say that a lot of things have been underpriced for years....

[1midsun]

Why does the cost of the getting to the cruise have any bearing on the cruise price? :confused:

 

It doesn't have a bearing on the cruise price but if you break it down into $ per hour, it is costing $1600 for 8 HOURS of flying time. This translates into $266 per HOUR. (for two people) $800 each

 

A balcony cabin is approx $2600 for the 8 days (including gratuities) which breaks down to $325 per day. (for two people) $1300 each.

 

An interior is approx $1800 for two $900 each

 

It just seems crazy that an 8 HOUR flight would be more than 8 DAYS of cruising.

 

 

That's all

 

:)

[ducklite]

Sssssssssssssssssssh. Better not say that a lot of things have been underpriced for years....

 

 

Eventually some of the lower priced mass market lines will have to increase fares or declare bankruptcy. Carnival, Costa, RCCL, MSC, HAL, and NCL all come to mind. I can't wait to hear the howling.

 

People need to remember that vacations are not a right.

[ducklite]

It doesn't have a bearing on the cruise price but if you break it down into $ per hour, it is costing $1600 for 8 HOURS of flying time. This translates into $266 per HOUR. (for two people) $800 each

 

 

 

A balcony cabin is approx $2600 for the 8 days (including gratuities) which breaks down to $325 per day. (for two people) $1300 each.

 

 

 

An interior is approx $1800 for two $900 each

 

 

 

It just seems crazy that an 8 HOUR flight would be more than 8 DAYS of cruising.

 

 

 

 

 

That's all

 

 

 

:)

 

 

Not crazy at all. Planes burn more fuel and carry far fewer passengers than the average mass market line.

[cruising cockroach]

Not crazy at all. Planes burn more fuel and carry far fewer passengers than the average mass market line.

 

Not to mention planes are much more expensive than ships for how much they carry (cruise ships can be built (or finished) a lot cheaper if all the gimmicks are stripped out). Planes also require a lot of maintenance - lot less forgiveness if something goes wrong. Imagine if the same magnitude of problems experienced by Carnival ships in the past few years happened on a plane!

Edited May 13, 2014 by cruising cockroach

[cruising cockroach]

Eventually some of the lower priced mass market lines will have to increase fares or declare bankruptcy. Carnival, Costa, RCCL, MSC, HAL, and NCL all come to mind. I can't wait to hear the howling.

 

Reminds me of cinemas ~20 years ago when everyone was building those deluxe cinemas because they were afraid that customers would go to competitors if they didn't, which resulted in a lot of debt and lots of bankruptcies.

 

In the meantime, I'm be happy to bottom feed on cheap TATL cruises while the going's good :D

[seeing this world]

Last year i could fly for just a little more than 1/3 of what my cruise fare, (balcony room), this year my flight is more than what my balcony. It is not the price of the cruise it is my total cost of flight, one night pre cruise hotel and cruise that is starting me to look elsewhere.

[cruising cockroach]

Could be due to airline consolidation.

 

Way too many airlines for too many years with most losing money with out of whack oversupply (like what's may/will be happening with the cruise industry now/soon). The U.S. airline industry as a whole suffered losses for decades since Carter's deregulation with shareholders and debt holders and even U.S. taxpayers subsidizing airfares (I know, I was one of the beneficiaries :D ).

 

Now the remaining airlines want to make a decent profit and fares.

 

Don't know where you're flying from or flying to but try airports that have lots of competition and fly indirect routes.

[CruiserBruce]

There are so many variables here, it renders comparing airfares to cruise fares totally useless. If you do a suite for a 21 day cruise, but only have a 1 hour flight to the departure port. Or, if you do a 7 day Med cruise, but fly first class for 11 hours to get there. Just too many variables.

 

Air fares have NO correlation with cruise fares. NONE. It has been beat to death many times on this board.

[1midsun]

There are so many variables here, it renders comparing airfares to cruise fares totally useless. If you do a suite for a 21 day cruise, but only have a 1 hour flight to the departure port. Or, if you do a 7 day Med cruise, but fly first class for 11 hours to get there. Just too many variables.

 

Air fares have NO correlation with cruise fares. NONE. It has been beat to death many times on this board.

 

Thanks all, wasn't trying to start anything, was just stating in my opinion, for our vacations and flights etc. it is our choice to pay a little more for a balcony, and perhaps cruise a little less often, than paying astronomical air fares. We have not much choice but to fly, as to drive to Miami or Ft Lauderdale is 48 hours straight driving time.

 

Anyway, just our choice.

 

Have a GREAT night!!!!!

[Lovetwocruz2009]

Why does the cost of the getting to the cruise have any bearing on the cruise price? :confused:

 

 

 

Sorry, but that's nonsense. There is no cheapest time to book tickets otherwise everyone would book then!

 

According to the Huffington Post, this is the best time to buy. Of course, many people have their own theories. A google search is a wealth of information. I say try it all, if it will save some $$$.

[sapete]

Hi,

 

I have noticed that too. We fly Jetblue, Southwest, Virgin America. We are flying from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale. But the increase is about $100 per person higher than the same time last year. I figure it is the gas prices or maybe supply and demand. Maybe more people are traveling again. I am not sure.

 

Try not to book too early. I see the fares have come down since last month. I try to book 4-6 weeks out at the most. Plus book on a Tuesday night. I hear the prices are the lowest around Tuesday at 1am.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Which one of the 24 1am Tuesdays is the best? 1 am EDT, 1am PDT, 1 am in London, Sydney, Hong Kong...?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FlyerTalker]

According to the Huffington Post,

That right there disqualifies any "advice" dispensed.

 

Those "here's the secret to cheap air tickets" stories are filled with so much misinformation, I don't read them as a courtesy to my blood pressure.

[fbgd]

According to the Huffington Post, this is the best time to buy.

 

Well in *that* case!

 

I'd love to read their article on how to score a free upgrade too, I'm sure it's packed full of useful knowledge. /sarcasm

[6rugrats]

Well in *that* case!

 

I'd love to read their article on how to score a free upgrade too, I'm sure it's packed full of useful knowledge. /sarcasm

 

It sure is; apparently you just need to bond with the gate agent by smiling correctly:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-gibson/how-to-persuade-airline-e_b_3088830.html

Edited May 13, 2014 by 6rugrats

[greatam]

It sure is; apparently you just need to bond with the gate agent by smiling correctly:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-gibson/how-to-persuade-airline-e_b_3088830.html

 

Absolutely hilarious!!! I will try that the next US Air flight I am forced to take when they don't honor my AA status and give me my automatic upgrade. I was told "their" people got the upgrades first. Needless to say, someone didn't get the memo.

 

AA was kind-they gave me 10,000 free miles for all the screw ups on that US Air flight (which included not even giving me a "free" premium seat in coach or free luggage). I had to pay for one checked suitcase in PHX and was told the premium seats were SOLD and they couldn't give them away for free just because I am an AA EXP.

[ducklite]

Thanks all, wasn't trying to start anything, was just stating in my opinion, for our vacations and flights etc. it is our choice to pay a little more for a balcony, and perhaps cruise a little less often, than paying astronomical air fares. We have not much choice but to fly, as to drive to Miami or Ft Lauderdale is 48 hours straight driving time.

 

Anyway, just our choice.

 

Have a GREAT night!!!!!

 

Being Canadian, much of your airfare t the US is TAXES--completely out of the control of the airlines. You could cruise out of Seattle and Vancouver to reduce costs, both are quite drivable in a day.