Whats the deal with airfare to FLL?

[yj2cute]

You might be running in to Fall Break that many universities have. It's generally around that time. I work for a university and our fall break (not that I get it as a staff member!) is October 11-14. I am sure many other schools have it that weekend too. There may be more going on, but that's a possibility.

 

Thanks for the helpful feedback. I viewed the seats on these flights and they're pretty full which is probably the reason for the higher prices. I'm just surprised to see such full flights 3 months out. That hasn't been my experience previously.

[fbgd]

We were invited to a wedding in the FLL area in Oct. I priced tickets from Friday to Sunday. The cheapest departing flight is $155 and that gets us in at 9:30 at night. Taking ideal flights it will cost us $340.00. That's like $100 more than my average. And the better return flight, leaving at 2 in the afternoon is $260 one way! Sorry, but that's crazy.

 

It's not really crazy at all. It's ideal for you so it's likely to be ideal for others too. Supply and demand.

 

As others have said, just because you're used to paying $X dollars for Y trip doesn't mean it'll be that way in perpetuum. You have to budget accordingly or look at other options; drive, hitch-hike, swim, powerwalk. All either slower or costlier.

 

Honestly, I know this is a side forum for Cruise Critic but the sense of entitlement that some show on here in terms of air travel/air fares is just ridiculous.

 

I viewed the seats on these flights and they're pretty full

 

Seat maps are a horrible indication of loads.

[vjmatty]

Honestly, I know this is a side forum for Cruise Critic but the sense of entitlement that some show on here in terms of air travel/air fares is just ridiculous.

 

Where do you think that sense of entitlement originated? It's the byproduct of free enterprise in a capitalistic society....if retailers want to compete for consumers by using loyalty programs, deep discounts, and other incentives based on cost, what do you expect to happen? This is a country where stores have to price their inventory ending in .99 to make consumers feel they are getting a deal, and you're surprised that people want to pay less for airfare among everything else on the market?

[Zach1213]

Thanks for the helpful feedback. I viewed the seats on these flights and they're pretty full which is probably the reason for the higher prices. I'm just surprised to see such full flights 3 months out. That hasn't been my experience previously.

 

Seat maps are not a good reflection on true availability. People can have tickets without being assigned seats, giving the view of an empty plane when it's, in fact full; vice versa, they can have seats blocked off to most non-status travelers giving the view that the plane is full when it is, in fact, not. So you can't base anything off of the seat map, full or empty.

[fbgd]

and you're surprised that people want to pay less for airfare among everything else on the market?

 

I'm not surprised anymore, I've been cynical for far too long ;)

[yj2cute]

I normally spend most of my time on the main boards and roll call sections here on CC, but I must say, this Cruise Air board is not very friendly. At all. All the eye rolling and sarcasm and snarky remarks are incredibly off putting. I just happened to come across this thread from viewing another poster's posts and decided to read. Sorry, my mistake. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you, however, to those that simply provided helpful responses without being condescending and rude!

Edited July 17, 2014 by yj2cute

[Bowie MeMe]

Yes, at least 2 or 3 flights per year over the last several years. Never paid $300 for a r/t flight, certainly not on JB. Now, the pricing for next flights are $313. To me, that's absurd. I know it may not sound bad to some others here, but this is not what I'm used to paying. When I make plans I don't budget any more than $250 for flights to Florida.

 

Sorry to tell you that $250 roundtrip will only get you a Tuesday and Wednesday flight at 6:30 AM or some other not so good option. Because of the large ships in port for weekly cruises the prices weekends (Thurs later afternoon to Monday noon) are very high and stay that way pretty much for all seasons with late fall and winter being even higher. Last year at Christmas/New Year's week (DGD birthday same day as the Orange Bowl), I paid $310 each way ($620) to fly BWI to FLL. I have tickets for Thurs. Oct 29/14 return Nov. 13/14 for a visit with daughter and cruise and I booked first day of schedule and got a "Wanna Go" fare for $89 each way. Shows what supply and demand will do. Hard to do but your planning on airfare has to be revisited -- you would also eat up any savings by going early if you had to have room/food/car -- all expensive in that area of Florida for tourists.

[Brighton Line]

You might be running in to Fall Break that many universities have. It's generally around that time. I work for a university and our fall break (not that I get it as a staff member!) is October 11-14. I am sure many other schools have it that weekend too. There may be more going on, but that's a possibility.

 

Also might be those dates have Cruise Ships calling... Two on the 12th...

11-Oct-14 Caribbean Princess

12-Oct-14 Island Princess, Allure Of The Seas

13-Oct-14 Vision Of The Sea

 

Then nothing until the 17th.

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/United_States_Of_America/212-Fort_Lauderdale_Florida/October_2014/

[fbgd]

I normally spend most of my time on the main boards and roll call sections here on CC, but I must say, this Cruise Air board is not very friendly. At all. All the eye rolling and sarcasm and snarky remarks are incredibly off putting. I just happened to come across this thread from viewing another poster's posts and decided to read. Sorry, my mistake. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you, however, to those that simply provided helpful responses without being condescending and rude!

 

Unfortunately a lot of the regulars here don't beat around the bush. The truth hurts. Useful information has been provided to in almost every post since you first indicated your displeasure.

[vjmatty]

I normally spend most of my time on the main boards and roll call sections here on CC, but I must say, this Cruise Air board is not very friendly. At all. All the eye rolling and sarcasm and snarky remarks are incredibly off putting. I just happened to come across this thread from viewing another poster's posts and decided to read. Sorry, my mistake. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you, however, to those that simply provided helpful responses without being condescending and rude!

 

You should try being on Flyer Talk... it took me months of lurking to finally post there. Air travel is one of those topics that people get testy about and I am not sure why. I think it is because so much of it is counterintuitive unless you work in the industry or fly often....those who are experienced lose patience because they forget what it was like not to know all the ins and outs.

 

It's like this intersection were I live.... taking a left turn keeps you on the same highway so there is no stop sign and therefore no need to stop before turning left. People stop anyway, at least if they are from out of town. Those of us who know better honk at these poor drivers even though we all remember doing the same thing. This is just another version of lost patience.

[vjmatty]

Sorry to tell you that $250 roundtrip will only get you a Tuesday and Wednesday flight at 6:30 AM or some other not so good option. Because of the large ships in port for weekly cruises the prices weekends (Thurs later afternoon to Monday noon) are very high and stay that way pretty much for all seasons with late fall and winter being even higher. Last year at Christmas/New Year's week (DGD birthday same day as the Orange Bowl), I paid $310 each way ($620) to fly BWI to FLL. I have tickets for Thurs. Oct 29/14 return Nov. 13/14 for a visit with daughter and cruise and I booked first day of schedule and got a "Wanna Go" fare for $89 each way. Shows what supply and demand will do. Hard to do but your planning on airfare has to be revisited -- you would also eat up any savings by going early if you had to have room/food/car -- all expensive in that area of Florida for tourists.

 

Actually there are a lot more hotels and time shares in Florida than there are cruise ships.... flights tend to be most in demand Friday and Sunday first as those are when the majority of people start and end their vacations. As others modify their days by one or two in order to get better timed or priced flights, those are next in demand, with Tuesday through Thursday being cheapest. I have a convention in Orlando next month from Thursday to Sunday.... my Wednesday flight is half the cost of my Sunday flight, for this reason.

[yj2cute]

Unfortunately a lot of the regulars here don't beat around the bush. The truth hurts. Useful information has been provided to in almost every post since you first indicated your displeasure.

 

And I've thanked those that provided that useful information without being jerks about it accordingly.

 

And for the record almost all of my flights to FLL are on Jetblue on the weekend, so I'm well aware of what flying on weekends looks like versus other days of the week. Because I'm usually flying there for cruises, hence my participation on Cruise Critic.

[LetsGetWet!]

We have flights from DAL to FLL for our cruise, November 14-22, for $259 inclusive of all taxes & fees. But that was a special for a few days when Southwest announced their new service from DAL to several cities including FLL, and provided promotional inaugural rates 2-3 months ago. I don't think I could find them for anywhere near that now.

[LetsGetWet!]

Now, the pricing for next flights are $313. To me, that's absurd. I know it may not sound bad to some others here, but this is not what I'm used to paying. When I make plans I don't budget any more than $250 for flights to Florida.

 

I normally spend most of my time on the main boards and roll call sections here on CC, but I must say, this Cruise Air board is not very friendly. At all. All the eye rolling and sarcasm and snarky remarks are incredibly off putting. I just happened to come across this thread from viewing another poster's posts and decided to read. Sorry, my mistake. :rolleyes:

 

Thank you, however, to those that simply provided helpful responses without being condescending and rude!

As others have said, some regulars here can be very blunt, to put it mildly. But, after getting that helpful information a number of times - that prices overalll have risen, with several good reasons of why - you STILL come back saying the prices are "just absurd!" Sorry, but at that point I think you were asking for it. No, unfortunately those prices in the current market are not "absurd", any more than the higher prices for most other things you're buying these days are "absurd." Comparing the prices over the last few years, most of was during the duration of the worst recession since the Great Depression, might be the most "absurd" thing here...

[yj2cute]

As others have said, some regulars here can be very blunt, to put it mildly. But, after getting that helpful information a number of times - that prices overalll have risen, with several good reasons of why - you STILL come back saying the prices are "just absurd!" Sorry, but at that point I think you were asking for it. No, unfortunately those prices in the current market are not "absurd", any more than the higher prices for most other things you're buying these days are "absurd." Comparing the prices over the last few years, most of was during the duration of the worst recession since the Great Depression, might be the most "absurd" thing here...

 

This will be my last response in this thread. To my very first post I was treated to someone "rewording" my post for me as if I didn't know what I was saying initially, instead of simply offering a response. The very next response was a very condescending one, finished off with eye rolls. Yeah that's real nice. To the couple of posters who simply posted responses without all the aforementioned rudeness, I thanked them. Yes, I find a $260 one way flight to FLL absurd. I've never paid this type of fare before and it was a shock. The OP apparently was surprised over rising FLL prices as well, which is why they started the thread. I get it. All of you don't agree. Fine. I'm done with it as with this entire forum.

 

FYI, This is a MESSAGE BOARD. It's meant to DISCUSS various topics. If you're so smart and experienced that this type of forum bores or frustrates you, simply don't respond!

[bearette]

If you want sticker shock fly out around Thanksgiving. Last year we took a cruise out of Barcelona since it was $100 cheaper then flying from Lax to Hawaii that week.

 

I remember paying $200 to fly to Florida after September 11th with one stop. Now we paid 9 months out $320 nonstop on jet blue. We were ecstatic on that price too! We have been looking at more countries outside USA since it is often not much different in price or cheaper if you go in the off season.

 

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[TruckerDave]

Another poster who didn't get the replies or answers they wanted and went storming off. bye bye. :rolleyes:

[vjmatty]

This will be my last response in this thread. To my very first post I was treated to someone "rewording" my post for me as if I didn't know what I was saying initially, instead of simply offering a response. The very next response was a very condescending one, finished off with eye rolls.

 

Yes, I can see in reviewing the thread you were lumped in with the person you were originally responding to, and I am sorry that happened. Often those who accuse posters of "still coming back over and over after having things explained" get the posters mixed up and don't realize they've missed their intended target. So goes arguing on the internet ;)

[vjmatty]

Another poster who didn't get the replies or answers they wanted and went storming off. bye bye. :rolleyes:

 

NB: That was not the original poster, that was someone who had the nerve to agree with the OP

[goldgirl2]

OP here. I started this thread because I saw my airfare go up $100 overnight. I thought that was a big jump all of a sudden. I was initially curious to find out if anyone else had experienced this jump in airfare. Inflationary is usually a gradual increase over time. Not sudden increase of $100. I have been a business owner for 25 years. We have not raised our prices in about 5 years. We have to keep our prices competitive to continue to stay in business. We still make a profit. I always say I would rather get the work with a small cut in pay then not get the job and have no pay.

 

 

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[kenish]

OP here. I started this thread because I saw my airfare go up $100 overnight. I thought that was a big jump all of a sudden. I was initially curious to find out if anyone else had experienced this jump in airfare. Inflationary is usually a gradual increase over time. Not sudden increase of $100. I have been a business owner for 25 years. We have not raised our prices in about 5 years. We have to keep our prices competitive to continue to stay in business. We still make a profit. I always say I would rather get the work with a small cut in pay then not get the job and have no pay.

 

Regardless of the price in absolute dollars, Euros, or your favorite currency, fares have been subject to jumps (both up and down) ever since deregulation and the end of government price-fixing. Airfare is a commodity like stocks, so the pricing model is quite different than your business (assuming you sell from inventory or provide services). But like you, the airlines are keeping their prices competitive and profitable. The past decade is littered with airlines that went out of business who could not find their way out of unsustainable loss-leader pricing.

[fbgd]

I always say I would rather get the work with a small cut in pay then not get the job and have no pay

 

But is your business an airline?

 

Margins in the airline business are razor thin, and they have individuals whose only job is to monitor and manage fares to try and maximize every dollar they can. Load factors are so high because they're managed so well. Just because you've balked at a modest $100 fare "increase" doesn't mean everyone else has and as long as the airline doesn't run out of people to balk then they're happy.

[Paulette3028]

But is your business an airline?

 

Margins in the airline business are razor thin, and they have individuals whose only job is to monitor and manage fares to try and maximize every dollar they can. Load factors are so high because they're managed so well. Just because you've balked at a modest $100 fare "increase" doesn't mean everyone else has and as long as the airline doesn't run out of people to balk then they're happy.

 

As you point out, and I agree with, other businesses don't function as airlines do.

 

There are times when you can get flight prices that are as low as they were some time ago....supply and demand, plays a part as much as costs themselves.

 

There is a finite amount of airline seats to a destination, and prices often reflect multiple pressures....but in the end...airlines will charge what they believe the market will tolerate, and get it....the alternative for travelers are other forms of travel -- yet nothing is as time effective as flying.

[Bowie MeMe]

OP here. I started this thread because I saw my airfare go up $100 overnight. I thought that was a big jump all of a sudden. I was initially curious to find out if anyone else had experienced this jump in airfare. Inflationary is usually a gradual increase over time. Not sudden increase of $100. I have been a business owner for 25 years. We have not raised our prices in about 5 years. We have to keep our prices competitive to continue to stay in business. We still make a profit. I always say I would rather get the work with a small cut in pay then not get the job and have no pay.

 

 

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I often find when watching certain flights that the price varies and sometimes by a good amount of money. Often thrown into a different "bucket" of tickets -- this happens most often if you are doing more than one ticket on the reservation. If there are not 2 tickets in the "lower bucket" then both tickets are priced at the higher price. If you resubmit your request, for 1 ticket you can often get the price that was lower as single tickets can linger at the end or the "bucket". Also many airlines have a "ticket hold" feature and if the ticket is not purchased it goes back for sale (though I can't imagine why I would pay a fee to "lock" that price and then back out but it must happen). Higher level of ticket probably was the culprit in the case of $100 rise in price overnight. I have personally had the tickets go up by a thousand $ on long international fares when one leg was not available in the cheaper buckets.

 

I also know that if I find a cheaper fare to grab it -- they go quickly to those who check prices several times a day when they are ready to buy.

[vjmatty]

If there are not 2 tickets in the "lower bucket" then both tickets are priced at the higher price. If you resubmit your request, for 1 ticket you can often get the price that was lower as single tickets can linger at the end or the "bucket".

 

Some airlines will actually say "X tickets left at this price" but it isn't always true.... I can't tell you how many times I've done a 1 passenger search, had a fare come up with "3 seats left", then changed to 2 passengers and the fare disappears.

 

Still, it would have to be a significant price difference for me to split reservations like that, given the inconveniences of doing so.