How far before your cruise do you purchase airfare? What is your airfare strategy?

[cruisecritiquer]

We fly out of CVG and traditionally.. Delta is the only reasonable choice, and I've done best booking as soon as the flights become available. I'll go back and reprice the tickets every week or so once we hit that 5-8 week window everyone talks about, and right now I'm about there for this years trip and tickets are $150 pp more than what we paid. That being said, you can't get anywhere on delta for less than $400, and two of the "discount" airlines just came to CVG and will start operating soon. So, I'm very excited to see how that changes our pricing options. We have a cruise next Dec tentatively booked and I checked pricing this dec just for comparison purposes and we can get two tickets through Frontier or Allegiant for the cost of one ticket on delta!!

 

Flying into and out of Cincinnati has been a nightmare for my purse. I have a family member who lives there and is ill so I fly there pretty frequently and I'm always stunned at how expensive it is to fly into Cincinnati....especially when the Cincinnati airport is actually in Kentucky. :rolleyes:

 

I have found that the Dayton airport is generally much less expensive.

[Hawaiidan]

We fly out of a city that is a US Airways hub (CLT) with very little competition and a lot of insane pricing. Combine that with a need to fly into Miami and you have a recipe for some relatively pricey tickets. I actually prefer just about any airlines other than US Airways but it's hard to find a reasonably priced ticket from anyone else here.

 

I used to use Bing Airfare predictor but it is now defunct and recently I found Kayak...I don't use it to purchase tickets...I only use it for the airfare predictor which allegedly has a 79% accuracy rating.

 

Over the years, and through reading a lot of articles on the subject, I've decided that I find tickets at their lowest price in the 3-8 weeks before I need to fly. Any earlier than that and they are usually still high. I realize some people like to purchase as soon as the book their vacation to get it out of the way and I do still check pricing before then in case there's an amazing sale but generally I wait.

 

I prefer a direct flight but I'll make a connection if the price is right.

 

This year, I was starting to get nervous because I usually have our flights booked by now. We are at the 5 week mark. Prices didn't budge after Labor Day and they stayed the same every day until Wednesday of this week which at that point they were enticing, but i wasn't ready to bite yet. They were 211 for a stop in ATL and 335 for a direct flight. Hmmm....

 

I've been checking prices daily morning and before bed much to the annoyance of DH who has to listen to me talk about price points every day. We have 4 in our family now which can be a lot of airfare when you consider baggage as well. I enjoy a good vacation and I don't mind spending money when I have to but if there's a potential to save, I will try that first. So he was getting kind of :rolleyes: about the fact that I continued to wait.

 

Well, last night...I was on my usual airfare hunt and I saw tickets to Miami for 191.00. I couldn't believe my eyes. :eek: But, because ALL of the flights required me to return home at 10AM or earlier on disembarkation day...I couldn't book that flight. Instead, I calculated that if I flew back the next day (even considering hotel and food), I would still save a lot of money. The difference between flying direct and booking this 3 hour fire sale deal was $573.20. To me, that was worth it.

 

So we are staying an extra night in MIA and will be back home the next day by noon. That works for me.

 

What's your strategy?

 

 

pLEASE READ THIS.....IT WILL SAVE YOU THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS!!!

 

Ok, first you want to cruise and your cruise line does NOT include air fare in their fare....

Second, you have a fair Idea you will likew cruising and want to do it in the future.

Third you are not a member of a frequent flyer clyb or have a credit card tied exclusively to that airline.

 

OK.... this year you eat the airfare , but only on the one specific airline that you choose , which serves your area ( discounting Delta) and focus 200% on that airline and its affinity cresit card. Avoid ALL others.

 

Now, you and your partner/wife each get a affinity credit card for that airline.

Bingo, each of you has now received 30,000 miles each, enough for the next cruise for no charge.

Then you quit paying with checks, cash in total and each of you pay with credit card instead. Naturaly you pay it off 100% every month...just like you would have done if cash or check!

 

Using patients and forward view you pay for everything from gum to taxes on the card. It dosent have to be a flight, your miles will never expire if you do..... have a $95 a year fee....big deal youe making thousands in benefits. Wait 1 year ot 18 months, and let them build.

 

Then apply , each of you for an additional credit card , same airline same program. Now each of you without flying will have almost 100,000 miles each....( over 200,000 miles) and each year build together almost 100,000 miles paying for just what you do now!!!

 

The rule...you only use 1 brand of credit card issued by the specific bank/airline. You pay off these charges with the very same cash or check that you would have squandered for no benefit.

 

You totally avoid jerk credit cards like capital one and jerk airlines Jet blue, Southwest. THEY may sound cheaper to begin with, but trust me in the long run they will cost you BIG $$$

 

What you end up with is never having to pay for an airline ticket again...and only by spending not one thin dime more than you do now... My wife and I using this strategy have built almost 1.000,000 miles in 3.5 years. Fly to Miami from LA....$11.00 FOR 2 rt tickets,

The only thing holding you back is fear.... if you have the wrong cards or bank..dump them. Ther is nothing wrong with being wrong but plenty wrong with staying wrong

I say again, get into a ff program for a specific airline and do not consider others. THen get the cresit card that only they sponsor ( not all airlines/hotels which in the long run you loose BIG time) Finaly make ALL or as many of your purchases all on that credit card/by that airline.

 

I have been doing this for 20+ years and average saving 8000 to 10000 a year in real money.

As to how and when can you use those miles.... well in 20 years I have never been shut out....Loyalty breeds loyalty

 

Get wise..... what looks cheap is NOT

[cruisecritiquer]

I read it. And, that's funny. I was thinking about getting a Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express today. I have Citi cards, Discover, Amex (Blue Cash), Chase cards, and my banks credit card and although Citi's Diamond has a lot of benefits...I don't use most of them. *shrugs*...might be something worth looking into. :)

[cruisecritiquer]

Okay, I bit the bullet.

 

Your application has been approved.

Welcome Offer and Benefits

Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles

Earn 10,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase on the Card.†

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. Additional Cards have no annual fee.†

Explore your new Card benefits

 

†Offer Terms

Rates and Fees

 

:)

 

ETA: I just read the fine print (which wasn't available until after I was approved) and it says:

 

OFFER TERMS

 

If we identify you as currently having an American Express® Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer. This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product.

10,000 Bonus Miles

10,000 bonus miles will be awarded after your first purchase on the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card. Please allow 2-4 weeks after your first purchase for the bonus miles to appear in your Delta SkyMiles account. First purchase offer expires one year from time of Card account opening. Offer not available to existing Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Members upgrading to another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card.

 

So...I guess since I have another Amex card, I may not be able to ummm....get my 10K miles? :(

Edited September 23, 2014 by cruisecritiquer

[cruisecritiquer]

Do you think I'm eligible for bags fly free and priority boarding once my card arrives or would I have had to pay for the tickets with that card to receive it?

[fshagan]

But, here's a thought, if you had time to play around on the computer couldn't you possibly find a cheaper flight flying into MIA or FLL from a different place in another state even, other than CLT, that has a layover in CLT, and just hop on the 2nd part of the flight right there in CLT & do the return just the opposite way. Or is this maybe not a legal thing to do? I don't see why not.

 

As someone pointed out, it doesn't work. You can't pick up the flight in the middle, and even if the connecting city is your REAL destination, and you fly into it and don't take the second leg on the connecting flight, the airline will refuse to board you on the return trip.

 

We used to do this sort of thing, including booking back to back tickets a month apart and fly back and forth over a weekend using the first segments of each ticket. But the airlines monitor that too now, so you end up being denied boarding on the first segment of the "return" ticket (besides, the old 30 day rules are not as generous as they once were, where two tickets could cost less than one).

 

SWA and JetBlue at least don't play the nickle and dime thing with charges for the first bag, etc., etc.

[crystalaziza]

As someone pointed out, it doesn't work. You can't pick up the flight in the middle, and even if the connecting city is your REAL destination, and you fly into it and don't take the second leg on the connecting flight, the airline will refuse to board you on the return trip.

 

We used to do this sort of thing, including booking back to back tickets a month apart and fly back and forth over a weekend using the first segments of each ticket. But the airlines monitor that too now, so you end up being denied boarding on the first segment of the "return" ticket (besides, the old 30 day rules are not as generous as they once were, where two tickets could cost less than one).

 

SWA and JetBlue at least don't play the nickle and dime thing with charges for the first bag, etc., etc.

 

Thank You for this information. As I said in an earlier post, "it is all a game" and if we want to fly, I guess we need to play the game, but I'm sure there is more than one way to play this game. Amtrak's pricing & policies are why I have been using them so much to get to the ports these past few years. "YES" it is longer, but again, as I said before, better views, roomier seats & maybe even a second one to use for NO additional fee. There is a huge difference in time though, 37 hours from Syracuse to MIA including stops & layover time in NY Penn Station, versus a 4-6 hour flight. It just is a matter of what you want or are willing to do, to save time or save money, go for the less hassles, or wait through strict security lines. There is better scenery on Amtrak. There is always a deal to be had somewhere, it just depends on our personal preference and what and how far we are willing to go to get what we want. I most certainly will fly again as time does not always allow the extra time to take Amtrak on very long distances, but I will just check, check, and check again for the best possible price I think I will get. You are better off not looking back after you purchase the ticket to see how much less you could have gotten it for, cause you just never know. That's the beauty of freedom. LOL

[California Traveler]

pLEASE READ THIS.....IT WILL SAVE YOU THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS!!!

 

Ok, first you want to cruise and your cruise line does NOT include air fare in their fare....

Second, you have a fair Idea you will likew cruising and want to do it in the future.

Third you are not a member of a frequent flyer clyb or have a credit card tied exclusively to that airline.

 

OK.... this year you eat the airfare , but only on the one specific airline that you choose , which serves your area ( discounting Delta) and focus 200% on that airline and its affinity cresit card. Avoid ALL others.

 

Now, you and your partner/wife each get a affinity credit card for that airline.

Bingo, each of you has now received 30,000 miles each, enough for the next cruise for no charge.

Then you quit paying with checks, cash in total and each of you pay with credit card instead. Naturaly you pay it off 100% every month...just like you would have done if cash or check!

 

Using patients and forward view you pay for everything from gum to taxes on the card. It dosent have to be a flight, your miles will never expire if you do..... have a $95 a year fee....big deal youe making thousands in benefits. Wait 1 year ot 18 months, and let them build.

 

Then apply , each of you for an additional credit card , same airline same program. Now each of you without flying will have almost 100,000 miles each....( over 200,000 miles) and each year build together almost 100,000 miles paying for just what you do now!!!

 

The rule...you only use 1 brand of credit card issued by the specific bank/airline. You pay off these charges with the very same cash or check that you would have squandered for no benefit.

 

You totally avoid jerk credit cards like capital one and jerk airlines Jet blue, Southwest. THEY may sound cheaper to begin with, but trust me in the long run they will cost you BIG $$$

 

What you end up with is never having to pay for an airline ticket again...and only by spending not one thin dime more than you do now... My wife and I using this strategy have built almost 1.000,000 miles in 3.5 years. Fly to Miami from LA....$11.00 FOR 2 rt tickets,

The only thing holding you back is fear.... if you have the wrong cards or bank..dump them. Ther is nothing wrong with being wrong but plenty wrong with staying wrong

I say again, get into a ff program for a specific airline and do not consider others. THen get the cresit card that only they sponsor ( not all airlines/hotels which in the long run you loose BIG time) Finaly make ALL or as many of your purchases all on that credit card/by that airline.

 

I have been doing this for 20+ years and average saving 8000 to 10000 a year in real money.

As to how and when can you use those miles.... well in 20 years I have never been shut out....Loyalty breeds loyalty

 

Get wise..... what looks cheap is NOT

 

Also check to see if you can pay yor mortgage with the card, some have accepted the card, that adds up very quickly! We have been doing this for 10 years now with AA - we are flying to VCE and back home out of Rome in 2015 - total AA miles for two Business Class seats = 200,000. Less than $60 in fees. Three years ago we finally reached the 1,000,000 mile mark lifetime Gold benefits. We book our flights 331 days out, are always successful in getting flights we want.

Happy travels :D

[esp13]

I'd love to be able to wait to book airline tickets, but since our cruises are usually the week before Christmas (meaning we are returning the weekend before Christmas), we have no choice but to book early. That means we generally end up not getting the very best deal, but we have piece of mind and that's worth a lot these days.

[cruisecritiquer]

Also check to see if you can pay yor mortgage with the card, some have accepted the card, that adds up very quickly! We have been doing this for 10 years now with AA - we are flying to VCE and back home out of Rome in 2015 - total AA miles for two Business Class seats = 200,000. Less than $60 in fees. Three years ago we finally reached the 1,000,000 mile mark lifetime Gold benefits. We book our flights 331 days out, are always successful in getting flights we want.

Happy travels :D

 

How did you get your mortgage company to do that?

[dalgirl]

SW is a great airline, but they do not go to Miami out of Atlanta, only Ft. Lauderdale so we have seen a price increase here. When timing airline tickets it is not always about price, but flight times, departure dates, and seats. If you have to fly in a day early and/or later than your cruise to get a cheaper flight, you have to count in the extra costs for hotels, meals and additional transportation.

 

I have read for overseas flights the rule is around 6-8 months in advance of sailing. But I have done well even 10 months out. They say for domestic around 60 days out, but I have found good fares further out than that. I use kayak for flight checking and I also sign up for alerts from over sources.

 

And I will not make 2-3 connections to get the lowest price - sometimes quality of life is worth a little extra money;)

 

My strategy since we book cruises usually over a year out, is to get a "feel" for what the going rate is and if it drops significantly (sometimes $50 on domestic and $100 on overseas) I book and then forget it. I don't keep checking the price to justify my decision:)

[Hawaiidan]

Ok...here are some answers.

1 to get a free bag you have to book with that specific card.

 

2. Albany has American, United and US air... as an option... South West sounds cheaper but is not in the long run. Or heck take the train down to Newark ! Points/miles you accrue on south west are only good on southwest... Want to cruise from Rome, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Hawaii? Gee so sorry they don't go there. making the rewards very restricted and for any international travel useless.

Get with a real airline not a commuter that serves the world South west is a clarified commuter... making short hops all over the US... and that is it. Great if you NEVER , EVER intend to leave the us in your traveling life.

 

3. True, American airlines, Amex and Delta do not allow you points for a second round of cards. Chase/ United does. A way around it is to have your spouse apply for a totally seperiate card. Never I repeat NEVER put both of you on the same card when applying. Wait and add then later and get a 5000 point bonus for each card adding the others name later.

 

Caution on Amex you earn a .01 cents per $ with them.... when you come to cash in with Amex you have to pay full coach $$$ in the value from your account.

To properly compare it cost me 50,000 miles to fly rt first class NY to LA. The fare would have been $2500.00

To earn 50,000 miles on UAL it cost me about $4500. in spending and spending not necessarily with the airline but for food and gas and gum etc.

 

However , with Amex you will have to spend $25,000 to get the same ticket..6 times more than with the UAL card. Amex... short change your and over charge you

 

You want return on your $$$ Ask your self..why would an airline with a credit card allow a credit card company who is NOT and airline give a better deal on its flights???

 

I suggest you all go look up " THe POINTS GUY" web site He posts all the deals and techniques and credit card/airline/hotel programs

 

To the guy who pays his mortgage ....your s sharp dude. I pay up to $5000 down on a new or used car, My taxes, my insurance, all food , gas, phone, water electric, dues, clothes, In short anyone and everyone who will take a credit card. During a normal month I normaly spend about $135.00 check or cash the rest is miles.../points

 

One sweet deal is Marriott. sign up and get 70,000 points plus a free night at a up to cat 5 Marriott hotel. Since most nights are 20-25000 per night That in effect gives you 3 free nights worth a good $600.00 Now have your wife or spouse get another..separate from yours and bingo... you just got 3 more nights worth a cool 1200.00. AND every year at renewal they send you 1 free night... for each card. that's worth $400.00 Bit the card fee is $95 a year.... Gee, let me see, I spend $95 to get a $200 a night hotel room....sounds pretty good to me....How about you?

 

Finally, by getting multiple s of the same credit card, it will improve , not hurt your credit score because your paying them off and also using far less then the max limit....

 

THe only danger is if YOU are a person who cant control spending and goes hog wild.... BUT id your a safe and reasonable person...well your loosing huge savings

This year I have flown from NY to LA first class for 2, Flyingrt business class LA to Tokyo, Flying LA to Washington DC first class and Then coach LA to Neworleans........ total cost was $59.00

 

Ball is in your court... to win or loose is your only decision

[cruisecritiquer]

I spoke with Delta Skymiles and they told me the card would be added to my account and I would still be able to get priority boarding and bags free even though I didn't use the card for the purchase of the airline tickets. She talked to a supervisor who confirmed it. But, I guess...we'll see.

[California Traveler]

How did you get your mortgage company to do that?

 

 

We called and asked, some do some don't.

 

I forgot to add to my original post, we are Marriott Vacation Club members, we also get reward points for our units if we do not stay, then we depostit into AA, that is how we got the lifetime mm status. AA stopped this feature with Marriott rewards/AA miles credit toward status three years ago :(

 

CT

Edited September 23, 2014 by California Traveler

[cruisecritiquer]

Ok...here are some answers.

1 to get a free bag you have to book with that specific card.

 

 

This is what I received:

 

Dear Mrs @,

 

Thank you for contacting Delta Air Lines regarding SkyMiles @

 

You have the American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card on your SkyMiles account effective Sept 22, 2014.

 

Yes, when you travel in October 2014, you will receive the benefits for having the American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card, even if you paid for your ticket using a different credit card. You will receive Priority Boarding and the first bag checked free.

 

As long as you have the credit card showing active (not canceled) on your SkyMiles account, you receive the benefits.

 

Thank you for choosing Delta and our SkyTeam Alliance partners.

 

Sincerely,

 

Patricia Jean

SkyMiles Account Support

[brookie848]

Ok...here are some answers.

2. Albany has American, United and US air... as an option...

 

 

Ummm...American hasn't been in Albany in years. Which means that the bajillion miles my husband has on the AA card are pretty worthless to us. Every time we've tried to use the points (at one of the NYC airports) we haven't been able to cash them in. At some point we will be successful and use the points, then we can get a card that is a better option.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

So we are staying an extra night in MIA and will be back home the next day by noon. That works for me.

 

We began doing this every time we cruise. We honestly feel like it eases us out of vacation better than a mad dash to the airport.

[QuiGonJohn]

We booked near the end of Oct 2013 for our Alaska Cruise this past Sept 8th.

 

 

I was able to get the whole flight package for a little less than my trial run from a couple weeks ago, $526.48 rt/pp. That's FLL to ANC on 9/6 and YVR to FLL on 9/16. Decent flight schedules, no red-eyes, etc. For example, we arr in ANC at 3:10 pm Sat. Our flight out of YVR is 11:45am (day after the cruise disembarks), so we can see a bit of Vancouver before leaving.

[QuiGonJohn]

We began doing this every time we cruise. We honestly feel like it eases us out of vacation better than a mad dash to the airport.

 

And add in the fact that if you haven't been to the embark or debark cty before, it allows you to sightsee there as well. We stayed 2 nights in Anchorage before our cruise and 1 night in Vancouver after our cruise.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

I fly about 10 times a year (and it could be geographical) but the prices are never better (in CLT) more than 8 weeks out...certainly not months out. I think what just occurred in my OP is indicative of what usually happens with my flights although the price doesn't usually drop as much as it did this time.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head for the best airfare strategy. . .know your local market. They are different.

 

Indianapolis use to be an AirTran hub. We got spoiled with $79-$99 one- way, non-stop fares to Florida for years. Once Southwest came to town the competition made it ever better. It was not unheard of to get $59 one-way, non-stop fares to any Florida city!

 

Once the merger was announced, prices skyrocketed and non-stops are disappearing. After watching fares for a couple of years during this merger, in Indianapolis, it is almost always the best strategy to book when SW opens its schedule. I also have the SW card and always book with points, because I like that if the fare does lower, I can redeposit points back into my account. SW does not have a way to use a $ credit and points for future flights. Either all points or all $.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

And add in the fact that if you haven't been to the embark or debark cty before, it allows you to sightsee there as well. We stayed 2 nights in Anchorage before our cruise and 1 night in Vancouver after our cruise.

 

Totally off topic, but how did you like cruising after all those years away from it? I remember you posting questions about what had changed on CC some time ago.

[QuiGonJohn]

There we several things I enjoyed, Hubbard Glacier, being picked to be in the Newlywed/Not-So-Newlywed Game, most of the shows, dinners in the MDR's were better than many made them out to be and other things. There were also many things I did not like, lines getting on and off the ship, (not like walking out your hotel door), ship photos all the time (and the corresponding issues between my wife & I as to whether to buy or not the outrageously priced photos), got sick and it would have cost $105 to see the doc (back on the Big Red Boat in 93/94, I got sick, free sick bay visit and free meds). And other issues.

 

Overall, I doubt I'll go on another cruise unless it's to be with certain other family or friends, and then with probably much persuasion.

 

Next big trip is a self-drive B&B excursion to Ireland, next September.

 

By the way, even if you have visited an embark/debark city, say Miami for example, if you live far away, maybe you only got to do a few things, next trip you can do different things, (or repeat something that was really fun).

Edited September 26, 2014 by QuiGonJohn

[cruisecritiquer]

There we several things I enjoyed, Hubbard Glacier, being picked to be in the Newlywed/Not-So-Newlywed Game, most of the shows, dinners in the MDR's were better than many made them out to be and other things. There were also many things I did not like, lines getting on and off the ship, (not like walking out your hotel door), ship photos all the time (and the corresponding issues between my wife & I as to whether to buy or not the outrageously priced photos), got sick and it would have cost $105 to see the doc (back on the Big Red Boat in 93/94, I got sick, free sick bay visit and free meds). And other issues.

 

Overall, I doubt I'll go on another cruise unless it's to be with certain other family or friends, and then with probably much persuasion.

 

Next big trip is a self-drive B&B excursion to Ireland, next September.

 

By the way, even if you have visited an embark/debark city, say Miami for example, if you live far away, maybe you only got to do a few things, next trip you can do different things, (or repeat something that was really fun).

 

I thought your last name was Jinn? :p

[TruckerDave]

Can you please tell more about these credit cards? We are planning our first TA and it involves a LOT of planning including airfare.

 

Thank you.

 

I have the Citi World Elite card for American Airlines and the Chase Presidental Plus card for United Airlines (no longer offered but has been replaced with Milage plus club card)...Both my cards have the big annual fee (about $400 each) but they give me airline lounge access as well as all the other benefits, free checked bags (2 on UA i think) early boarding, etc etc (basically elite status minus upgrades and bonus miles). Both citi and Chase have cards with $100 annual fees with benefits as well. They have sign up bonuses that change from time to time. (I think i got 30k miles on one and 40k on the other when I got mine a few years ago).

 

I sure Delta has one a well. I don't fly Delta so have no need or use for their card. If you plan on flying a lot the cards can be a good way to bank lots of miles for future travel. (I pay all my bills with them to bank as many miles as I can).

[TruckerDave]

I live in CLT too and it is out of control.

 

I paid almost $2K for a first class ticket on my upcoming Hawaii trip.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

2k for a first class ticket to Hawaii is hardly out of control. Hawaii is a high demand destination. It is around $1000 in coach from Houston and Dallas. United wants around $2000 in first as well and it doesn't even have lie flat seats for the flight(s). :eek: