How important is direct flight to SJ?

[sunshine0503]

We're sailing on the AOS 2-1-09. We plan on flying down a day early... but airfare with one stop is running from $426 RT/PP (Spirit) to $531 RT/PP (Delta) with others somewhere in between.

 

I just checked this morning and NWA is offering RT DIRECT for $482. So it's about $56 more per person for a direct flight there and back. Is it worth it? I'm trying to convince the others traveling with us that this is the way to go...but they want to save the money instead.

 

What's your take on it? From those that have BTDT (been there, done that)

 

Thanks!

[wrp96]

First of all, have you calculated all the additional fees into your price when comparing prices (like the fact that with Spirit you have to pay for any checked baggage)? The baggage fees alone on Spirit will eat up some of your savings from Northwest.

 

Second, think of it this way. With a non-stop you have less places for your luggage to go missing, less places for a weather to delay to cause you issues, less chances that a delay will mess up your whole trip (i.e. first leg is delayed so you miss your connecting flight).

[truffles2]

Absolutely agree with above!

[chef_christoph]

We have flown to San Juan several times with one stop and never had a problem (Buffalo to Charlotte or Philadelphia or Newark to San Juan with at least a 1 hour layover). However, if I had a chance to get a direct flight with such a small difference in price, I would probably grab it.

 

By not having any stops along the way, you probably reduce the risk of lost baggage, missed connections, and the travel time should be shorter.

[Happy ks]

I think I'd check it out more thoroughly so there are no surprises. Direct doesn't always mean non-stop. Charges for excess luggage can be hefty.

[Honey's Gal]

Absolutely, non stop....

I do not think the price difference is too much for a direct flight. I would pick a direct flight anytime. I have lost my luggage, we have missed connections, and nothing is worse then having to sit in an airport for hours trying to get home.

[jms2362]

I personally would pay the extra and have no stop. Less chance of not getting luggage on time, etc.

[Happy ks]

Have you tried a search on Kayak.com? You can narrow your searches by number of stops, flight times and other choices, so you don't have to go to each site seperately.

[reallyitsmema]

Spend the extra for the non-stop. Not only will you have less chance of losing luggage, but you will eliminate having a weather problem in a connecting city. You never know if there is going to be a snowstorm that messes things up for days. Better to have to only worry about where you are originating from.

[TEXASMUNK]

in airline terminology...

 

Non-stop..means just that, no stops between point A and point b

 

Direct: means flight could make multiple stops between point a and b, but requires no change of planes

 

connect: simply that..you get to antoher city and connect to another flight.

 

to complicate it just a bit more...when you connect, look for non-stops between point A point b(where you connect) and point c where you are going)

 

otherwise you could spend tons of time sitting on airplanes and blaming yourself or the air carrier for semantics!

[FL_Cruiser64]

We're sailing on the AOS 2-1-09. We plan on flying down a day early... but airfare with one stop is running from $426 RT/PP (Spirit) to $531 RT/PP (Delta) with others somewhere in between.

 

I just checked this morning and NWA is offering RT DIRECT for $482. So it's about $56 more per person for a direct flight there and back. Is it worth it? I'm trying to convince the others traveling with us that this is the way to go...but they want to save the money instead.

 

What's your take on it? From those that have BTDT (been there, done that)

 

Thanks!

 

I am assuming that you fly out of Detroit?

 

I ran the flight Detroit/SJU on Jan 31 with a return on Feb 8. I was able to pick up an AA flight with one stop for $318 pp and Delta for $313 pp.

 

For that difference I take a stop in between any day. But if it is only 60 bucks a person I pick a direct flight.

[sunshine0503]

I am assuming that you fly out of Detroit?

 

I ran the flight Detroit/SJU on Jan 31 with a return on Feb 8. I was able to pick up an AA flight with one stop for $318 pp and Delta for $313 pp.

 

For that difference I take a stop in between any day. But if it is only 60 bucks a person I pick a direct flight.

 

I haven't been able to find anything under $400 that fits into our timeframe. Seems like all of the low priced flights (like those above) have us departing SJU at 8 am... and we know that's not going to happen having just gotten off the ship. So in order to work around that... the flight goes up to over $400. I've love for it to only cost $313!!!

 

I didn't think about the extra luggage fees... but the flight with NWA is Non-stop (I used the term direct... but it is in fact non-stop)

[MIcruiser99]

I haven't been able to find anything under $400 that fits into our timeframe. Seems like all of the low priced flights (like those above) have us departing SJU at 8 am... and we know that's not going to happen having just gotten off the ship. So in order to work around that... the flight goes up to over $400. I've love for it to only cost $313!!!

 

We found the same problem when we priced airfare to SJU. We have an Amex card which we used to accumulate points and book our hotel - one night ahead of cruise and one night after cruise so that we can fly out on the first flight of the next day.

 

The price keeps going up as you look for a later flight on the day you disembark. The first flight of the day is usually the cheapest so for us to use our points and get a free hotel and fly out was the best priced flight.

 

If I could have got a nonstop for $50/each, I would have taken it! When I first started looking, they were over $500.

[FL_Cruiser64]

I haven't been able to find anything under $400 that fits into our timeframe. Seems like all of the low priced flights (like those above) have us departing SJU at 8 am... and we know that's not going to happen having just gotten off the ship. So in order to work around that... the flight goes up to over $400. I've love for it to only cost $313!!!

 

I didn't think about the extra luggage fees... but the flight with NWA is Non-stop (I used the term direct... but it is in fact non-stop)

 

Not really.

 

I look at $318 with an AA flight out of SJU at 4:55pm

 

Flight#1843/2073 Detroit 10:43am Jan 31 via Chicago

and then I have a couple of options on the way back:

 

Flight#2141/390 out of SJU on Feb 1 via Miami at 4:55pm

and

Flight#917/390 via Miami at 1:50pm

 

There is one at 9:20am as well.

 

They are all at 318 dollars/person priced.

 

Here is the link: https://www.aa.com/aa/reservation/fareFlightSearchResultsAccess.do?stopFilter=1&bookingPathStateId=1210006544267-275

[negc]

If the later flights are so much higher than the 8am flight out of SJU, I would seriously consider staying over one night in San Juan and catching the 8am the following day. I realize that this might not fit everyone's schedule but if it does, that might be a better way to conclude your vacation by extending it an additional day for not that much more money.:)

[wrp96]

I haven't been able to find anything under $400 that fits into our timeframe. Seems like all of the low priced flights (like those above) have us departing SJU at 8 am... and we know that's not going to happen having just gotten off the ship. So in order to work around that... the flight goes up to over $400. I've love for it to only cost $313!!!

 

I didn't think about the extra luggage fees... but the flight with NWA is Non-stop (I used the term direct... but it is in fact non-stop)

 

Do a search using www.kayak.com. AA has 1 stop flights leaving on 1/31/09 returning 2/8/09 with times that would work with a cruise for $377 per person.

 

Otherwise, I really think your best deal is the Northwest non-stop. If you a really trying to save every dollar, you could still fly Northwest for $425 per person with one stop on the way down, with the non-stop on the way back.

[FL_Cruiser64]

Do a search using www.kayak.com. AA has 1 stop flights leaving on 1/31/09 returning 2/8/09 with times that would work with a cruise for $377 per person.

 

Otherwise, I really think your best deal is the Northwest non-stop. If you a really trying to save every dollar, you could still fly Northwest for $425 per person with one stop on the way down, with the non-stop on the way back.

 

 

You go to AA directly you get it for 318. :p

[Crewzer33]

If Northworst still does it the way they used to, there is only ONE plane that goes down there from Detroit. It leaves Detroit and picks up the passengers in SJU for return. One time we had problems with this and this was in the days before the planes were so overbooked. The weather was bad in Detroit, so it didn't get to SJU until many many hours later -- so late you had to spend the night. We pleaded with the counter person and they took us in a back room and sent us to Tampa on AA and then to Detroit on NWA and we got home in the middle of the night. I would go with AA.

[sunshine0503]

I was seriously getting frustrated because I could NOT find that airfare for $318. But I just checked again and found it. Sweet! Think I'll be booking that now and dealing with the stops.

[cb at sea]

You can check the total flight time--including the connections! Even if you spend a few extra dollars, it may save you HOURS of time!

[FL_Cruiser64]

I was seriously getting frustrated because I could NOT find that airfare for $318. But I just checked again and found it. Sweet! Think I'll be booking that now and dealing with the stops.

 

I gave you a link. How hard was it?

:D

 

You may had to re-input all the stuff once you click on continue because the search expired.

 

AA usually got some good deals.

[MBeamTX]

in airline terminology...

 

Non-stop..means just that, no stops between point A and point b

 

Direct: means flight could make multiple stops between point a and b, but requires no change of planes

 

connect: simply that..you get to antoher city and connect to another flight.

 

to complicate it just a bit more...when you connect, look for non-stops between point A point b(where you connect) and point c where you are going)

 

otherwise you could spend tons of time sitting on airplanes and blaming yourself or the air carrier for semantics!

 

I've had supposedly 'direct' flights - with a single flight number covering both segments of the flight - and still had to change planes. This has happened several times on American and it irks me no end, because while you have to run all over the airport to get to another plane, the airline still only gives you the lesser mileage (and one flight credit) as if it had been a nonstop, direct flight. Grrrr.

[Mark_K]

I was seriously getting frustrated because I could NOT find that airfare for $318. But I just checked again and found it. Sweet! Think I'll be booking that now and dealing with the stops.

AA is tricky, it may say $318 on the first page but they show pre-tax prices up front, by the time you get to the payment page and they add the taxes, it will be $370 something.

 

Another trick of theirs to watch out for is cheap prices with a layover in New York. If you're not careful, you can end up with a layover that lands in Newark and leaves from JFK.

[sunshine0503]

I gave you a link. How hard was it?

:D

 

You may had to re-input all the stuff once you click on continue because the search expired.

 

AA usually got some good deals.

 

 

I appreciate the link!! But it was expired, so I couldn't find the fare... here's what happened. I was pricing it out for 6 of us (my parents and brother/SIL are traveling with us)... I kept getting the $418 fare. I priced it for 2 people and the $318 fare came up.

 

So I get mom on the phone just a few minutes ago and got her to book with me. We both had the same stuff on our screen, we were going through it together... I hit send before she did... I got the $318 fare, she got an error message that said the cost of her flight had changed before she could finalize and it was now going to be $418 per person! :eek: YIKES!! So I lucked out... she didn't. But that's OK. I won't complain! :D :D

[wrp96]

Ah, that's why. There were only 2 seats available in the cheaper fare bucket. If there are less seats available than the # you are searching for, then it automatically bumps you up to the fare bracket with seats available for all in your party.