Looking for opinions on booking flights

[Matt Knight]

Last month I started planning my family's trip from Portland, OR to Northern Virgina. On February 4th I checked prices and four round trip tickets would have been about $1450 flying Southwest.

After coordinating and securing vacation times I went to book the flights yesterday and the price had jumped up to $2000 .

The trip is planned for August 2nd to the 11th. Should I book the flights now or hold off on the hopes that fuel prices moderate?

Thanks in advance for the help,

Matt

 

[EdinKali]

I think SW just had a price increase recently. In addition to that many are predicting $5/gal gas prices this year so I wouldn't expect the jet fuel prices to drop any time soon.

Booking flights is kinda like the stock market. It is a gamble at best but you can make an educated guess by going on trend information.

 

[robr]

Even the $1450 seems expensive to this bargain shopper. That's around $340ish per ticket before taxes and surcharges. I would just keep watching all the sites like kayak.com and cheapflights.com... there's a ton of them. The point of no return is 14 days out from your flight, at 14 days, prices go up substantially and will never go down, but I think it's fairly safe to say that you will be able to find something around your original price long before August. Also search on arrival and departures on tuesday, wednesday and saturday, airfare is cheaper on those days as they are the least desirable travel days.

 

[rossii]

Airlines are using the fuel as an excuse. Airlines buy fuel a year in advance. What they are doing is reducing the # of flights therefore selling existing seats at a premium. You should also check out Hipmunk.com.

 

[nsxtasy]

Should I book the flights now or hold off on the hopes that fuel prices moderate?

Airfares lag oil prices, and do not yet fully reflect their recent rise. In general, they are likely to go up, not down, in the coming months. However, fares on any specific route, especially one that is competitive, may not move with the market. I've found that Portland is not particularly competitive (for example, similar flights from Seattle are consistently cheaper).

You take a risk either way - if you buy, you risk that the prices will go down afterwards, and if you don't buy, you risk having to buy at a higher price.

Obviously, do all the usual things when shopping airfares. Check alternative airports (for Northern Virginia, that should include Dulles, National, Richmond, and BWI, and even Philly isn't that far). Don't limit yourself to Southwest; I've found that their fares are no longer consistently the lowest. Make sure the travel website you're using includes all the airlines (some exclude American now). You may find better fares with a connection than nonstops. You know, all that stuff. However, the bottom line may be that you missed out on a lower fare that might not be back, and you might get stuck with an even higher one if you wait. Or, you might luck out and they could drop before you buy.

Even the $1450 seems expensive to this bargain shopper. That's around $340ish per ticket before taxes and surcharges.

Wow, I gotta disagree on that one, Rob. Flying coast to coast with a departure point that is a smaller market, it's really difficult to find $340ish bargains like you can between, say, Los Angeles and New York. Sounds like you haven't checked prices out of Portland and compared them to those from bigger cities. You live in Boston, so maybe you can imagine that airfares would be higher than you're used to if you had to fly out of the Portland near you!

I've noticed this in other markets, too; you'll pay more to fly out of Sarasota than out of Tampa, more to fly out of Milwaukee than out of Chicago, etc. Although at least in those places, the bigger city is less than 100 miles away so it's a viable alternative; too bad Seattle isn't a little closer!

 

[CL65 Captain]

Airlines are using the fuel as an excuse. Airlines buy fuel a year in advance. What they are doing is reducing the # of flights therefore selling existing seats at a premium. You should also check out Hipmunk.com.

First off, not all airlines hedge their fuel costs. And those that did are only partially hedged for 2011 (even SWA), as with the economy in the tank they figured that oil would remain low until a noticeable recovery.

Second, labor use to be the largest cost to the airline and now fuel is well over 50% of their costs. So, every time oil goes up it is NOT an excuse to raise ticket prices.

"For United, the world's largest airline since it merged with Continental Airlines, a $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil means spending an extra $100 million a year on jet fuel, Marren said. United Continental Holdings — parent company of the merged Continental and United — has hedged about 40 percent of its planned 2011 fuel consumption. Even with the hedging, however, U.S. airlines will spend $15 billion more on jet fuel than the $38.8 billion they paid last year if that fuel continues to cost more than $3 a gallon, according to the Air Transport Association."

Finally, my god people.... airline prices are CHEAPER than they were in the mid 80s. My Mom had put my very first airline ticket where I traveled alone (summer camp) in a scrapbook. STL-ORD-DLH. TWA connecting to Republic Ailrines - $423.15 round trip in 1981. What would that be corrected for inflation???? According to this inflation calculator.... $1,119.03. So quit your whining!

Service sucks? No free snacks? The internet and consumers have turned the airline business into Walmart. You now shop ticket prices like they are a commodity. Cheapest fare wins, even if it's by a $2 difference. Bad service, rude employees, extra charges for everything? Cheapest fare wins! You guys did this to yourselves.

We know you don't have a choice when flying from XXX so we thank you for choosing We Apologize Airlines. On behalf of this Crappy City based flight crew, we hope you have a pleasant afternoon even when you mutter I'm never flying We Apologize Airlines ever again as you walk past the cockpit. Because we know you will be back.

 

[oscar_driver]

I am furious @ the airlines, last year I went 6 times to Brazil and to Bolivia (with my daughter) ... the average roundtrip price was $800 non-stop, $600 with stops in Panama etc ,,, now, I try to book a ticket to Rio, and the price is $1,100 WITH STOPS and $1,450 non stop, try to go to Bolivia, will KILL ME in $1.100, I MEAN WTF IS GOING ON?? It's BOLIVIA, not freaking MONACO! ....

Now, If I book a ticket to Barcelona - and mind you, it takes 6.5 Hr. to get to Bolivia and 8.5 to get to Rio - will cost me between $700-800 ... I understand in SUMMER in South America but Jesus, why flying to the EU is cheaper than South America?? ARGHHHHH

Oscar

 

[CL65 Captain]

Last month I started planning my family's trip from Portland, OR to Northern Virgina. On February 4th I checked prices and four round trip tickets would have been about $1450 flying Southwest.

After coordinating and securing vacation times I went to book the flights yesterday and the price had jumped up to $2000 .

The trip is planned for August 2nd to the 11th. Should I book the flights now or hold off on the hopes that fuel prices moderate?

Thanks in advance for the help,

Matt

Greyhound is only $2,142.24 for 4 round trip tickets and takes 3 days, 10 hours with 4 transfers. Sounds like an adventure.

 

[Matt Knight]

Greyhound is only $2,142.24 for 4 round trip tickets and takes 3 days, 10 hours with 4 transfers. Sounds like an adventure.

I thought SWA was Greyhound (just kidding).

Another option is Air Acura (2008 MDX) with my GF, 17 year old son and 14 year old daughter.

Some quick math; 3,000 X 60 MPH(average) = 50 hours driving. (This would also save the cost of the rental car at the other end.)

3,000/20 MPG = 150 gallons X $4 a gallon = $600 for fuel (one way).

Add in a couple of nights at a hotel and my whole profit margin is shot.

I think I'll save the adventure for the destination and keep checking the travel sites,

Matt

 

[westernb4]

Service sucks? No free snacks? The internet and consumers have turned the airline business into Walmart. You now shop ticket prices like they are a commodity. Cheapest fare wins, even if it's by a $2 difference. Bad service, rude employees, extra charges for everything? Cheapest fare wins! You guys did this to yourselves.

Very true.
Had three longish flights on Spirit a couple weeks ago-Detroit to Laguardia,
Laguardia to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale to LAX.
Cabin was a real cattle car; so little knee room (I'm average height) that I couldn't straighten out my legs. Every checked bag costed (? $60). Everything that you put in the overhead bin costs $60; at the gate, the Spirit agent aggressively tries to find bags that he/she can declare to be too big for the underseat area, necessitating $60 per item charges. Unpleasant experience overall.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Very true.
Had three longish flights on Spirit a couple weeks ago-Detroit to Laguardia,
Laguardia to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale to LAX.
Cabin was a real cattle car; so little knee room (I'm average height) that I couldn't straighten out my legs. Every checked bag costed (? $60). Everything that you put in the overhead bin costs $60; at the gate, the Spirit agent aggressively tries to find bags that he/she can declare to be too big for the underseat area, necessitating $60 per item charges. Unpleasant experience overall.

My point exactly. Spirit is know as the low cost of the low cost airlines. Their CEO is notorious for nasty comments about it's customers
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/7...cessary+for+Travel,+Says+Spirit+Airlines'+CEO

After getting the e-mail on his BlackBerry, Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza accidentally hit "reply all" when responding to fellow executives and sent his response back to the couple. "Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I'm concerned," Baldanza wrote. "Let him tell the world how bad we are. He's never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny."

So my point being, is that you bought the cheapest ticket no matter how bad the company and it's service is. Thank you very much for the Walmartization of the industry. Consumers vote with their pocket book and you voted for cheap crappy service and reaffirmed the airlines CEOs that their current business plan is indeed correct. People don't care how bad the service is as long as they get it cheap.

So my question to you is will you fly Spirit again? What if Spirit is $200 r/t and Delta is $280, then will you still elect to take Spirit? What if you don't have any bags, so no extra $, will you take Spirit?

If I took my NSX to a shop that was know for crappy work to save some money, and they messed it up then I got what I payed for knowing they did crappy work. And if I took it to them again to save a nickel and once again they screwed it up you would all think I was nuts. But you guys keep allowing airlines to dish out substandard service and screw you over, because as the Spirit CEO says.... "Let him tell the world how bad we are. He's never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny." And you guys prove him right, time after time after time.

 

[KrayziE RussiaN]

Last month I started planning my family's trip from Portland, OR to Northern Virgina. On February 4th I checked prices and four round trip tickets would have been about $1450 flying Southwest.

After coordinating and securing vacation times I went to book the flights yesterday and the price had jumped up to $2000 .

The trip is planned for August 2nd to the 11th. Should I book the flights now or hold off on the hopes that fuel prices moderate?

Thanks in advance for the help,

Matt

I'm a tour manager for a music group and deal with this on a daily basis. I always look at ticket prices as far out as possible from the upcoming dates, but sometime have to book last minute. I've found that a lot of the times you can find cheaper fare when you are one month to two weeks away from your departure, than when you look at the price months out! A recent example was a flight from Cancun to McAllen, TX (a smaller airport in TX). I started looking at tickets about two months out and they were running about $450+ each but recently booked those flights earlier this month (departure is 16th of this month) at under $300 each (I think $266 to be exact). Oh btw... that's one way... and with a connection (there was no way around it)...

 

[westernb4]

CL65 Captain, I agreed entirely with what you've said. We have done this to ourselves.
I don't think that I'll fly Spirit again however.

 

[Osiris_x11]

good application...

http://matrix.itasoftware.com

 

[HIJACKER]

You said you're flying to Northern VA? I live in Fairfax (just a few miles outside of Dulles IAD.

Dulles carries a higher cost. Check flights going to Reagan National or even BWI. In some cases, you can save A LOT of money flying to Baltimore and just paying $80 for the cab-fare or having family pickup.

 

[Sulley]

Don't forget to factor in baggage costs. Sometimes the cheapest seat isn't if your having to pay bag fees. Although I think most charge for bags now.

I retired early from a major airline a few years ago. I agree with the Captain's analysis of the airline situation.

What I have found from booking flights for myself and other family members:

Try Wednesday mornings for your search, as I understand it they usually drop prices at midnight Tues.

Don't try to find the absolutely lowest price, you'll drive yourself crazy. Try to use a mindset of getting a price thats "good enough".

Realize that no two people on your flight paid the same fare, some paid a lot more, some less.

As others have said, try other nearby airports, but make sure that cab, rental car, and other costs don't wipe out your ticket savings.

I start looking several months out if it's planned trip. If it's around a holiday or other event, prices may not come down. If you've been watching fares and they come down, be ready to book them. As you've found they may be gone the next day. It does seem they drop them in the 4-8 week range, but only for a day or two at a time.

Good luck,

Sulley

 

[Matt Knight]

You said you're flying to Northern VA? I live in Fairfax (just a few miles outside of Dulles IAD.

Dulles carries a higher cost. Check flights going to Reagan National or even BWI. In some cases, you can save A LOT of money flying to Baltimore and just paying $80 for the cab-fare or having family pickup.

I always check BWI and National; the last two years Southwest has been very competitive going into Dulles. Dulles is very convenient considering we'll be in Springfield, Herndon and Gainesville. In past years the cost difference between Dulles and BWI has covered the cost of my rental car.

I grew up in Springfield and graduated from George Mason 25 years ago. It's a good place to be from; far from :smile:

 

[Miner]

First off, not all airlines hedge their fuel costs. And those that did are only partially hedged for 2011 (even SWA), as with the economy in the tank they figured that oil would remain low until a noticeable recovery.

Second, labor use to be the largest cost to the airline and now fuel is well over 50% of their costs. So, every time oil goes up it is NOT an excuse to raise ticket prices.

"For United, the world's largest airline since it merged with Continental Airlines, a $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil means spending an extra $100 million a year on jet fuel, Marren said. United Continental Holdings — parent company of the merged Continental and United — has hedged about 40 percent of its planned 2011 fuel consumption. Even with the hedging, however, U.S. airlines will spend $15 billion more on jet fuel than the $38.8 billion they paid last year if that fuel continues to cost more than $3 a gallon, according to the Air Transport Association."

Finally, my god people.... airline prices are CHEAPER than they were in the mid 80s. My Mom had put my very first airline ticket where I traveled alone (summer camp) in a scrapbook. STL-ORD-DLH. TWA connecting to Republic Ailrines - $423.15 round trip in 1981. What would that be corrected for inflation???? According to this inflation calculator.... $1,119.03. So quit your whining!

Service sucks? No free snacks? The internet and consumers have turned the airline business into Walmart. You now shop ticket prices like they are a commodity. Cheapest fare wins, even if it's by a $2 difference. Bad service, rude employees, extra charges for everything? Cheapest fare wins! You guys did this to yourselves.

We know you don't have a choice when flying from XXX so we thank you for choosing We Apologize Airlines. On behalf of this Crappy City based flight crew, we hope you have a pleasant afternoon even when you mutter I'm never flying We Apologize Airlines ever again as you walk past the cockpit. Because we know you will be back.

Tell us how you really feel; and don't hold back.:biggrin:
Airfare is like petrol prices. They can't go up and keep pace with inflation. Everyone wants to pay <$300 for a trip, just like 10 years ago. I will say that when my sister went to college back in '79, a one-way economy fare from El Paso to Dallas on SW was $9 plus tax!

Miner