Air fares

[cleversole]

Just checked US Air today and prices are significantly less than they have been recently. If anyone is looking to book, you may want to check now. Just got a flight for business that was about 1/2 price and our flight to jamaica would have been about 150 less...but the tickets are non refundable, so we can't benefit but maybe others can... FYI.

[dirtleg]

How far out are you talking about? I have been following the air fare prices for US Air for our trip to CSA next June and they have held steady for the last month or so. The prices also are very close to what we got last year for this past June's trip, so we are very close to going ahead and making the booking. Yes, non-refundable tickets are least expensive.

[cleversole]

I just checked our price for our trip in November. I didn't go any further out than that but had we booked now it would have saved us $142 from what we actually paid. That is a lot of money to me. Seems like over the last couple days they dropped, but maybe it is the flights closer in. I checked seats on our plane and from Charlotte to MBJ, it is a little more than half full, maybe 2/3, on the way back, it still barely even half full.

[10snjamaica]

Are either of you comparing flights online, etc. or just going on to each carrier's website and checking that way. We are 7 months away from our trip to CN and I need to start looking at flights. Thanks for the suggestion cleversole.

[redinthehead]

How do you purchase tickets that far out? I've been looking for july 2011 and all the sites tell me they dont have anything available for my dates, I am assuming its because its too early.

[Donette]

I booked CN back in June to get the romance rewards for a week in Jan 2011. Our airfare costs were significantly higher as compared to what they are currently also.

[LisaPat]

Waited for JetBlue to open up the month of March, they finally did, and we got direct to MoBay for $79 each...we have to drive 6 hrs to get there, however...but we WILL!!

[cleversole]

Are either of you comparing flights online, etc. or just going on to each carrier's website and checking that way. We are 7 months away from our trip to CN and I need to start looking at flights. Thanks for the suggestion cleversole.

I looked at US Air direct...but also had to make a booking for a business trip and had to do it through our company's travel agency and was able to get them on there as well. Didn't check expedia or anything else like that, just US AIr direct and the prices are MUCH different than they were in May when we booked. Checked the plane to see seating and there were still seats left had we waited. We learn a little more each year as we book this but hope others can benefit with the information.

[dianavr]

Air Jamaica's flights for next year up until the middle of July are good. I booked our flights yesterday with them $813.00 for 2 last year we paid over $1,000 from Philadelphia.

[dirtleg]

Are either of you comparing flights online, etc...

I have been checking with a couple of sites (Yapta.com and ITASoftware.com) that pull pricing from numerous airlines and travel sites. From doing lots of cross checking it appears that the prices from one source to another, including the airline's own sites, do not vary by much. Many of the sites direct you to the airlines own sites anyway for booking. I looked at the prices for November and October, there were indeed some bargain prices available. But that is also peek hurricane season and low travel season for the Caribbean. Or at least generally speaking.

Redinthehead; most airlines make tickets available at about 330 days out. I have noticed that many of the travel sites do not follow this policy. Some airlines, such as JetBlue seem to only go out about 6 to 8 months. This also seems to hold for other "bargain" airlines that cater to air/hotel package deals with TA's.

We booked CSA for next summer in June of this year and the airfare prices first available in late July were significantly higher than what we had paid for this years trip (tickets purchased in July 2009). However, as I expected, the prices have fallen to very near what we paid last year. Within a few dollars anyway before the recent $10 jump.

This is a game I do not enjoy playing. We are debating whether to wait or go ahead and book at the current prices. We will probably have to revise our booking with Couples as the dates for the best fares do not match up with our current CSA reservation. From what I have seen from others though that does not appear to be a problem, at least not this far ahead.

Any more thoughts, questions or suggestions for pricing flights?

[trhops]

I just booked USA3000 out of STL for 3/18-3/25/11 for $99 one way each person.