Hey Boardies!!!
The airfares for April don't seem to be coming down or cheap like they were last year at this time. Should I go ahead and book my airfare NOW or give it a few more weeks?
One Luv
Luvs
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Hey Boardies!!!
The airfares for April don't seem to be coming down or cheap like they were last year at this time. Should I go ahead and book my airfare NOW or give it a few more weeks?
One Luv
Luvs
OH and I'm coming from the Washington, DC area.
I am in the same boat and ended up booking. I looked today and Feb has dropped, so April just might as you get closer. But it could also go up!
I gave up and booked April out of NY $820/rt for 2. It was the best I could do. Not a lot of seats left either.
I totally understand luvs,I'm in the same boat as well. I'm coming from BWI and for my dates in May they want$463.07 for a single RT ticket.
I am from Maryland as well and just booked a flight on Air Tran out of BWI for March. The prices were high but I watched EVERYDAY and finally one day they had a sale $99 there and $129 back plus taxes, ended up with a ticket RT Non Stop for $332 which isn't too terrible. Be flexible and play with the dates and check everyday.
By the way....it seems as though there are a lot of us Maryland folk here on the board...we should all get together sometime....what do you all think???
I Totally agree that it is a great rate...I am so happy. The day before I booked, the same flight was $463 and today I checked and the same flight is $463.07 again. It pays to keep a watchful eye!!!
I know what you mean, Luvsdaisland! The prices for April are almost $200 more per ticket than we have ever paid before! It’s insane! We were also hoping for an April trip to celebrate our anniversary.
The price HAS to go down. Whether or not we can take our next trip is dependent on that happening. We can’t afford it otherwise. I have my fingers tightly crossed
If I were you, I would wait. That’s what we’re doing.
In the past we have gotten the best prices by waiting a month and a half before departure. We’ve scored surprisingly cheap tickets that way.
But I’ve never seen the prices this high before.
Clarity thanks for the tip, I too am hanging a potential April reach on the hope of getting a good airfare price. If I do get there in April I hope you, hubbyman, and I can share a Q!
prices have definitely gone up... last year for my trip in march my ticket was about $218 this march we are up to $272 leaving from orlando, FL which is high for us... considering we're only a hop skip and jump away from jamaica.. i dread the moment i move up north next year.. i cant imagine the fares from NY.
I am $560-600!
Clarity....im crossing fingers too......remember......Your on assignment :cool:
I paid $270 for end of March coming back in April from Orlando. Which I would be totally ecstatic about if I didn't need to also purchase 3 round trip tickets from DC to Orlando to drop the kids off. All together it ends up costing me a small fortune to take my vacation. But it is totally worth every penny!
I'm holding out for another month. If they don't go down by March 1, guess I'll take what I can get, but I've always had good luck if I wait until after January.
$500? Oh Boo Hoo...try flying from western Canada! That's less than 1/2 our ticket price. Sorry but I just don't feel any pitty for you "easterners". :)
My price wasn't listed to elicit pity...just to illustrate the drastic increase. lol
A couple years ago I booked flight/hotel for 7 nites...$800....
I am going to follow this thread closely, it seems some of you have a good handle on how to do this...
If you leave on a Thursday from Regina you can get flights for like 510...that's not too bad considering how late in the season it is....
I do know that if you book on a Thursday or Fridays the fares are usually more expensive and usually go down late Sunday/early Monday.
USAir usually increase their fares after 10:30/11:00am (sometimes)
Delta has COMPLETELY lost their minds with airfare between 800 - over 1000!!!
I am going to be booking Airtran since that is the only direct non-stop leaving from the Washington, DC area. (I refuse to change flights this time!!!) BUT....BUT if the fare is like $300 cheaper on American or USAir I will just suck up the switching flight fasaco!!!!
Wait Luvsdaisland! Hold off on booking that ticket. I bet you can do better by waiting. I just found something:D:
Finally the best time to purchase airfare has been revealed in a new 2012 report from the Airlines Reporting Corporation
The best time to purchase your airfare is six weeks prior to travel.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/final...#ixzz1kKmLl1jF
So for us that means first week of March and we'll be crossing our fingers that the price is $200 less during that "sweet spot" so we can get tickets to Jamaica for April. That might be hoping a lot, but we'll see. the prices right now are just way too insane.
Nice...I'll start really looking the beginning of May for the first week of July.
Awesomeness. Thanks for the tip!
<Brasi looks at calendar>
Thinks "...if I use Clarity's tickets tip can I go April AND November AND December???????"
Joe Trinidad's autograph alone should fetch thousands on Ebay!
Gosh darn it...extrapolating...if I push April to June...may need to anyway...then November to December...lol...I could do a DAd n the kids trip around Xmas time, and maybe do like 15 days...7 w kids 8 without LOL...
math............eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek...... ....sizzle! pop!
#$%$$## YOU PATTY! :D
jk jk
Clarity,
Thanks for the Tip!!!
Consolidation in the airline industry, fewer flights and smaller planes has caused this. We paid about $70 per ticket more this year than normal. I don't even mind the higher expense as much as I hate the fact that MBJ is no longer a regularly scheduled non-stop destination from my hometown. The charter company that runs the one and only non-stop (Wed, Sat & Sun) is charging $1,100 per ticket or about $500 more than what I paid with the stop. It's been this amount all year and has never changed. Lowest I saw from MSP over the last year was $540 with an overnight stay in Atlanta or Charlotte or Chicago. Not sure how they mention an overnight (10 to 12 hour layover) as a "scheduled" fare. All of this is for a February flight...
Only 15 more sleeps.....
Russ in MN, I got airfare for $531 on CheapoAir last weekend for March 21-28th (leaving out of Minneapolis via Suncountry) and it's even a direct flight.
Just for fun I looked at AA.com and found airfare 4/17 thru 4/24 for $309 roundtrip. If you have any flexibility, the cheapest days to travel vary but are often midweek. I also get frequent fare updates from free services such as Airfare Watchdog. I fly from NYC and am usually good at finding cheap flights. I use a credit card that gives me miles so I accumulate air miles quickly. This past December I was able to do my roundtrip for $130 by booking two 1-way flights, using air miles one way and a voucher. Even without the voucher, my trip would have been $230 - still not bad. You still have some time before you have to panic. Watch the fares closely and see if you can find a trend.
Good Luck !!
That's a good find Sweetsue - Not many April Airfare deals have been springing up lately :(
I figure end of this month and beginning of March will be the "sweet spot" for mid to late April travel. *fingers crossed*
Luvdaisland – I don’t know if you got your airline ticket yet…
If NOT, here are a few more tips I forgot to mention earlier
Sign up for YAPTA.COM and KAYAK.COM flight price email updates. You can pick the exact flights you want, on the days you want. They will email you the minute the price drops on any of those chosen flights.
I recommend keeping an eye on Bing travel deals too. They post record low priced flights and some unadvertised deals.
There is a "cheap flights to the Caribbean" page (see link below)
http://www.bing.com/travel/deals/che...do?FORM=TRADDS
If there is any record low flight deal to Montego Bay – this is the first place it’s going to pop up. I've seen some amazing deals to Jamaica on this site...unfortunately never from my departure city.
Even if it’s not from your city, you can always take advantage of it by seeing if there is a deal from your city to that city. My friend saved 400$ on her flight to Thailand by booking two separate flights with two different airlines.
Another site I recommend is Airfare watchdog.
Click on this link for cheap flights to Montego Bay and you can sign up for the email update.
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/cheap...y-jamaica/870/
It will let you know all of the cheap flights to Montego bay each week. (This is how I found a really cheap ticket for me and Markus last November.)
And one more thing.
It’s a good idea Clear your cookies from your cache before doing flight searches.
Read this article to find out why.
http://goasia.about.com/b/2011/09/05...er-cookies.htm
Hope that helps!
Can you tell how much I’m HOPING to score affordable tickets to Jamaica for April? I’ve researched this into the ground! Lol! :D
Awesome tips, Clarity!
I need the tips cause the flight I want went up 90 bucks in two days. I still have time so I'm hoping to get a good price during the "sweet spot".
(I just hate to wait...I am one of those high anixiety folks...I'm scared I will get a terrible seat or it will sell out...just all types of thoughts go through my head, LOL)
SOOOOOO I just booked a one way fare from BWI to MBJ it was $184. Now looking for a return fare, Airtran keeps increasing!!! So I just might go ahead and book the Airtran for $296.... with 2 one way fares, it is the cheapest I have seen since November.
ANDDDDDD What is up with these overnight layovers...this is ridiculous!!! SOOOO you mean to tell me that a 3 1/2 flight is going to take me 26 hours?? CRAZY!!!
I am also afraid to wait! I'm not going for another five months and I'm getting itchy fingers about booking the airfare NOW. I'm just worried about not getting seats.
See you all have made me nervous. May just go ahead and get it tomorrow. I'm trying to get three cheapest possible since I have to pay an additional 90 for the boy! Gonna pay for one ticket what I would have normally paid for 2!
Congrats on pushing the button Luvsdaisland! Woo hoo!:D
I feel you, I hate overnight layovers too but you know it's all worth it in the end!
Delta, I know what you mean about the price hike!!
Take a look at the notification I just received this morning
the price went up 70% that's RIDICULOUS!
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/...ane82/What.jpg
I've never seen the price that high! I literally gasped out loud!
I have regained my composure though and I have not lost hope.
I'm still waiting it out, cool as a cucumber.:cool:
I'm not falling for their scare tactics and I'm not worried about the seats selling out.
"Sweet spot" soon come.
These prices will drop.