May Med Airfare..Yikes

[HappyGrumpy]

Is it me or is Airfare REALLY high right now for travel in May?

I have traveled all over the world. I paid $1100 for 2 adults to travel to Ireland in 2007 in September. That was the last time I was in Europe!

I know May is a popular time to travel to Europe but I am in sticker shock over the fare. I will be lucky if I can score an adult fare's for less that 2K.

I have scoured all the "discount" websites but the savings is minimal compared to the airlines actual site and I am being "alerted" to any sales!

just needed to get that out of my system..I do not want it to sound like I am complaining I am just like

HG

 

[Goofy Mum]

Try booking from one major international airport to another. I see you're in VA. If you book out of Richmond for example you're fare's going to skyrocket. But if you can make it to Dulles or better yet NYC you'll probably save a bundle. Also try booking a flight to London and catch a budget airline from there! Just check before you book because sometimes budget airlines have extra 'hidden charges'.

 

[wrennies]

I have been watching fares for months. I feel pretty comfortable that they are about to start coming down for the May flights to BCN. I have watched farecompare.com's charts of the lowest fares and see how they come down. To me it looks like booking 2 to 3 months out is best. We are on the May 26 and I plan to book in late Feb. or March. There are also "rumors" of a big Delta sale when they join with NWA. I hope that sale drives others down too.

 

[DL1957]

Is it me or is Airfare REALLY high right now for travel in May?

I have traveled all over the world. I paid $1100 for 2 adults to travel to Ireland in 2007 in September. That was the last time I was in Europe!

I know May is a popular time to travel to Europe but I am in sticker shock over the fare. I will be lucky if I can score an adult fare's for less that 2K.

I have scoured all the "discount" websites but the savings is minimal compared to the airlines actual site and I am being "alerted" to any sales!

just needed to get that out of my system..I do not want it to sound like I am complaining I am just like

HG

I am not to far from you in Williamsburg. We are going on the June Baltic Cruise. So far the only fares I have found under $1000 a person are out of DC. I did find a lower fare out of Richmond but that or DC is a way for you to go. I had a friend who spent the night in Baltimore and got free parking at the hotel. They got lower airfare and did have to pay for parking. Ended up $3,000 savings for 5 people. Good luck, we haven't booked out air either!

 

[jel0511]

We're on the Aug 18th cruise and I booked my air back in Oct. I paid just over 1000 a ticket for each of us. We're flying into Paris, staying for a few days, then flying to Barcelona, then home to JFK. I didn't think it was too bad considering. Since I booked prior to Nov 1st, we have 2 pieces of baggage per person, so 8 total for us. All international carries changed their baggage rules as of Nov 1st to only 1 free bag per person. I booked when I did more for the baggage allowance and knew that fares for August probably wouldn't be much lower than I was seeing. My exact flights are 1k total more now.

 

[Pluto 2]

Is it me or is Airfare REALLY high right now for travel in May?

I have traveled all over the world. I paid $1100 for 2 adults to travel to Ireland in 2007 in September. That was the last time I was in Europe!

I know May is a popular time to travel to Europe but I am in sticker shock over the fare. I will be lucky if I can score an adult fare's for less that 2K.

I have scoured all the "discount" websites but the savings is minimal compared to the airlines actual site and I am being "alerted" to any sales!

just needed to get that out of my system..I do not want it to sound like I am complaining I am just like

HG

im on the may 26 cruise. yes fares are high right now. from philly, newark and jfk they are around 1000 dollars a person give or take a 100 dollars. the airlines want people to panic and book their flights early. they will come down in price. i hope. i will probaly book around 2-3 months before the cruise. it could cost me extra but i have a feeling i will save some money.

 

[keaster]

I'm sooo not a last minute, wait and see person when it comes to booking airfare for a trip like this one (quickie trip to Dominican..yes...major overseas vacation...not so much )

So we booked our airfare in November with KLM...2 adults, one child roundtrip from Toronto to BCN for the May 5th Med was $2600 Cdn. including taxes, etc. (our dollar is just shy of parity with the U.S.)

Not sure how that compares with flights out of JFK or other American airports...I"m pretty sure we have some more taxes and stuff added on here north of the border.

 

[shaylahc1]

I've seen airfares ranging from $650-1000+. I think if you fly out of a major airport you can probably get a rountrip ticket for $800-900 per person.

 

[abdmom]

I had been watching airfares since mid-December. I'm also flying out of Toronto. They had been pretty stable in the $1050 CAD per person range for 2A and 2C. Today, I snagged some Air France tickets for $850 pp. So, it looks like the prices are at least starting to come down.

 

[Travelbee]

I've also been checking since November. RT from LAX to BCN has been $1100pp consistently for the last couple of months. I heard airlines usually have a sale in the beginning of the year, so I'm holding out too. Although I am so with Keaster, not a last minute person! This is driving me nuts!

 

[carmie3377]

We have considered the TA but when I checked airfare to or from BCN to/from Houston, the lowest rates I have found are around $1200 pp for a one way trip. Therefore, we decided against it. After reading this thread and reading the rates some of y'all are quoting for RT, I decided to check RT prices. $578 RT on Iberia. Their one way rate was $2828! The other airlines are the same, cheaper RT than one way! Too bad I can't book a RT out of IAH to BCN for the WB TA and just not catch the flight home

ETA: I just checked IAH-BCN then MCO-IAH and get over $2000/person.

 

[hawky7]

No its not just you!!! We've been searching and searching!! (we're booked on same cruise as u) I think we're going to have to cancel, even with the cruise being a smokin good deal, I'd have to take a full week unpaid, plus at least $2000 for airfare, plus all the things we'd want to do at each port, the more I look at it, the more I think, this isn't turning into a very good deal. Makes me quite sad, but I can't justify two grand for airfare AND an unpaid week of work...

 

[abdmom]

Too bad I can't book a RT out of IAH to BCN for the WB TA and just not catch the flight home

Why not? There's no law against it.

 

[stingmom]

we flew RT from Jax, Fl to BCN in May of 2009 for $400 per person. I booked that flight 3 weeks before we left! It was a spur of the moment decision to cruise the Med. We have been booked for our next May cruise for a while and waiting for the airfare to drop is killing me! Prices are more than DOUBLE right now! ARGH!

 

[pixie08]

Yeah the fares are crazy to the barcelona in MAy. This is part of the reason we moved our cruise, the fares were around $2000 pp from nyc.

 

[IndyDisneyFan]

We are sailing May 15 and I have been watching airfare RT out of Indy for months. With the final payment due on our cruise next week I would feel much better if I could snag a great airfare! I am nervous about making that final payment and then find out I can't get decent airfare. I too don't want to pay 2k for my husband and I to get to Barcelona. I keep waiting on Delta to drop those fares and hope they hurry up!!

Laura

 

[mkmommy]

I had been watching airfares since mid-December. I'm also flying out of Toronto. They had been pretty stable in the $1050 CAD per person range for 2A and 2C. Today, I snagged some Air France tickets for $850 pp. So, it looks like the prices are at least starting to come down.

I got slightly lower for our trip on Air Canada in October, and I think that is a really great fare.

For us in Canada we are used to higher airfares. I have friends who are flying to Toronto to Orlando at spring break and that airfare is over $900 a person for a 2.5 hour flight, so I feel that $1000 is a reasonable airfare to Europe.

 

[HappyGrumpy]

Thanks for all the responses! I am glad to know I am not the only one concerned but I you all have lifted my spirits!

Try booking from one major international airport to another. I see you're in VA. If you book out of Richmond for example you're fare's going to skyrocket. But if you can make it to Dulles or better yet NYC you'll probably save a bundle. Also try booking a flight to London and catch a budget airline from there! Just check before you book because sometimes budget airlines have extra 'hidden charges

Definitely looking at this as an option, not convenient DCA, Reagan and BWI is where I am looking if it saves me a bundle!

No its not just you!!! We've been searching and searching!! (we're booked on same cruise as u) I think we're going to have to cancel, even with the cruise being a smokin good deal, I'd have to take a full week unpaid, plus at least $2000 for airfare, plus all the things we'd want to do at each port, the more I look at it, the more I think, this isn't turning into a very good deal. Makes me quite sad, but I can't justify two grand for airfare AND an unpaid week of work...

We actually unbooked it and are trying to make the decision to rebook it b/c I cannot justify the $2500 it's going to cost to do a 7 night western! I am going to try and give it some more time but I really need to see the numbers move down!

I

'm sooo not a last minute, wait and see person when it comes to booking airfare for a trip like this one (quickie trip to Dominican..yes...major overseas vacation...not so much )

Thats why this trip is stretching my flexibility and my pocket book I am not a last minute person as well!

I keep waiting on Delta to drop those fares and hope they hurry up!!

You and me both!!

 

[lmhall2000]

I am subbing and vow to post IMMEDIATELY when I find fares are dropping, I'm mostly checking at midnight on Sundays and Mondays (Tuesday am)..that's when I am finding most airlines I need (American & Delta) change their weekly fare sales....if anyone wants to pick up other week nights we can compare notes....I'll post back to this thread as soon as I hear something! I need SEVEN tickets!! EEK!

Tara....hopeful for good things in 2010..

 

[Brooklyn]

For anyone looking into Transatlantic - We booked flights from Barcelona to JFK - $420pp and then $120pp JFK to San Diego.