Airfares going the wrong way!

[Fargoman2]

Like many of you I'm sure, I've become accustomed to scoring great airfare deals to Orlando in recent years. While some of you may be fortunate enough to continue that trend because of your market, it is clear to me that MSP is among the group where deals are getting extremely difficult to come by.

The last two summers I was able to score a $181 and $169 RT out of MSP. I think those days are WAY LONG GONE! For our post Thanksgiving trip this year, I've been watching fares for a good two months and all they do is creep up. I pulled the trigger on Saturday and got $259 on USAIR. Hours later the fares creeped up again.

Jet fuel prices and an inflationary-bound economy spell continued trouble in this area I think. For those of you in some of the east coast and markets where SW fly, you may be able to buck this trend given the volume of competition and air traffic that exists in your markets. But for MSP fliers especially, the days of "wow" deals seem to be waning and flying away.

OK now, MSP fliers this would be the time to say I have it all wrong and that you've scored a big deal for your trip. I hope you were able to. Maybe I pulled the trigger too soon, but I just don't like the handwriting I've been seeing on the wall.

 

[dudspizza]

Like many of you I'm sure, I've become accustomed to scoring great airfare deals to Orlando in recent years. While some of you may be fortunate enough to continue that trend because of your market, it is clear to me that MSP is among the group where deals are getting extremely difficult to come by.

The last two summers I was able to score a $181 and $169 RT out of MSP. I think those days are WAY LONG GONE! For our post Thanksgiving trip this year, I've been watching fares for a good two months and all they do is creep up. I pulled the trigger on Saturday and got $259 on USAIR. Hours later the fares creeped up again.

Jet fuel prices and an inflationary-bound economy spell continued trouble in this area I think. For those of you in some of the east coast and markets where SW fly, you may be able to buck this trend given the volume of competition and air traffic that exists in your markets. But for MSP fliers especially, the days of "wow" deals seem to be waning and flying away.

OK now, MSP fliers this would be the time to say I have it all wrong and that you've scored a big deal for your trip. I hope you were able to. Maybe I pulled the trigger too soon, but I just don't like the handwriting I've been seeing on the wall.

I would love to tell you that you are wrong, but you have hit the nail on the head. Hopefully this is a trend that will NOT continue forever.

I was lucky enough to get in on the Airtran/Wendy's promo at the beginning of the year. With all money invested, I got tickets for $400 for 4 of us. The same flights are priced at $2000 today!!!!

Best of luck!

Duds

 

[jengelbrecht]

I thought the same thing about airfare from Detroit to MCO. I checked several times during the day for weeks, then out of the blue Northwest Airlines prices started fluctuating like crazy--up and down, up and down. One morning I checked and it was $124 RT, then $117. Of course I grabbed it. Today the prices are almost double that of a week ago.
For those of you still flight shopping, it really pays off to check 7-8 times during the day if you can (over the course of a week or two) and see what prices pop up.

 

[tmt martins]

I could always count on SW from BWI to get me in on the cheap.

But I had to do the Sunday travel thing this trip and all if any Dings were mid-weekdays.
Thank goodness I had a free flight coming to me it took out some of the sting.

 

[zulaya]

I know I will sound like a broken record...but MSP needs more competition! I don't know if it's the MAC charging outrageous gate fees, landing fees, whatever...but I can't see that NWA is that scary of an airline to compete with. I mean I know that DTW is one of their hubs, but at least DTW has Spirit, which I think is why DTW flyers can see some realistic deals more often than those of us at MSP.

Whatever is preventing other more competitive airlines from moving in here, I wish we could figure it out. I am SICK of being nickeled and dimed from here. And unlike those of you on the east coast, there's no real local competition.

OK, getting off my rant before I give myself a coronary over this...

 

[scoutsmom99]

Funny this topic just came up I just spent an hour looking at various airfare options out of MSP for two trips. Of course everything is way over priced. The best thing I found was ATA for $237 on a web special, but the seats would not be assigned until we got to the airport. Sun Country was more expensive than NWA for the dates I was looking at.

 

[DJNOWICK]

I learned to be flexible -- whenever possible, I adjusted my travel dates to Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the Dings from BWI to MCO have been fairly plentiful and reasonably priced -- $130RT. There is a Ding right this second for BWI/MCO $65 for Tues-Fri, for 8/1-9/30, in fact.

Best I ever did pre-gas hype was $118 so this really is decent, all things considered. I understand that many markets aren't as competitive, but the DC/Baltimore market has little to complain about, imho.

Jackie

 

[tmt martins]

I learned to be flexible -- whenever possible, I adjusted my travel dates to Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the Dings from BWI to MCO have been fairly plentiful and reasonably priced -- $130RT. There is a Ding right this second for BWI/MCO $65 for Tues-Fri, for 8/1-9/30, in fact.

Best I ever did pre-gas hype was $118 so this really is decent, all things considered. I understand that manyt markets aren't as copetitive, but the DC/Baltimore market has little to complain about, imho.

Jackie

I agree we did a Sat to Sat trip last June from BWI- LAX for $159 RT ns and that wasn't even a ding. I hit the BWI-MCO a few times under the $120 mark.

I know it was to good to be for ever but I will be traveling mid week again as so as I can.And Dings 3 months in advance just tells me they have many filled flights right now for JUNE /July and they use some of the midweek empties to push the layover and left behinds onto.

 

[DisMN]

I know I will sound like a broken record...but MSP needs more competition! I don't know if it's the MAC charging outrageous gate fees, landing fees, whatever...but I can't see that NWA is that scary of an airline to compete with. I mean I know that DTW is one of their hubs, but at least DTW has Spirit, which I think is why DTW flyers can see some realistic deals more often than those of us at MSP.

Whatever is preventing other more competitive airlines from moving in here, I wish we could figure it out. I am SICK of being nickeled and dimed from here. And unlike those of you on the east coast, there's no real local competition.

OK, getting off my rant before I give myself a coronary over this...

Oh man, tell me about it. NWA has a firm grip on Duluth as well........they have the contract at the Duluth International *chuckle* airport so no other airline is even available to us. We either have to accept whatever monstrous pricing they put out there OR drive the extra few hours to the Cities to deal with hotels, parking and other logistics nightmares down that way.

I really wish Duluth would allow other carriers into their facility. It's sooooo convenient for us northerners (and Canadians too!).


.

 

[zulaya]

This describes me on a daily basis with regard to this stinking airfare. I am 99% sure I won't be flying NWA...right now, the price for my ideal flight times...$419 per person. Whatever.

 

[DJNOWICK]

NWA is seriously the ONLY air carrier in Duluth?? Wow.

 

[dudspizza]

NWA is seriously the ONLY air carrier in Duluth?? Wow.

According the www.duluthairport.com, NWA and Allegiant Air are the only carriers out of there. Allegiant only flies to Las Vegas from Duluth. My mom flew them out of there in Feb.

Air travel from Northern MN has fallen over the years. Blue Goose Airlines (Republic) used to fly out of Hibbing but they were bought out by NWA in the mid 80's and NWA now totally controls all of the northern airports via their regional carrier, Mesaba. They used to fly into Grand Rapids (GPZ), but shut down that service years ago. Now it is Hibbing, St. Cloud, and Brainerd in the north, besides Duluth. The funny thing about NWA out of Duluth is that you most likely have to connect in MSP anyway!

Duds

 

[scoutsmom99]

I learned to be flexible -- whenever possible, I adjusted my travel dates to Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the Dings from BWI to MCO have been fairly plentiful and reasonably priced -- $130RT. There is a Ding right this second for BWI/MCO $65 for Tues-Fri, for 8/1-9/30, in fact.

Best I ever did pre-gas hype was $118 so this really is decent, all things considered. I understand that many markets aren't as competitive, but the DC/Baltimore market has little to complain about, imho.

Jackie

I wish we were traveling mid-week for our first trip, but my sister only has Saturday to Sunday am off so we have to fly on a Saturday to Saturday. I know when I go at other times I try and fly mid week and in the off season because I find better dels. I think the biggest problem is that there is not much competion here for NWA.

In September other than NWA's 4 or 5 non-stop flights to MCO Sun Country and Air Tran each offer only 1 non stop flight each day I hope we get some competion or a fare sale soon.

Zulaya That is me too. I check about ten times a day I feel like.

 

[DisMN]

According the www.duluthairport.com, NWA and Allegiant Air are the only carriers out of there. Allegiant only flies to Las Vegas from Duluth. My mom flew them out of there in Feb.

Air travel from Northern MN has fallen over the years. Blue Goose Airlines (Republic) used to fly out of Hibbing but they were bought out by NWA in the mid 80's and NWA now totally controls all of the northern airports via their regional carrier, Mesaba. They used to fly into Grand Rapids (GPZ), but shut down that service years ago. Now it is Hibbing, St. Cloud, and Brainerd in the north, besides Duluth. The funny thing about NWA out of Duluth is that you most likely have to connect in MSP anyway!

Duds

We've noticed huge increases of people flying out of Duluth over the past 5 years. We've also seen people say the numbers of people flying out of Duluth is lower but not what we've seen......... full planes on every trip and this is not your small commuter plane like they have in the smaller airports.

The fact that we often connect in MSP is fine, it still saved the northern people anywhere from 4-6 hours on the road and an overnight stay on either end of the trip.

We could go to Hibbing which is only 20 minutes away but dang, that runway is short and when it's icy....*shiver* very scary!! LOL
Ticket prices would drop if NWA had competition in the markets it currently has ahold of by the short hairs.

.

.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

We fly out of Sioux Falls, SD, always connecting in MSP. I won't say anymore or I'll give myself a heart attack. Our only choice is NWA or Allegiant really. Thankfully Allegiant now goes to Sanford. I'm looking for a flight to Boston in August and everything is close to $500.

 

[connorlevismom]

I am so glad that someone posted this! I thought I was the only one ripping my hair out with flight prices around here. We are going mid October a Sunday to a Friday and we are paying $347.00 per person! The only reason we are even flying NW is because we have enough FF miles for one free ticket. Mind you that we had enough if we combined our FF miles and NW charges you to tranfer miles to your SO's account. They charged us $85.00 to transfer points! So we really did not get a free ticket, we paid $85.00 for it plus the $5.00 they charge you to even book it.

I agree with the poster who said we are getting nickle and dimed to death here in MSP.

Kristine

 

[zulaya]

I just want realistic prices here. I mean come on! $419 per person in early December? Now granted I am flying Sat-Sat so I expect it to be higher than a Tues or Weds, but get real already!

I understand gas prices are higher than last year, but not enough to justify charging me DOUBLE what I paid last year. My income didn't DOUBLE last year so why should my disposable income DOUBLE.

(red alert...in case you haven't noticed this is a rant...red alert... )

And NWA especially irks me...not that I am in any big rush to fly them...but given that they are in bankruptcy and they have their concessions from all but the flight attendants, WHICH they claimed was why they were going into bankruptcy, why are they wanting someone to pay $419 per person in early December?

(where is the smilie that shows you pulling your hair out in anger and frustration?)

At this point, I am not sure what's happening. Flying is the most logical option for us...we live 1800 miles away...it's a 24 hour drive IF you do it straight...we don't have the extra days of vacation to drive it...THIS TIME. I admit it is SO much more convenient to fly it in 3 hours. But I can tell you that $419 per person isn't worth it to me. Even the $335 per person that Sun Country wants is iffy to me right now. Airtran can get me there for $260ish, but the times suck for non-stops, given the plans I already have in place OR with a stop, it take you freakin' all day to get from one place to another.

I just can't believe that with the size of this airport, with the number of flights coming in here taking people to and fro, that MSP can't get a decent fare for normal middle class people.

OK, my rant is done for now.

 

[aubriee]

I know I will sound like a broken record...but MSP needs more competition!
Whatever is preventing other more competitive airlines from moving in here, I wish we could figure it out. I am SICK of being nickeled and dimed from here. And unlike those of you on the east coast, there's no real local competition.

OK, getting off my rant before I give myself a coronary over this...

Hey, try living in the Dallas Ft Worth area! You would think that an airport the size of DFW would have all kinds of options for getting to Orlando. Nope!The only option we have for nonstop flights is American and a few Air Tran flights (usually 1 or 2/day). American can and does charge whatever they want. It makes you sick to see the prices people elsewhere can get and know we have no choice but to pay American's high prices.

Due to the Wright Ammendment we can't even fly out of Lovefield because Southwest is not allowed to fly to anywhere except the five connecting states and now St. Louis.

 

[OhMari]

I found NWA flying out of Milwaukee to orlando $40 cheaper yesterday on Travelocity, than it's own website. When I went back last nite, it was only $10 cheaper. I always thought going to the website was cheaper, now I'll have to watch travelocity too. And travelocity charged a $5.00 fee and it was still cheaper than NWA webpage. I am looking for tickets for next Easter and it has been going up since the dates opened up.

 

[zulaya]

OhMari--

That's I think what's happening, too. I know elsewhere the best fares are available when the dates first open up...I see this especially from people who live on the east coast.

Now before, I haven't found that to be true. I'd watch the fares as soon as they came out and I usually found what I would consider a good deal anywhere from 6-9 months out.

Maybe flights out of MSP are conforming to the rest of the country to where the best fares are only available 334 days out.