Astronomical Airfare!

[cmsnyder77]

My cruise is in April, Easter week. I have been looking at airfare rates for the past few weeks and they are so high compared to what we've paid the last 2 years (I'm sure holidays are more expensive, though). We are flying out of Charlotte, NC. I have never have trouble getting a reasonable price on a nonstop flight before, and now all of them are $400 or more!

Does anyone have any insight to offer me on whether I should go ahead and book the flights or if you think there's a chance I will be able to get a better rate?

TIA

 

[carolmp]

A non-stop flight for me from MN is $450 in March. I'm flying with stops, for $400.

I have never paid that much either. But I've been watching for about the last two months, and rates only seem to be going up. I'm thinking that they aren't going to go down, since that is Spring Break season.

 

[mmouse37]

Have you considered driving???? We have done it several times from NY so from NC it should be a piece of cake. LOL!!!

But, about airfares....they are just really high this year, especially over Easter. If you really want to fly I would book now and if they go up you will feel great that you booked now....and if a sale comes along.....oh, well....it is luck of the draw.

Don't second quess yourself....no one has a crystal ball to see what flights will be later on. If it were me I would book now and hope for the best.

 

[Pluto 2]

if i was you i wouldnt book anything at those prices if something comes up later fine, if not than drive you are not that far. maybe 8 hours. im from nj and it took 16 hours.

 

[Kay1]

There was an article in today's St. Petersburg times about high air fares . . .hope you get something more reasonable.

 

[one princess]

Anything going to MCO during spring break is bad. I had the same problem last year. When I first checked prices they were 600 from DC. Normally that flight is 200. It seemed like a bargain when it went down to 400 so I jumped on it. This year when I first checked it was 383 or something close to that so I booked. Check to see how full the flights are and if they are still wide open you have a little time to see if the flights go down. I have heard that certain days of the week can be cheaper than others. Just keep checking a couple times a day and see if the prices get any better.

Good luck,
Jackie

 

[Laurarn]

Hi NC neighbor! For some reason, Charlotte is ALWAYS high on airfare. We usually drive an extra 45 min. and fly out of Greensboro. At times, we have saved a few hundred bucks. Good Luck!
We cruise in a month and we're driving. It's about 8-9 hours (if I remember right).
Take care.

 

[cmsnyder77]

Thanks, everyone. I have definitely considered driving, but it's just me and DD so I am hesitant to do it on my own. Plus, road trips have never been my thing. I'm miserable driving 4 hrs to the beach!

I guess I'll just keep watching for a little while & see if there's any change in rates then decide.

 

[mrstbalt]

I called Southwest and American, I was told to check back in November. Southwest does not have them posted yet and American said also to wait until the same time.

 

[ashman]

Howdy NC neighbor! I'm in Greensboro. We are going on a three day in February and we were going to drive. My estimates show it taking aobut 10 hours from where I am. I would think that you could do it in 8 depending on what time of day you leave and what side of Charlotte you live. We are now flying only because I was able to score two frequent flyer tickets so it wound up being cheaper to fly. How old is your DD? Mine are at an age where a portable DVD player helps them last longer than I can! I would say hold off to see if you can get a better rate. Get a reservation to a hotel between Jacksonville and Port Canaveral. If you get a more reasonable air plane rate cancel the hotel. If not, you leave the before, drive about 6 hours to J-ville and then in the morning you've got about a two hour drive to the port which means getting there when the terminal opens up at 10:30 is VERY doable. Good luck!

 

[cmsnyder77]

DD is 6. She would be fine on the road trip, it's just me that would be miserable!

Actually, last night I did end up stumbling across a website and got a much better rate - $315 for nonstop flights. I could have gotten it for $275 but I preferred a different departure time. The site was ... Cheapair.com.

I was a little worried about using a site that's not widely known, but I checked out the security settings before entering my credit card info, and checked out the airline websites to make sure I was actually booked on the flights, and it all was okay!

It is a relief to have it done now.

 

[Float My Boat]

Yes, you are viewing Spring Break rates that will only get worse as more and more flights fill up. I agree with holding out for Southwest rates, since they don't release them until later. HOWEVER, you will need to check them almost daily, because there are LOTS of people waiting for them to release flights for their trips, and the cheapest rates will vanish in 1 to 2 days after being released.

 

[ESN]

For future reference - try this site - kayak.com

You input travel dates and cities and it searches multiple sites to give you an idea of fares that are out there - very helpful

There are places to track airline prices over time - e.g.- rates at the same time last year, and rates over the past few months.

I have found that in general - airfares are up about $100-200 per ticket compared with the past few years.