Aulani & Airfare

[AddieAidey]

We booked Presidents week at Aulani for February 7-14 (or 15) 2015. I looked at the tickets and they are $650 right now (out of Phoenix). Typically February is a slow season so I am not sure if I should buy the tickets now or wait a few months to see if they come down. Its a holiday week so that throws a wrench into it as well. We went last November and they were only $420 a piece. It was also before AA acquired US Airways too. Ugh.

I know its a total crap shoot but I just want to see what others would do or if anyone traveled to Aulani during that month before??

Thanks!

 

[jedspad]

Just tagging along, we are flying to California hopefully Feb 8th, onto Aulani on the 11th from Indianapolis and we are thinking the same. Do we book or wait???
Decisions, decisions.

 

[AddieAidey]

Opps, I'm sorry...I don't know how I got this posted in Member Services...and I have no idea how to move it now.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We went to Aulani in 2012 and 2013 both times during Presidents Week/February. Best airfare was our 2013 trip. Paid $391, from SFO to HNL. Purchased that ticket in October. That's over a year ago, and as you know, everything goes up in price...especially airfare. There is no way to tell if airfare will go up or down or when is the best time to buy. What I try to do now is if I see airfare that I'm comfortable with and within my budget, I buy it and stop looking.

 

[AZMermaid]

I've been watching airfare from Phoenix. We go next May. I have found 650-700 to be standard for non stop. Under 600 is a good price and under 500 is a book it right that second price! I'm hoping for under 550.

 

[AddieAidey]

We went to Aulani in 2012 and 2013 both times during Presidents Week/February. Best airfare was our 2013 trip. Paid $391, from SFO to HNL. Purchased that ticket in October. That's over a year ago, and as you know, everything goes up in price...especially airfare. There is no way to tell if airfare will go up or down or when is the best time to buy. What I try to do now is if I see airfare that I'm comfortable with and within my budget, I buy it and stop looking.

Thank you...good to know! I feel like the fares could come down as they usually have a fall sale. I'm definitely not feeling cozy with those prices right now and will take a chance with a price drop.

How was the crowd Presidents week? Was it busy all week long or just over that weekend with local business? Did you have kids with you and if so was it really busy at Aunty's? Thanks again!

 

[AddieAidey]

I've been watching airfare from Phoenix. We go next May. I have found 650-700 to be standard for non stop. Under 600 is a good price and under 500 is a book it right that second price! I'm hoping for under 550.

May is a busier month so I would agree that anything in the $500's I would book. I guess I am just hoping for the $400's again. I suppose I will wait it out a few months

 

[Ljbadfan]

Remember this month I think the 20th the tsa segment fees are going from $2.50 to $10.00 in fees for each segment

 

[bigvig1130]

From what I have read from a cheap airfare finder website, you never buy airline tickets when they first come out. Statistically, you should wait until 100 days before the flight to start to shop for tickets as this is when they are the cheapest. I read that the average cheapest day is 53 days before.

As a disclaimer, the article said that it is not an exact science, but those were the best numbers they could come up with.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

It wasn't busy. We have a daughter and used Aunty's once. Signed her up for something about fish, learning about them, making food for them and getting to see and feed them. For her, she's just as happy to swim at the pool or go to beach...actually happier! But Aunty's is a very busy place.

 

[AddieAidey]

I wonder if that has changed this year because I just looked today to add on an extra night and used the availability tool and saw that there is "limited availability" in all categories except ocean view rooms. Maybe with the holiday and low point requirement it might be busy.

A friend who is a travel agent suggested we wait and buy tickets at the 3-4 month mark. Here is to hoping because just this week Hawaiian Air has raised their tickets to almost $700! Crazy!

 

[sarah-jane]

We booked our Air Canada tickets on a good two-day seat sale for reading week (coincides with president week) a few months ago and booked our Aulani reservation this week. We may have paid a bit more, but the peace of mind knowing everything is all set and within our budget was worth it to us. We've been burned before waiting for seat sales that never happened and then had to spend way more than we planned.

 

[keaster]

We booked our Air Canada tickets on a good two-day seat sale for reading week (coincides with president week) a few months ago and booked our Aulani reservation this week. We may have paid a bit more, but the peace of mind knowing everything is all set and within our budget was worth it to us. We've been burned before waiting for seat sales that never happened and then had to spend way more than we planned.

We are planning on going March 2015 (so still waiting until August to book) but we went ahead and booked our flights from Toronto on United (2 on points, one out of pocket for just over $1000 CDN taxes all in.)

 

[OhioDVC]

I know your dates are listed as a Saturday to Saturday, but I've found the best rates are on Tuesday -Thursday if your dates are flexible

 

[AddieAidey]

I booked my tickets yesterday! I moved our dates by one day Feb 8-Feb 15 (sun-sun) and the air fare is so much less! I paid $508 a ticket which is much better than $650-700! I was starting to get worried because Aulani is booked solid for Presidents weekend for about 5 days. I had to waitlist the last night and it came through a week later. Just makes me think that the air fare will only go up for that particular week and not down.

 

[apple9117]

we booked a trip to Aulani in March, 2015 and our tickets were $472 roundtrip each from California. We booked it with Hawaiian Airlines. I noticed though that after we booked our flight, we've been getting e-mails from Hawaiian Airlines with potential deals on tickets to Hawaii. Might be worthwhile to sign up for their free membership emails!

 

[Boardwalkin]

$508 is a great deal. I have priced air from Phoenix for the last few years and rarely have seen fares any lower.