Crazy Airfares!!

[tvguy]

Please note, 1) I said "most" not "all". 2) I said "leisure" travelers, not "all". I was referring to those taking vacation.

And 3) Even legacy airlines don't open up flights until 330 days in advance, so 11 months, not a year.

I e-mailed my Travel Agent.
She booked the Departure within 331 days.
She booked a "placeholder" for the Return flight on a specific date beyond 331 days.
I had to book and pay for both before the U.K. would issue a student visa.
The airline has the placeholder in the system, and links it to a specific flight when the schedule becomes available.
Travel Agent says she thinks a placeholder can be booked up to 5 years in advance. Apparently many nations Visa process requires this.
My daughter was only going to be in the U.K. for a year, but Student Visas can be good for up to 5 years if a student's study plan goes that far out.

 

[soccerdad72]

I e-mailed my Travel Agent.
She booked the Departure within 331 days.
She booked a "placeholder" for the Return flight on a specific date beyond 331 days.
I had to book and pay for both before the U.K. would issue a student visa.
The airline has the placeholder in the system, and links it to a specific flight when the schedule becomes available.
Travel Agent says she thinks a placeholder can be booked up to 5 years in advance. Apparently many nations Visa process requires this.
My daughter was only going to be in the U.K. for a year, but Student Visas can be good for up to 5 years if a student's study plan goes that far out.

You e-mailed your travel agent to ask about details of a trip that happened years ago to win an Internet argument?

 

[DeeBee3]

Just adding to this nutsy thread that the person talking about fast food prices is absolutely correct. They have definitely gone up. I'm not going to dig up receipts to prove it. Just like all my groceries have gone up. Heck, even McDonald's said there is a "potato shortage" and when I did get some fries the last few times it looked like they fell out of the carton into a bag, except there were no fries. It was just half empty.

We are in an economic downturn. There is no debate. You can't keep printing money and nothing happen. All the covid relief came from somewhere and it wasn't the money tree. It was the printing of money we do not have. Top that all with covid-related financial impacts on businesses and workers.

And don't get me started on inflation and gas prices...

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Check Expedia, Costco, Priceline. It’s how we got our flights to the west coast.

 

[xipotec]

Melbourne is a great little airport.

Tiny 2 gate airport….but yes. about an hour to the parks.

 

[zillayen]

Tiny 2 gate airport….but yes. about an hour to the parks.

Easy parking, check in, and security, easy to get to car rental, usually not crowded, and often cheaper than Orlando!

 

[xipotec]

Sorry to hear your challenged. The unemployment situation is baffling to me. Record low unemployment, heck, I was at Wendy's yesterday, they are drive up only, they don't have enough staff to open the inside yet, and big banners advertising $25 a hour, more than I ever made in a "profession".
The Federal Reserve as I mentioned says people savings soaring during the pandemic.

Wonder what the ratio of savings to debt is now as compared to prior to the pandemic. Funny we have both record savings and record debt.

Its not baffling at all. Companies are not willing to accept expenses like labor that would eat into the unrealistic profits expected by Wall Street speculation. When WS has become addicted to double digit growth, companies that challenge that are black listed.

People are saying Dis stock is bad because of earnings the last 2 years? Where have they been since 2000? Its an entertainer company during a health crisis? If you look at the 10 year curve Dis is an amazing stock. But like everything, if its not instant profit its bad.

 

[kdonnel]

Easy parking, check in, and security, easy to get to car rental, usually not crowded, and often cheaper than Orlando!

The downside is scheduling.

With so few flights, the times of those flights might not be desirable.

And what happens in the case of IROPS? If you are at a bigger airport there is a better chance of getting to your destination the same day. At smaller airports the flight just might be cancelled until the next day or even the day after.

 

[MillauFr]

Boy this thread has done some weird twisting and turning.

From airfare pricing discussion (and tips on how to reduce the cost) to fast food costs to recession to unemployment to investing in stocks to the housing market to civil unrest. Whew and there's def. more in there.

The best kind of thread. An overheated mess. Far better than the inane poll threads on here....

 

[mrs. magoo]

My friends who booked their summer travel on Spirit were informed yesterday that the flights are canceled. At least this gives them time to rebook but at a substantially higher prices. Earlier in the month we were discussing our Disney trips and when he told me that he had booked on Spirit I told him that he should be wary.

 

[zillayen]

The downside is scheduling.

With so few flights, the times of those flights might not be desirable.

And what happens in the case of IROPS? If you are at a bigger airport there is a better chance of getting to your destination the same day. At smaller airports the flight just might be cancelled until the next day or even the day after.

Just giving my opinion as someone who has traveled through MLB frequently, since it's not as well-known as Daytona, Tampa, or FLL. Sure, there is a benefits trade off versus flying through a hub airport. To each their own.

 

[xipotec]

Just giving my opinion as someone who has traveled through MLB frequently, since it's not as well-known as Daytona, Tampa, or FLL. Sure, there is a benefits trade off versus flying through a hub airport. To each their own.

My mom lives in Melbourne, its a great airport, more often more expensive for us than MCO.
Sanford is usually the cheapest, but thats because its Allegiant.

I just will not fly Alliegent, Spirit or Frontier. We are required to put in vacation a YEAR in advance at my company, or you may not get it.

So no way I am taking a chance on these airline and their many many cancellations.

 

[QueenIsabella]

The downside is scheduling.

With so few flights, the times of those flights might not be desirable.

And what happens in the case of IROPS? If you are at a bigger airport there is a better chance of getting to your destination the same day. At smaller airports the flight just might be cancelled until the next day or even the day after.

This could be a huge problem. We were checking our (already booked and paid-for) flights home from Maui for July. We go Maui-Dallas-home. Problem is, there's only one (count 'em!) direct flight home from Dallas that day. If it doesn't come through, we might be able to go to a (fairly close) hub and "hop" home (3 hours away by car)...or we might not.

Just a few weeks ago, my DD26 went to Palm Beach for a long weekend, and got home a day late due to issues. On Sat., our French exchange student (and his whole group) got stranded in Philly--they finally flew to Paris on Sunday. Luckily, the gang made it back to their city yesterday--and looked in great spirits, despite the problems.

Flight costs (and food costs) are up, to be sure, but that's hardly the only issue with flying these days.

 

[pigletto]

Just adding to this nutsy thread that the person talking about fast food prices is absolutely correct. They have definitely gone up. I'm not going to dig up receipts to prove it. Just like all my groceries have gone up. Heck, even McDonald's said there is a "potato shortage" and when I did get some fries the last few times it looked like they fell out of the carton into a bag, except there were no fries. It was just half empty.

We are in an economic downturn. There is no debate. You can't keep printing money and nothing happen. All the covid relief came from somewhere and it wasn't the money tree. It was the printing of money we do not have. Top that all with covid-related financial impacts on businesses and workers.

And don't get me started on inflation and gas prices...

And it’s not just Americans. Prices in Canada have gone bananas and we are seeing our cost of living increase way out pace income. Ask any British disboard members about their rise in energy costs. This is a huge issue for many countries and all of the economic signs are heading toward major recession.

 

[DCLMP]

Just adding to this nutsy thread that the person talking about fast food prices is absolutely correct. They have definitely gone up. I'm not going to dig up receipts to prove it. Just like all my groceries have gone up. Heck, even McDonald's said there is a "potato shortage" and when I did get some fries the last few times it looked like they fell out of the carton into a bag, except there were no fries. It was just half empty.

We are in an economic downturn. There is no debate. You can't keep printing money and nothing happen. All the covid relief came from somewhere and it wasn't the money tree. It was the printing of money we do not have. Top that all with covid-related financial impacts on businesses and workers.

And don't get me started on inflation and gas prices...

Oh no. That explains why there no fries at Costco or sams. I love cooking fries in my air fryer. Now I gotta go through the apocalypse without my favorite food. Well, At least we still have toilet paper….for now.

Just to add it’s not just the increase in money supply it’s also the ridiculous sanctions. The global economy is shifting and it does look like things are lining up for a war.

 

[DCLMP]

This could be a huge problem. We were checking our (already booked and paid-for) flights home from Maui for July. We go Maui-Dallas-home. Problem is, there's only one (count 'em!) direct flight home from Dallas that day. If it doesn't come through, we might be able to go to a (fairly close) hub and "hop" home (3 hours away by car)...or we might not.

Just a few weeks ago, my DD26 went to Palm Beach for a long weekend, and got home a day late due to issues. On Sat., our French exchange student (and his whole group) got stranded in Philly--they finally flew to Paris on Sunday. Luckily, the gang made it back to their city yesterday--and looked in great spirits, despite the problems.

Flight costs (and food costs) are up, to be sure, but that's hardly the only issue with flying these days.

I was reading the staffing shortage on BA is so bad they stopped putting bags on short haul flights to prioritize long haul flights . Warning to anyway flying around Europe this Summer.

 

[tvguy]

Its not baffling at all. Companies are not willing to accept expenses like labor that would eat into the unrealistic profits expected by Wall Street speculation. When WS has become addicted to double digit growth, companies that challenge that are black listed.

People are saying Dis stock is bad because of earnings the last 2 years? Where have they been since 2000? Its an entertainer company during a health crisis? If you look at the 10 year curve Dis is an amazing stock. But like everything, if its not instant profit its bad.

Well for some companies, they are finding they can't produce the product or provide the service they sell without paying that higher labor rate.
Reminds me of 2008. My employer had layoffs, furloughs and cut pay 10% across the board for everyone making more than $30,000. When it was all said and done, profit making projects didn't get done, and they lost more profit than they saved with the cuts.

I have no complaints with Disney stock. My $1,100 investment is now worth $14,000 at today's MUCH lower price. My only complaint is stockholders no longer get perks like discounts on admission, vacation packages and hotels.

 

[tvguy]

You e-maileds your travel agent to ask about details of a trip that happened years ago to win an Internet argument?

You e-mailed your travel agent to ask about details of a trip that happened years ago to win an Internet argument?

Occupation hazard. That is what I did for 45 years at work, fact checking, often MUCH less important things. Maybe when I have been retired longer that will fade.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I was reading the staffing shortage on BA is so bad they stopped putting bags on short haul flights to prioritize long haul flights . Warning to anyway flying around Europe this Summer.

For a while there, we didn't know where the French kids' luggage was. They're HEARD that it went to London. In the video I saw, they were at their home train station, and had it. I had a 14yo student--some of them were younger (middle school kids). What a nightmare! Can you imagine--your child stuck in a foreign country, no luggage, no credit card, and a language barrier? Although most of them had decent English skills, but still...

 

[DCLMP]

For a while there, we didn't know where the French kids' luggage was. They're HEARD that it went to London. In the video I saw, they were at their home train station, and had it. I had a 14yo student--some of them were younger (middle school kids). What a nightmare! Can you imagine--your child stuck in a foreign country, no luggage, no credit card, and a language barrier? Although most of them had decent English skills, but still...

I’m flying from Copenhagen to home on BA. Hopefully, my luggage shows up eventually. I don’t think I’d fly the other direction on them.