Does Delta ever run deals?

[mom of 3G's]

I need 5 tickets for Dec. and they are currently $462 each for a total of $2310! Is this the lowest they will get?

I do have another option of flying Allegiant and saving about $600, but there are a few things holding me back from doing that option. #1-- they run only twice a week and if there is a snow storm I am screwed as I wouldn't be able to get another flight. #2 -- the airport for this airlines is 3-1/2 hours away whereas I can get on Delta in 45 minutes. Convenience is worth a price isn't it?

Hold my hand and tell me that I should go the Delta route.

 

[DISdreamin']

Honestly, I find the best deals for Delta typically when they first go on sale. However, every once in a while you can find a deal - no sales, but lower prices than you might have seen the last time you checked. I'd say check first thing Wednesday mornings to see if anything changes. Good luck!

And personally, that $2310 would break the trip for me - it's just too much to pony up for airfare IMHO. We fly into SLC and drive 3-1/2 hours to DH's parents to save $1K+ each trip (this summer, the difference in a ticket prices was about $2K). To me, the money is worth the drive in that case.

 

[beansmom]

why must it be delta?

and have you considered priceline?
I am a firm believer in the power of priceline. Thursday my son in Massachusetts received word his father was gravely ill...we checked air and it was $600 round trip. I pricelined a $300 offer and it was accepted. He was in the air by 8pm that day for half the price.

 

[mom of 3G's]

why must it be delta?

and have you considered priceline?
I am a firm believer in the power of priceline. Thursday my son in Massachusetts received word his father was gravely ill...we checked air and it was $600 round trip. I pricelined a $300 offer and it was accepted. He was in the air by 8pm that day for half the price.

It has to be Delta as that is the only airline that serves this airport. Delta pretty much owns the monopoly on flights in and out of North Dakota and can price accordingly.

I've never tried Priceline. Anybody else have good luck with this?

 

[DISdreamin']

It has to be Delta as that is the only airline that serves this airport. Delta pretty much owns the monopoly on flights in and out of North Dakota and can price accordingly.

I've never tried Priceline. Anybody else have good luck with this?

I hear ya' about Delta. DH's family lives in Idaho and the prices directly into the nearest city are astronomical! Over $700 last time I checked. They're pretty much the only game in town, so you either fly or don't - no other airlines to check.

Do you mind sharing what city (or cities) you have the choice of flying out of and your rough dates? Maybe someone can scope out some ideas with more specifics?

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Well hello. I am in Montana and it is looking like 2500 for my family of 5 to fly as well. I am always looking. I am thinking of driving 90 miles to the state capital...take one airline to WDW and Delta onthe way back. This was it may only run 2000. It is nuts. My family would love to go every year. We were even thinking of buying a DVC but the cost of the flights stopped that idea. I wish WDW would do a kids fly free like they do for DLR. There are so many people that want to go but the cost of the flight ruined that idea.

The last 2 times we went to WDW we booked through Disney. They were able to save us quite a bit. But Disney doesn't even have the great deals this year because of the airlines. I wish airlines would understand that more people would fly if they made it more affordable.

 

[DisMN]

It has to be Delta as that is the only airline that serves this airport. Delta pretty much owns the monopoly on flights in and out of North Dakota and can price accordingly.

I've never tried Priceline. Anybody else have good luck with this?

I feel your pain. My only choices are Delta and Allegient too and for the same reasons as you, Allegient is out. We just need more flexibility with our flying dates.
Since Delta flights came out for our dates they've only gone higher and higher. Started out at $350 (which we thought was too high) but now they're up to $480.

What a bummer.
Good luck OP. I hope you find something soon!

 

[msmayor]

When my daughter has to choose flights home from college (Savannah) her options are not AS limited as only two carriers, but for the most part the best choices are Delta or USAir. I've never used USAir because their flights have consistently been higher than Delta.

I check the fare cost every day starting about 4 months out from her dates. Every day...since we've seen them change daily. Both times that I've gotten what I think are the best prices (since its the lowest we'd ever seen them go) was about 4-6 weeks out.

This is after seeing them as high as $650 R/T with only one connection in ATL. Both times we've gotten fares at $250 R/T.

 

[DISdreamin']

I check the fare cost every day starting about 4 months out from her dates. Every day...since we've seen them change daily. Both times that I've gotten what I think are the best prices (since its the lowest we'd ever seen them go) was about 4-6 weeks out.

This is after seeing them as high as $650 R/T with only one connection in ATL. Both times we've gotten fares at $250 R/T.

Hmm...I've never noticed the fares getting down as low as they sometimes are when they first come out. For example,I paid $197 for a trip out west this August, and now the same tickets/dates would run $538. When I've checked closer to (and I have, since we had companion certificates on Delta that we always get late spring and would love to have used for summer travel) they've never gotten down to what the were originally released at. This is limited experience, of course, and I'm glad to hear that it's possible to get good deals much closer to travel dates, it just never seems to work out that way when *we* try it.

 

[msmayor]

I'm sure its regional. Again, the more competition for passengers, the more chance for fluctuations. Delta runs a good 10-15 flights a day to ATL which is where my daughter always connects. USAir probably runs more out of SAV into Charlotte. There are a lot of flights so its just a matter of waiting for one they need to price a little better to sell the seats. Couple that with the few that Continental flies and there are quite a few options to choose from.

If your airport runs a more limited schedule with only 2 carriers, there's no real incentive to lower prices. People don't have much of a choice and airlines know it.

 

[hercamore]

It's hard to find good airfare prices out of the midwest isn't it?

How far are you from MSP?

I think prices will come down for you.

Sign up for farecompare.com to help you be aware of price fluctuations.


I'm stuck with Delta or American out of Rochester, MN.

 

[hercamore]

p.s. I've never had any luck with Priceline. And Hotwire almost always quotes Delta website.


herc.

 

[hercamore]

Yes, go with Delta. Especially check on tuesdays and wednesdays for your dates, but I wouldn't expect to see any deals for Dec till sept.oct.

Good luck, Dec is an awesome time to be in Orlando.

herc.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Yes, go with Delta. Especially check on tuesdays and wednesdays for your dates, but I wouldn't expect to see any deals for Dec till sept.oct.

Good luck, Dec is an awesome time to be in Orlando.

herc.

I have to ask. I have only been on flights for either a trip that had dates not set in stone (visiting family) or had a travel agent book it for me. I have a concern..if I wait until Sept or Oct just on the off chance prices will come down am I also taking a chance that there won't be available seats for my family. It would be horrible if I had to cancel in Oct because I couldn't get a flight.

 

[jessrose18]

I have found that Delta prices come down when Suncountry or Airtran goes on sale at MSP. Everytime Airtran releases sale by the next day delta matches adn then goes back up in price. We are waiting to buy for December and airtran and suncountry schedules are not out yet, I would wait for that to happen before I would buy a Delta ticket.

 

[mom of 3G's]

Well hello. I am in Montana and it is looking like 2500 for my family of 5 to fly as well. I am always looking. I am thinking of driving 90 miles to the state capital...take one airline to WDW and Delta onthe way back. This was it may only run 2000. It is nuts. My family would love to go every year. We were even thinking of buying a DVC but the cost of the flights stopped that idea. I wish WDW would do a kids fly free like they do for DLR. There are so many people that want to go but the cost of the flight ruined that idea.

The last 2 times we went to WDW we booked through Disney. They were able to save us quite a bit. But Disney doesn't even have the great deals this year because of the airlines. I wish airlines would understand that more people would fly if they made it more affordable.

Well said.

I feel your pain. My only choices are Delta and Allegient too and for the same reasons as you, Allegient is out. We just need more flexibility with our flying dates.
Since Delta flights came out for our dates they've only gone higher and higher. Started out at $350 (which we thought was too high) but now they're up to $480.

What a bummer.
Good luck OP. I hope you find something soon!

Thanks for the luck. Where are you located? Sounds like Grand Forks/Fargo.

It's hard to find good airfare prices out of the midwest isn't it?

How far are you from MSP?

I am 7-1/2 hours NW of MSP.

Do you mind sharing what city (or cities) you have the choice of flying out of and your rough dates? Maybe someone can scope out some ideas with more specifics?

I am closest to Devils Lake, which is just a regional airport that flies Delta to MSP. My other choices would be Minot, Grand Forks, or Bismarck, all about 2-1/2 hours away. Fargo offers Allegiant and Delta, and they are 3-1/2 hours away. I think United flies out of Bismarck and Fargo, otherwise it's all Delta.

 

[msmayor]

I wish airlines would understand that more people would fly if they made it more affordable.

Except that they need to make a profit to stay in business, and if all they did was make it "affordable" for folks, they'd be bankrupt.

And quite frankly, the skies are pretty darned crowded. I don't think the high fares are preventing too many folks from flying.

 

[peezee]

Except that they need to make a profit to stay in business, and if all they did was make it "affordable" for folks, they'd be bankrupt.

And quite frankly, the skies are pretty darned crowded. I don't think the high fares are preventing too many folks from flying.

I agree 100%.

To the OP - We cruise a fair amount and I've frequently done "road" trips to/from the cheapest airport - adds to the time required, but adds a sense of adventure - it's all vacation to me!

 

[Judyat]

When are you going? If you can get to MSP Southwest has some great deals. Sign up for their click and save emails and that will let you know when they have specials. Plus bags fly free which they don't on Delta. Right now they are booking through October 31 and flights are running around $109 one way but I have seen them cheaper so you never know. If you go to southwest.com under flexible travel dates you can put in MSP and see the lowest prices for the month you're interested in through October. We love flying southwest. Also in MSP they fly out of the Humprey terminal which connects to the bigger terminal and it's nice not to have to deal with the bigger terminal.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Except that they need to make a profit to stay in business, and if all they did was make it "affordable" for folks, they'd be bankrupt.

And quite frankly, the skies are pretty darned crowded. I don't think the high fares are preventing too many folks from flying.

I do agree except that we paid almost 700pp on our first flight. We went from Montana (very small plane) to SLC and then off to MCO. We were given the standard RUDE and annoyed looks from the first class passengers (not all but some). I did some researching and found out that we paid well over twice the amount forsome of the first class passengers. It seems that there are deals and there are great prices but not for everyone all the time. IMO Delta has gone downhill and I have been flying with them as long as I can remember. If other airlines can offer deals why can't all sometimes?