I just need to rant...Xmas Airfares!

[kerri0616]

You can just ignore my post. I'll feel better after I type...

It's great to see all the airlines discounting fall airfares. I wish I could go during the fall months. But I'm a teacher. and I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything.

We're taking our first Christmas trip this year 12/24-12/29 and planning to drive from St. Louis. I can't justify $1500 for airfare. Of course I knew this, but airlines never discount these airfares! Everyday I am tortured by yet another airline discounting fall and winter fares. Boo! I want a deal too!!

OK, I feel better now. And I do hope fall and winter travelers get great deals!!

Thanks all,
Kerri

PS: Anybody ever priceline a Christmas airfare for a great deal? Doubt it, huh?

 

[nearlychildless]

We are driving too from Houston by way of Baton Rouge to get or dd who is at LSU. She always wants to fly but as we have always gone around her school schedule, Spring Break, and now Christmas we never get any airline deals. Maybe someday.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Airfares and airfare sales are based on supply and demand. On peak travel days there is no reason to offer bargain fares because the airlines know the seats will sell at high prices and at the last minute, sky high prices, to desperate people. Fortunately St. Louis isn't toooo bad of a drive.

BobK/Orlando

 

[CarolA]

Could you change to 12/25 or 12/23? I don't know if that would help, but I would bet that 12/24 day is killing you.

I would NOT do Priceline unless you don't care when you arrive.... They can book you on the LAST flight of the day (and I would bet that's what you would get going down with the first flight of the day coming home!)

If you are at all flexible, I would watch for DING and see if you could get a deal at least on one half of the flight.

That said, I have been watching a Thankgiving Fare to Boston for months and it finally dropped to near my $250 target range just this week. (I am flying on Thanksgiving day and Saturday as opposed to the traditional Wed/Sun flights which is what I wanted anyway.)

 

[kerri0616]

I'm signed up for DING! Maybe there will be a Christmas miracle.

I woudn't actually priceline since I agree, they'll book us on the last flight of the night! No thanks. We'll just plan lots of 'car games.'

I hope everyone enjoys their trips no matter what the transportation. At least we'll have our car and we can 'gasp' leave the World for a quick meal offsite.

Kerri

 

[allisophie]

You can just ignore my post. I'll feel better after I type...

It's great to see all the airlines discounting fall airfares. I wish I could go during the fall months. But I'm a teacher. and I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything.

We're taking our first Christmas trip this year 12/24-12/29 and planning to drive from St. Louis. I can't justify $1500 for airfare. Of course I knew this, but airlines never discount these airfares! Everyday I am tortured by yet another airline discounting fall and winter fares. Boo! I want a deal too!!

OK, I feel better now. And I do hope fall and winter travelers get great deals!!

Thanks all,
Kerri

PS: Anybody ever priceline a Christmas airfare for a great deal? Doubt it, huh?

After I missed the DING! deals I went straight to my moms Travel Agent. We managed to get South West fare at a bout 220 round trip. OF course we have to leave at the crack of dawn on the 26th and return noon time on the 1st. We managed to get a great deal plus a rental van.SW package.. (hopper passes etc)DH will NOT go to WDW with out a car of some kind. (he will do a visit to NASA)

I really thought about priceline too as we use them for hotel stays when we are not camping...Im still hoping the prices will come down a bit or we can change to a later flight.. wishful thinking.. we also purchased the travel ins "just in case"

Good luck and keep checking the flights..

2 trips this year...

camping at the Fort and MNSSHP oct 7-14

Contemporary surprise trip! Dec/NewYears

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

We are headed to Disney December 26-January 8. I searched airfare until my head was spinning. Eventually I just ended up waiting until the day Southwest released fares for those dates and booked as soon as they came out. Southwest doesn't fly from our city (Cincinnati), but flies from Columbus which is about 90 minutes away. So, we are paying $250/person to fly from an airport 90 minutes away...not the best scenario! I have never spent that much on airfare to Orlando. For our October trip our tickets are only $140 from the much closer airport! It's definitely a bummer that there are no sale fares for those dates, but like others said, supply and demand....

 

[TazFan]

kerri0616, I feel your pain
I have been watching SW, AT, and NW for several weeks for non-stop tickets between IND and MCO on Dec 24th and Jan 3rd.

The cheapest so far is around $356.10 RT


I'm going to keep looking for the best price until the Dec 22nd but I imagine we'll probably end up drive down ...for a third time...ugh... in order to save about $1200.

BTW at last check, you can fly IND and MCO on Dec 18th and Jan 5 for $177 RT - of course that requires you to spend more money while at 'da World' becuase your vacation would be 18 days!

Good luck in your Quest!
TazFan

 

[ValDisney]

hi
I decided to take amtrak. I can't spend over 1200 for the 3 of us. I understand supply and demand but geez, when I went last oct and paid $118 RT it bothers me that I am looking at $400 RT now.
Amtrak will cost us 486 total. yes it might not be the best or most comfortable but its either that or not go. I'm traveling alone with my kids so driving is not an option. But I think this comes out cheaper then driving,
Valerie

 

[Mike Jones]

You wanna try flying from the UK at Christmas! You could almost buy the aircraft at those prices!!

 

[canwegosoon]

I noticed last year that almost all of the airlines did have sales and availbility at Christmas time. So, what to do...I would book with a carrier that has an great price adjustment policy...JetBlue or SWA...come to mind but there might be more. Book the best flight you can, and around Thanksgiving hope for a sale!!!

 

[wdwluver]

Yeah, those fares are murder. for our family of five, the total cost is over $2,000. I just can't do it.

I'm getting the road trip packs ready now.

 

[robinb]

I'm signed up for DING! Maybe there will be a Christmas miracle.

I flew out of Chicago last year for $150 round-trip on a Ding! fare over Christmas/New Years after all the cheap fares were gone. I believe I booked in October. So ... there still is hope!

 

[NUHuskies#1]

I feel your pain! Hubby and I are Higher Ed employees and Christmas Week the colleges are closed. I look everyday and hope that as the trip gets a little closer fares will be a bit cheaper. Every time I get dinged-I jump- only to be disappointed!

 

[3dog2kidmom]

PS: Anybody ever priceline a Christmas airfare for a great deal? Doubt it, huh?

We flew from St. Louis last Christmas, and booked our air through Disney at the same time I booked our package in August. I think it saved a little... we paid around $250 each. This year we're going in January and the airfare is about the same as you're looking at for Christmas ~$350 each... but we can't risk the weather in January so driving isn't an option

 

[TazFan]

hi
I decided to take amtrak. I can't spend over 1200 for the 3 of us. I understand supply and demand but geez, when I went last oct and paid $118 RT it bothers me that I am looking at $400 RT now.
Amtrak will cost us 486 total. yes it might not be the best or most comfortable but its either that or not go. I'm traveling alone with my kids so driving is not an option. But I think this comes out cheaper then driving,
Valerie

I look into Amtrak.
From IND to KIS is about $800, which is doable BUT a one way trip down is 36 HOURS! By car, I can round trip between IND and MCO in 36 hours and for only 200 bucks (gotta love my Yaris)!!!

By train: $800 and 36 HOURS
By plane: $1400 and 2.5 hours

By car: $200 and 18 hours

I guess I better start prepping the car...
TazFaz

 

[shelly3girls]

We flew 12/23-1/4 last year. I bought the tickets the minute SW released their flights. Hours later they were much higher and they never went down. I checked every day. The good thing is that I got a decent price b/c I booked right away. $240/person when the normal first release fare (without a sale) was $187. I don't think it was that bad. Also, with SW you can get your money back if they have a sale.