NO cheap airline tickets for the holidays

[Pinnie]

This was in today's Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0510/06/A01-339546.htm


pinnie

 

[Martha7]

Thanks for posting the link, Pinnie! I've been watching fares and despairing on a daily basis! We may end up moving our reservations at the Swan to April for Spring Break. Just can't justify the price of the plane tickets right now!

 

[Brian Noble]

It's not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, so don't wait too long to book those. We've all been seeing similar price increases for President's Week and nearby weeks this year compared to last year.

 

[julielovestigger]

I'm glad I was able to get my tickets from Minneapolis to Orlando for about $360 each! I bought them back in March. 77 days to go!!!!

 

[Pinnie]

It's not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, so don't wait too long to book those. We've all been seeing similar price increases for President's Week and nearby weeks this year compared to last year.

I ended up cancelling my Feb plans because airfare is in the $437+ range out of DTW. We'll just head up to Soaring Eagle for Presidents' Day weekend and make a contribution to the casino.

Luckily I have a RR ticket I will use at Easter on SWA!

pinnie

 

[disneydiz]

We purchased tickets in February on Spirit (for Dec 28 - Jan 2) at $305 each!!! I've been watching Spirit, AirTran, and NW (for Easter Week) everyday for about 4-months but prices have been very, very high! (The most we have ever paid in the past was about $320.) Spirit dropped prices last week to $412, but even that's too high so I guess we'll be driving down for Easter.

 

[Disfreek]

We purchased in March for our 12/17-23 trip on Spirit for about 221. per person.

My friend who is coming with us just bought three tickets on Airtran for 710.70.

(Flying out of DTW)

 

[Julia M]

We paid $220 each flying from San Francisco to Orlando, 12/17 to 12/27. We bought really, really early (in Feb) and I;m glad we did now.......the price hasn't dipped below $400 since then

Julia

 

[TAKitty]

I'm glad that I was able to get our airfare for December for 117 round trip. We are traveling DTW to MCO. There is no way I would pay over 200 to go to Orlando.

 

[Brian Noble]

I ended up cancelling my Feb plans because airfare is in the $437+ range out of DTW.

We didn't get a chance to buy ours until August, as the school district didn't finalize their calendar until then mad: --that's going to happen next year, too, as the district and teachers have begun negotiating contracts only one year at a time). In August, I felt like I was overspending at $280 per person for direct flights at our preferred times. With the way prices have moved since then, I don't feel that way anymore, that's for sure!

 

[Pinnie]

We didn't get a chance to buy ours until August, as the school district didn't finalize their calendar until then mad: --that's going to happen next year, too, as the district and teachers have begun negotiating contracts only one year at a time). In August, I felt like I was overspending at $280 per person for direct flights at our preferred times. With the way prices have moved since then, I don't feel that way anymore, that's for sure!

That's my problem in that I teach for a suburban Detroit school district and we ratified our one year contract in late June. Our calendar is part of the negotiations and we didn't have a clue as to what was going on until the contract was presented to the membership just before we ratified. By the time I started looking for Feb airfare, it was out of line and it has only gone UP!

With the current state of school funding in MI., I may not even have a job in Sept. because the state is looking to cut funding to my program and move the money elsewhere.

I have a feeling that one year contracts are going to be the norm around here and that is going to make looking for cheap airfare around the holidays near impossible!

pinnie

 

[zippehsmom]

I'm glad we got our tickets in February for our 12/17-12/24 trip. We got them for $170 each.

 

[Kimmielee]

I bit the bullet due to having a cruise booked and watched Spirit drop from $1800 to $500 then back up to $700 for my flight. I got worried and jumped at the $700 (for 2).... 3 days later it was back down to $500 Trip is 4/18 - 4/30... the week of "Easter Break".

However....

Time spent watching prices go up .... 180 hours

Money spent on tickets... $700

Peace of mind knowing the trip is "real" and paid for... PRICELESS!!!!! :thewave:

 

[jennymouse]

I got our tics to fly down over Thanksgiving really early as well and sooo glad I did. $235 round trip LEX to MCO. Now, they're over $800!

 

[SB in KY]

The good fare fairy does land every now and then....just picked up on a DING for my neice (she is working in Orlando) and wanted to come home to Nashville for Xmas....got her a $75 RT nonstop on SW....cheapest she had found prior for her dates was $230 RT.

We also snagged $79RT on a DING from Louisville to MCO a few weeks back for our November trip....I shudder to think what air fares would be if the legacies did not have to keep up with SW and the other discount carriers!!

 

[Aisling]

The prices are outrageous how they can go up so much. I booked my JFK to MCO and back on Song, one way each. For December 23rd and Dec. 31st, I got $64 and $74 one ways. Now they're $329 one way! I booked at 331 days ahead, when they opened the tickets, and the great fare was only there for 2 days before they went up, and have stayed up all year. I usually book 3-4 months before we go to Orlando, and a web special has always popped up sooner or later, but this year, I don't see it happening in time to book for the holidays.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I feel the same way. I got my fares $72 BOS/MCO on AA on Christmas Day, return on Song 12/31 for $112, so I feel very lucky. My Song flight is sold out, and last I looked, my AA flight was $372. I spent a lot of time thinking I got rooked, listening to others who got a better deal...now I know I didn't do half bad booking so early.