Totally Clueless When It Comes To Flying!

[ilovecraigandcooper]

I need help! I'm clueless! I have only flown maybe 3 times in my life and they were direct flights and I was traveling with experienced people. We are thinking of taking an alaskan cruise in late may of 2011. We live in georgia so we'd be flying out of altanta. I don't even know where to start. Is airfair cheaper to buy way in advance or closer to your date? i know certain days are cheaper to fly than others, (i think ive heard saturday, right?) And as far as actually searching for flights would you start with a travel site such as travelocity or try the airlines directly? Thanks in advance for any world travelers with advice, lol!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Personally, I ALWAYS like to book my airfare directly thru the airline that I will be flying. Earlier tends to be better for pricing, but not always...
And in my experience, I have found the cheapest days to fly are Tues and Wed...
Sorry I can't be much more help than that.
Good luck with your planning. An Alaskan cruise sounds awesome!!!

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

thanks for the reply!

 

[Leshaface]

Tues and Wed has always been, and will always be our departure date when flying...it's waay cheaper to book flights in the middle of the week!

I've only ever booked all my flights through the airline directly, but I've read some reports on people booking through priceline, travelocity, etc, that they've had great experiences! So if you can find cheaper tickets there, go that route, just make sure to read the fine print!

Also keep in mind the HORRIFIC baggage fees! I know Southwest doesn't charge for the first two bags per person, which is AWESOME! Have never flown with them since we use Frequent Flyer miles, but will someday when we don't have enough.

Also flying out of/and into, larger airports will be a lot less then leaving from/going into smaller airports!

Hope this helps!

 

[Leshaface]

Oh check out kayak.com

It's a search engine that brings up all prices through expedia, travelocity, etc so you can compare prices fast!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Make sure you schedule your flight to arrive the day prior to scheduled departure and plan to spend the night there at a hotel. If your flight is the day of departure and there are delays you may miss the ship and you will be out the total amount of money.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

I think that it might put your fears to rest if you used the services of a travel agent.

 

[Seahunt]

Don't forget to check for air that is offered for that cruise directly from the cruiseline also - sometimes they will have super air specials, and remember that cruise air usually includes transfers from the airport to the ship and return (or hotel, if you also purchase their hotel package(s)).

 

[r&kmommy]

Ditto about the baggage fees... we are flying southwest on our upcoming trip despite the fare being $65 more per person, because we'd be paying just about that in baggage fees with another airline!