Yikes! Airline Prices Going Up...?

[disneyscootergal]

I'm on hold right now, kept from buying my airline tickets until my plan to take 2 of my middle school yearbook staff to a workshop in Orange, CA (and Disneyland, since we'll be so close!) is approved by our school board. It's frustrating, because a week ago, I could've gotten tickets for $350 to fly from Great Falls, MT to LGB...now, the cost has gone up to over $500 for that flight; the next best price is to fly into LAX, at $498 a ticket ...unless I fly from another town, but then I'd have to figure in gas and a night in a motel...sigh.

Anyone have any predications as to how much higher (or--if I pray hard enough--lower...lol) airfare will go?

 

[lcasa]

I was searching for fares to Orlando from Orange County - they go up and down like yo-yos these days! I find kayak.com helpful - it searches lots of sites. Also if you are where you can use Southwest, they offer private sales thru a pc app you install called Ding! - you have to sign up for the cities on both ends though - all the specials are 1 way. But they're cheap

Good luck. I wound up getting flights home from Orlando THRU LAX to San Diego - I live 45 min to LAX, 1.5 hrs to San Diego - because it was $50 each cheaper (x 5 tix is a lot of money). Weird - I land in LAX, sit around for an hour, and take up a seat on another flight I don't need and save money. In general San Diego and Ontario are cheaper than LAX or SNA.

I got a super car deal thru Hotwire which turned out to be on Hertz - also Costco has discounts on rental cars.

 

[karylrocks]

Last week flights from Portland to John Wayne were $199, now they are $259. I am expecting that if I wait a while, they will go down again. You just need to keep checking, I doubt that they will keep going up.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I agree. I am also trying to fly out of portland and some days alaska has flights to lgb for 79 each way and other days it's 109. Just have to check daily.

 

[Eeee-va]

I think airline prices will keep going up as long as the price of oil keeps rising. So if I saw a price I could live with, I'd snag it right now.

Hope flight (and oil) prices go back down soon, and that everyone can get the flights they want for a good price.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

well I kinda agree and disagree. The airline ticket price is a game and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. My family thought prices were going up for our wdw trip in dec so they all booked. I booked 2 weeks later for half of what they paid. Like I said...keep an eye on it every day and if it seems to be reasonable then book. Some airlines will give you a credit if it drops but that credit is worthless if you dont plan to use it. GL!

 

[jordansmomma]

How close are you to Spokane?
It might be cheaper.

 

[Canyon girl]

Also, keep in mind that some airlines (Alaska/Horizon, in particular) will give you a "discount code" if the flight price goes down. For instance, I booked a flight last November for our trip in February. The prices went down, so I called Alaska, and they gave me codes to use on our next trip in the amount of the difference in what I paid and the new, lower fare. We are planning to go back in Sept. Alaska had a fare sale, and I applied the "discount code" that I was given. Now, we are flying for cheaper than we could have driven. So, even if you buy now and prices go down, you still might be able to get part of that back.

 

[RENThead09]

Check out Allegiant Air. They fly into LAX from Billings. I know they have great prices back to MN for me, the only trade off is a limited schedule.

Hope you find some great prices. As a former 2-time yearbook editor (hahahahaha) it is great to see.

GO GRIZ! (sorry if you are a bobcat fan)

 

[bumbershoot]

It's hard coming out of Montana, since you don't have the Jet Blue/SW lower cost competition going on. Looks like you do have Alaska, so that's nice. However, they have a time-limit on discounting your rate. Since last Nov they have been doing a thing where they round UP what they give back (in the form of a credit), but it has to be inside of 60 days, if I recall correctly.

If you book with a carrier that doesn't give credit, just don't look again. If you book with Alaska, find out their time-line, then don't look after that time comes and goes.

Or figure out just how much it would be to get to Spokane, etc, and check out the difference overall.

 

[philliplc]

Last week flights from Portland to John Wayne were $199, now they are $259. I am expecting that if I wait a while, they will go down again. You just need to keep checking, I doubt that they will keep going up.

i know LAX sucks compared to SNA, but alaska/horizon has a ton of PDX/LAX flights on sale for $69 each way right now ($159 round trip w/tax). might be worth the extra hassle if you don't have to fly to SNA.

also depending on your dates there are some $179 round trips from PDX to long beach (LGB) from both alaska and jet blue.

 

[teatime]

I'm on hold right now, kept from buying my airline tickets until my plan to take 2 of my middle school yearbook staff to a workshop in Orange, CA (and Disneyland, since we'll be so close!) is approved by our school board. It's frustrating, because a week ago, I could've gotten tickets for $350 to fly from Great Falls, MT to LGB...now, the cost has gone up to over $500 for that flight; the next best price is to fly into LAX, at $498 a ticket ...unless I fly from another town, but then I'd have to figure in gas and a night in a motel...sigh.

Anyone have any predications as to how much higher (or--if I pray hard enough--lower...lol) airfare will go?

I hear you !! I fly out of Butte but now have to fly out of missoula as I got the 99 dollar deal thru allegiant air. air fare out of montana is getting scary. a week ago it was 259.00 to fly out of butte for the same time is now over 500.00 now thats scary !!!

 

[disneyscootergal]

I hear you !! I fly out of Butte but now have to fly out of missoula as I got the 99 dollar deal thru allegiant air. air fare out of montana is getting scary. a week ago it was 259.00 to fly out of butte for the same time is now over 500.00 now thats scary !!!

Yes, that's just I was talking about!! I didn't realize you are from Montana too, Teatime...or maybe I did, and I forgot...

 

[disneyscootergal]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone! I'm going to check into those right now...you guys/gals are the best!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Good luck!

I keep hoping that Montana will get some good carriers (I didn't realize that Alaska was there) b/c I have an uncle with a ranch out near Ryegate, and it was the drive out there that caused me to HATE driving (I was a long-drive-lover before that). Happened in '02 and I'm still tweaky about driving. Then again, even if I flew in I'd still have to do driving to get to the ranch...

Anyway, I've noticed every year when the family goes out that the airfare is crazy.



Oh, may I recommend Kayak.com? They search all airfares except for Southwest (SW doesn't let other sites search their fare info), kinda helpful!

 

[disneyscootergal]

Check out Allegiant Air. They fly into LAX from Billings. I know they have great prices back to MN for me, the only trade off is a limited schedule.

Hope you find some great prices. As a former 2-time yearbook editor (hahahahaha) it is great to see.

GO GRIZ! (sorry if you are a bobcat fan)

Hey!! No, I'm a Griz fan (sort of, by marriage!)

Thanks for this tip...I checked it out and found a way to book thru Allegiant Air (from Missoula) into Lax for $392. 70...not as good as my fare that I lost from last week, and it does have a 3 hour drive in there (figure gas), but I'm happy to find something lower than $498!!

Thanks, and thanks for the kudos about being a yearbook editor!! It's a pretty thankless job (I don't even get paid to do it), but I really enjoy it.

 

[teatime]

Hey!! No, I'm a Griz fan (sort of, by marriage!)

Thanks for this tip...I checked it out and found a way to book thru Allegiant Air (from Missoula) into Lax for $392. 70...not as good as my fare that I lost from last week, and it does have a 3 hour drive in there (figure gas), but I'm happy to find something lower than $498!!

Thanks, and thanks for the kudos about being a yearbook editor!! It's a pretty thankless job (I don't even get paid to do it), but I really enjoy it.

wait, thats for all of you right? I know they are running a special from missoula for 99.00 for one way . I got that for my trip in August. is that cost for just you??

 

[disneyscootergal]

wait, thats for all of you right? I know they are running a special from missoula for 99.00 for one way . I got that for my trip in August. is that cost for just you??

No, that's just for one. Where would I find this special rate? Do I have to key in a certain code? Help me, Teatime!!!

 

[DianneMcLean]

I'm on hold right now, kept from buying my airline tickets until my plan to take 2 of my middle school yearbook staff to a workshop in Orange, CA (and Disneyland, since we'll be so close!) is approved by our school board. It's frustrating, because a week ago, I could've gotten tickets for $350 to fly from Great Falls, MT to LGB...now, the cost has gone up to over $500 for that flight; the next best price is to fly into LAX, at $498 a ticket ...unless I fly from another town, but then I'd have to figure in gas and a night in a motel...sigh.

Anyone have any predications as to how much higher (or--if I pray hard enough--lower...lol) airfare will go?

Rates go up and down all the time - I subscribe to travelzoo.com their weekly newsletter tells me what is going on with airfare and that is where I get the lowest rates. It comes in on Wednesday, and the deals usually don't last more than 24 hours so you just have to keep watching for what you want.

another page is etravelbuddy.com
The booking engine is up to the minute and legit - I've booked through them several times and had complete satisfaction. Sometimes, I will find a deal on travelzoo, and then go to etravelbuddy and save another 10 percent.

It just depends.

 

[teatime]

No, that's just for one. Where would I find this special rate? Do I have to key in a certain code? Help me, Teatime!!!

when are you going? I just looked and there still 99 dollars !! give me dates hon and I will go look