Edmontonians/Albertans: HELP!!!!

[hsaroya]

Have a Christmas cruise booked on the Royal Princess and air has been sitting at $12-1500 per person for the last few months. Unfortunately, my family is only able to travel during the two week Christmas break. The average cost of flights the last few yrs has been $800. Any advice? I've been looking at every booking site 3-4 times a day.

Edited September 29, 2013 by hsaroya

[LHT28]

Have you checked what Princess will offer you :confused:

 

Holiday time the flights are more expensive

[hsaroya]

Have you checked what Princess will offer you :confused:

 

Holiday time the flights are more expensive

 

Unfortunately, Princess was at the extremely high end. Even called a travel agent for the first time ever, and their quote was worse than what I found on line that day. Am resigned to paying peak prices until I retire from teaching (in 8 yrs :p), but have never seen it this bad and we've been cruising at Christmas out of Fort L for 8 yrs. We have a family of four :eek:

[LHT28]

Would you consider flying from YYC ? $1000 +

 

Flights are a bit cheaper but then you have to either drive or take Red Arrow to Calgary ..in the winter ;)

 

Just a thought

 

Hope you find something soon

[The Sunset Glow]

Have a Christmas cruise booked on the Royal Princess and air has been sitting at $12-1500 per person for the last few months. Unfortunately, my family is only able to travel during the two week Christmas break. The average cost of flights the last few yrs has been $800. Any advice? I've been looking at every booking site 3-4 times a day.

 

What are your travel dates? And are you flexible with them?

[hsaroya]

Will definitely consider Calgary - parents actually had to fly out of there Fri to get to YVR. We have relatives in Calgary, so leaving car there would not be an issue. Just can't believe the huge increase this yr in flight prices, and they don't seem to be budging.

Edited September 29, 2013 by hsaroya

[hsaroya]

What are your travel dates? And are you flexible with them?[/

 

Between Dec 20-Jan. 5. Really want to maximize the time in Fort L after the cruise, which is Dec 22-29, but would consider coming back a couple of days earlier if it's a substantial price difference.

[LHT28]

Between Dec 20-Jan. 5. Really want to maximize the time in Fort L after the cruise, which is Dec 22-29, but would consider coming back a couple of days earlier if it's a substantial price difference.

 

Flying in mid week may be less $$ if you can do that

[hsaroya]

Flying in mid week may be less $$ if you can do that

 

It's having the cruise on the 22nd and not getting out of school until the 20th that's the main cause of the high $$. Even if I return by the 1st, it's not a substantial decrease. Just perplexed as I've never seen it this bad before and am wondering if it'll get better or worse.

[The Sunset Glow]

It's having the cruise on the 22nd and not getting out of school until the 20th that's the main cause of the high $$. Even if I return by the 1st, it's not a substantial decrease. Just perplexed as I've never seen it this bad before and am wondering if it'll get better or worse.

 

Flights have gone up quite a bit in the last year or two - don't know what's up with that. It's crazy expensive flying in and out of Canada. The dates you need are prime high season and I don't predict any price drops at this late date - but you never know.:confused:

 

FYI Air Canada has flights out of Red Deer now that are cheaper than flying out of YEG. Not sure if that's an option?

 

It really sucks being a cruise lover and living in Edmonton - if it wasn't for airfare we could cruise so much more.

 

Good luck!

[hsaroya]

Flights have gone up quite a bit in the last year or two - don't know what's up with that. It's crazy expensive flying in and out of Canada. The dates you need are prime high season and I don't predict any price drops at this late date - but you never know.:confused:

 

FYI Air Canada has flights out of Red Deer now that are cheaper than flying out of YEG. Not sure if that's an option?

 

It really sucks being a cruise lover and living in Edmonton - if it wasn't for airfare we could cruise so much more.

 

Good luck!

 

Red Deer is definitely doable - thanks for the info as I didn't know AC had flights from there. Just checked and it's sitting at $1900 out of there :eek:

[The Sunset Glow]

Red Deer is definitely doable - thanks for the info as I didn't know AC had flights from there. Just checked and it's sitting at $1900 out of there :eek:

 

That's return I hope. Wow. It must be a fortune out of YEG.

 

What airlines are offering it for $1300 - $1500 return? Must be american carriers.

 

I think I'd do an AI resort vacay over Xmas if I had to pay that much in airfare - there's 4 of us too.

 

 

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[boulders]

Cheapest I see leaving on the 20th or later and returning on the last weekend is YYC-MIA on Westjet $1300. Nonstop flight too. If you come back earlier, cheapest is US Airways, but with flying back on New Years Eve. $1000. Or, you can drive to Montana and fly from there, but flights are still $800-900.

 

I don't fly anymore at Christmas. Flights from Toronto to Florida are in the $800 range.

[LHT28]

It's having the cruise on the 22nd and not getting out of school until the 20th that's the main cause of the high $$. Even if I return by the 1st, it's not a substantial decrease. Just perplexed as I've never seen it this bad before and am wondering if it'll get better or worse.

 

I noticed on some flights with AC they have limited seats left for the 21st

so you may have to just bite the bullet for the higher prices

 

How is pricing to MIA??

I did not check there

[hsaroya]

That's return I hope. Wow. It must be a fortune out of YEG.

 

What airlines are offering it for $1300 - $1500 return? Must be american carriers.

 

I think I'd do an AI resort vacay over Xmas if I had to pay that much in airfare - there's 4 of us too.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

It is $1900 return Red Deer on clearing house type websites, but $3500 return on the AC site! Yes, it's US airlines at 1300 out of YEG, but only on the cheap flights type websites, not the airlines' own websites - far higher there.

 

As for AI, took my first cruise in 2006 and sadly it's spoiled me for any other vacation style. :(. I'm a monster of my own making, what can I say? First holiday post-retirement - transAtlantic, off peak season! Next step...find a snowbird home close to the port!

 

I'm hoping I can get our family's flights at around $1100 per person, return. Wow, how sad is that, that I'm starting to consider that a bargain?! However, if I don't get out from under Edmonton's 6 months of winter for at least two weeks every year, the cost of curing my depression will be a lot more :rolleyes:. No more complaints from our southern neighbours about the price of air!

 

Sunset Glow, where do you generally fly out of? YYC?

[hsaroya]

I noticed on some flights with AC they have limited seats left for the 21st

so you may have to just bite the bullet for the higher prices

 

How is pricing to MIA??

I did not check there

 

MIA is exactly the same :( Yes, 3 months may seem like a long time away, but with it being Christmas and a cruise booked, I can't afford to wait much longer.

[Jack1]

When you are doing your search, are you putting in 4 as the # of people you are searching for? If so, try doing it for 1 or 2 people. You might be able to find lower prices for a couple of you and have to bite the bullet on higher prices for the other couple?

The moment you put into your search "4" people, the results are going to usually give you results for all 4 of you when there might be 2 seats at a lower fare and 2 seats at a higher fare. But when you search for 4 they are only gone to give you price for all 4 at the higher price. Hope I am making myself clear.

When our family of 5 traveled together I learned this trick early on. Sometimes it made a difference, sometimes not.

sorry, traveling from Alberta can be challenging when looking for some of those great fares and unfortunately you are flying high season from a province that wants to escape the cold and snow.

[hsaroya]

When you are doing your search, are you putting in 4 as the # of people you are searching for? If so, try doing it for 1 or 2 people. You might be able to find lower prices for a couple of you and have to bite the bullet on higher prices for the other couple?

The moment you put into your search "4" people, the results are going to usually give you results for all 4 of you when there might be 2 seats at a lower fare and 2 seats at a higher fare. But when you search for 4 they are only gone to give you price for all 4 at the higher price. Hope I am making myself clear.

When our family of 5 traveled together I learned this trick early on. Sometimes it made a difference, sometimes not.

sorry, traveling from Alberta can be challenging when looking for some of those great fares and unfortunately you are flying high season from a province that wants to escape the cold and snow.

 

 

I always just go with the default of 1. Thanks to all the northerners who are chiming in - I know you feel my pain!

[sandyh85]

It may be more work, but what about flying AC to Windsor (yqg), catch a cab to Detroit (dtw). Dtw has dirt cheap fares to Florida and AC is not bad to Windsor. Unfortunately by Christmas westjet doesn't fly to Calgary...

 

 

 

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[LHT28]

I use http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ to find the flights then check the airline site to see if the prices match

 

Good idea to do 2 & 2 seating

Saw one on AC the leg from YEG to YYZ would be different times but you would be on the same flight from YYZ to FLL

so maybe 1 adult 1 child on one flight

 

Play around with dates/times/seats & gateways

Flying Dec 31st is cheaper

 

 

You know as soon as you buy the seats the price will go down ;)

[hsaroya]

I use http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ to find the flights then check the airline site to see if the prices match

 

Good idea to do 2 & 2 seating

Saw one on AC the leg from YEG to YYZ would be different times but you would be on the same flight from YYZ to FLL

so maybe 1 adult 1 child on one flight

 

Play around with dates/times/seats & gateways

Flying Dec 31st is cheaper

 

 

You know as soon as you buy the seats the price will go down ;)

 

Oh, trust me, I've resigned myself to this

[LHT28]

still $1200+ but nonstop

YYC to MIA on West jet

Dec 21st

WS 1500 dep YYC 130pm arr MIA 843 pm

Dec 31

WS 1501 Dep MIA 935am ARR YYC 1:45 pm nonstop

limited seats

 

They have YEG to FLL Via YYZ but I hate connection in the winter ..too many things can go wrong ;)

 

YMMV

Edited September 29, 2013 by LHT28

[hsaroya]

It may be more work, but what about flying AC to Windsor (yqg), catch a cab to Detroit (dtw). Dtw has dirt cheap fares to Florida and AC is not bad to Windsor. Unfortunately by Christmas westjet doesn't fly to

 

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Just checked and edmonton to Windsor is 1550. Edm to Fort L is 1300. Do the Canadian carriers recognize the irony of this?

 

Thanks for the creative suggestions, everyone, and especially the sympathy!

[hsaroya]

still $1200+ but nonstop

YYC to MIA on West jet

Dec 21st

WS 1500 dep YYC 130pm arr MIA 843 pm

Dec 31

WS 1501 Dep MIA 935am ARR YYC 1:45 pm nonstop

limited seats

 

Thank you for the research. This might have to be the one!

[sandyh85]

Just checked and edmonton to Windsor is 1550. Edm to Fort L is 1300. Do the Canadian carriers recognize the irony of this?

 

Thanks for the creative suggestions, everyone, and especially the sympathy!

 

Sorry to send you on a wild goose chase! I fly out to Ed once in awhile and generally find cheap fares...though I don't travel over Christmas...

 

I have to say, living here in Windsor I'm very lucky with both Canadian and US fares....

 

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