Airfare is killing our cruise plans

[TruckerDave]

All depends on the airline. When the booking window on United opened up last Jan for 12/20/13 (a very high demand time before xmas), I got three tix for 12,500- the cheapest rate offered. I got three return flights on SWA with my points for 1/3/14. I don't remember the amount, but it wasn't much.

Our last family holiday trip was two years ago and again, we flew free for points, flying out the day after xmas and coming back after NYE. Again, all were booked for 12,500.

Actually, I had a harder time getting bargain rate seats for our summer trip to Kona than any holiday trip, though this might be due to AA being pretty stingy.When I say tough, initially,no cheap seats were offered, then some cheap code shared Alaskan Air ones show up a couple of days later, then disappeared for good. At any rate, I did get cheap saver seats and yes, we all are all flying to the big island this summer for free.

It was maybe eight years ago that you could fly across the coast around Xmas for about $250-$300 and that included luggage. Now with the same travel costing about triple, it really pays to try to get your tix free as air travel can cost more than the cruise itself.

 

It is a case of YMMV. A big thing many folks don't take into consideration (not saying you, but many folks) is how much did those miles cost you. How are you earning all those miles, is it all cc spending or did one buy them? There are times when spending actual money is "cheaper" than using miles. I personally would never spend 25k miles (RT) for a domestic ticket in coach. Using those miles to fly up front to Asia or Europe, now we are taking:D

[TruckerDave]

Flying to Florida during President's week and got the $280 on virgin. Also flew to Hawaii for the last two years during that week for under $450 r/t.

 

Nothing hurts like flying to Europe for $1300 times four ppl.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app

 

The trouble with Virgin America is their limited route network. Everybody I know who flies them likes them but with so few cities served they are sort of limited.

[TruckerDave]

 

I love that line. It is soooooo true. Sort of like "because I believe something so it must be true and anything that differs must be a lie". :D

Edited December 14, 2013 by TruckerDave

[TruckerDave]

Look into southwest if they fly from an airport near you. Usually quite a bit cheaper and no baggage fees. My husband won't fly them because you don't have assigned seats but I find it is a lot cheaper. We also book right after midnight on a Tuesday. That was a tip I got from a friend that was a TA.

 

Southwest is not always cheaper. Living in Houston (one of WN's larger "hubs") I can tell you that many times UA is cheaper that WN (IAH is also UA's busiest hub and one of their most expensive:mad:) It pays to not always check the prices across the board and not assume that WN is always cheapest. (sometimes they are, but depending on where you are going not always)

[dclark]

It is a case of YMMV. A big thing many folks don't take into consideration (not saying you, but many folks) is how much did those miles cost you. How are you earning all those miles, is it all cc spending or did one buy them? There are times when spending actual money is "cheaper" than using miles. I personally would never spend 25k miles (RT) for a domestic ticket in coach. Using those miles to fly up front to Asia or Europe, now we are taking:D

 

How much did they cost me? Very, very little. I spent about $300 on my Alaskan Air card to get the 40,000 miles that paid for a r/t ticket to HI for my daughter, card then was cancelled. Typical cash price on a ticket like that is around $700, so I got a huge reward back for that $300 in purchases, wouldn't you say? I have had a number of cards where I spent next to nothing then cancelled after the reward. My best was an amex card that I spent $4 on (to get gas for the lawn mower), I then took the points and got $300 in gift cards for PF Changs and Red Lobster, card was opened and closed in under a month.

And, in case you are wondering, my credit score, as of last month, was 827.

The only cards I have kept longterm are my Hilton Visa and My Sheraton Amex. The latter is real nice as they match point per dollar like the airline cards, but if you transfer 20k points to AA, they'll kick in another 5k points.

Real easy to do, one could get a United card, then have their spouse get one, spend the minimum to get the reward and boom, together you have 80-100K miles, enough to take a family anywhere in the U.S. for free!

[TruckerDave]

How much did they cost me? Very, very little. I spent about $300 on my Alaskan Air card to get the 40,000 miles that paid for a r/t ticket to HI for my daughter, card then was cancelled. Typical cash price on a ticket like that is around $700, so I got a huge reward back for that $300 in purchases, wouldn't you say? I have had a number of cards where I spent next to nothing then cancelled after the reward. My best was an amex card that I spent $4 on (to get gas for the lawn mower), I then took the points and got $300 in gift cards for PF Changs and Red Lobster, card was opened and closed in under a month.

And, in case you are wondering, my credit score, as of last month, was 827.

The only cards I have kept longterm are my Hilton Visa and My Sheraton Amex. The latter is real nice as they match point per dollar like the airline cards, but if you transfer 20k points to AA, they'll kick in another 5k points.

Real easy to do, one could get a United card, then have their spouse get one, spend the minimum to get the reward and boom, together you have 80-100K miles, enough to take a family anywhere in the U.S. for free!

 

My questions were not aimed at you directly. You know how to work the system and churn the cards for the miles. But you know as well as I do by reading this section (and other sections of this website) and seeing the questions asked, most folks are not as knowledgable about the in's and out's of the airline mileage game and could easily end up paying more for the miles for that "free ticket" than they would if they just bought a ticket outright.

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

[kenish]

Do you have at hand a link/reference to that study? If so, it would be great to have. Just thought I would ask before starting my own search.

 

They've done several. Here's a sorta old one from 2007 that shows *last minute* fares are higher on Southwest: http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/southwest-airlines-last-minute-fares-not-always-the-best-deal-economist-finds/

 

I recall several recent studies in our OC paper that found advance fares are generally higher on Southwest...that's certainly been my experience in the SoCal market.

[dclark]

My questions were not aimed at you directly. You know how to work the system and churn the cards for the miles. But you know as well as I do by reading this section (and other sections of this website) and seeing the questions asked, most folks are not as knowledgable about the in's and out's of the airline mileage game and could easily end up paying more for the miles for that "free ticket" than they would if they just bought a ticket outright.

 

 

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

 

Yeah, I know. That's why I suggest that people get two UA cards with their spouse to get an easy 80-100k miles just to get a "taste". Some people get cards and run them up and carry a balance and well, that just shows a lack of self control and these are some of the people who shouldn't do this.

As for those who say SWA is more expensive, all depends. Factor in luggage and buy when the window opens, I think they are the cheapest. Buy toward the middle or close to the flight and don't be shocked to see higher prices.

[ducklite]

They've done several. Here's a sorta old one from 2007 that shows *last minute* fares are higher on Southwest: http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/southwest-airlines-last-minute-fares-not-always-the-best-deal-economist-finds/

 

 

 

I recall several recent studies in our OC paper that found advance fares are generally higher on Southwest...that's certainly been my experience in the SoCal market.

 

 

2007 and WN are key. They were still operating on their fuel hedges. Since those ended, their fares have increased significantly.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[Smiles3usa]

I would not agree with the blanket statement that airfare has no bearing on cruise fare. My observation has been such that when airfare for North Americans tends to be higher, cruise fare tends to be lower. This is readily observable on the transatlantic cruises. Those transatlantic cruises that end in Florida are generally priced higher than those that end in South America or San Juan (where airfare is, generally, much more expensive). This is especially obvious on cruise prices after final payment. But as a general proposition, given the global markets, save for the transatlantic cruises, I have not seen a correlation between cruise fare and airfare. The best cruise fare seems elusive and is obtainable by luck or perseverance ... with the ability to pull the trigger as soon as an acceptable fare is shown winning out most of the time.

 

I'd agree that there is no "best time" to book airfare. Unfortunately, patience is necessary and then, not always rewarded.

[vjmatty]

Absolutely correct...every word of it.

 

And, repeat after me...cruise fares and airfares have NO correlation. NONE!!!

 

I actually understand why it is counterintuitive for those who don't fly on a regular basis to expect that airfare would cost more than cruise fare. I think those of us who fly often tend to forget that when we ridicule the masses. ;)

[CruiserBruce]

I would not agree with the blanket statement that airfare has no bearing on cruise fare. My observation has been such that when airfare for North Americans tends to be higher, cruise fare tends to be lower. This is readily observable on the transatlantic cruises. Those transatlantic cruises that end in Florida are generally priced higher than those that end in South America or San Juan (where airfare is, generally, much more expensive). This is especially obvious on cruise prices after final payment. But as a general proposition, given the global markets, save for the transatlantic cruises, I have not seen a correlation between cruise fare and airfare. The best cruise fare seems elusive and is obtainable by luck or perseverance ... with the ability to pull the trigger as soon as an acceptable fare is shown winning out most of the time.

 

I'd agree that there is no "best time" to book airfare. Unfortunately, patience is necessary and then, not always rewarded.

 

My point, and others who have said the same thing, is that if a person in Europe books the cruise, they will likely get the same cruise fare as an American (absent any pricing games being played), but the European may have little or no airfare, but the American will have an airfare. The cruise fare is unchanged and unrelated.

 

In your scenario, what you are saying is cruise lines may drop cruise fares if airfares are high, to fill the ships. True. But that would go against the statements by many here that seem to expect airfares to always be less than cruise fares.

 

Then of course, there is the common statement here is that domestic US air fares are more than cruise fares for cruises from US ports. However, as we have been saying, there is absolutely no relationship between the two fares.

[CruiserBruce]

And, on the topic of "best" days to buy airfares. We will be flying to LIM to get on a cruise next November. DW is going for free in Business First, so got her tickets the first day they were available. That day, the best fare offered was over $4K. However, 5 days later, on a Friday, the best Business First fare was $846. Guess which one I bought.

[FlyerTalker]

And, on the topic of "best" days to buy airfares. We will be flying to LIM to get on a cruise next November. DW is going for free in Business First, so got her tickets the first day they were available. That day, the best fare offered was over $4K. However, 5 days later, on a Friday, the best Business First fare was $846. Guess which one I bought.

Shhhhh....quiet!!! We've been very successful in pushing the idea that Tuesday night is the time to get the cheap tickets. Even to the point of bribing travel writers to parrot that line. Now you go and spoil the whole thing. I though you were one of us.

 

:D

[CruiserBruce]

Shhhhh....quiet!!! We've been very successful in pushing the idea that Tuesday night is the time to get the cheap tickets. Even to the point of bribing travel writers to parrot that line. Now you go and spoil the whole thing. I though you were one of us.

 

:D

 

Hehehehe...:D:D;)

[Keith1010]

This is the challenge for many for a Mediterranean Cruise.

 

Keith

[ducklite]

This is the challenge for many for a Mediterranean Cruise.

 

 

 

Keith

 

 

Our airfare was about 20% of the cost of our two weeks of cruising the Med. Pre and post hotels would have been more than the airfare except we used points for two of the five nights, and one was covered by the carrier after ir ops. While in the planning stage of cruising--before booking-- we take ALL costs into consideration.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[KirkNC]

One reason we go for three or four weeks is because the airfare is so high anything shorter makes airfare so much of the total cost.

[rocketlegs]

The airfare for both of us will be $950 for a $400 cruise!

[FlyerTalker]

The airfare for both of us will be $950 for a $400 cruise!

And I've had airfare of $400 for a $10,000 cruise. All of which means.....bupkus!

[CruiserBruce]

The airfare for both of us will be $950 for a $400 cruise!

 

And I've had airfare of $400 for a $10,000 cruise. All of which means.....bupkus!

 

Our two current booked cruises cost around 11K each. And the airfares are $15 (taxes on award seats) and about $1800.

 

So again, airfares and cruise fares have no correlation. This little discussion now throws in the issue of service level of airfare- coach, business or first, and cabin type-inside, outside, balcony, or suite. So, how can one compare air fares to cruise fares????

[Fattony]

This has been true for a few years. Not productive to compare cruise and airfare prices. Based on different criteria. Cruise lines discounted their fares, and make it up with charges for food, beverages, spas, tours, etc., etc. Airlines do have extra charges, of course, but not nearly as many as cruise lines do.

 

You've gotten some tips on finding less expensive air fares, but just try to think of them as completely separate from the cruise. As noted above, there's no real correlation. Good luck.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Fattony

[Fattony]

And I've had airfare of $400 for a $10,000 cruise. All of which means.....bupkus!

 

Ah, Bupkus! Didn't he play for the Bears?

[FlyerTalker]

Ah, Bupkus! Didn't he play for the Bears?

And he did Lite beer commercials with Bubba Smith.

[slidergirl]

And he did Lite beer commercials with Bubba Smith.

 

And did commercials for dental implants and now doing commercials for Overstock.com ;)