airfare

[see.legs]

i am booked on my first cruise in september and was surprised by the cost of airfare (lower than expected) my question is does the price go up as it gets closer or should i book as soon as possible

[shane_paula2014]

Yes it will go up as it gets closer ! If u feel its a decent price book it now !!! U wont regret it ;) i have 42 days till my first cruise !!

 

 

My first cruise ! Can't wait!

[xxoocruiser]

i am booked on my first cruise in september and was surprised by the cost of airfare (lower than expected) my question is does the price go up as it gets closer or should i book as soon as possible

 

Generally speaking fares increase the closer to the actual flight date.

 

Basically you have to decide on a $ that you're comfortable spending and than don't look back after booking. FYI Southwest will give you a credit that can be used within one year from the actual booking date not flight date if the price goes down. This is not automatic. You have to continuously check and rebook the ticket to get the credit.

[puppycanducruise]

In my opinion, if you see a price you like, grab it.

One less thing to worry about.

Have a great cruise.

[Gunner22aa]

Comes up at least once a week. "When can I get the lowest airfare". Its a reasonable question from folks who don't fly as much as some on here though. It is also the most imposible question to answer. Some will tout web sites that show airfare trends from the past and that info is about as good as the guy who says its always the third Tuesday of the month right after midnight. While you can certainly learn lessons from the past it is not a crystal ball for the future. Last year you could buy a ticket to Sochi for peanuts in Feb. Right now if you could get one it would be the cost of a small car. One thing and one thing only drives the fare price. Supply and demand. This year Airlines are running a record capacity ratios right now for this very reason. If supply is such that it is outstripping demand by too much you decrease the supply and put pressure on the prices upward.

 

Yes there can be blips in this economic model. A new kid on the block gets in the game and offers bargain basement prices to build a clientel. Its called a loss leader but sooner or later they have to go up or go bust.

 

There are some general rules though. Buying seats on short notice will cost you more. Ask someone who has flown on bereivement travel at the last minute. Flying to a less popular airport in the general location of where you want to get to can save money and there are others.

 

The bottom line is how much are you prepared to gamble. If you see a fare that you think is good and within your budget then jump on it. Could you miss a seat sale and save some money yes. Its happened to me. Could you wait and pay more, yep that happens too and from my experience more often than not.

 

And for my last piece of advice, never buy stock in any airline. They tend to go into bankrupcy more often than they make millionairs out of the common investor.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Since you mentioned that the price is lower than what you expected -- book it now.

Prices go up as you get closer to the time you need to fly -- fewer seats -- more demand.