Air for next April

[beckzay]

I'm looking at a cruise next April (2017) and obviously air isn't available yet. So, to help me decide if I should book the cruise I'm looking at prices for THIS April just to see what the prices might be. They are actually really high! Now I'm rethinking the cruise I had picked out.

 

There are 6 of us so I'd rather not spend $500 pp to fly from Boston to Orlando

 

So, do you think prices would be comparable for the same time next year? I know many thing can affect pricing year to year but do you think it's a reasonable thought process, lol.

[CruiserBruce]

Nobody is going to be able to tell you what airfares are going to be for April 2017. Is oil going up or down? Is the stock market going up or down? Will we be at war somewhere? All factors that could affect airfares either way.

 

If you are looking at April 2016 airfares to compare, there is some value in that, but understand that if you are looking at April 2016 airfares in March 2016, all the cheapest fares for April 2016 were sold months ago.

 

Generally, I start looking about 2 months prior. So you can see February 2017 on most airlines right now. That will start to give you some idea. Looking at some random Feb 2017 dates, I am seeing under $200pp BOS-MCO RT.

Edited March 29, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[Keith1010]

I agree with CruiserBruce.

 

Also it is not clear where your cruise starts or ends. If it is Florida look at the calendar as well just to see if it is near any holidays. Those can come into play.

 

Keith

[beckzay]

Thank you, so I guess my best bet is to wait a couple months to book the cruise so I can see if airfare is reasonable.

[Keith1010]

If there is no penalty for cancelling the cruise you could still book it now.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

I would not assume that this April is a proxy for next as a booking for April 2016 is only 30 days out. My experience is that you USUALLY do better booking further out. A closer proxy to me would be looking at March 2017.

[jagoffee]

If there is no penalty for cancelling the cruise you could still book it now.

 

Keith

 

Beckzay, Keith's point is an excellent one. Book the cruise now because unlike airfares if you see a better cruise "deal" you can change.

I would agree that flights for April 2016 at this point are not a good indication of what the air fares will be for April 2017 during different times of the year. Good luck figuring out when the best time is to book your airfare. Much more challenging than the cruise for timing. flights from Bos to MCO are less than $200 for February 2017 which is a great price.

Good luck

Edited March 29, 2016 by jagoffee

[twin123185]

No way Jet Blue will always be at $500

[scottbee]

I'm looking at a cruise next April (2017) and obviously air isn't available yet. So, to help me decide if I should book the cruise I'm looking at prices for THIS April just to see what the prices might be. They are actually really high! Now I'm rethinking the cruise I had picked out.

 

There are 6 of us so I'd rather not spend $500 pp to fly from Boston to Orlando

 

So, do you think prices would be comparable for the same time next year? I know many thing can affect pricing year to year but do you think it's a reasonable thought process, lol.

 

Cruise: book now, there's no penalty for cancelling

Air: You're going to have to wait. Most airlines only book just under a year out, so at best you wont be looking until May or June. Some airlines (WN/Southwest) are closer to only 8 months out.

[waterbug123]

I'm looking at a cruise next April (2017) and obviously air isn't available yet. So, to help me decide if I should book the cruise I'm looking at prices for THIS April just to see what the prices might be. They are actually really high! Now I'm rethinking the cruise I had picked out.

 

There are 6 of us so I'd rather not spend $500 pp to fly from Boston to Orlando

 

So, do you think prices would be comparable for the same time next year? I know many thing can affect pricing year to year but do you think it's a reasonable thought process, lol.

 

If you are searching NOW for April 2016, you are essentially looking at last minute fares, which tend to be higher. What will prices be next year? Lord only knows. And they will change a lot from the day they go on sale through the rest of the year. Keep in mind that early April tends to be a bit higher due to Easter/spring break, especially for flights to Florida because everyone wants to go to Florida for spring break.

 

Note: When you get ready to search for flights, don't search for 6 tickets. If an airline does not have 6 tickets available in the lowest fare bucket it will quote you a higher price for ALL 6 tickets.

Ex. There 2 tickets available in the lowest fare bucket (fare bucket "A")

There are 4 tickets available in the next lowest (fare bucket "B")

There are 14 tickets available in the next lowest (fare bucket "C")

You need 6 tickets. Can't get 6 in bucket A. Can't get 6 in bucket B. And no, the airline won't quote you the average of the 2 in A and the 4 in B. They will quote you the price for all 6 in bucket C, which could mean a LOT more $. So try searching for 1 or 2 tickets at a time to get a lower price overall. If you have kids, obviously there needs to be an adult on each reservation with a child.

[Regguy]

No way Jet Blue will always be at $500

 

Right. That JetBlue flies this route, and also that Southwest does (albeit with connections) make it hard to imagine that with 11 months lead time, OP won't be able find fares in the $300 range (for RT). Too much competition. Lots goes into airline pricing, and who knows if fuel will stay at these low rates, but I would be pretty confident if it were me that with diligence in monitoring, fares lower than $500 will be readily available.

 

One thing to keep in mind, though. JetBlue releases fares later than the big 3 legacy airlines. So, Delta will start selling April 2017 in May of this year, but when they first go on sale, Delta will have relatively less competition, especially for customers looking for nonstop service. What often happens on routes where JetBlue and WN provide competition is that the prices will stay artificially high until about 6 or 7 months out when those airlines open sales. Not always though -- you can watch the trends to try to predict but there's no certainty. So, it all kind of depends on your risk tolerance. The best move is probably to identify a price you're comfortable paying and then grabbing seats when it gets there.

[beckzay]

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has replied. I learned so much I never knew about airfare! I'm hoping to keep it under $300 pp which is what we typically pay (non-holiday). We'll be traveling the end of April so it won't be around Easter thankfully.

 

Thanks again!!!:)

[stleda124]

You should have no problem with that price range. I would book the cruise. No penalty if it needs to be cancelled. Looked at this April has a price indication is not a good comparison as prices this close to flight date are higher. When I booked a family of 5 from pro to fll 6 months out it was 960 for round trip. You'll be fine. Just research a lot before you book. I flew from providence even tho it was an hour ride from my airport because it was 600 cheaper.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[beckzay]

You should have no problem with that price range. I would book the cruise. No penalty if it needs to be cancelled. Looked at this April has a price indication is not a good comparison as prices this close to flight date are higher. When I booked a family of 5 from pro to fll 6 months out it was 960 for round trip. You'll be fine. Just research a lot before you book. I flew from providence even tho it was an hour ride from my airport because it was 600 cheaper.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, I definitely will look around. I have about 5 airports I can choose from that I am willing to drive to :)

[janetz]

I would book the cruise. Watch for air to open up for Southwest and Jet Blue later on. We have gotten our best deals from Boston on both those airlines. We found the price lowest as soon as they were available. :)

[Bowie MeMe]

I'm looking at a cruise next April (2017) and obviously air isn't available yet. So, to help me decide if I should book the cruise I'm looking at prices for THIS April just to see what the prices might be. They are actually really high! Now I'm rethinking the cruise I had picked out.

 

There are 6 of us so I'd rather not spend $500 pp to fly from Boston to Orlando

 

So, do you think prices would be comparable for the same time next year? I know many thing can affect pricing year to year but do you think it's a reasonable thought process, lol.

 

What you might be seeing is late spring break prices. Planes are running so full now there are no last minute (April 2016 IS last minute now) flights especially when ordering up 6! I too am looking for flights for April 2017 but mine are international Washington DC to Singapore return from Abu Dhabi. Some of the things to consider: 1. Watch for sales from Southwest and Jet Blue. BOS to MCO (Boston to Orlando) is sometimes on sale but April is still prime season for Florida cruises/vacations and believe me the airlines know folks like to get down to the sun!:D (Not to mention the Mouse!). 2. For checking prices for April, I have been using the dates Jan 18, 2017 and Feb. 8, 2017) Keeps it out of holiday pricing (at least internationally) and DO price both one way (Southwest and Jet Blue both do one way pricing but other airlines charge much more for one way) AND roundtrip. 3. Understand that pricing is a bucket concept -- so many seats in each bucket at a certain price. Trying for 6 seats available from the same bucket is probably going to throw you into a higher priced bucket for all the tickets -- they will NOT take one from bucket A and 3 from bucket B and then 2 from the highest cost bucket C . All 6 from bucket C and highest cost. Go directly to the carrier!(or check several carriers to compare) It is in your best interest to be a customer of the airline not the 3rd party like the gnome and the small rowing craft or anything with cheap in the title. Put in your early Jan/Feb. 2017 dates at 1 seat then 2 seats 6 seats and see if there is much of a difference. Also try over a week or so as you are looking for a range. This will help you learn what is a good price or a likely price. If when the timing is right (seats released or on sale or you have the money in hand:rolleyes: ) then you have a realistic expectation of the price. As they say over on the cruise air forum, the price of your cruise and the price of air are not connected in any way! It is always BEST to fly in day before the cruise -- you can miss your whole cruise if there is a hick -up in a same day flight and with 6 seats even bigger problem. Good luck!

Edited April 1, 2016 by Bowie MeMe

[Bowie MeMe]

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has replied. I learned so much I never knew about airfare! I'm hoping to keep it under $300 pp which is what we typically pay (non-holiday). We'll be traveling the end of April so it won't be around Easter thankfully.

 

Thanks again!!!:)

 

Easter for 2017 is April 16, 2017. This will make cruises and flights more expensive. If you can travel on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday AM then those are usually cheaper days BUT figure in that you have to pay for hotel and food. Worth the hotel and food cost for the insurance of being in embarkation town before the day of the cruise. Don't try to go much earlier than the recommendations for Florida disembarkations. The airport and Port Everglades are fairly close together (can see ships from airport window) but traffic can be horrible if lots of big ships in. Port of Miami and MIA are further apart but not far. Port and MCO (Orlando) is about an hour away or more. Can use FLL/MIA interchangeably but Orlando is 3 hours or more from FLL. (I add this because lots of folks do not realize this and don't even think of JAX Jacksonville -- is about 5 hours from Orlando 8 hours from Miami) I have lived or relatives lived in Florida for 40 years and go 3-4 times a year. Spring is the most expensive time! Period -- just the way it is. August is cheaper!:)

[wowzz]

If it is of help, I booked a flight in early September last year, on Jetblue, flying from Boston to FLL on Friday April 22nd - mid - morning departure. Cost, one way, with all the extras (extra leg room, security fast track etc) was $233.