Air fares WOW!

[cruiseman40]

I've been looking the last 3 weeks for plane tickets for 4 to hawaii and was surprised to book it for slightly over 500.00 including tax on northwest airlines on memorial day(monday) last week. Now it's back over 800.00 or so. I went to hawaii last yr in june and bought it in january for over 400.00 in change. .....goodluck!

[Chance's Mom]

We are flying American. Apparently we were some of the "lucky" people to be on the route that was discontinued from Chicago. We are hoping to still fly into Chicago on the way home. The plane appears to be full, so we are hoping that things don't change.:confused:

[milolii]

We are flying American. Apparently we were some of the "lucky" people to be on the route that was discontinued from Chicago. We are hoping to still fly into Chicago on the way home. The plane appears to be full' date=' so we are hoping that things don't change.:confused:[/quote']

 

 

 

AA discontinued a fight? What's up with that?

[beachchick]

AA discontinued a fight? What's up with that?

 

Most of the airlines are laying off staff, combining flights/routes, and generally making significant changes. Unfortunately, discontinuing specific flights and routes is part of that.

 

beachchick

[PennyAgain]

Stressful, isn't it? I am glad you got in at the lower price!

 

You can continue to watch prices. If they go down, you can often call and they will issue you a future flight credit in the amount of the difference. Although, these days they may be curbing that offer too. :rolleyes:

 

Some airlines will issue you a flight credit after charging you a large fee. $150 on AA and UA. Also you don't get money back, but a voucher to use on another flight and that with a time limit.

 

It's hard to get ahead!

[DAGVBSB]

Unfortunately this is just the tip of the iceberg. I literally just watched a report on NBC News that talked about the travel crisis. Jet fuel has increased 100% in just the past 12 months. (I'm sure that fuel for the ships has also increased nearly that amount.) The airline industry is calling this a crisis that will be far worse than 9/11 and many won't survive.

 

They are predicting a 75-100% increase in airfares over the next 9 months. Some airlines are mothballing planes and decreasing the number of available seats. Even then they say the airlines won't be turning a profit.

 

The reporter said that airlines are going to cater less to leisure travelers and cut more routes like Las Vegas, Hawaii and Orlando to force those prices up and thus allowing them to keep business rates down and the cheaper service to their hubs up.

 

They also said that as a result, many leisure travelers are simply going to stay home due to the high costs. That will lead to lost revenue for many tourist destinations and tourist activities. It would appear that the cruise industry is going to be facing the same issues that the airline industry is going to face. Will families be willing to pay extremely high air costs just to get to the cruise location??

[blong2200]

I booked this week on AA from Atlanta to San Diego and in two hours times the flight had gone up $200.00 each. Do it now, if you can find prices you can live with.

 

Beth

[DenverVal]

I booked my airfare for August last October, and the fares are now more than double what I paid.

 

From here on out, I will be purchasing travel insurance on my airfare, making sure there's a clause for default of the carrier - just in case the airline doesn't survive these difficult economic times.

[beachchick]

Some airlines will issue you a flight credit after charging you a large fee. $150 on AA and UA. Also you don't get money back, but a voucher to use on another flight and that with a time limit.

 

It's hard to get ahead!

 

That's interesting. On United, the deal has always been that they will either charge you $100 to $150 change fee and credit the remainder to your CC or they will issue you the entire difference in the form of a future flight voucher. We've done that a few times on United, as well as a couple of other airlines. Must be a new thing now where they charge you the change fee, but only issue a voucher. Bummer. Even less chance we'll be flying any time soon.

 

It's going to go back to the days when only the very weathly could travel. That's going to really limit the number or flights and routes any of the airlines will be able to sustain.

 

I am half convinced that the energy companies are ramping the costs up as much as possible because they believe that they'll be a less "friendly" face for them in the Oval Office next year. The more they can do now, the better for them. (Prescription drug manufacturers too, I think. Sorry, but when one of my daily required meds--and not even a brand name, but a pretty old generic--goes up in price 400% in 3 months, I can't help but believe the lobbyists are going to town now.) End of whiny rant.

 

beachchick

[JohnL1935]

Beachchick: Yesterday basic crude was $138/barrel. There are 45 gallons in a barrel which is $3.06 just for the crude. I paid $3.79 yesterday for a few drops of gas in my tank. If you add shipping, refinning, fed and state taxes, and a few pennies profit for the station and oil company to the pure crude price, I don't know where the margin is for hiking the price by the "energy companies" on 73 cents. Nobody wanted the 15 cent fed tax removed a few weeks ago so what difference will a few pennies or so by the oil companies make?

 

Maybe, if we can negotiate with Castro, he will sell us some of the crude the Chinese will be drilling for off Key West that we are not allowed to touch! I never knew China had superior drilling technology over our oil companies.

 

I think, in time to come, we will all be all commuting on bicycles and the Chinese will have the SUV's.

 

John L.

[Louise45]

I'm afraid now by the time my cruise comes up (next April) that our airlines could cancel our flight and then we would be scrambling to find another flight out and then have to pay double or triple the price we paid in the beginning. I thought I did the right thing buying our tickets 11 months away but now I'm wondering...

[DenverVal]

I think they have to accommodate you on another flight if they cancel yours. Frontier recently called me and told me that they'd cancelled my return flight and had put me on a later one. It could be a problem if you have connections to make, but better than them going out of business.

[DAGVBSB]

I'm afraid now by the time my cruise comes up (next April) that our airlines could cancel our flight and then we would be scrambling to find another flight out and then have to pay double or triple the price we paid in the beginning. I thought I did the right thing buying our tickets 11 months away but now I'm wondering...

 

Like everything we do in traveling, we take chances. Southwest airlines took a chance and locked in lower fuel costs a few years ago. Could have backfired, but now they look good.

 

The same is true of the public. We book a cruise early to get best selection of cabins and to allow us to book our airfare and hotel early. We run the risk of the price going down. In my case, I lucked out... since I had booked my cruise this summer before the fuel surcharges were added, we don't have to pay. It is saving our three cabins nearly $500!

 

People book airfare early for the same reason, in an attempt to lock in a lower rate. BUT you run the risk of the flight being cancelled or the airline going under. It is a chance you are willing to take.

 

The same is true of those booking cruises on the POAm for 2009 & 2010. Apollo Investments have said that they will make a decision on whether NCL-America will still be in operation or be "liquidated" (their words...) by the end of 2008. People take the chance that the POAm will still be sailing in order to get a better rate and better choice of cabin.

 

In travel, there are no guarantees.... especially in the current economic climate.

[pcur]

Well we knew this would happen. We know we are all paying for it at the pump, so it makes sense the airfares would go up. Air fares through the roof. The fares do go down after Labor Day. Anyone here have any tips/sites to get from CA over to Hawaii for under $1000.00 this summer?

 

Northwest has fares today showing for 7/14, coming back on 7/21/08 for $670 including taxes. I checked bestfares and saw it for $674, then went to nwa.com to check the airline direct fare.

[cdec]

Lisa, Did you check Air Tran. They had some very good flights to Ft. Lauderdale. Requires a stop in Atlanta, but had some good web special prices.

[sptrout]

I read a couple places this last week that the airlines have big tourist spots high on their lists for cuts, including; Hawaii, Orlando, California, and Las Vegas. Basically, the way I understand the problem, is that the airlines cannot charge enough to cover the costs of flying these routes since the planes are full of low paying tourist vs. business flyers that pay full fare to more common "business" cities. I know that either Delta or United has already announced reduced service to Hawaii. Continental is to start announcing their specific route cuts late this week; I hope Hawaii is not on their list (at least from Houston, my home town).

 

I am guessing here, but I image that "frequent flyer" free seats are going to become even harder to get than they already are. I know if I was running an airline I would really clamp down on the availability of these seats. It would be easy since no one knows how many are ever available in the first place: who is going to know if a few more free seats are removed? I hope I am wrong.......I have used my miles/points in the past for first class tickets to Hawaii and I have plently to go again.

[pcur]

I read a couple places this last week that the airlines have big tourist spots high on their lists for cuts, including; Hawaii, Orlando, California, and Las Vegas. Basically, the way I understand the problem, is that the airlines cannot charge enough to cover the costs of flying these routes since the planes are full of low paying tourist vs. business flyers that pay full fare to more common "business" cities. I know that either Delta or United has already announced reduced service to Hawaii. Continental is to start announcing their specific route cuts late this week; I hope Hawaii is not on their list (at least from Houston, my home town).

 

I am guessing here, but I image that "frequent flyer" free seats are going to become even harder to get than they already are. I know if I was running an airline I would really clamp down on the availability of these seats. It would be easy since no one knows how many are ever available in the first place: who is going to know if a few more free seats are removed? I hope I am wrong.......I have used my miles/points in the past for first class tickets to Hawaii and I have plently to go again.

 

I do not think they will cut these routes completely, but will cut back on the number of flights, so there are fewer seats available. If there is a big demand, then volume does dictate the routes to some degree. We'll see.

[DAGVBSB]

I read a couple places this last week that the airlines have big tourist spots high on their lists for cuts, including; Hawaii, Orlando, California, and Las Vegas. Basically, the way I understand the problem, is that the airlines cannot charge enough to cover the costs of flying these routes since the planes are full of low paying tourist vs. business flyers that pay full fare to more common "business" cities. I know that either Delta or United has already announced reduced service to Hawaii. Continental is to start announcing their specific route cuts late this week; I hope Hawaii is not on their list (at least from Houston, my home town).

 

I am guessing here, but I image that "frequent flyer" free seats are going to become even harder to get than they already are. I know if I was running an airline I would really clamp down on the availability of these seats. It would be easy since no one knows how many are ever available in the first place: who is going to know if a few more free seats are removed? I hope I am wrong.......I have used my miles/points in the past for first class tickets to Hawaii and I have plently to go again.

 

I saw basically the same thing on the "Today" Show on Friday. Their travel guru was on and he said a few things:

1.) Airlines are going to cut back on the mainly "tourist" routes like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Orlando and New Orleans.

2.) Airlines are going to cut back on the number of "direct" flights that are not catered to business passengers. Expect more flights from smaller cities to go to the hubs like Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, Denver and Dallas and then on to their final destination. (bring the passengers to one or two locations to reallocate out to keep the planes as full as possible)

3.) Forget about Frequent Flyer miles. Most airlines most likely are going to discontinue those practices in the next year or two. (and cashing them in will be nearly impossible.)

4.) At least one and possibly two major airlines will shut down in the next two years.

5.) Expect the average airline ticket to be upwards of $800-$1000 by Christmas.

6.) Look for "children's fares" to disappear. Again, flying a child costs the airline the same as an adult.

7.) Look for more hidden charges like fuel surcharges, luggage surcharges and fees for any food or beverage consumed on board. On flights of 3 hours or less, there may not be any food available.

 

Just a few of the things that he mentioned.

[Beach4me]

I am guessing here, but I image that "frequent flyer" free seats are going to become even harder to get than they already are.

 

The travel guy on the "Today" show said on Friday that it was going to be "very difficult at best" to get frequent flyer seats going forward. The airlines are pulling back on them.

 

Disappointing (but not surprising!) given that I have enough for 2 first-class tickets right now. I've been trying to figure out what to do about my planned trip for next year. I need to buy a third first class ticket (if I can even get the 2 free seats) but the price is so steep that I'm hesitating. It's amazing how much prices for everything have gone up since I went in Feb. I'm thinking that the 2009 trip might have to wait until 2010 for a number of reasons. Oh well, this year's trip was absolutely fabulous. If I have to wait a year or two, I have to wait. Might be a good idea anyway.

[Beach4me]

I saw basically the same thing on the "Today" Show on Friday...

 

You just beat me to it! LOL! Great minds!!! ;)

[beachchick]

Northwest has fares today showing for 7/14, coming back on 7/21/08 for $670 including taxes. I checked bestfares and saw it for $674, then went to nwa.com to check the airline direct fare.

 

What which CA airport? They fares are so variable between them. I've found often found higher fares from LAX than from SFO.

 

 

(JohnL1935: I don't want to get into a big debate about where to place blame for the soaring prices because that belongs on a different forum. We don't see eye to eye, I'm sure. Besides, there's plenty of blame to go around from consumers to our government to OPEC to worldwide political/social issues. I have a question though. You put quotes around "energy companies," which I used as a basic generic reference. Is there some preferred term I should be using instead? There are so many companies involved that I really don't think one specific industry is the culprit.)

 

beachchick

[Caroldoll]

and they have now discontinued all non-stop flights to Lauderdale. In the winter, it is not good to make changes or stop--you might not get back up! We had to change to Miami. No big deal at the Florida end as Miami isn't that far, but they "got us" for $299 extra per ticket.

 

I too have saved about 300,000 points for a trip next year which would have more than covered two first class tickets to Europe. However, if I can't get them, I will cancel the cruise. My husband is very tall and can't fly coach. That's how it is going to be with a lot of people.

 

I figured that they would tighten up so much on points that I am now using a card that gives me cash back. It isn't that good, but it is something and I will use it towards tickets when I can.

 

We can afford to pay, but sometimes there is a point where you have to step back and say no.

[pcur]

What which CA airport? They fares are so variable between them. I've found often found higher fares from LAX than from SFO.

 

beachchick

 

I'm sorry, it was from SFO, because I thought that was closer to you.

[beachchick]

I'm sorry, it was from SFO, because I thought that was closer to you.

 

Actually, it's a bit of a push for us because we're on the central coast. It's inconvenient either way. We prefer SFO by far. We drove up once and left our car with friends, but that was the cruise I broke my ankle and had to go home early. Plus, it was such a hassle to have to drive up the day before that we were pretty exhausted by the time we got to Hawaii.

 

Just for grins, I priced flights on mid-week off-season dates from our regional airport (SBP, SMX, or SBA are the closest that have a reasonable number of flights) to Maui a few days ago and got averages of about $820 (with a plane change at either SFO or LAX). Okay, so I priced them from SFO and got averages of about $600 for the same dates. Flying from the regionals is always expensive, and flights to SFO or LAX can be ridiculously pricy. This time I had to laugh though. I priced flights from the regionals to SFO for those same dates and got averages of about $800. Based on those fares, the airline was charging us to fly from the regional airports to SFO, but then throwing in the flight to Maui for $20.

 

beachchick

[pcur]

Actually, it's a bit of a push for us because we're on the central coast. It's inconvenient either way. We prefer SFO by far. We drove up once and left our car with friends, but that was the cruise I broke my ankle and had to go home early. Plus, it was such a hassle to have to drive up the day before that we were pretty exhausted by the time we got to Hawaii.

 

Just for grins, I priced flights on mid-week off-season dates from our regional airport (SBP, SMX, or SBA are the closest that have a reasonable number of flights) to Maui a few days ago and got averages of about $820 (with a plane change at either SFO or LAX). Okay, so I priced them from SFO and got averages of about $600 for the same dates. Flying from the regionals is always expensive, and flights to SFO or LAX can be ridiculously pricy. This time I had to laugh though. I priced flights from the regionals to SFO for those same dates and got averages of about $800. Based on those fares, the airline was charging us to fly from the regional airports to SFO, but then throwing in the flight to Maui for $20.

 

beachchick

 

I know what you mean about the regional airports, as we live in Central (and I mean CENTRAL) CA. We use LAX, but if it was a screaming deal we would drive up to the Bay Area and leave our car with friends or family.

 

It's a whole new ballgame now, and being creative about the transpo is going to be the norm now.