Air Fares Sky High

[Scooter-n-GB]

Just for the heck of it, I checked an online consolidator site, and our flight on DL from PWM to FLL, in Oct, is $253 roundtrip, which is $15 more than I paid when I booked. I guess there may also now be other fees that may jack the price up a bit, but I was shocked that I was still finding anything for under $300, what with all that has been going on with airfare. :p

[Mypka]

I booked our November cruise with the airfare arrangements through Princess. Last week I called the cruise line and asked, when they are going to make the air arrangements for the cruise? The operator (too bad, I did not ask for her name) told me, the cruiseline contacts 75 days prior to the cruise, and they not gonna charge for the ticket more, then already paid, even if the prices will go up. So, we'll see. Somehow, I am skeptical.

[OuiOnboard]

....If somehow we were to release all the drilling off our coast similar to what Brazile has done prices will drop 20-50% immediatly because the market makers would price in the future supply coming in 10 years.

 

Happy hedgers

Of course this scenario takes into consideration the increasing worldwide rate of oil consumption. :rolleyes:

[cruisemom42]

Airfare increases are not that new. Way (?) back in 2006, I bought air tickets to Rome roundtrip for our Mediterranean cruise about 8-9 months in advance for about $785. By the time we were 3-4 months out from travel, those same tickets were twice as much. This is typical of air travel.

 

Also, ships are sailing full, so I'm not sure all the pessimism is justified. Our 5/26 CB cruise was over 3200 pax and according to the Princess staff member attending our Meet 'n Greet, that's pretty common.

 

Most flights are full also. Flying back to ATL after our flight there was actually an empty middle seat next to me. Can't remember the last time that happened!

[OuiOnboard]

....Also, ships are sailing full, so I'm not sure all the pessimism is justified. Our 5/26 CB cruise was over 3200 pax and according to the Princess staff member attending our Meet 'n Greet, that's pretty common.....

Your optimism is refreshing. Hope you are right.

[moosenaroundtheship]

Chev29. We will be cruising with you Dec 7.

I purchased our tickets in Jan. Today I checked and they are now $220. more per ticket. Glad I booked early. Just an FWI, I had read on a post that American Air Lines has canceled and rebooked flights. (thank goodness for these posts)I checked with AA and sure enough my flight out had changed. Never received any notice, calls or anything to the change. They put us on a really bad flight. 2 stops, 10 hrs of flying with lay overs. Original flight was 1 stop, 7 hrs of flying. I told them to change my flight to another and there was no problem. Even better flight then my first one I had booked. We get in an hour ealier.:D

[gertz]

Actually the market is artificially high, it is real in the sense the oil cost more to refine and the prices are passed on to us, but it isn't classical supply demand, NO WAY. In a true natural supply demand market such a rapid price rise would only be consistent with shortages. Today we see NO shortages anywhere for any oil based product. The prices are high based on un-natural demand. This is driven by markets that are pricing future supply demand but not todays situation.

 

If somehow we were to release all the drilling off our coast similar to what Brazile has done prices will drop 20-50% immediatly because the market makers would price in the future supply coming in 10 years.

 

Happy hedgers

 

Just the thereat of drilling and don't forget a refinery or two will trigger immediate price drops from the Cartel to try and put a halt to this.

 

We are not even close to having the technology to get away from petroleum (opinion) and there is no shortage of oil. Ethanol a joke.

 

Folks we have done this to ourselves but we have the power to cure it also.

 

Gertz

Princess Elite

Next Tahitian 9/18 Vancouver to Honolulu already have air tickets.:o

Coral 4/12 FLL to LA If I can afford air.:eek:

[Tatka]

Again, why private companies would invest huge money (oil is very deep) into something with potential possibility of price-drop? I definitely won't.

[samiam0403]

Yup, airfare is a definite consideration with regards to cruising right now. I've been looking for months for decent airfare to MIA or FLL for our Dec cruise, and finally found a great deal. We got IND to MIA for less than $450 total (for 2) with no layovers. I booked as soon as I found it. The next cheapest competitor was over $650. Yes, we have to drive 1 1/2 hours to the airport, but it is definitely worth it for the difference in cost. I'm already looking at my next military assignment somewhere in Louisiana or Florida so I can cruise without paying astronomical airfares! Airfare is definitely not going down in the near future.

[pcur]

You can bet that IF oil prices come down, the airline and cruise industry will not drop their prices to before the oil crunch prices. Happens all the time, things that are supposed to be "temporary" never go back to what they were before.

 

Not necessarily true. RCCL had this type of surcharge going on in the 1970's, and they did drop their prices after the price of oil went down.

[EJ'S MOM-MOM]

Oui, You've nailed it. This is the way things are going, cheap airfares are a thing of the past: welcome to the real world where most of us live. Regards Jake

 

 

When the airfare began to rise I spoke to my sister about our cruise in April 09 if we should cancel.:( She kinda laughed at me & asked why. I said because the fare would be way higher than we probably anticipated. She said she was used to high airfare & we have been lucky over the past 10 to 20 years with the low airfares. She based this on her travel to & from England when she 1st got married & had to pay $800.or more RT. & that was buying the ticket here in the states. She said the people overseas according to her DH paid more when purchasing tickets there. So she is not concerned with the cost, she would like it to be less but will not cancel the cruise because of it. She says it's the cost of traveling & we will now have to get used to it if we want to travel... I am not happy about it but did not want to cancel & hopefully I will find a fare not too high from Philly to Honolulu & Vancouver to Philly home. I look everyday but could not book because the dates were out of range, maybe now that they opened up I will catch a "SMALL BREAK" ... ;)

[voyager70]

Our airfare to Rome was nearly as much as the cruise itself :eek: But we will continue to cruise despite the high airfares. We need our vacations & will cut back in other areas if we have to.

[pcur]

I agree with the previous two posters: we will pay the extra for the air, and cut back somewhere else in the travel. I am now booking my cruises as much as 16 months in advance, because if I change my mind, or find a better one, I can just transfer the money to the new one.

 

Sure, I let RCCL collect my measly interest rate I would be getting on the cruise money, because if I wait I will spend much more than the $30 per $1,000 I would get in interest.

 

And, I keep looking for the cheapest transportation I can find for my cruises. If I have to pay more for the air, and I really want to go on that cruise, then I pay. We have cut way back on shore excursions, for instance. Lots of public transportation is available all over the world for very little money.

[FlyerTalker]

Dear Mom-Mom:

 

Any chance for a reasonable sized signature??

[EJ'S MOM-MOM]

Dear Mom-Mom:

 

Any chance for a reasonable sized signature??

 

Again WHY ???? Is something wrong with it ?? :confused:

[FlyerTalker]

Again WHY ???? Is something wrong with it ??

 

You might want to be reading this global announcement' date=' at the top of every forum:

 

Signature "Spring Cleaning"

[SelectSys]

...We are not even close to having the technology to get away from petroleum (opinion) and there is no shortage of oil. Ethanol a joke.

 

We actually do have the technology to get off most fossil fuel use - but not the political will. With plug in hybrids and nuclear power we can eliminate most green house gases and oil deman. The French perspective on nuclear power is right and are in good shape for securing their energy future.

 

Virgin Atlantic did some demonstration flights burning bio diesel in one of their aircraft. I don't know how far off this is for commercial use but it is at least a step.

 

Ethanol from corn is a joke. The Brazilans use sugar cane and this is quite an efficient method of creating ethanol (US can't import Brazilian ethanol due to farm lobby). Brazil has gone from being totally dependent on imports to being energy independent by being practical and allowing off shore drilling.

 

...

Folks we have done this to ourselves but we have the power to cure it also...

 

You are absolutely correct! Until people get practical about the sources and solutions we are in a world of hurt. Let your pols know that you aren't interested in a steady decline back to the "dark ages" - pun intended.

[EJ'S MOM-MOM]

You might want to be reading this global announcement, at the top of every forum:

 

Signature "Spring Cleaning"

 

O.K. I read the announcement & cleaned up a little & want to know if my signature is O.K.with you now ??? I did not know I was offending anyone..:eek: ..Sorry

[vjmatty]

Dear Mom-Mom:

 

Any chance for a reasonable sized signature??

 

If lengthy signatures cause you disquietude, there is a setting in your User CP where you can disable signatures and thus not be subjected to them.

[kenish]

We actually do have the technology to get off most fossil fuel use - but not the political will. With plug in hybrids and nuclear power we can eliminate most green house gases and oil deman. The French perspective on nuclear power is right and are in good shape for securing their energy future.

 

Virgin Atlantic did some demonstration flights burning bio diesel in one of their aircraft. I don't know how far off this is for commercial use but it is at least a step.

 

Ethanol from corn is a joke. The Brazilans use sugar cane and this is quite an efficient method of creating ethanol (US can't import Brazilian ethanol due to farm lobby). Brazil has gone from being totally dependent on imports to being energy independent by being practical and allowing off shore drilling.

 

You are absolutely correct! Until people get practical about the sources and solutions we are in a world of hurt. Let your pols know that you aren't interested in a steady decline back to the "dark ages" - pun intended.

 

None of these are a panacea. We need to look at the big TOTAL picture of any energy options so the pros and cons can be evaluated fairly. For example, hybrid cars are by far the dirtiest, most environmentally destructive vehicles on the road! The reason is mining and refining nickel for the batteries is very bad for the environment and also creates a larger carbon footprint than will ever be saved in the vehicle's lifetime. An automotive engineering trade publication looked at the total environmental impact of several dozen vehicles...a Prius has 3X the carbon footprint of a Hummer H2 when the energy required to build, operate, and scrap each vehicle is added up.

 

Brazil and sugar cane is another good one. To their credit, they did it. But the family of Brazil's president who kicked off the initiative has large sugar cane holdings. I understand that most sugar cane production in Brazil is controlled by a cartel of 5 families. Our president's ties to the oil industy pale by comparison. Also don't overlook the fact that a lot of rainforest is being cleared to grow more sugar cane.

 

I fully agree we need to look at alternatives....but our media, politicians, and voters need to look at the total picture or we risk jumping out of the fire into the frying pan. (Look at your latest grocery bill for a good example of what can happen if we rush to the "quick fix" for our energy problems). OK, off my soap box. :rolleyes:

[EJ'S MOM-MOM]

If lengthy signatures cause you disquietude, there is a setting in your User CP where you can disable signatures and thus not be subjected to them.

 

Thanks for your answer on signatures & I agree whole heartily but rather than cause a problem with anyone I cleaned mine up a bit..It's just unfortunate that people feel it is their job to try & tell others what to do with their signature when the moderators did not see fit to address the signature issue with me.

[pcur]

It's just unfortunate that people feel it is their job to try & tell others what to do with their signature when the moderators did not see fit to address the signature issue with me.

 

I agree completely, and I've been thinking those exact thoughts during this thread!

[greatam]

Thanks for your answer on signatures & I agree whole heartily but rather than cause a problem with anyone I cleaned mine up a bit..It's just unfortunate that people feel it is their job to try & tell others what to do with their signature when the moderators did not see fit to address the signature issue with me.

 

You forget that quite a few of the regular posters on this board are very frequent travelers and are often posting on laptops from airports or hotel rooms. Frequently, the connections are NOT the best. Loading long signatures, especially with lots of graphics, also eats battery life very fast.

 

I use my laptop with Verizon air card about 75% of my posts. Some times it is very fast, but more often, it is medium/slow speed. So loading a lot of graphics and signature lines slows down the process considerably.

 

And turning off signatures-why would I want to turn off ALL signatures? They are often valuable clues to helping someone. There is no option to turn off only those heavily loaded with graphics.

[greatam]

None of these are a panacea. We need to look at the big TOTAL picture of any energy options so the pros and cons can be evaluated fairly. For example, hybrid cars are by far the dirtiest, most environmentally destructive vehicles on the road! The reason is mining and refining nickel for the batteries is very bad for the environment and also creates a larger carbon footprint than will ever be saved in the vehicle's lifetime. An automotive engineering trade publication looked at the total environmental impact of several dozen vehicles...a Prius has 3X the carbon footprint of a Hummer H2 when the energy required to build, operate, and scrap each vehicle is added up.

 

Brazil and sugar cane is another good one. To their credit, they did it. But the family of Brazil's president who kicked off the initiative has large sugar cane holdings. I understand that most sugar cane production in Brazil is controlled by a cartel of 5 families. Our president's ties to the oil industy pale by comparison. Also don't overlook the fact that a lot of rainforest is being cleared to grow more sugar cane.

 

I fully agree we need to look at alternatives....but our media, politicians, and voters need to look at the total picture or we risk jumping out of the fire into the frying pan. (Look at your latest grocery bill for a good example of what can happen if we rush to the "quick fix" for our energy problems). OK, off my soap box. :rolleyes:

 

Very good post!!!

 

One other thing about jumping out of the fire into the frying pan:

 

In our rush to "save energy", there is now a law about incandescent bulbs being outlawed after XXX date. So everyone is using those twirly bulbs. They are filled with MERCURY (wasn't that outlawed 30 years ago). Technically, IF you break one, you are to call EPA for cleanup and disposal. Get the guys in the white suits to your house IMMEDIATELY. And get out your check book-cost one lady who actually did the right thing about $2000.00.

 

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

 

EPA has now redone their clean-up instructions, but number 1 is GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. And if the glass falls on clothes, bedding or other soft materials, you are to THROW them away. So disposal could cost more than the additional light bill.

 

http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm

 

DH is an electrical engineer at the USA's largest nuclear plant. Father was an electrical engineer who worked with hydro and nuclear plants his entire career. The American Rivers Organization and The Nature Conservancy are ADAMANT about taking down dams in this country. They closed one of the hydro plants in Arizona so the "river could revert to it's natural state". So there goes clean hydro power and electrical generating capacity.

 

We COULD have enough power if it weren't for all the wack-o's.

[pcur]

You forget that quite a few of the regular posters on this board are very frequent travelers and are often posting on laptops from airports or hotel rooms. Frequently, the connections are NOT the best. Loading long signatures, especially with lots of graphics, also eats battery life very fast.

 

I use my laptop with Verizon air card about 75% of my posts. Some times it is very fast, but more often, it is medium/slow speed. So loading a lot of graphics and signature lines slows down the process considerably.

 

And turning off signatures-why would I want to turn off ALL signatures? They are often valuable clues to helping someone. There is no option to turn off only those heavily loaded with graphics.

 

You make a lot of sense. Actually, I have all the grapics turned off. I think it was the "tude" that was a little off-putting.:D