Best time to purchase Christmas Flights - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

Joan-OH · March 12, 2010, 11:13 PM

I need to fly 5 adults and 1 child from CLE/DTW to Cancun 12/26/2010 to 1/2/2011. These fares just came out a couple of weeks ago on the major airlines and I'm stunned. I've always flown off season, but since we are taking my teacher/daughter and family, we are going during Christmas Break.

Question is, should I just bite the bullet and purchase the tickets now before they are not available? At this time the low cost carriers are not selling tickets for that time period yet. Do the prices, overall, take a dip when the low cost carriers start ticketing? I'm talking AirTran, USA 3000, Spirit etc.

I've even investigated changing our plans to fly 12/25 - 1/1 knowing holidays will be our cheapest bet, but that probably won't work.

Advise anyone?

Joan-OH

calgal · March 13, 2010, 02:11 AM

What are the fares you are seeing?
Do you have any frequent flyer miles?

Joan-OH · March 13, 2010, 02:28 AM

I have some miles, British Airways/American) but I've found they won't do me any good over Christmas. I'm seeing $800 +. I can get out of Detroit (a 2.5 hour drive away) for about $550 on Delta, but I would prefer to go out of Cleveland or Akron since we will be traveling with a one and a half year old.

I figure if I have to go out of Detroit, I might wait for Spirit or USA 3000 to start selling Holiday week tickets. In the meantime, I'm afraid I will lose the $550 with Delta.

I've just never flown over a Holiday before, so I don't know what to expect.

As you can imagine, the $800 x 5 doesn't make that Grand Mayan I snagged look so good anymore. If the kids weren't so Phsyched about this trip, I could almost change it to Fort Lauderdale or somewhere else warm that flies much cheaper.

Joan-OH

calgal · March 13, 2010, 07:52 AM

Delta has $400 if you fly r/t 12/26-1/3 from DTW. $480 12/26-1/2 from DTW.
Nonstops. I am not familiar with your market, so don't know if those will be beat by the low cost carriers or not. I think anything under $500 sounds good to me, I already grabbed my family's tickets to PVR from SFO this Xmas because in past years the cost for the nonstops never went down for the holiday period. We do not have low cost carriers on this route, though. Two sites to check are itasoftware and kayak, but they do not include some low cost carriers.

Joan-OH · March 13, 2010, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgal

I already grabbed my family's tickets to PVR from SFO this Xmas because in past years the cost for the nonstops never went down for the holiday period.

This is what i was looking for - someones past experience since I've never flown over the holidays. Thank you for sharing it. Guess I'll wander over to Delta...

Joan - OH

Twinkstarr · March 13, 2010, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgal

Delta has $400 if you fly r/t 12/26-1/3 from DTW. $480 12/26-1/2 from DTW.
Nonstops. I am not familiar with your market, so don't know if those will be beat by the low cost carriers or not. I think anything under $500 sounds good to me, I already grabbed my family's tickets to PVR from SFO this Xmas because in past years the cost for the nonstops never went down for the holiday period. We do not have low cost carriers on this route, though. Two sites to check are itasoftware and kayak, but they do not include some low cost carriers.

That's a great price out of Detroit for Cancun direct.

Joan, if you are in the greater Cleveland area it's not really that far to get to Detroit Metro. I know one Tugger from Cleveland flew into St Thomas last year from Detroit because the rates were better.

From the Ohio Turnpike-I-75 exchange(my area) it only takes you 45 minutes to get on Metro property.

optimist · March 13, 2010, 10:03 AM

Or you can go to Yapta.com. If you plug in your dates, destination and the price you are looking to pay, they will track flight prices for you and send you an email when prices come down to what you are willing to spend.
It might be worth tracking for a month or two since a lot could happen between now and December.

Talent312 · March 13, 2010, 12:00 PM

I prefer to use Fare Compare (www.farecompare.com) to do a meta-search on several different sources.
It shows the prices over a full-month using a monthly calendar.

itchyfeet · March 13, 2010, 06:08 PM

There is a typo above. It is www.farecompare.com I also use fly.com I picked up a flight to Cabo from Sacramento for $325 that was over $400 on other sites.

Talent312 · March 13, 2010, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itchyfeet

There is a typo above.

.... Thanks for the catch. [T]

hsintang · March 17, 2010, 06:10 PM

I bought my SFO to Cabo SL flights last year for 12/25 to 12/31 for ~$340/pp. Return flight was a direct flight as well. I remembered that I got the tickets only 2 months ahead of our departure... but I have to come back on NYeve rather than after New Year to save almost $200/pp.

You may want to use Kayak.com to check their calendars for airfares.

Good luck!

March 12, 2010, 11:13 PM	#1
Joan-OH TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jan 2, 07 Location: NorthEast Ohio Posts: 106 Resorts: Pagosa Springs	Best time to purchase Christmas Flights I need to fly 5 adults and 1 child from CLE/DTW to Cancun 12/26/2010 to 1/2/2011. These fares just came out a couple of weeks ago on the major airlines and I'm stunned. I've always flown off season, but since we are taking my teacher/daughter and family, we are going during Christmas Break. Question is, should I just bite the bullet and purchase the tickets now before they are not available? At this time the low cost carriers are not selling tickets for that time period yet. Do the prices, overall, take a dip when the low cost carriers start ticketing? I'm talking AirTran, USA 3000, Spirit etc. I've even investigated changing our plans to fly 12/25 - 1/1 knowing holidays will be our cheapest bet, but that probably won't work. Advise anyone? Joan-OH

March 13, 2010, 07:52 AM	#4
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 723 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	Delta Delta has $400 if you fly r/t 12/26-1/3 from DTW. $480 12/26-1/2 from DTW. Nonstops. I am not familiar with your market, so don't know if those will be beat by the low cost carriers or not. I think anything under $500 sounds good to me, I already grabbed my family's tickets to PVR from SFO this Xmas because in past years the cost for the nonstops never went down for the holiday period. We do not have low cost carriers on this route, though. Two sites to check are itasoftware and kayak, but they do not include some low cost carriers.

March 13, 2010, 12:00 PM	#8
Talent312 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jul 4, 07 Location: North Florida Posts: 3,377	I prefer to use Fare Compare (www.farecompare.com) to do a meta-search on several different sources. It shows the prices over a full-month using a monthly calendar. __________________ "I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape." -- Miles, "Lost" Last edited by Talent312 : March 13, 2010 at 07:23 PM.

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March 13, 2010, 02:11 AM	#2
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 723 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	What are the fares you are seeing? Do you have any frequent flyer miles?

March 13, 2010, 02:28 AM	#3
Joan-OH TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jan 2, 07 Location: NorthEast Ohio Posts: 106 Resorts: Pagosa Springs	I have some miles, British Airways/American) but I've found they won't do me any good over Christmas. I'm seeing $800 +. I can get out of Detroit (a 2.5 hour drive away) for about $550 on Delta, but I would prefer to go out of Cleveland or Akron since we will be traveling with a one and a half year old. I figure if I have to go out of Detroit, I might wait for Spirit or USA 3000 to start selling Holiday week tickets. In the meantime, I'm afraid I will lose the $550 with Delta. I've just never flown over a Holiday before, so I don't know what to expect. As you can imagine, the $800 x 5 doesn't make that Grand Mayan I snagged look so good anymore. If the kids weren't so Phsyched about this trip, I could almost change it to Fort Lauderdale or somewhere else warm that flies much cheaper. Joan-OH

March 13, 2010, 10:03 AM	#7
optimist TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Sep 14, 08 Location: new jersey Posts: 192 Resorts: hyatt, HGVC	Or you can go to Yapta.com. If you plug in your dates, destination and the price you are looking to pay, they will track flight prices for you and send you an email when prices come down to what you are willing to spend. It might be worth tracking for a month or two since a lot could happen between now and December.

March 13, 2010, 06:08 PM	#9
itchyfeet TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 409 Resorts: Peregrine, Foxrun, WorldMark, Sudwala, Harbortown Marina, Villa del Palmar Flamingos	There is a typo above. It is www.farecompare.com I also use fly.com I picked up a flight to Cabo from Sacramento for $325 that was over $400 on other sites.

March 17, 2010, 06:10 PM	#11
hsintang TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jul 5, 05 Location: Piedmont, California Posts: 180 Resorts: Sand Pebbles, Solana beach CA, HGVC Flamingo	I bought my SFO to Cabo SL flights last year for 12/25 to 12/31 for ~$340/pp. Return flight was a direct flight as well. I remembered that I got the tickets only 2 months ahead of our departure... but I have to come back on NYeve rather than after New Year to save almost $200/pp. You may want to use Kayak.com to check their calendars for airfares. Good luck!