Airfare Deals/Tricks

[mikswi]

Hey All!
I need some advice. I am planning a trip for 4 to Panama City Beach this Oct 30 thru Nov 13, leaving from Hartford/Bradley (BDL) to Panama City Beach Airport (PFN). Whats the best way to find deals on air only? I did the conventional Expedia, CheapTickets, Travolocity etc, but they all list the same price. Is there some other way of getting really good airfare that I am not aware of? Am I not looking in the right places? I tried a travel agent but they were$50-$100 more then online. Maybe $302 IS good and I should lock it in now and not look back. I dont fly much so I dont really know. It just seems that approx $1,200 for air is allot of money (would rather spend it on dive gear LOL) and driving is completely out of the question

We've been saving for about a year now, paid for the 2 week beach house rental and are getting ready to lock in the tickets. Right now their about $302.00 ea, will they continue to climb? Will they drop for a few weeks? I check the fares daily. Also there are no direct flights to PFN, at least that I can find. Travelling with a 2 and 7 yr old would simplify life with a direct flight.

I looked thru all of the travel related post's on this board but didnt really see anything that was related. Thanks everybody.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Be Safe

[Marebythesea]

I fly all the time, but a lot of my flights are at the last minute or close to it. I could be wrong, but in MHO it seems a little too early to be booking your flight..fares are always fluctuating and there is a good possibility you can get a lower rate if you wait a little bit...You can also check-out the web sites of individual carriers. Many airlines will notify you of their specials. You may want to ask another travel agent to keep an eye out for you for cheaper fares. I usually do my own booking, but sometimes I'll use an agent and I haven't found them to be any more expensive.

I love Panama City, you'll have a great time...

[chuckrt]

It is way to soon to purchase your tickets. The reason the travel agents price was higher is they probably were charging a service fee per ticket. The airlines pay no commission to travel agents and unless you are booking other options thru them, car,hotel, etc., they may charge.

I suggest signing up with Travelocity or Orbitz and putting in your destinations for notice of fare changes. they will notify you by e-mail with either increases or decreases in prices.

chuckrt

[medical1]

A great little program thats free & compares prices from the major airlines, hotels & cruise lines. I've saves some money with it :wink:

[Kat]

work for an airline, tour op, etc. The down side is you might not get to travel. I have spent hours waiting for a seat to open up, as flight after flight is overbooked. Begged to be allowed to ride in the jump seat, so I can get home. And I have had to completely cancel my trip, because I couldn't get out. But, when you do get to travel, it's great!

[mikswi]

K, Thanks!! I have taken some of your suggestions and done some more research. Normally, I wouldnt care about price but I got laid off about 5 weeks ago and am not sure how it will effect the trip. I have been saving for about a year now and the wife and I got cert'd last Oct. Affter buying our gear, making a few payments, I got laid off.

BUT! I'm a survivor. I'll get through this.
I have also researched flying into Orlando and then driving the rest of the way. Cheaper and, being unemployed I can have some flexibility in the travel dates. i.e, arrive a few days earlier, depart a few days later.

Enough about me..Thanks again
Has anyone gone to "www.scubaboard.org"? Its a new board like this one but, I think it has allot of potential. The creator of the board seems to have a refreshing approach of how discussions should take place.

Enough about me. Thanks again people!
Mike

[Spectre]

Has anyone gone to "www.scubaboard.org"? Its a new board like this one but, I think it has allot of potential. The creator of the board seems to have a refreshing approach of how discussions should take place.


Huh? scubaboard.org isn't even a registered domain....

[detroit diver]

How about Priceline.com? You've got to be flexible, but you can save some money. Also, hotwire.com.

[chrpai]

work for an airline, tour op, etc. The down side is you might not get to travel. I have spent hours waiting for a seat to open up, as flight after flight is overbooked. Begged to be allowed to ride in the jump seat, so I can get home. And I have had to completely cancel my trip, because I couldn't get out. But, when you do get to travel, it's great!

Ssshhhh .... don't let the secret of NRSA travel out of the bag! :)

[chrpai]

If your serious about getting cheaper airfare, you have to follow many rules.

1) Know which city pairs are the cheapest that serve your destination. Don't fly DCA -> CLE when BWI -> CLE is much cheaper. For example ALB is cheaper for your route. Is driving an hour and a half worth saving a couple hundred bucks?

2) Know the historical high, low and median fares so that when your looking at a fare you know how it fits into the market.

3) Shop by fares instead of itineries. That way you find the cheapest fare for this moment in time and what days/times you have to fly to get it. Then by following rule #2 you'll know if its really a good deal or not.

Also if you know rule #2, then you know how much to bid at a site like Priceline.com.

[mikswi]

Huh? scubaboard.org isn't even a registered domain....

Yeah, sorry. I meant to say its "***************". Sometimes I dont really check what I type before I post.

[mempilot]

Nonrevenue travel benefits for airline employees are borderline worthless right now. The airlines have cut capacity in order to increase load factors. They are overbooking flights on a regular basis as they scramble to increase frequency with smaller aircraft. The days of 75% load factors are over. Profitability and survivability mean LF's in the 90%+. This means standby passengers will have a more difficult time traveling under their old strategies. Pilots, FAA inspectors, and Secret Service have the option of the cockpit jumpseat. Flight Attendants can ride a spare jumpseat in the cabin. As for Customer Service Agents, Mechanics, Ramp Agents, and family members, NR travel can be a very big PITA. Most of these employees are taking advantage of historically cheap seat prices and getting a guarrenteed seat.

Mikswi, my recommendation for you is to do the Orbitz route so you'll know when the price hits a low. Priceline.com can be beneficial only in the last days leading up to the flight when, if there is overcapacity, the airline wants to squeeze some more discounted revenue out of the flight.

[chrpai]

Nonrevenue travel benefits for airline employees are borderline worthless right now.


It really depends on the route. In the last 6 months me and my pass riders have flown 39 segments. Of those I'd say we've been bumped on 4 times, and I expected to be bumped an all 4 of those.

[mempilot]

It really depends on the route. In the last 6 months me and my pass riders have flown 39 segments. Of those I'd say we've been bumped on 4 times, and I expected to be bumped an all 4 of those.

What carrier?

[chrpai]

PM'd

[Backtanner]

It really depends on the route. In the last 6 months me and my pass riders have flown 39 segments. Of those I'd say we've been bumped on 4 times, and I expected to be bumped an all 4 of those.
The day of travel matters also. I f you expect to fly standby to say Vegas on Fri and come back Sun night you better have a plan B or reservations to a local hotel. Try the same route Thurs - Mon and you should be fine. Last year my wife and I made 3 trips to Maui, 2 FL, and a buch of Vegas trips. Haven't been bumped yet knock on wood. :cheeky:

[mikswi]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I tried going to a different airport and then driving to Panama City, I ended up SAVING almost $450.00!! Plus it's only about a 2 hour drive, with a direct flight in. Going the other way-I had a layover.

I have to rent a car anyways while i'm there so this works out perfect. Thanks again to everyone.

[texangal]

First, consider booking a full fare tik right now to lock in a seat. Only if it is reasonably cheap and cancellable without fee.

For that type of flight $302 is not bad and $99 each way is probably the best you will do. Flying somewhere else and getting a car is a maybe. How about SW Air to Birmingham and a rental. I think Birmingham is closer. I find it is usually cheaper to bring my own wine in my carry on. I save more on that than I do on the airline. Get one of those cardboard wine boxes and save a bunch of money.

[Kat]

texangel,
Why do you bring your own wine?
If your drinking it on the plane, that is a huge no-no.:nonono:

[mikswi]

"texangel,Why do you bring your own wine?" I agree, Jack Daniels is a much better choice! LOL

Seroisely, why is drinking it on the plane a huge no-no? They sell it, therefore it's allowed. As long as one acts as a responsible adult.................

[mempilot]

Check your airline's policy. You are not allowed to just crack open your own liquor. Some airlines will let you drink it; however, they have to serve it to you. Just give your bottle to the lead flight attendant when you board. This is typically allowed on flights coming back from resort destinations. Whether the FA wants to serve you is their choice. Their primary concern and job deals with safety and cabin managment first. Be nice, play by the rules, and you'll be surprised by the treatment you get. If you have some jackarse on board, they'll ruin it for everyone.

[spadoc]

all the searches use dates, I'm flexible, being self employed, I just want the lowest rates and I'll adjust the dates , what are the best days to fly ??

[detroit diver]

all the searches use dates, I'm flexible, being self employed, I just want the lowest rates and I'll adjust the dates , what are the best days to fly ??

Midweek. Tues, Wed, Thursday.

[Scuba_Jenny]

I go to Travelocity to find the cheapest fare. Once I find it, searching by price rather than by date, I go to that airlines website and see if they have it cheaper. My non professional experience has been that prices change daily. What you see on Tuesday may be higher or lower on Friday afternoon. Working this far in advance gives you a lot of options and you can learn how the pricing goes.. You will also see as a major holiday is coming along, the prices go up regardless of when you are flying, I have seen the biggest cuts in fares right after Memorial day, but only for a little while before the 4th of July price increase. Also right after Easter is a good time for low prices to FLorida.
4 days before Christmas I got a good deal on last minute tickets thro hotwire.com. Sites like hotwire, and priceline work best when for last minute deals.
Hope it helps. Good luck.

[Kat]

Drinking your own liquor on the plane:
It is against FAA requlations. See Cabin Safety / Alcohol 14 CFR 135.121
(a) No person may drink any alchohlic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage.

Just because it is being served / sold does not mean it is an open invitation to BYOB. Resaurants & bars are a perfect example of this.


Cheap airfare: Sept. Oct. & early Nov. is a great time to travel to places like Coz & Cancun. Just keep in mind the weather. Here is a little trick, keep an eye on the governments threat level. When the level goes up ( yellow to orange or red ) the price goes down. When the level goes down the price will skyrocket. The more time you have to shop price, the better. But if it's a spur of the moment kinda thing, check out 11th Hour Vacations. Sometimes they will have great deals.

[mempilot]

Drinking your own liquor on the plane:
It is against FAA requlations. See Cabin Safety / Alcohol 14 CFR 135.121
(a) No person may drink any alchohlic beverage aboard an aircraft unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft has served that beverage.

Just because it is being served / sold does not mean it is an open invitation to BYOB. Resaurants & bars are a perfect example of this.

You're contradicting yourself here. The certificate holder (airline) operating the aircraft may serve (FA) an alcoholic beverage. The FAR states no person may drink (consume) an alcholic beverage not served by the airline. It doesn't matter who brought it onboard. Some airlines have a company policy about serving liquor they haven't sold or comp'd to the passenger, but the FAR's don't prohibit it.

[Scott M]

I have also researched flying into Orlando and then driving the rest of the way. Cheaper and, being unemployed I can have some flexibility in the travel dates. i.e, arrive a few days earlier, depart a few days later.Since you are from MA. and flexible check out Air Tram. They have $ 89.00 one flights in and out of Orlando from Boston all the time.

[Genesis]

You're planning on coming here at a great time. The weather isn't smoking hot any more and the water is still warm.

Its one of my favorite times on the water around here..... you'll have fun.

If you DO get down here, look me up. I'm always willing to blow some bubbles, and I go places the "tour operators" don't - not because they don't like you, but because they have a schedule to keep - and I don't!

[Kat]

Yes, MEM Pilot, I should have said serving instead of drinking.
It is against FAA reg. to dispense the liquor yourself. That was my point, when I quoted the FAA reg.
Bringing it on board is no problem. It is the serving of it that has to be done by the "certificate holding operator of the aircraft".
Good luck with that.

[mikswi]

Genesis, I know your just down the road from where im going. What should I purchase for a wetsuit? I currently own a 7m for New England diving and I dive almost thru the winter, Late Nov early Dec- Then I pick up again around right about now, early Mar.

I have a reasonably high tolerance for the cold, can I get away with a 3m? My wife wont dive past Sept here so she will keep her 7m for down there.

[Dan Gibson]

To add to this, the day you purchase your ticket is a factor. Do not buy Friday through Monday. Prices go up on those days. Buy Tuesday through Thursday. Morning has even made a difference. I have also found that the prices tend to hit their lowest at the 4 week mark.

Midweek. Tues, Wed, Thursday.

[Genesis]

Genesis, I know your just down the road from where im going. What should I purchase for a wetsuit? I currently own a 7m for New England diving and I dive almost thru the winter, Late Nov early Dec- Then I pick up again around right about now, early Mar.

I have a reasonably high tolerance for the cold, can I get away with a 3m? My wife wont dive past Sept here so she will keep her 7m for down there.

Thanks and, would you consider taking on a charter? Judging by all of your previous post's and your avatar, I think you and I would hit it off well. Email me if your intrested.............

Second things first.... I don't do charters. But I will ALWAYS dive with people from Scubaboard under recreational vessel operation rules. All 'ya gotta do is let me know when you'll be here and how to get ahold of you; if its nice I'm usually out there; its a passion for me.

I don't handhold either (I don't believe in it, as I'm sure you know if you've read what I write around here) but that doesn't mean that there won't be something for 'ya - because there probably will be. We have a LOT of good diving around here, with depths from ~60' to 130+. Further out is generally deeper and FAR less trafficked; the best sites are typically from 100-130, and there'a blast. Fabulous natural structure and lots of wrecks, most artificial but a few "real" ones. Just look me up when you have dates.

A 7 mil full suit is going to be too much, unless your wife is a REAL cold blooded person. This last year at that time (first two weeks of November) the water temps were 73-75F in the relatively shallow stuff, and a degree or two warmer further offshore. I usually dive that with a 3 mil full suit and a 3 mil hooded vest under it; the vest is really optional, but I like the extra warmth on my head and chest, and I'm toasty. Looking back at my log, that's pretty typical for that time of year; it was "right up the middle", so I think you can reasonably count on temps no lower than 70F, and perhaps as high as 75-77F.

Keep in touch.

[donacheson]

Hey All!
I need some advice. I am planning a trip for 4 to Panama City Beach this Oct 30 thru Nov 13, leaving from Hartford/Bradley (BDL) to Panama City Beach Airport (PFN). Whats the best way to find deals on air only? I did the conventional Expedia, CheapTickets, Travolocity etc, but they all list the same price. Is there some other way of getting really good airfare that I am not aware of? Am I not looking in the right places? I tried a travel agent but they were$50-$100 more then online.



While I haven't looked lately, the big discount carriers - Southwest, AirTran, and Jet Blue - weren't listed on Expedia, Travelocity, etc. You'll have to go to their Web sites. However, they tend to fly in and out of major cities, so I wouldn't expect them to serve PFN and perhaps not BDL. However, you may be able to save some money by driving (if necessary) to Boston, Providence, or NYC; flying into New Orleans, Jacksonville, Orlando, or Tampa; and then renting a car to drive to Panama City.