how do you find the cheapest airfare?

[ellabella]

Well, I am set to be OW certified next weekend and have caught the bug to do a bunch of travelling dives. My mom/aunt are planning a family dive trip to Cozumel over Christmas. Unfortunately for me, money is an object. I was wondering how you divers out there go about finding affordable plane tickets. Browsing the web, it appears that plane tickets are +/- $650 from Austin, TX to Cozumel Christmas week. Does that sound normal? Any hints for finding the cheapest tickets - not just for Christmas, but in general. Or do you who don't always have the means wait until cheap airfare becomes available and then plan trips around that. I have also done the all-inclusive deals in the past to Cozumel which was still cheaper than $650.

 

[raviepoo]

Try a bunch of different online travel sites. They often have different fares. The ones I use most often are www.travelocity.com, www.orbitz.com, www.onetravel.com, www.cheaptickets.com, www.expedia.com

Try priceline and hotwire if you know what days you want to fly but aren't interested in having any control over your flight times, number of stops or choice of airline.

Look into packages. I've gotten good deals from Expedia and also direct from US Airlines. I've heard that funjet and apple vacations run good package deals to Cozumel but they don't leave from my area.

Consider changing your dates to fly a few days before or a few days after the holidays.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Rule #1 of getting to Cozumel cheap is to fly into Cancun and go overland to catch the ferry.

You can often find cheap charter flights into Cancun. From the airport, take a taxi to the main bus station. Catch a southbound bus to PDC, and then the ferry from PDC to Cozumel.

It takes a bit more time (not too much considering the layover) but can save some major cash.

 

[scubatexastony]

a short (albeit 2-3 hour) drive might save you some....have you checked flights out of IAH in Houston?

tony

 

[ellabella]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I have looked at flights from Houston, DFW, SA too. I like the Cancun idea. I just think that as far as Christmas time goes, I'll just have to resign myself to it being fairly expensive (more than usual anyway).

 

[blawler1]

As mentioned earlier, check out www.funjet.com. The charters run out of Austin (seasonal), SA, Dallas and Houston. You should be able to find one for under $500.

 

[MAGELLAN]

Christmas is always expensive. I try to go a week or two after. You get better deals too on Thanksgiving, if you can get away with it. I find my best deals through Expedia.com when you bundle the flight with the hotel. You can also try Priceline.com I once got $300 roundtrip tickets to Belize that way. Some countries have small airlines too which are less expensive, like Cayman airways. My wife and I got a good deal to cozumel through Skyauction.com, just be sure to read the fine print there are a hefty amount of additional fees. Usually Austin is a good place to go to Mexico from, we have taken flights out of there through Funjet.com they have a lot of good deals, if you just want to go cheap, or last minute. It's definetly a good idea to search for flights out of Dallas, and Houston too, and play with the dates, leave on a Monday or Tuesday instead of the weekend and come back on a Monday or Friday you'll get much better deals. Hope this helps, have fun searching.

 

[Gypsydiver]

To get to Coz, I agree with Drew. I try to go as often as I can & I've saved so much money this way. While enroute, you may want to check out the cenotes near Playa .... so worth it.

For cheap flights in general, I've subscribed to:
www.smarterliving.com (weekly email of the cheapest flights leaving out of your nearest airport)
www.travelzoo.com (weekly email of the best airfare/package deals)
also, I've set up my yahoo home page to give me the best flights to the destinations I'm interested in. I believe it's partnered with travelocity? I'm not sure. Some good deals on there.

Anyways, good luck & safe diving!

 

[MAGELLAN]

OK, I fly into Cancun. How much will it cost me to get to the ferry, take the ferry, get to the Hotel?

 

[Wristshot]

the Rivera bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen was $8 US, and then the Ferry was another $8 US to get to Cozumel.
NOTE: Use the WaterJet Ferry (Blue and White) NOT the Ultramar (Blue and Yellow) Ferry. Same price, much better boat! You can save a buck if you book a round trip in advance.

Also, the return bus trip was either $8 US or 65 Pesos, so keep some Pesos with you!

The bus left Cancun Airport at 45 minutes after the hour. The ferries run pretty much on the hour.

Back to the original question: My buddy found that Cheaptickets.com was the best, and I used it for my trip, and it was very good.

Hope these help

Wristshot