$3000 airfare to Coz!

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jd950

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Started thinking that maybe if I can get a Covid vaccine, I could do a trip to Cozumel in the summer or fall. Went online to American airlines last night to check the Denver to Coz availability and a RT ticked is $3356. Thought that must be some glitch and waited until today and same fare still shows up.

Tried calling to inquire if it was an error, but recording says 2 hour wait time, so I hung up.

Guess I will book with someone else or go to Indonesia.

Anyone know anything more about this?
 
Started thinking that maybe if I can get a Covid vaccine, I could do a trip to Cozumel in the summer or fall. Went online to American airlines last night to check the Denver to Coz availability and a RT ticked is $3356. Thought that must be some glitch and waited until today and same fare still shows up.

Tried calling to inquire if it was an error, but recording says 2 hour wait time, so I hung up.

Guess I will book with someone else or go to Indonesia.

Anyone know anything more about this?
My guess is that it is not a mistake and due to the easing of CDC guidelines and the vaccine rollout there is a lot of pent up demand for tix, and all but the priciest seats on your preferred travel dates are sold out. The long phone hold time may be another indication of this. Did you try booking the same flight(s) on another day?
 
My guess is that it is not a mistake and due to the easing of CDC guidelines and the vaccine rollout there is a lot of pent up demand for tix, and all but the priciest seats on your preferred travel dates are sold out. The long phone hold time may be another indication of this. Did you try booking the same flight(s) on another day?

Yes, it shows same similar fares for pretty much any day over several months.

I booked seats on a different airline.
 
What are your dates? I found fares from Denver to Coz from $209 non stop Frontier in May, $392 United, Use matrix.itasoftware.com to search for fares
 
I was on the phone this morning to American Airlines and had about an hour wait on hold to get through to speak with a human. The CS agent I spoke with sounded like he was slammed.

I suspect there are many factors at play here:
  • Optimism -- some of it completely justified, some of it very misplaced (the vaccine situation domestically and in a few other countries is going well, but there's a lot of politically-driven idiocy to just start acting like the pandemic is over....it's not, and won't be for some time -- see Texas et al -- and the covid situation in popular destinations remains grim -- Mexico and Italy, for example). Still, when people start seeing signs that things are getting better, many are ready to press the "Book it" button regardless.
  • There's a vast pent-up demand -- nobody should be surprised by this. Once things "open up" (difficult to really define) many expect there to be an initial gush with high numbers of people going places. I saw one article today about the travel industry alternately lamenting and celebrating that they expect a mad rush "once the dam breaks" as they said.
  • Plenty of people have "vouchers" and credits with airlines and hotels for trips that were canceled. You add that into the mix and it makes booking things much more complicated, so CS agent call-times spike. People are highly motivated to use these travel credits (since they were paid for long ago and often have expiration dates).
  • Spring is coming (or already here, depending on where you live). With warmer, sunnier weather hard to ignore, people are itching to go somewhere, anywhere (even if they shouldn't).
  • And -- even for cautious, responsible folks -- the outlook does look significantly better up ahead, so it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of feeling like "the end is in sight!".
Personally, I'm trying my best to be responsible. Both me and my spouse are fully vaccinated. As much as I would love to go diving tomorrow, I have no intention of heading for Cozumel (or anyplace else in the developing world where the health care system is fragile or overloaded, the COVID situation is still bad, and getting a majority of locals vaccinated is nowhere in sight or even dreamed of). Not right away, not for a while. I will consider Cozumel or Indonesia or other places like that later in 2022 -- depending on how things go. I'm HOPING to travel in September 2021, if things continue to get better both here and there (in my case, destination is someplace warm in Europe where they have a good handle on things and a vaccination program progressing). And everything I'm booking for Fall 2021 is 100% refundable, I'll make the go/no-go decision in August based on both our/ AND their progress -- not just what I can get away with.

That said, the demand is clearly there -- even while the CDC continues to urge everyone to defer non-essential travel (that's still the recommendation, even for those of us who have been vaccinated). Some folks are suggesting it also makes economic sense to avoid trying to jump the gun and be part of the first big wave this summer...as the OP has discovered, prices may be crazy high as everyone rushes to be among the first out the door.

The pandemic isn't over folks. You don't spike the ball when you cross the 20-yeard-line...
 
I was on the phone this morning to American Airlines and had about an hour wait on hold to get through to speak with a human. The CS agent I spoke with sounded like he was slammed.

I suspect there are many factors at play here:
  • Optimism -- some of it completely justified, some of it very misplaced (the vaccine situation domestically and in a few other countries is going well, but there's a lot of politically-driven idiocy to just start acting like the pandemic is over....it's not, and won't be for some time -- see Texas et al -- and the covid situation in popular destinations remains grim -- Mexico and Italy, for example). Still, when people start seeing signs that things are getting better, many are ready to press the "Book it" button regardless.
  • There's a vast pent-up demand -- nobody should be surprised by this. Once things "open up" (difficult to really define) many expect there to be an initial gush with high numbers of people going places. I saw one article today about the travel industry alternately lamenting and celebrating that they expect a mad rush "once the dam breaks" as they said.
  • Plenty of people have "vouchers" and credits with airlines and hotels for trips that were canceled. You add that into the mix and it makes booking things much more complicated, so CS agent call-times spike. People are highly motivated to use these travel credits (since they were paid for long ago and often have expiration dates).
  • Spring is coming (or already here, depending on where you live). With warmer, sunnier weather hard to ignore, people are itching to go somewhere, anywhere (even if they shouldn't).
  • And -- even for cautious, responsible folks -- the outlook does look significantly better up ahead, so it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of feeling like "the end is in sight!".
Personally, I'm trying my best to be responsible. Both me and my spouse are fully vaccinated. As much as I would love to go diving tomorrow, I have no intention of heading for Cozumel (or anyplace else in the developing world where the health care system is fragile or overloaded, the COVID situation is still bad, and getting a majority of locals vaccinated is nowhere in sight or even dreamed of). Not right away, not for a while. I will consider Cozumel or Indonesia or other places like that later in 2022 -- depending on how things go. I'm HOPING to travel in September 2021, if things continue to get better both here and there (in my case, destination is someplace warm in Europe where they have a good handle on things and a vaccination program progressing). And everything I'm booking for Fall 2021 is 100% refundable, I'll make the go/no-go decision in August based on both our/ AND their progress -- not just what I can get away with.

That said, the demand is clearly there -- even while the CDC continues to urge everyone to defer non-essential travel (that's still the recommendation, even for those of us who have been vaccinated). Some folks are suggesting it also makes economic sense to avoid trying to jump the gun and be part of the first big wave this summer...as the OP has discovered, prices may be crazy high as everyone rushes to be among the first out the door.

The pandemic isn't over folks. You don't spike the ball when you cross the 20-yeard-line...

I get what you are saying, but I am looking at late summer or fall and only if vaccinated (and I am pretty sure I will be) and the situation appears relatively "safe." Anything I book is changeable or refundable at no cost. I had planned on using American in part because I have some credits with them due to canceled flights last year, and the credits are only good through the end of the year (unless AA finally relents and adds more time). Certainly it is prudent to wait until 2022, or if things don't go as hoped, 2023 or whenever, but I am hoping for better.

I have no idea what is going on with AA; the fare I got elsewhere was more or less the same as what I have paid for several years, and Frontier, Southwest and United seem to have plenty of seats at normal prices.

jbjclj: I booked for August and do look at matrix when I start looking for flights.
....
 
I believe it's an error, looks like the fares are in the middle of an update which probably explains why the call center is busy. A check on the route from DFW to CZM (RT) shows a stable price between the high 300's to mid 400's in August. Colorado springs shows $476 to $523 (RT). The problem with Denver to CZM pricing begins on August 10th which is around when the fall schedule update kicks in. Check back tomorrow.
Matrix software seems to be a good visual pricing software that's shows the fares in month long calendar blocks.
The flights do not look busy. Bear in mind AA drops thevTuesday and Wednesday Cozumel flights from mid September to Thanksgiving week this year, which is typical for hurricane season.
 
American has grounded so many planes and employees that they just don't have as many choices as before. It can be done, with some risks in breaking the tickets in DFW. Hopefully the ground agents would check you and bags straight thru.

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