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

 

[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.