Websites that will allow Cancun arrival?

[kixy1]

Seems none of the big players (Orbitz, Expedia, etc...) allow me to choose a package with a hotel in Coz and fly into Cancun. I know I've done it many times before, always cheaper. Anyone know of one that still allows it? It's always been cheaper to do a package than separately if I want to stay on the water....

 

[deepsea21]

My experience has always been whatever the best price you find on airfare is what it is and any savings is based on the hotel/resort. Have you done a deep dive and searched the best rates you can find for the hotel/resort you want to stay at and then priced airfare seperately to add on to that price. I think you will find the price of the "package" deals the various sites offer changes day-to-day with changing airfares... Nothing more as the hotels and resorts have already shared their lowest rates with all travel sites and airlines to use for their "package" deal pricing. If anyone else has experienced a different outcome I would love to hear about it as I am always looking for a cheaper Flight/hotel component to help offset the $1,600-$1,700 worth of diving for 2 over 2 weeks.

 

[deepsea21]

Sorry to post again on this thread but I did remember one thing... When planning our dive trip to Coz in Dec '15 I was watching the prices at the Casa Mexicana hotel for our days through all the various websites. I usually hold off on booking the hotel as sometimes they can offer a last minute deal to fill rooms up to about 60 days out. This year, no such luck and prices started to increase after 60-days out passed and they increased far beyond what our Dive Op (Tres Pelicanos), had locked in for 2015 with the Casa Mexicana. As such, our best deal was found booking our dive/hotel package through Tres Pelicanos. Check with your dive op and see what their dive/hotel/resort packages are running. You know what the diving is going to cost you, you know what the airfare is going to cost you, so compare the "packages" both ways and see if one is less than the other. If your dive op has pre-negotiated prices with a hotel/resort, you may find that to be the best way to go. Remember, peak season lasts a few months and the dive ops who keep a supply of dive visitors coming year-round carry some weight with the hotels and resorts they have teamed up with. They don't necessarily want to piss off a dive op that consistently fills rooms year-round with divers. Anyway, please do let all of us know what decide, where you decide to stay, who you dive with, how you put the best deal together, and how your trip to Coz went!

 

[kixy1]

I've done all the above, but what I've almost always found is that if I want to stay in a 'hotel' on the water, it's cheaper to book together through a package. Yes, it's much cheaper to get the best airfare and rent something off the water or through an owner, but with non-divers who want ocean view, beach front vacation time, not an option.

I used to be able to plug in Seattle to Cozumel, but choose Cancun airport which usually saved a couple hundred dollars... just don't see that option anymore. Oh well....

 

[cvchief]

Email them Kixy, they want to sell you stuff, I bet they quote something.

 

[mstevens]

Seems none of the big players (Orbitz, Expedia, etc...) allow me to choose a package with a hotel in Coz and fly into Cancun.

Is this because you can get direct flights to CUN or for some other reason?

 

[kixy1]

Is this because you can get direct flights to CUN or for some other reason?

Yep. There are direct flights to Cancun from Seattle, but it's also cheaper, sometime $250 cheaper!

 

[Prop Joe]

Try doing a multi-city on the actual airlines site. I use Expedia first then try the actual airlines site a week or so later once I see how he fares are trending on certain dates through certain hubs. See if you can play around and catch them and their damn cookies. If you play your cards right and if you see a good fare initially, lock it for 24 hours at no charge, check around and pay if it. Do it only if it works for you. I got fare to the island for $260 cheaper than going to CUN that way. I've had it go the other way when it is cheaper to fly to CUN direct for much cheaper than CZM. Got to be flexible though. I've done the same on all airlines. It's a very, very frustrating game. I play all the time. There is no rhyme or reason... May the force be with you.

 

[fishi]

Try hotel+car. That should drop the hotel price. If you don't want the car simply don't pick it up. Good luck!

 

[mstevens]

Yep. There are direct flights to Cancun from Seattle, but it's also cheaper, sometime $250 cheaper!

The direct part makes sense. I really suspect that most sites quoting package prices are likely to include both CUN and CZM automatically when looking at trips to Cozumel. I know I have to be really careful when pricing out flights because that tends to be the default even without looking at packages.

Sometimes I guess packages really are cheaper and it could make sense to book that way. Over time I've learned that I'm just much happier arranging each part of a trip (transportation, accommodations, meals, etc.) separately so I get what I want.

The multi-city thing is often quite useful. Direct flights just aren't very applicable for me - I have to drive quite far to get to an airport from which I can get to CUN direct, and direct to CZM just isn't a thing in New England. Fares being equal, of course I'm going to want to use CZM. Since they're often less to CUN and since I don't mind arriving there but do hate getting there for departure, a multi-city itinerary will often save $100 per person.