Where are all the cheap airline tickets we were promised?

ursula · 11-10-2008, 09:00 AM

A few weeks ago, I saw a news report about one of the silver linings of our terrible economy: airline tickets were supposedly getting cheaper. Well, I've looked around and they look more expensive than ever! I've checked orbitz, travelocity, expedia, and the United website (since I have frequent flier miles there) and I couldn't find anything good. Are there other websites I should check out?

MimsTX · 11-10-2008, 09:11 AM

I hadn't heard that about the airline tickets... if anything, I'd been hearing that the trend would be for them to go UP in price.

Since so many of the companies cut the number of flights down, tickets are in higher demand and thus more expensive.

I hope your information is more recent than mine though... I can't afford to travel with them as high as they are right now, and cheaper would definitely be awesome.

Koukla72 · 11-10-2008, 09:53 AM

Edited due to a cyberstalker. Sorry, guys.

MimsTX · 11-10-2008, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukla72

They've also started charging fees on all checked baggage, not just excess or overweight baggage. They claimed last spring when they started doing it that it was because of rising fuel costs, but I suspect it had more to do with an attempt to capitalize on the larger numbers of checked bags because of the 3 oz. rule. I wonder if they'll get rid of the new fees and lower ticket prices now that fuel prices have dropped so much.

*snort* yeah right... I'm surprised gas prices themselves went down at all...

misfitcurls · 11-10-2008, 11:10 AM

i got a round trip (non stop) to indianapolis from tampa for $129 (taxes included!) i am traveling the weekend before christmas and coming back 2 days before! air tran always has good deals, web specials, and discounts if you sign up for email alerts!

they usually update their specials on tuesdays and thursdays

ursula · 11-10-2008, 12:27 PM

According to the news report I saw, ticket prices were supposed to go down because (1) fuel prices were going down, and (2) business travel was going down, partly as a result of all the layoffs.

Thanks for the tip, misfitcurls! I actually tried the airtran website and still no luck. I think I'm going at the worst possible time: Dec 26-30. I'll try again tomorrow, since you said they update on Tuesdays.

sunday · 11-10-2008, 01:28 PM

Did you try Southwest? I just got tickets for $79.00 each way.

luvmylocs · 11-10-2008, 01:39 PM

i hadn't seen an atricle or story about this but i would think tickets would be higher because travel is less due to the economy so those flying would have to pay more.

mrspoppers · 11-10-2008, 04:06 PM

The story I saw said that ticket prices would go down, but "cheap" is relative to how expensive they were a few months ago. There were people who bought plane tickets at the height of the gas crisis that would pay less if they'd waited to buy until now. The tickets I looked into the other day were definitely not cheap, but they were more reasonable than before.

ursula · 11-10-2008, 04:59 PM

I just bought some tickets on Orbitz. I think you're right, mrspoppers--I managed to get some that were a decent deal but still much more than they would have been last year.

It was weird--literally, within minutes, the prices dropped 100%. I was looking at $1000 cross-country tickets, re-did the search, and then there were some for $500. I jumped on them!

mrspoppers · 11-10-2008, 05:02 PM

Yay!

$500 for a cross country trip at Christmas isn't bad.

xcptnl · 11-10-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ursula

According to the news report I saw, ticket prices were supposed to go down because (1) fuel prices were going down, and (2) business travel was going down, partly as a result of all the layoffs.

Thanks for the tip, misfitcurls! I actually tried the airtran website and still no luck. I think I'm going at the worst possible time: Dec 26-30. I'll try again tomorrow, since you said they update on Tuesdays.

I had heard the same as you but also, like you, I have not seen any price drop.

rouquinne · 11-11-2008, 06:19 AM

air travel is more expensive in Canada to start, but my sister got a flight from Ottawa to Toronto for Christmas for $187 return - including all taxes (fees for each airport, one for NavCanada and the security fee). the airline she's flying with - WestJet - doesn't have fuel surcharges, nor do they charge for an extra bag.

that was a special one-day sale. if she went to book today, the exact same flight would be $311.

it's only a one-hour flight each way.

the total cost of her flight was only $17 more than taking the train (4.5 hours each way) and only $20 more than taking the bus (5.5 hours each way). plus the fact that our mom lives closer to the airport than she does to the main bus depot or train station.