Flights? Is it my imagination

Or did flight prices increase a lot over last year? I was looking for flights to Florida for 4 of us in August, almost 1800 dollars last year I thought was around 1200

Flights? Is it my imagination

They did. I've been pricing out flights for business travel and they are ridiculous.

I'm also finding there are fewer options then there used to be as well.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

They have gone up a lot. I read on line that the ideal window to purchase flight tickets is between 6-8 weeks before your trip.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

They have

Clear out your cache if you are watching a flight. I read this somewhere. The site knows you've been there and will keep prices the same. I don't know how true it is though.

Message edited 2/20/2013 8:34:08 PM.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

I booked the first day Southwest opened for a summer flight and it was $640 for 2 people.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

I think there is a huge range and yes they have gone up a lot. I have looked at dates in August, Nov, and May for a few years. I used to pay around $200 even less. I find that prices have often been the best when 1st released, but then they change dramatically. The lowest has been around $850, average $1000-1200, to upwards of $1600 for 4.

We are traveling with famiky this trip. My dad has delta rewards and cards. He gets 2 bags pp free so he booked for all of us. We jumped on $197 including tax pp (and no baggage fees)... same dates southwest wanted $199 each way or so and jet blue was I think $140 on way and $about the same returning, then maybe ags depending on how how pack.

Play around. I think tuesday night or wed are the cheapest. I amnot good with the games but if you can wait 3 months out there are sales, the good is you can get a good deal $49-99 each way, but you gamble no discount you can pay a lot more than they are now.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

Maybe some but not all. Probably has a lot to do with the season during which you travel. We go to FL around the same time every year (sometimes twice) and we bought our tickets for pretty much the same rate we have for the last 2 years. We paid $650 for 3 roundtrip flights and it falls during spring break.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

Yes...I fly to FL a lot and I was just looking at some flights yesterday...$435+, and that was with me opting to fly out of LGA, JFK or EWR to Fort Myers, Sarasota, or Tampa.

Insane.

It's not short notice nor is it a holiday.

Flights? Is it my imagination

I think some of it is caused by airline mergers - I used to fly out of Newark a lot but, since United and Continental merged, I don't go there much at all because the prices are ridiculous.

Also - I have to fly to the midwest a lot for work and I used to fly Frontier (formerly Midwest Express) and they are pulling out of numerous markets so it's $$$$ and difficult to find flights at the right times that I need.

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

I used to fly jet blue from JFK to ft myers for $79!!! That was only about 2 years ago. Now the price is $108 and up

Re: Flights? Is it my imagination

Before I broke my ankle I was travelling about 20 weeks (at least) a year for work.
Flight prices have gone up that my coworkers are booking flights with the assumption that our biz trips will end on a certain day. If it we book a 7 pm we just go right to the airport and pay the change free or just go stand by.

There are less direct flights from places like Omaha and fuel prices are high as well.

I can get cheap flight to Pittsburgh, Cleveland or anywhere not so great but to get to New Orleans, Dallas etc it's very pricey.