When the flight costs as much as the vacation itself?

[Anonymous]

I’m in shock by airfare prices. We (family of 3) are taking a 6 day/5 night trip at the end of May, to join family at an all-inclusive, and the airfare is only $200 cheaper than the all-inclusive! What in the world!? I’m having a hard time pulling the trigger. The plane is still nearly empty. Is there a chance the flight will become cheaper after the NY?

[Anonymous]

With 4 of use we drive. Flying means crappy hotel and not much spending money. Driving means a nicer resort and spending money. Time wise, we either lose a day on each end to flying or driving, not much different for anything on the east coast

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With 4 of use we drive. Flying means crappy hotel and not much spending money. Driving means a nicer resort and spending money. Time wise, we either lose a day on each end to flying or driving, not much different for anything on the east coast

Driving isn’t an option.

[Anonymous]

This is where credit card points come in the most handy and have the most value... get a travel credit card and save up the points! (and hope Congress doesn't pass the bill threatening to strip those benefits)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 4 of use we drive. Flying means crappy hotel and not much spending money. Driving means a nicer resort and spending money. Time wise, we either lose a day on each end to flying or driving, not much different for anything on the east coast

Driving isn’t an option.

They you have flights that cost as much as the hotel. Didn't you price out flying before you booked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where credit card points come in the most handy and have the most value... get a travel credit card and save up the points! (and hope Congress doesn't pass the bill threatening to strip those benefits)

Travel cards work best if you can use them for business travel. Trying to accumulate enough for multiple flights based on regular spending does not make sense

[Anonymous]

Must be a pretty crappy all inclusive. Plus, it's off season. Check out the same resort rates fr 4/12 or 12/31.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where credit card points come in the most handy and have the most value... get a travel credit card and save up the points! (and hope Congress doesn't pass the bill threatening to strip those benefits)

We use one, but I’ve only accrued $500 since summer, when we used them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Must be a pretty crappy all inclusive. Plus, it's off season. Check out the same resort rates fr 4/12 or 12/31.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 4 of use we drive. Flying means crappy hotel and not much spending money. Driving means a nicer resort and spending money. Time wise, we either lose a day on each end to flying or driving, not much different for anything on the east coast

Driving isn’t an option.

They you have flights that cost as much as the hotel. Didn't you price out flying before you booked?

I’ve been tracking since then. They have increased or decreased. I was hoping they would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where credit card points come in the most handy and have the most value... get a travel credit card and save up the points! (and hope Congress doesn't pass the bill threatening to strip those benefits)

We use one, but I’ve only accrued $500 since summer, when we used them.

It sounds like you're not maximizing it... most travel credit cards are best used with mile transfers. Which one do you have? What are their travel partners? What is the conversion?

[Anonymous]

I think we've all been very spoiled by cheap airfares over the past 30 years. I think this is the new normal, OP. I would probably gamble and wait a few more days to see if the prices drop in earlier Jan. But, in reality, I think you are just stuck with the high fares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we've all been very spoiled by cheap airfares over the past 30 years. I think this is the new normal, OP. I would probably gamble and wait a few more days to see if the prices drop in earlier Jan. But, in reality, I think you are just stuck with the high fares.

Spirit going into bankruptcy hurts, but low cost carriers entering markets and depressing prices is a cyclical occurrence that has happened since deregulation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we've all been very spoiled by cheap airfares over the past 30 years. I think this is the new normal, OP. I would probably gamble and wait a few more days to see if the prices drop in earlier Jan. But, in reality, I think you are just stuck with the high fares.

+1. Definitely. It’s a little ridiculous that people could fly thousands of miles for a couple hundred dollars. They’re just externalizing the cost somewhere else.

I just always think of it as a balance. Like people complain about the costs of disney tickets but the flights are super cheap. You can go some random low cost country and vacation but odds are the flight prices are going to be sky high. There are very few locations where you can get both low cost flights and low cost at the destination.

We’ve had free companion pass on southwest for the last couple of years so we’ve used that to travel places like Aruba and Hawaii and Arizona for basically half price. That’s coming to and end in March though. But we did take a lot more vacations based on where SW flew just bexauae of that though!

[Anonymous]

As a budget traveler this is often my experience, flights are the most expensive part! It's definitely shaping our choices this year.