Airline booking help! - Flights are crazy

sparis · Post by **sparis** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 11:59 pm

Okay, so we're planning our St. John Trip super late. Just posted questions about Villas, because we have totally been squeezed out of the most coveted villas out there. We just have been so busy, have had no time to plan and only decided to do this trip less than a month ago.

Anyways - we are finding flight are scary scary scary. This is for end of May, early June. We're flying out of Rochester, NY and cost aside which is a killer, the big problem is layovers. We knew there would be nothing direct, not coming out of a major city, but some of the things we're looking at has 2-3 layovers many with overnights in the middle. Its crazy.

Looked on most of the major travel sites, Expedia, Orbitz, BookingBuddy, etc....and its all the same. Any suggestions? Was thinking of calling a travel agent and seeing if i can get a better fare and flight options that way. If anyone has any tips, completely open. I know the best tip would have been to be booking 3 months ago, but well, that ship has sailed.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Joppa · Post by **Joppa** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:46 am

I would try going to airline web sites directly. Some airlines are not dealing with those other travel web sites anymore. I can't remember for sure but I think one is American Airlines.

captainjay · Post by **captainjay** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:31 am

Three or four months out is not that last minute. The real problem is likely your dates or days of the week. June starts what we call the second high season. Kids out of school, discounted rates etc. Over the past few years in the charter business we have been extremely busy those first few weeks of June I suspect that the villa business is much the same. Try flying on odd days Tuesday and Thursday seem to be the cheapest, even if it means staying in a hotel for a day or two and then moving to your villa. Also look at pushing your dates back to late June you may find a better deal and flight.
Jay

Lovermont · Post by **Lovermont** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:43 am

I am always willing to drive quite a few hours to get better connections and fares. BTV is 40 minutes for us, but we've never had good fares to STT. Therefore, we travel the 3.5 hours to BOS or BDL, and have even driven 6 hours to JFK. I just weigh up the pros and cons. If I can reduce the layovers and save a couple hundred dollars, I'll do it. This habit is not for everyone.

Boston Mike · Post by **Boston Mike** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:23 am

We fly out of Manchester, NH in May with U.S. Air. Connect in Charlotte, NC with a 2.5 hour layover and we are off to St. Thomas. Deal directly with U.S. Air.

BillVT · Post by **BillVT** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:55 am

As someone else suggested, try going directly to the airline sites. Things are changing in the online booking world. I went directly to the AA site and found a flight leaving Syracuse at 6AM with stops at O'Hare and Miami getting you in at 8:50PM for $841. At AA it looks like you can fly out of ROC for a little cheaper but you can't get back. The returns are to SYR. Go figure and good luck. I didn't try Buffalo.

For two years in a row we've had our one stopper from Burlington VT changed so that we could not make our connection and had to accept a two stopper with later arrival by Delta. It amounts to a bait and switch and I've have written to Delta saying as much. Well, anyway, it made me feel better. Again, good luck!

mricco · Post by **mricco** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:08 pm

O.K. I found a flight on May 23 out of ROC at 6:00 a.m.to JFK 2 hr layover, arrive STT 1:20 p.m. $605.00. Not to bad of a flight, don't know of many flights that get in much earlier then that.A little pricey though.
You leave to come back on June 1.
mricco

Barb Y · Post by **Barb Y** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:17 pm

It seems that out of ROC best connections are on Delta. We live in ROC but are flying out of and into BUF in June on US AIR because we were able to find much better prices and there is only one connecting flight through CLT. We leave Buf at 6ish am and arrive into STT just after 1pm. If your days are flexible the have some better prices for weekday travel. Good luck!

toni · Post by **toni** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 1:51 pm

We fly out of buffalo. Spirit air is now flying out of niagara falls. Cheaper flights, but really screwy flight times and they tag on carry on fees etc. Just keep checking all the time and different times of day too. I've been looking for July and seeing different things appear at different times.

inuny · Post by **inuny** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:06 pm

We live in Syracuse and often drive to Newark (less than 4 1/2 hrs) for a direct flight. In November, we did that and stayed one night at a Newark hotel with 10 more days of parking for $120. But Continental doesn't have any direct flights in May.

It's the same with PHL. So many Syracusans drove to philly ths weekend (the kids are off school) to get cheaper flights. However, in May US Air doesn't have a direct flight to STT from PHL.

It's touch living in upstate NY. At least it's sunny today.

sparis · Post by **sparis** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:07 pm

It really is hit or miss as many of you say and I am finding looking direct on the airlines may be the best way to go. I think if I book through Delta, while pricier, I can get one layover and if I'm reading it right, I can use miles for one of our tickets, so that reduces the price to buying one ticket and helps with the $700+ price tag. I appreciate those of you who drive 5-6 hours to get more direct and cheaper, but don't think that's for us. The tips of Syracuse and Buffalo are good ones, as that may be doable.

Thanks for all the tips and if anyone sees some unbelievable deal from May 22-June 1, by all means let me know. Cheers!

austinill · Post by **austinill** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:40 pm

I am so grateful I booked our trip last fall. I got 2 RT from Chicago ORD at $240 each. With insurance, I booked our 2 tickets for less than the price of one RT today.

carron · Post by **carron** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:32 pm

I've always found the best rates when booking through the airlines directly.

mricco · Post by **mricco** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:29 pm

When did Spirit start charging for carry on? 3 in our group are flying Spirit in May and the other 2 Delta. When we paid for bags there was no mention of carry on fees. Is this something new, we got these tickets just before Thanksgiving.
mricco

Teresa_Rae · Post by **Teresa_Rae** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:28 pm

I didn't read all the responses so maybe someone already said this but have you tried searching with Yapta? You can put in all of your parameters, like when you want your flights to take off, you can omit red-eyes, etc. I always buy tickets directly from the airline but Yapta is helpful for tracking prices.

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