usvi-on-line
US Air
US Air
Good Morning, everyone!
Just thought that I would share some news:
We are going to St. John & Virgin Gorda Thursday, 4/23/09 - Sunday, 5/3/09 from Boston, MA.
I booked our outgoing flight Sunday night & our home-coming flight this AM (the first day that 5/3 was online).
Outgoing base price of $179 and homecoming base price of $189. All totaled with fees & taxes it came to $428.80 per person. These aren't nonstop flights. But, they are with just 1 change of planes. We get to the island at 1:06PM and head home at 2:55PM and get into Logan at 10PM.
(We have booked STT to Virgin Gorda via Air Sunshine, separately.)
Anyway, I found out something interesting on the US Airways site. When you go to search for a travel date & you try to "pull in" the date from their little calendar - it only goes up to a certain date. In my case, it still says April something. BUT - when I just "pulled up" May then put the 3rd in the date. Then the schedule would come up & I was able to book it.
Also, on sites - such as Expedia - if I put in roundtrip from 4/23/09 - 5/3/09, it wasn't able to do it yet.
Again, I am pretty thrilled that we have tickets secured with pretty good departure and arrival times for the pretty decent price that we got.
YIPPEE!
(And the best part - it is all DONE!) We just have to hope that they don't get changed too much - if at all. In any case, our price is locked in - so that is a good thing.
Happy planning, you all!
Take Care,
Sue
Just thought that I would share some news:
We are going to St. John & Virgin Gorda Thursday, 4/23/09 - Sunday, 5/3/09 from Boston, MA.
I booked our outgoing flight Sunday night & our home-coming flight this AM (the first day that 5/3 was online).
Outgoing base price of $179 and homecoming base price of $189. All totaled with fees & taxes it came to $428.80 per person. These aren't nonstop flights. But, they are with just 1 change of planes. We get to the island at 1:06PM and head home at 2:55PM and get into Logan at 10PM.
(We have booked STT to Virgin Gorda via Air Sunshine, separately.)
Anyway, I found out something interesting on the US Airways site. When you go to search for a travel date & you try to "pull in" the date from their little calendar - it only goes up to a certain date. In my case, it still says April something. BUT - when I just "pulled up" May then put the 3rd in the date. Then the schedule would come up & I was able to book it.
Also, on sites - such as Expedia - if I put in roundtrip from 4/23/09 - 5/3/09, it wasn't able to do it yet.
Again, I am pretty thrilled that we have tickets secured with pretty good departure and arrival times for the pretty decent price that we got.
YIPPEE!
(And the best part - it is all DONE!) We just have to hope that they don't get changed too much - if at all. In any case, our price is locked in - so that is a good thing.
Happy planning, you all!
Take Care,
Sue
Excellent airfare and congratulations for having all the major details done!
Also, thank you for the search tip. We will be going the end of February 2009 so now I'm tempted to book the flight and get the villa later.
PS Just checked and PHL to STT is $680 before taxes and fees for Feb 2009 - ouch!
Also, thank you for the search tip. We will be going the end of February 2009 so now I'm tempted to book the flight and get the villa later.
PS Just checked and PHL to STT is $680 before taxes and fees for Feb 2009 - ouch!
NancyB
Congrats! Question for you though... you are the second person in the past few days who mentioned buying your departure and return tix separately. One other person seemed worried because the return prices skyrocketed suddenly.
I have never done this. Are they cheaper as one way tix? Ususally one-ways are MORE expensive than RT.
What's the advantage of buuying your tix this way?
I have never done this. Are they cheaper as one way tix? Ususally one-ways are MORE expensive than RT.
What's the advantage of buuying your tix this way?
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Good question, Gromit
Good question! I had always thought that it is cheaper to buy a roundtrip ticket. But, in my case, it was the same cost.
Before, I booked my "second leg" this AM - I did a "test" as if I was booking the full round trip & the total of my "2 legs" purchased separately was EXACTLY the same cost as if I had booked it roundtrip.
I am a "compulsive" planner & this whole gas situation & the big changes at American Airlines re: reducing the number of their flights & now starting to charge for luggage - I just felt that I didn't have the patience to "wait and see" what will happen. So, I wanted to be "pro-active".
Also, we needed to get on St. Thomas at a decent time on Thursday to catch a 3:15 flight to Virgin Gorda. So, again, I was anxious to firm up this leg - so that I could book us a couple of seats on a plane that only has about 9 seats. (Again, I don't leave much to chance.)
When I saw an outbound flight that landed at 1:06 & had a base rate of $179 - I got kind of excited & jumped on it. Truthfully, I didn't anticipate that I would find pretty decent rates pretty much at the time that the dates became available. At that time, the schedule wasn't out yet for purchasing our homebound flight.
I was paranoid that if I waited to see what the homebound flight choices would be - I might lose the cheapest rate on the outbound (by waiting a couple of days). I also was of the mind set that there might be another airline for our return flight that might have better scheduled times for departure &/or better fares than US Air. I just wasn't optimistic that there would be great rates right off the bat on US AIR.
"Yes" - I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that the total price was IDENTICAL whether I purchased them as a roundtrip package OR one-way out & one-way home.
Actually, kudos go out to Berlingirl for turning me on to this option! Love you guys!
Before, I booked my "second leg" this AM - I did a "test" as if I was booking the full round trip & the total of my "2 legs" purchased separately was EXACTLY the same cost as if I had booked it roundtrip.
I am a "compulsive" planner & this whole gas situation & the big changes at American Airlines re: reducing the number of their flights & now starting to charge for luggage - I just felt that I didn't have the patience to "wait and see" what will happen. So, I wanted to be "pro-active".
Also, we needed to get on St. Thomas at a decent time on Thursday to catch a 3:15 flight to Virgin Gorda. So, again, I was anxious to firm up this leg - so that I could book us a couple of seats on a plane that only has about 9 seats. (Again, I don't leave much to chance.)
When I saw an outbound flight that landed at 1:06 & had a base rate of $179 - I got kind of excited & jumped on it. Truthfully, I didn't anticipate that I would find pretty decent rates pretty much at the time that the dates became available. At that time, the schedule wasn't out yet for purchasing our homebound flight.
I was paranoid that if I waited to see what the homebound flight choices would be - I might lose the cheapest rate on the outbound (by waiting a couple of days). I also was of the mind set that there might be another airline for our return flight that might have better scheduled times for departure &/or better fares than US Air. I just wasn't optimistic that there would be great rates right off the bat on US AIR.
"Yes" - I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that the total price was IDENTICAL whether I purchased them as a roundtrip package OR one-way out & one-way home.
Actually, kudos go out to Berlingirl for turning me on to this option! Love you guys!
SUEFromMA-- I have booked legs of travel separately to Europe but in those cases it was because I wanted to use miles/points for first class with an airline that didn't actually fly to my final destination so I booked legs separately.
The only danger with this though is because the tix weren't purchased as a set or together, if there's a problem with one airline (delay, cancellation etc) that affects my ability to catch the other flight with the other airline I am SOL. I always try to build in extra time just in case though to ensure that I minimize that chance.
Hwoever with "island time" and connections etc. I guess I would be wary of doing this.
Do you have to collect your luggage and re-check in before you go to VG? It would seem that this would be the case.
Sorry to be pain, just trying to understand the advantages/disadvantages of this tactic.
The only danger with this though is because the tix weren't purchased as a set or together, if there's a problem with one airline (delay, cancellation etc) that affects my ability to catch the other flight with the other airline I am SOL. I always try to build in extra time just in case though to ensure that I minimize that chance.
Hwoever with "island time" and connections etc. I guess I would be wary of doing this.
Do you have to collect your luggage and re-check in before you go to VG? It would seem that this would be the case.
Sorry to be pain, just trying to understand the advantages/disadvantages of this tactic.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Sue,
I'm so glad that you started this thread. It made me look directly on USAir's website. I found that if I purchase directly through USAir, I can get roundtrip tix from CLE-STT (one stop in Charlotte) for $386. Looking on Cheap Tickets, Expedia, etc, those sites were quoting over $700 (and some of them were more than one stop!).
I feel so much better now, because we have just booked Rhumb Runners for 10 nights in February, and I was afraid with these gas prices, I was going to be paying an arm and a leg just to get there!
Have a great day!
I'm so glad that you started this thread. It made me look directly on USAir's website. I found that if I purchase directly through USAir, I can get roundtrip tix from CLE-STT (one stop in Charlotte) for $386. Looking on Cheap Tickets, Expedia, etc, those sites were quoting over $700 (and some of them were more than one stop!).
I feel so much better now, because we have just booked Rhumb Runners for 10 nights in February, and I was afraid with these gas prices, I was going to be paying an arm and a leg just to get there!
Have a great day!
Tami
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[/url]Luvinsun, glad to help. I sure have been helped a lot by forum members. So, I am really happy to return the favor.
Gromit, you are soooo right!!! This is the 1st time that I have ever attempted to fly into some place on one carrier & also arrange for a flight from there on another carrier to my final destination. In our case, arriving on St. Thomas and trying to get to Virgin Gorda, we have basically 3 options:
#1 Take the 5:00PM ferry from Charlotte Amalie - which arrives on VG at 7:00PM (which is not only a late arrival on VG, but also means a lot of "down time" on St. Thomas while you are carting luggage around). (FYI: this is not an everyday option - but, is available on Thursdays. We had actually had this in mind UNTIL we heard that there was a flight over.)
#2 Do something really challenging - which would be find a ferry to Tortola - then take a ferry from Tortola to VG. (Kind of a logistical nightmare.)
#3 Book an Air Sunshine flight that leaves at 4 times during the day. The 2 latest flights are at 3:15 and 5:30 - with just a 15 minute flight to VG.
The Air Sunshine rep said that we would not have to go thru Security or anything. We just needed to be at their counter 1 hour prior to departure. But, yes - you are right - I am counting on my flight from Boston arriving to STT roughly on time. Then, all we need to do is grab our luggage & get to their counter. We have never had to wait more than 1 hour to get our luggage.
I have also made sure that I booked the earliest departure from Boston to meet our connection in Charlotte, NC - having about a 2 1/2 lay over (which I feel is a good cushion, in case we are delayed leaving Logan).
I am just putting the rest in the hands of "blind faith". We want so badly to be on Virgin Gorda at 3:30 compared to 7:00 that I am willing to make the booking & hope for the best.
Oh, a co-worker did mention that one advantage to a round trip is that the airline will work with you to extend your return for no fee - if it is their fault that you could not depart on the scheduled day. If you had booked them separately, you would not have that option.
This whole situation of booking a ticket with any airline is a crap shoot one way or the other anyway. So, I am just trying to roll it in my favor - do what I can do - then, like I said, just hope for the best.
Gromit, you are soooo right!!! This is the 1st time that I have ever attempted to fly into some place on one carrier & also arrange for a flight from there on another carrier to my final destination. In our case, arriving on St. Thomas and trying to get to Virgin Gorda, we have basically 3 options:
#1 Take the 5:00PM ferry from Charlotte Amalie - which arrives on VG at 7:00PM (which is not only a late arrival on VG, but also means a lot of "down time" on St. Thomas while you are carting luggage around). (FYI: this is not an everyday option - but, is available on Thursdays. We had actually had this in mind UNTIL we heard that there was a flight over.)
#2 Do something really challenging - which would be find a ferry to Tortola - then take a ferry from Tortola to VG. (Kind of a logistical nightmare.)
#3 Book an Air Sunshine flight that leaves at 4 times during the day. The 2 latest flights are at 3:15 and 5:30 - with just a 15 minute flight to VG.
The Air Sunshine rep said that we would not have to go thru Security or anything. We just needed to be at their counter 1 hour prior to departure. But, yes - you are right - I am counting on my flight from Boston arriving to STT roughly on time. Then, all we need to do is grab our luggage & get to their counter. We have never had to wait more than 1 hour to get our luggage.
I have also made sure that I booked the earliest departure from Boston to meet our connection in Charlotte, NC - having about a 2 1/2 lay over (which I feel is a good cushion, in case we are delayed leaving Logan).
I am just putting the rest in the hands of "blind faith". We want so badly to be on Virgin Gorda at 3:30 compared to 7:00 that I am willing to make the booking & hope for the best.
Oh, a co-worker did mention that one advantage to a round trip is that the airline will work with you to extend your return for no fee - if it is their fault that you could not depart on the scheduled day. If you had booked them separately, you would not have that option.
This whole situation of booking a ticket with any airline is a crap shoot one way or the other anyway. So, I am just trying to roll it in my favor - do what I can do - then, like I said, just hope for the best.