For those of you that fly WWYD?

gonecamping · Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:00 pm

We are looking for flights for our trip this summer and the price is outrageous! DH just got an offer for a credit card in the mail, after first purchase $200 back, (points reward of 20,000=$200) That combined with the points off our other card ($100) would almost pay for 1 ticket. We don't carry a balance on our credit card. We only use it for big purchases that we can pay off immediately. I have booked a cruise for us out of LA and its either a 17 hour drive or $1100 in airline tickets. yikes! I don't know if flights will go down closer to summer or not. The more I save on those tickets the more "fun" I can have on that cruise! lol! Have any of you ever applied for a credit card just for the purpose of getting the big "reward" and then canceling it? Do you have experience with flying and know that prices will come down the closer to summer? We don't fly enough to know when the best time to buy is. TIA!

Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:04 pm

I'm a member of Expedia.com, cheapflights.com, etc and I constantly put in dates of travel throughout the year just to gauge the cost. Depending on the time of year you're traveling, the flights WON'T get cheaper as the time draws nearer. I've found to get a really good deal is to book the flights out at least 6-9 months in advance, travel DURING the week, stay over for at least ONE weekend and travel back again DURING the week. I've never signed up for a card just to get the rewards. I hate plastic! Good luck!

gonecamping · Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:19 pm

Yea I hate plastic too, thats why we don't carry a balance on the one we have. I have been checking flights every day and it seems like the prices jump up the week we leave. its almost a $100 less per ticket 3 days before we are supposed to leave. Or if I want to drive to Eugene, 80 miles away its a bit cheaper but I would have to layover in Portland..lol How crazy is that when I want to fly out of Portland. Damn oil prices! I wonder what the airline would do if I bought the Eugene tickets, but got on the plane on its layover in Portland? Its stressing me out just trying to find a flight!

killarney_rose · Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:49 pm

Your tickets are $1100 but did you also check an see what other charges you may have like for an extra luggage bag per person. You might try expedia or some of the other sites for discounted tickets. And did you check what it would cost you to travel by car. I imagine we will be close to $4.50 a gallon by the time summer rolls around. 17 hours is approximately 850 miles. That's 42.5 gallons one way at a cost of $191.25, round trip probably $400. That is a much more economical way but harder on the body. As for me it's much less stress on the check in process at the airport. If you make the drive in two days then add meals and two hotel rooms each way. That's at least another $250-$400 depending on how you eat or pack the car to eat on the way to LA. What if you traveled part of that distance to another major airport what would the cost of the tickets be? Just some thoughts.

Edited: Unfortunately if you choose not to get on in Eugene then your seats are a no show and you will not be able to get on in Portland. Try San Francisco.

corriekate · Tue Mar 22, 2011 5:52 pm

I'm a fan of the drive...but only if the cost of gas warrants the drive. You miss so much in the air. I am also a fan of getting everything you can for free. So if I could pay off the purchase right away, I could probably be suckered in to the credit card deal. Lots of help, aren't I?:bluelol:

amberella · Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:01 pm

I would PROBABLY do the credit card, but I'd make SURE there were no penalties first if you cancel it afterward... Plus, I believe doing that hurts your credit score, but I'm not sure. I've never found a mileage card that seemed worth it because I really don't charge NEARLY enough to make it worth while (It'd take most of my life to get any rebates!), but I also don't have huge "adult" bills yet...

I would also say your flight isn't gonna get cheaper unless you watch it like a HAWK and check 5+ times a day. I did that once and it paid off, I ended up getting a much cheaper flight, but I had to really pay attention and be ready to whip out the card. I swear they drop the price for a half hour sometimes, and you better jump on it!

Good luck!

Monroe1218 · Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:23 pm

You said it's about $100/ticket cheaper for flights out 3 days before you are scheduled to leave - would it be possible to leave then? Maybe do some extra sight seeing?

scrappininAK · Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:33 pm

we have an Alaska Airlines rewards card - as well as accumulating flight points each year we can buy a companion ticket for $99. So, I applied for my own card which I rarely use but that way we can get two companion tickets each year - dh takes ds and I take dd. Works great

mysunshine · Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:22 am

So we fly pretty frequently and I can tell you two things. 1) Summer will definitely be more expensive. 2) You just watch, watch, watch until you find a price you like. Ticket prices jump around constantly and you have plenty of time still. I usually find that within 2 months but before 21 days out you will get the best deal. Now, if you are flying on a holiday weekend, or some very high volume time like that, it will be harder to wait because the seats literally fill up. (Find flights you WANT and look at the seating options to see how fast seats are going.) If you can fly on a Tuesday-Thursday, or sometimes on Saturday, you will get the cheaper prices. Two tickets to anywhere in the US for $1100 is too much. I wouldn't pay more than $400/ticket unless it was a holiday. I'd be looking for a price in the $250-$350 range for cross-country. Wait it out for now. Check every day. Right now prices are high due to fuel prices going up. Give it some time to drop down again. What airport are you flying to? We fly out of SEA all the time and you can get remarkable deals, but you have to watch for them. Good luck!

ETA...oh. Just went back and re-read that you are going to LA. You should be able to get a ticket for $2xx. Look at all the airports in the area...there are several! I like SNA, and Long Beach usually has great prices, especially on Alaska. LAX is typically more expensive. I wouldn't drive down there from Portland. You can find a good deal...just watch the prices regularly.

happayscrappay · Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:42 am

Does Southwest fly out of your home airport? They are usually pretty cheap, don't charge for up to 2 bags, and reliable.

handerful · Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:16 pm

happayscrappay wrote:Does Southwest fly out of your home airport? They are usually pretty cheap, don't charge for up to 2 bags, and reliable.

If you are considering SW, we just got their card and they gave us 2 free round trip tickets right off the bat. We are planning a trip to LA this fall and our plan is to put everything on that card and pay it off weekly.

gonecamping · Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:22 pm

handerful wrote:
happayscrappay wrote:Does Southwest fly out of your home airport? They are usually pretty cheap, don't charge for up to 2 bags, and reliable.
If you are considering SW, we just got their card and they gave us 2 free round trip tickets right off the bat. We are planning a trip to LA this fall and our plan is to put everything on that card and pay it off weekly.

Really? I am going to look into this, We usually like to fly Southwest because no checked bag fee. I am going to look into this..Thanks!

MamaK321 · Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:59 pm

i usually compare Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity along with the airlines own website. Sometimes I have actually found cheaper flights and hotels just by checking the company's website.

I would echo the comment to try to book air travel on 'off' days like the middle of the week and at nearby airports in LAX.

My mom likes to use Trip Advisor and relies heavily on the reviews.

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