cawhite99

Oh... and I realize the fare isn't likely to go lower... I would just prefer to purchase later if I can get a similar price.

We have a family of 4 so decreases and increases in airfare multiply quickly!

Thanks.

FlyinHawaiian

If you are almost certain your travel dates/needs will not change in the next 10 months, that is a very reasonable price to pay for summer travel.

cawhite99

Thanks FlyinHawaiian -

Over the years I've seen airfare sales throughout the year from California and always waited until closer to the date... but don't know if things have changed in the last couple of years with fuel prices, etc.

We're fine with the dates in mind.... but would prefer to dole out the $$ at a later date... but we may not have that option!

alanwar

My policy is that if I know I have a trip planned and the dates reasonably settled and I find a good enough fare I go ahead and book it. IMO you should lock in the good deal you found as the fares will not likely go lower than what you found. By passing on the fare the chance to save additional money is pretty small while the chance fares will go up significantly is much greater. August is typically a popular time to go and it is not unusual to see fares priced $700 or more.

I understand wanting to hang on to your $, but realistically how much interest on it are you giving up ?

Alan

slippahs

For mid-summer August travel, I think that fare is a great deal. Book it.

cawhite99

OK... you guys convinced me... we're now all set with tickets for our family of 4 in August.

Now I just hope I don't get buyer's remorse closer to the travel date and wish we booked a longer stay, etc. (tickets are non-transferable, non-refundable, and only changeable for a big fee)!

kaukau

Congratulations! Airfares have gone up since you purchased your tix! http://starbulletin.com/2007/11/03/news/story02.html You made the right call! Have a great trip!

Recreation

Man, I'm jealous of your airfare! I just paid $1100 for one RT coach ticket from Cincinnati to Maui for July '08 travel. (I had enough miles for 3 award tickets and wanted to book them before Delta's new policy restricting award seat when into effect on 12/1.)

I don't think $407 all in was a bad price at all.

cawhite99

Oh, you're right kaukau... our same flights are more $$ now. However, the prices were even less a couple of weeks ago, so we still didn't catch the best price.

Recreation - all I can say is, "ouch"!

ILeftMyHeartInTexas

Tagging on to this request.

We are wanting to fly to OGG again in May '08 from OKC.

Options I've been exploring:

1. Book cheapfare from OKC/PHX on US or SWA and book PHX/OGG separately?
2. Book OKC/LAX and LAX/OGG
3. Drive to Dallas (3 hours) catch flight DFW/OGG etc

Would welcome all recommendations.

TIA

alanwar

In short, my recommendation is to do your math homework. Which route would be cheaper and/or more convenient for you ?

From time to time there will be decent ( < $400 ) fares from LAX, SFO/OAK, SAN to OGG for May (especially the end of May). But these aren't guaranteed and will show up in the late winter when the airlines decide they need to fill seats. Advance purchase to Hawaii is often higher because airlines know people like to lock in plans early.

Get an idea on the fares for each combination and track the changes to fares so when you find a good deal you can buy it.

Good websites and email newsletters for you: Kayak, AA, Hawaiian air, Aloha air, ATA, United

ILeftMyHeartInTexas

I am member of all the mentioned sites and screen each e-mail for great deals. Will keep my eye fine tuned to watch for something great in the winter.

Boraxo

Agreed. There is similar thread on this topic running in the United forum.

Basically, here's the deal:

For at least the last 3-4 years, the majors (NW, UA, AA and/or DL) have been running fare sales to Hawaii from the West Coast, with RT fares in the $250-350 range (lower to HNL, higher to OGG). The sales usually begin in August for travel from Sept-mid-December, and then often resume after the holidays for Jan/Feb travel. Don't know about May...however depending on when you check you may find advance fares in the $600+ range - yikes! As noted above, they try to sock it to those who plan in advance.

There is of course no guarantee this will happen in the future, so if you get a price in this range (or comparable from beyond the SFO/LAX gateways) I would jump on it.

The other benefit to booking early is that you will have a better shot at confirmed upgrades on UA and AA (don't know about the others). F to Hawaii is a popular upgrade and tends to go out full

icedtea

Hello,

I have some general planning questions I'd appreciate any input on. I may be joining friends in Honolulu in mid/late November (their dates are Nov. 15-20). I understand November is nonpeak/shoulder season?

I'd be flying from Vancouver/YVR, and I'd consider leaving from Seattle if a great deal pops up.

Flights on Westjet and Air Canada from YVR are about $550-650 CAD now. Is this a typical price, what amount should I use for baseline comparison in my search? Since it's still some months away, could there be a fare sale, and when is that likely to be?

Do the packaged vacations come available for 4-night stays? I've seen one week packages advertised, but I can't stay for that long.

Thanks in advance

slippahs

I recently booked a HNL-SEA trip in August for $300, which is peak summer travel... so good airfares can be had. You'll probably see the fare start to go down about 3 months out. Generally, the fares are higher before that unless there's a fare sale that extends to the end of schedule.

The best thing to do is to set a SideStep fare alert (or similar tool) and watch closely. You could also try Fare Cast to see if HNL-SEA/YVR is a route that's tracked.

As for packages, try nwa WorldVacations. They generally have some good priced deals that IIRC don't require a full week's stay.

Good luck.