Dieuwer

Last year, BOS-SJU-BOS over President's Day weekend sold for about $500-$600 ai. This, year it is at least $150 more. Not sure what's going on, but I think these prices are outrageous. Suffice to say I refuse to be gauged and decided not to go.

deelmakur

Welcome to consolidation. JetBlue is now the dominant carrier in both markets. Southwest has assumed the former AirTran services to SJU, and Spirit also serves the market. These are connections, however. Did you price a trip from Hartford? It's a short drive, and JetBlue has a nonstop to SJU. The island is experiencing severe economic problems. High airfares will not be helpful. If that becomes an issue, they might intervene.

Dieuwer

I understand supply and demand. Flight are full, even with these (much) higher fares. I am just wondering where the breaking point for most people is. Will people pay $900 to go? $1200? $1500?

sbm12

Thank goodness you have the ability to make that choice. But what is "gouging" with respect to the price?

FLIHGH

They are still the cheapest airline.... $635 RT compared to nearly 800 on US and nearly 1200 on UA.

Also, the JB flights are PACKED already and it's still a month out. With fewer seats, prices go up.

Dieuwer

I am a FlyerTalker. I ain't paying 20 cpm for coach.

Flights were full last year as well. But airfare was $150 less. Are you saying B6 left money on the table last year?

FLIHGH

Absolutely. People are paying $150 more and flights are still full/near full.

Dieuwer

Would you pay 20 cpm for coach?

FLIHGH

I haven't paid for a single JetBlue flight in months-- and I've got 6 I'm taking in the next 2 months. I rarely pay anything for flights on them...heck I flew Mint for $40.

I also book far enough in advance that I'd never have to pay anything close to 20cpm for economy. That being said, if I was in a pinch and needed to go, then yes, I would. Because frankly, what are my other options? Stay home in the brutal Boston winters or pay even more on another airline. B6 it is.

Dieuwer

Used points?

Sometimes there are good F deals to SJU.

FLIHGH

Points, credits, promos, etc. I flew up to NYC for a day a few weeks ago when I won $250 off a RT.

sbm12

If that was the going rate on the trip I needed, yes. And it seems many others are willing to pay for seats on those flights. That you're not does not translate to it being "gouging" for the company to sell at those prices.

Back in August I paid north of 15cpm on a frivolous leisure trip and felt I got great value for that flight.

CHOPCHOP767

Concur. Flying primarily out of DCA on Fridays to get back home and flying back to DC on Sunday night, I too have noticed some 'fare creep' over the past six months, but I'm willing to pay because my family is in BOS and you can't put a premium on that. Of course, this is a high demand non-leisure route, so it's different if you're talking about SJU, FL and the islands. Still, B6 is not in this game to under-cut the 'non-LCCs'; they're out to make a profit. For me, B6's and US' pricing is almost always the same, no matter how far out you're booking. Can't speak to UA at IAD as IAD is a bit of challenge to get to on a Friday afternoon.

With respect to leisure markets, I don't think you're going to find a 'bargain' fare going anywhere with sunshine out of BOS during the winter. That said, I've noticed that the fares out of ORH and BDL are less expensive than BOS. I recently priced out a trip from ORH to FLL and it was about $40 less per person per flight than were the same dates from BOS. If ORH is an option for the OP, it might be worth looking into.

Dieuwer

Gouging

NORTH AMERICAN informal
"overcharge";" swindle."

Your family could visit you.

I often track airfare to one of my favorite destinations to see if I can get a deal. Case in point: SJU.
Last year the price was right but I didn't go for other reasons. This year I considered going, but then the price was not right.
I refuse to consider flying out of another airport but BOS.

adambisi

The majority of my leisure travel is for scuba diving trips and I avoid president's/patriot's day travel weeks like the plague.

Personally - I'd be very hard pressed to pay over 800 for the Caribbean with some exceptions that are hard/limited capacity to reach from BOS (i.e BON, SVU, DOM, TAB). There's also a liveaboard cruise that starts in SXM and ends in SKB and vice-versa on alternating weeks which has insanely good deals and I may pay over 800 for a BOS-SXM/SKB-XXX-BOS split itinerary since air/hotel/25 dives/food/drinks may still be under 2000 for the week.

Once you start pushing 4 figures for Caribbean flights and you are a Scuba Diver you may as well go to Maldives or SE Asia if you got the vacation time.