Spy Car Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 My wife wants to take our son to the east-coast this summer. I'd like to find cheap flights from LA (probably LAX) to Newark. Any thoughts? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Pre book with a major airline, skip the Orbitz stuff whatever.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Take a time machine to the '90s? :glare: Sorry. I just had to make an emergency flight home and had a major case of sticker shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Have you tried Hipmunk? If your dates are flexible, you can select to search multiple days on either end. They search all major airlines, and organize search results by things like price and level of agony. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) try different dates, such as flying mid-week obviously book well in advance don't forget to check Southwest, as I dont think they are on Expedia or Orbitz (not sure). I check Expedia first, then check the major airlines' websites eta, if you fly very early in June, before a lot of schools get out, it may be cheaper than mid-summer Edited March 19, 2012 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 FLY? No great American cross-country drive??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Check Southwest. I don't fly out of those airports, so I don't know if Southwest is there or not, but we fly Southwest all the time and love it. You can't book through any other site. We actually watch for when their tickets go on sale and plan our trips around that- they have these 48-hour sales sometimes and we've flown for less than $50/ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Southwest does not charge for baggage--if you need to put that into the equation. There are some el cheapo airlines out there like Allegiant. I have had friends who had a good experience with them. For others it was a nightmare. My husband was once stuck in Seattle when his corporate travel agent put him on one of the bargain carriers. They had limited flights so when one was canceled, it took him two days to get another flight. Being in Seattle on the corporate dime was no biggie, but no money was saved by traveling on the so called bargain carrier. Flying midweek seems to be the best bet with the well known airlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmel Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 For travel in/out of California Virgin Airlines cannot be beat. Love those guys! Just sign up for their fare e-mails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 I like to use http://www.kayak.com/ and http://www.yapta.com/ and http://www.southwest.com/ and sometimes http://virginamerica.com/?cid=GoogleSearchBrandNational and sometimes http://www.allegiantair.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I usually start with a search engine like Orbitz to see what flights are out there for the times I want. It helps to quickly compare prices. Then when I see a flight that looks a bit lower priced I go direction to that airline's site and look up what they are charging. I have always found they charge less for the same flight (sometimes quite a bit less). Otherwise, I know of no magical method. I've tried travel agencies and never found I got a special price through them. And I've tried Priceline, but never found flights that were cheaper (and often no flights at all). I guess with a place like Priceline you save if you are willing to take your chances with a last minute deal. This is what I do too, except I prefer Kayak to any of the other search engines. Expedia is my least favorite since they like to give the cheapest flight for departure, but then when you pick a return flight the price skyrockets except for one choice. Kayak lists the full price up front. Then we go to the airline site itself to compare the actual price. ;) Southwest is on their own and not on these sites, but they also don't fly everywhere so have limited use if not in the area you're going to or coming from. When they do service the specific area, they're usually the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armymomma Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 When booking on Southwest, always check nearby airports. For example, sometimes Philly is cheaper than Newark. By lots. Sometimes not. I buy lots of airline tickets (and train tix!) for my college kids and my only advice is to never buy from any of the sites like Priceline or Kayak - because if you have to change your ticket you are out of luck. The airlines won't help you. Southwest has the best flexibility. If you buy a ticket, then find a cheaper ticket, you can exchange it. And get a refund. But, during the summer months, I have a hard time finding bargains on Southwest. Does Jet Blue fly anymore? I never used them much but I know people found good prices. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 I dislike giving out "group thank you(s)" as I really appreciate all the individual responses. It still sounds like ther is no "easy way," but I have some much better paths for exploration now. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 You should check Burbank (if that's a good option for you). When I was looking last week, many flights were cheaper out of Burbank than LAX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I was going to mention Ontario. I was surprised at the savings several times flying out of Ontario to the East Coast compared to LAX. Burbank was always closest (we are from Pasadena) but we would go to other airports for savings. Dawn You should check Burbank (if that's a good option for you). When I was looking last week, many flights were cheaper out of Burbank than LAX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 You should check Burbank (if that's a good option for you). When I was looking last week, many flights were cheaper out of Burbank than LAX. Burbank would actual be more convenient. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) what we do: search kayak search hipmunk sign up for alert emails from all major airlines sign up for travelocity email alerts check individual airlines, including southwest. check nearby airports..... sometimes we get wonky prices out of burbank, and then there is the occasional surprise out of LAX. we've not found prices worth the drive for ontario, but we have driven to las vegas twice in 15 years to save half the cost, and we've gone to San Francisco for a really cheap fare to australia once.... kayak has a fare history option, so you can look at what the fares have historically done. all that said, summer is hard to find a good deal, unless you can manage last minute, and even then sometimes not. the only other thing we've found really helpful is to know our date range and our price range, so that when we find a really good deal, we can just jump on it; some of them last only 24 hours or less.... fwiw, ann eta: for example, right now for our preferred route, united out of lax is cheaper than southwest out of burbank. who knew? Edited March 20, 2012 by elfgivas@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
july19 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I agree with nearly every response here. The Hive always has such good advice. I also wanted to add that AirTran was cheapest for us last year - we checked every airline, had flexible days, compared airports, etc etc etc and AirTran was always a few hundred dollars cheaper. First bag/per person flies free. Three of us, round trip from LaGuardia to Orlando and then Orlando back to LaGuardia was $600 including taxes. Not bad for the middle of the summer! =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Grow wings. I don't think cheap flights exist anymore, at least for the places I need to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) Consider also using an airline-affiliated credit card. Pay your bills, buy your groceries - everything else you'd normally pay with cash/checking or another rewards program. Rack up some miles, apply them towards airfare. I regularly travel between CA and NY, and it's a heavy route for frequent flyers; lots of commuters between the two coasts. Tuesdays & Wednesdays are always good travel days. Thursday is the "new Friday" for work commuters and you can plan accordingly by taking into account the work day on each coast, and what time they're most likely to fly. Friday-Sunday is when the casual traveler flies, but also when airlines run website-only, last-minute special fares. Baggage fees are one thing to consider, but when you're buying online you need to consider the psychology of the purchasing process. Airline analysts know that most people searching online will gravitate towards the lowest price. That's their main concern. Infrequent travelers, or those who haven't flown in awhile, will not realize that this is essentially a la carte pricing and that what seems like the cheapest option may not turn out to be the best value in the long run (factoring in baggage, food costs - not all airlines offer a free meal/snack, on a 6 hour flight, etc.) I personally would rather pay $25-35 in baggage fees for the convenience factor, especially when traveling with a child. I'd also rather pay that on the front end than to pay the same amount downline for a small and unsatisfying buy-on-board snack. Or blanket ;) Depending on the plane type, too, it's a challenge to find enough space onboard for rollerboards. The 757s are fine (but yuck, flying 6+ hours on one of those!) the 767s weren't designed to accomodate big bags. They won't fit into the center bins, and the sidewall bins aren't extended so you can only fit 2 rollerboards per bin; hardly effective or efficient. Boarding the 767 is a giant PITA and you can always spot the casual traveler because they're sitting mid-plane and having to haul their bags to the back to maybe find space for it. At deplaning, by the time they get to their bags and get off of the plane their peers have left baggage claim with their checked bags LOL. (Alternatively, just gate-check the bag; it's free and accomplishes the same thing.) I see it every week! Virgin America is a fine airline. JetBlue is another one. I'm loyal to one specific, legacy carrier but I've flown before on both Virgin America and JetBlue - both are great. I've flown Southwest many times, and they're good for their original plan: short hops. I wouldn't choose them for a transcon. I'd honestly consider aircraft type when planning this type of trip, especially with a child. I have paid a small premium for a wider aircraft, and it's never been money wasted. And I say that as someone whose kids travel very frequently, and travel well. It's still nice to have double aisles and some space to move about. ETA: Final bit of advice: www.flyertalk.com A wealth of information, and they'll direct you to the best fares better than any search engine could! Edited March 20, 2012 by eternalknot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 bookingbuddy.com is showing lax/newark for 327. RT which is really quite good these days..... don't know how long it will last.... but travel must be over by june 13th.... Airline(s):American, UnitedSeat Availability:scarceTravel Days:Tue/Wed/SatEnd Travel By:June 13, 2012Found on:Wed 21 March 2012Advance Purchase:14 daysMore Details:Nonstop incl. all taxes When we checked these fares, we found seats at this price for departure 05/01 and return 05/08. There may be other dates available as well. Use caution when booking as flights from/to New York's Kennedy (JFK) and Laguardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR) airports will be shown. hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 We live on the east cost and my family is in Santa Barbara, so I look for flights quite a bit. I read that you are supposed to do your searches Tuesday afternoons and be prepared to travel on Wednesdays. I've found the best prices about three months out. Jet Blue only flies out of Long Beach, but they never seem to have the cheapest flights, at least to D.C. My mom usually flies out of Burbank, but we usually fly into LAX. Either one can be cheaper depending on your needs. I hear that Frontier Airlines is supposed to have good deals from LAX to DC. When I search for LAX to the airports around me (DC, Richmond), $320-$370 (with taxes) seems like a good price, round trip. Travelzoo just sent out a deal from DC to LAX for $160 each way, so if you consider that's a "deal," you are probably better off just doing your own searches if you have a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoZeeCo's Mom Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I like kayak.com! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I personally have had great success with priceline.com. Of course, it was last minute (two days before flight), but I got the flight for half price. Prices were going for around $700-800 and I got a seat for $350. Also, it only had one connection. Don't look at the prices they have to offer but click on the link that gives you the option of you picking how much you want to pay. The only catch is that you have to pay before you know exact times about the flight. But it will tell you how many connections before you book. I also used hotwire.com this past weekend for a hotel room. Booked same day as stay and got a NICE room at a NICE hotel for $73 including tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) I dislike giving out "group thank you(s)" as I really appreciate all the individual responses. It still sounds like ther is no "easy way," but I have some much better paths for exploration now. Bill Drive. I am not kidding. It would be a great way to go through the painted desert in New Mexico, The Badlands, IOWA( the best state for sweet corn and progressives in the midwest), you could go through the mountains , and then head north. We did this with my parents and they tried to give us away in Missouri outside Bridal Cave. Other than that little episode it was a heck of a trip and in a 1976 woody wagon with lots of Benadryl(Dad was an MD he knew how to travel with kids) it remains my fondest memory. Even when they tried to get another family to take us after my sister threw up strawberry soda and a turkey sandwich outside Bridal Cave. You need to do this Bill. It is crazy fun and you just have not lived until you have driven for days with a small child. It is kind of like diving off the high board nekkid, or eating alligator...it is a misery that no one should be exempt from. BTW the high board dive is a stinger or so I am told...:lol::auto: Edited March 22, 2012 by elizabeth They tried to leave us in Missouri not Colorado Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 Quick update. The various ideas were so helpful to me to research this job. Thais to all for your suggestions. The best deal came from Kayak. We got two tickets round-trip for $844 total. It ended up being Burbank (better for us anyway) to JFK (fine on the other end) vs Newark. Bill (who earned a little "hero status" for making this job easy for my wife, and for that I thank you!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest milla30 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 You can get a cheap flights to middle east with a little effort. Just need to Google and compare price of different flight which goes to east court. Three months back when i had to go there, I booked ticket through internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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