PSA: Book flights for Christmas and New Years NOW

[Lanny]

I have been watching my Google Flight Fare Trackers for DD for her return to the USA and then to RDU during the first week of January 2022.  She isn't positive about where she will be in Europe for New Years  at this time, so I was thinking she might wait until November 14th to buy that ticket. That was wrong...  Then, I moved it up to November 7th, when the USA will revert to Standard time.  That was wrong....  Between Sunday morning and Monday morning the fare went up $82 USD. It had to do with the flight to RDU filling up and  there are finite number of seats available in each fare category.  I'm hoping she will make a decision and buy the ticket ASAP.  I found one great flight (lots of "bang for the buck") which is hard to do in such a peak travel season.  Book ASAP!

[gardenmom5]

Then again - the way flights have been being cancelled (they claim it's "weather", but . . . ), and vaccine mandates coming for the crew . . . . it could be considered a risky venture to even try to fly.

[Lanny]

3 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

Then again - the way flights have been being cancelled (they claim it's "weather", but . . . ), and vaccine mandates coming for the crew . . . . it could be considered a risky venture to even try to fly.

That's an interesting point and if my memory is correct it has struck at least 3 major U.S. Flag carriers in approximately the past 90 to 120 days?  First, it was SPIRIT and people love to bash them for various reasons, some of which are valid, but IMO they have a very sharp operation, based on their daily flight from CLO (Cali, Colombia) to FLL (Fort Lauderdale) and what they did for the U.S. Embassy/State Deprtment last year when Colombian airports were closed because of COVID-19, running Humanitarian flights from various cities in Colombia to Fort Lauderdale, which United had failed at and there was also an attempt for a Military flight and then an ICE flight. After that SPIRIT ran a lot of Humanitarian flights to FLL from a number of Colombian airports.

And then it was Southwest, which is usually rated among the best U.S. carriers and most recently (a week or so ago?) it was American Airlines.

They say those things are caused by a combination of weather and pilot shortages. The airlines are trying to hire and train huge numbers of employees.

I doubt that it will affect my DD going from the EU to the USA, but yes, something like that can always screw up a trip. And dozens of other things. I have hopes that everything will go perfectly for DD but if not she knows to ask the airline to help her with a nearby hotel if she needs to stay overnight for the short domestic flight into RDU. Hopefully at the expense of the airline if she misconnects...

Below is Copied and Pasted from my Google Flights Fare Tracker.  That is Peak season (first week or January 2022) and usually it says the Fares are "Typical"  or "High".  To see one that they show is "Low" in a Peak season is very unusual...

"$890 is low for Economy 
Prices are $1,405 cheaper than usual.
The least expensive flights for similar trips to Raleigh usually cost between $2,250–2,650."

Actually, that is the lowest fare category on that flight and DD will need to pay approximately $80 USD more to upgrade to the next category, so she can check one bag. That will also permit her to select her seat assignments when she makes her reservation.

[Faith-manor]

We bought Mark's mom a ticket three weeks ago with insurance so she can change dates with out penalty for up to a year. We were afraid prices would go go wonky. She has an appointment for her booster next week, and thought that since she soon will be physically unable to travel, we had better get her to her sister's for Christmas. She is staying for a month.

It is crazy out there. I half expect the flight to be cancelled. But the night before she flies out, she is staying with a granddaughter much closer to the airport. My dear niece said that if it does get cancelled, she is welcome to stay for Christmas. This way we will not have to turn around and come back since we leave for Alabama after taking her to the airport.

I think two weeks from now it is going to be total chaos out there with very few choices for anyone who still hasn't purchased.

[gardenmom5]

8 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

We bought Mark's mom a ticket three weeks ago with insurance so she can change dates with out penalty for up to a year. We were afraid prices would go go wonky. She has an appointment for her booster next week, and thought that since she soon will be physically unable to travel, we had better get her to her sister's for Christmas. She is staying for a month.

It is crazy out there. I half expect the flight to be cancelled. But the night before she flies out, she is staying with a granddaughter much closer to the airport. My dear niece said that if it does get cancelled, she is welcome to stay for Christmas. This way we will not have to turn around and come back since we leave for Alabama after taking her to the airport.

I think two weeks from now it is going to be total chaos out there with very few choices for anyone who still hasn't purchased.

What airline?  alaska stopped charging change fees.  So - the  ticket goes towards another flight.  I had to change my travel day last summer.  The replacement ticket was cheaper - so I was refunded the difference.

I had bought tickets for some friends, and paid to upgrade them to premium class (more legroom).  We had to change the dates.  When I first cancelled them we didn't know when (or if) they'd be traveling - as long as I booked a ticket within a year of the original purchase date - for travel within a year of the subsequent purchase date (so potentially as far out as two years) - it was good with no change fee.   (and then they were late to the airport. . . thunk.  but the staff were very helpful for them and put them on a cart through the airport to get them on the next flight.)  the upgrades were refunded from the original flight time (so those had to be repurchased) and the tickets were put towards a future flight (I didn't lose my companion fare.)

[73349]

Cost aside, I wouldn't trust an airline to get me somewhere this year. I think most people will do better to pass on air travel if at all possible. (Obviously not possible for the OP's DD, but for many of us.) The airline may well charge people a fortune and then not get them where they're going on the designated day, and the US's Covid numbers are still crummy (around 70,000 new cases and 1200 new deaths every day).

[Lanny]

1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

<snip>

I think two weeks from now it is going to be total chaos out there with very few choices for anyone who still hasn't purchased.

I think you are correct about that.  My DD had 10 days off from her Semester Abroad program, 2 weeks ago. She went on a trip for 9 days. She ended up on 2 flights. International flights about 400 miles each within the EU.  On one of the flights she paid 99 Euros.  I kept monitoring it on my Google Flights Fare Trackers. I remember it went to at least 250 Euros in a few days or a week.

One flight she was looking at when I checked in Google Flights was so expensive that I suggested that if she went to that place that she take a train...

Note:  I have the feeling from what you wrote in the above post that she will be leaving on a morning flight.  Morning flights, especially the earliest ones, are the most reliable. The least reliable flights are at night. Especially late at night. If there is a problem early in the day it affects all the flights that aircraft and crew are involved with during the rest of the day.

When DD went to Europe (we live in South America) in mid-August her last flight (about 400 miles) was delayed because the Flight Attendants were scheduled to arrive on another flight on another aircraft and that flight was delayed. No Flight Attendants is the same as no Pilots and results in a delayed flight.  Many little things can cause a flight to be delayed or cancelled. I usually monitor on FlightAware and was surprised when I learned the reason for the flight delay was no Flight Attendants.

[Bootsie]

DD was not planning on coming home from Austria for Christmas because her break was going to be too short to make it worthwhile.  But, she found out this week that she gets a longer break than expected, so she made flight arrangements,  She got a good deal on Lufthansa (especially given its the holidays).  She gave herself some leeway on her return flight in case she faced flight disruptions. 

[Lanny]

22 hours ago, Bootsie said:

DD was not planning on coming home from Austria for Christmas because her break was going to be too short to make it worthwhile.  But, she found out this week that she gets a longer break than expected, so she made flight arrangements,  She got a good deal on Lufthansa (especially given its the holidays).  She gave herself some leeway on her return flight in case she faced flight disruptions. 

I'm glad that she will get to be home with you for Christmas.  Lufthansa  is very good. The FIRST thing I look at in the Flight SERPs that the Google Flights Fare Tracker gives me for each route, is which airline(s) are involved.  I have a list in my head of airlines and types of airlines I avoid if possible. Those with a horrible reputation for Customer Service, in case there is a misconnection or lost luggage or some other issue and those that are or were Charter Operators I try to avoid. And airlines from Poland and Russia.  Then where they connect and how long the connections are. We try to avoid tight connections.

In the case of DD going back to RDU early in January the goal is for her to get back there five (5) days before FDOC for the Spring 2022 semester. That will give her a little bit of time in case she is late getting there and also allow her to begin getting over the "Jet Lag"

I'm looking primarily at Delta and KLM. KLM is in the Delta Frequent Flyer program.  Lufthansa is not in that alliance.   DD flew on 2 Lufthansa affiliated carriers for her 2 flights a few weeks ago. I think they have a minority interest in one of the carriers and that they own the other carrier outright.  I looked at a schedule using Condor which I believe is owned by Lufthansa (Condor is a survivor of the Thomas Cook disaster a few years ago) but it was and possibly still  is a Charter carrier and they have infrequent departures.  Google Flights alerted me that if she went on that, one day later, she would get a very low fare, but I want her to be in hands that I trust and to go on the day and flights I believe are best for her, with the best possible Customer Service if something goes awry.

You will have a great Christmas with her home for the holidays! 

 

[Frances]

On 11/2/2021 at 1:31 PM, gardenmom5 said:

What airline?  alaska stopped charging change fees.  So - the  ticket goes towards another flight.  I had to change my travel day last summer.  The replacement ticket was cheaper - so I was refunded the difference.

 

Same for Delta, at least for flights booked by the end of the year. You can change through the end of 2022. They also have an option where you can pay an extra fee and get a full refund instead.

During the summer when things were looking good, we booked tickets to see family in September. But with the Delta covid surge, we decided we wanted to wait until my mom had a booster. Now we are going early next year. But if we need to change dates again, we will have until the end of 2022 to use the flight credits.