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Anybody know anything about flying these days

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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Southwest in particular but anything could be helpful.

On southwests site there's business select, anytime, and "wanna get away". The wanna get away price is totally legit. And I might end up flying to a couple other places for that price but IDK if there's a catch and what it is.


I've flown maybe 10 times total(including the switch offs, there and back) Last time I flew was spring 11 but I booked with a few people so we all got the same area of the same planes and that was that.


Trying to save some loot here. Before the last time probably hadn't flown since spring 09?


Just wondering if anyone has any tips for the good deals. I know southwest used to be one of the cheapest, not sure if anythings better. Last couple times I flew delta. I know southwest has free bags and most dont(at least didn't)



+K for helpful info
Nov 7 2012 11:48AM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,100
Depending on where you fly out of, frontier flies out of Denver and a lot of other places and are pretty cheap and pretty good as far as comfort for the price. Spirit is cheap as fuck but you have to pay for carry ons and everything. If you travel light and are okay with small seats, spirit is the cheapest I have found (though it sucked being tall and flying cross country on it). Expedia and those site usually are cheap but not always the best deals.
Nov 7 2012 11:59AM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
know a pilot and fly their airline.


flew 8.5hrs internationally in business class for less than the price of a bus ticket recently.


or more realistically, just try every travel site. kayak, expedia, etc etc. Do your homework and you can find something good.
Nov 7 2012 11:59AM
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BrewskiJr
Posts: 5738 - Karma: 1,478
There is a whole science towards booking flights. They manipulate prices so much daily. The best time to book a flight in general is on a Tuesday at 3pm. The cheapest day of the week to fly is Wednesday and Saturday. Try to stay away from Friday and Sunday flights as they can be $$$ more expensive. I've saved $150 on a otherwise $350 flight by using this method before. I don't know about specific airlines but I usually use travel services that look for all airlines
Nov 7 2012 12:02PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
No shit. That's legit. I'll check it out.


And for the knowing a pilot thing, I'm still trying to convince kevtron to have his dad fly us places. If I were him and could fly free I'd be going places every weekend. I would fly to utah just to drink a beer and see how shitty it was.


Flying from the northeast upstate ny north of albany to san fran.

Probably going to fly out of hartford, generally have had good luck with prices out of there. Also I might get a friend to jump in on the trip that lives in ct. I don't mind driving 3 hours to save some bills. Albany generally has awful prices.

If I can get cheap enough flights I might even hit the co>utah run as well. Not sure how that would work. I guess I would get a round trip to co and back, then get a round trip to san fran from utah. hitch rides with some peoples then hitch a ride back to denver or somewhere to fly home.

Nov 7 2012 12:12PM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Ok this is probably true, but it varies from airline to airline.

2 good tips which should always help to reduce costs:

*Book as early as possible
*Travel on hand luggage only
Nov 7 2012 3:23PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
You have it dead on. But OP, try travelling sites. Theyre surprisngly helpful.
Nov 7 2012 3:30PM
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Rialb
Posts: 565 - Karma: 154
I don't necessarily agree with the booking as early as possible. When it's anticipated that a plane won't reach it's capacity they drive the cost way down for tickets. The price of tickets keeps depreciating right up until the jet's doors close, at this point any open seats technically would cost $0.

So if you're feeling risky it's often reaaaally helpful on your wallet to wait until the last feasible moment to buy your tickets. There's lots of twitter accounts and RSS feeds for different airports and airlines that monitor these ticket deals if you're willing to spend some time Googling. You just have to keep your eye on your phone to catch the lowest prices.
Nov 7 2012 3:43PM
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stizzle
Posts: 371 - Karma: 623

I fly every month or so and here's my typical process:

1. Search the travel sites like Kayak and Expedia to find a good time/price combo that works (I never buy my tickets through the travel sites, I always go straight to the airline to purchase... had some problems in the past). Southwest and some other airlines don't participate in these sites so be aware of that.

2. Once you find the flight you want, check it daily and watch the price and seat availability. If the number of free seats drops you might want to buy earlier before its all booked up.

3. I watch the price and if its dropping, I don't buy as long as it is still consistently dropping. The day that price starts going back up again is when I buy them. This means I don't get the tickets at the cheapest price they hit but I'm real close and a lot better off than when i started searching.

4. If you think you're going to start flying alot get one of the airlines credit cards with the airlinr you fly most. This gets you at least 1 free checked bag usually and priority boarding which is pretty nice.

Nov 7 2012 4:05PM
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stizzle
Posts: 371 - Karma: 623
Sorry for the dub post but don't give Delta any money unless you have an assigned seat. They intentionally overbook their flights because they bank on no shows. If everyone shows your screwed and have to wait until they can fit you on a different flight.
Nov 7 2012 4:10PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
This.
Nov 7 2012 5:01PM
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volvotom
Posts: 2045 - Karma: 712
Be careful with the "wanna get away" rates as they are often non-refundable so if anything goes wrong you're screwed. Southwest is usually inexpensive but they fly some of the oldest planes in the industry and don't keep up on little maintenance stuff in the cabin as well as the other airlines. Also bullshit: "open seating" and ranked number boarding.
Nov 7 2012 5:08PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
All airlines do, dumbass, except for JetBlue and, to a big extent, Alaska. It is much more profitable to overbook a flight and issue some potentially big vouchers for passengers that either voluntarily or involuntarily get bumped than to fly with empty seats. If you're flexible, it is fucking awesome getting bumped. I just just got voluntarily bumped last night due to a different plane in maintenance. $$$ in the flight bank.

That said, flying on the cheap can be an art. The more flexible you are, the better (obviously) and sometimes you need to be ready to pull the trigger instantly. Summer and holidays can be tough, however.

ITA matrix is clutch
expertflyer can be $$$$ if you fly a lot
check theflightdeal.com all the time- you just never know
google.com/flights can be nice if you're just pondering what kind of deals there are out there.
Nov 7 2012 5:09PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
^and saying dumbass was a bitch harsh. I rescind that.
Nov 7 2012 5:10PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
this is the industry. Not just delta.

OP i would also look into Jet Blue if flying out of the east coast.
Nov 7 2012 5:16PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10630 - Karma: 7,456
dont fly delta they squelch for cash, i shouldnt talk bad about them cause my mom works for them, but it is true they really do.

southwest for sure is the best way to go.
Nov 7 2012 6:00PM
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priceless
Posts: 3 - Karma: 14
Like everyone else said, use the travel sites like expedia to find the best price. If you book way in advance, you usually get cheap flights. You can also book close to the flight itself, as the airline will drop prices if it needs to sell seats. However, that is kinda risky, you don't want it to sell out... All depends on when you're flying - there are more expensive times of the year to fly (like christmas, etc) so try to avoid those. Flying out of and into smaller airports generally helps as the air carriers don't have to pay extra taxes. So Bradleys good if you said you were flying from Hartford.
Nov 7 2012 6:26PM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
I fly Southwest all the time. Their getaway deals are awesome. Flew roundtrip from Miami to Philly a few weeks back for
Nov 7 2012 6:33PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
But if nothing happens and I book that and everything works that's the rate I pay and it flies me there and back?


That's really what I'm asking, I'm down for a little risk. Are those something that go up a bunch as time goes on? If I bought it closer to last minute there would probably be less that goes wrong?


Is it things that go wrong like scheduling, overbooking, if the plane breaks? What kind of shit will keep me from flying it?

-------------------------------
I don't have a credit car still. Made it along time without one, thinking of getting one at some point idk. I would probably get one with air miles because I'd be much more likely to travel if it was cheap or free. I generally don't fly much and drive my car to anything in this half of the USA. Makes it easier to have everything I need to survive in a car than get dropped of at an airport and have to find my way from city to city.

Nov 8 2012 2:47AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
I think I got like 200 bucks toward another flight getting bumped a few years back. We just looked at each other and said fuck it. Had to wait another 3 hours or something but it was all good. Maybe it was 200 off our flight. Idk, we didn't care. Just kicked it.
Nov 8 2012 2:49AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
It's not a vacation type of thing. I'm flying to san fran for 3 shows at the independent theater. If there's a show at a good time of year or a bad time of ear, if I decide to go I'm going(If I can afford it)


This seems to be a good enough time. Also all 3 shows at one venue. Don't have to try to hitchhike from city to city. 3 shows makes the costs a lot less per show. Probably wouldn't fly if it was 2 or less.

I've flown out of bradley 90% of the times I've flown. Def saved some money. There will be a ticket for 300 there, that's 550 for something similar out of albany.
---------------------------------


Going to check out theflightdeal.com right now


And also will look into jet blue. Probably will be flying out of the northeast generally so if it's legit that's be cool.


Sorry for the trip post. Thanks for all the input. I don't mind surfing the web trying to find the best deals, just wanted to come in and see what to avoid what to look for since I knew some of you flew frequently.


Also if anyone knows anything about the likelyhood of a problem with the "I wanna get away rates" on southwest(or if they do them any where else)


I don't have a ton of loot. Tryin to pinch them pennies.



Thanks


Nov 8 2012 2:56AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
OMG


Quad post, but you sir are a gentleman and a scholar.


600 bucks to africa and back? you might have just changed my life. Not even kidding. I think next summer I might just clock this site and randomly decide places to go.


Thank you, this could be something awesome.
Nov 8 2012 3:02AM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,113
Kayak.com
Nov 8 2012 3:03AM
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volvotom
Posts: 2045 - Karma: 712
Jet Blue also offers a fly all you can pass every like September or October. Obviously there are restrictions, but it's only a couple hundred bucks.

As I said, just read the rules on the Wanna Get Away rates. Usually they are non-refundable, and not insured. If you miss the flight due to traffic, accident, whatever you eat the cost of the ticket. Also (for whatever reason) if there are booking errors, did wrong day or time, they usually won't change it. But the fares are super cheap. Southwest also tends to fly into smaller, less accessible airports in larger markets to save money on gate fees.

Also SUPER cheap is Spirit airlines. But they charge for EVERYTHING. Carry-on bags, checked bags, sodas. If the FAA allowed it I am sure they would charge to use the bathroom.

I flew Virgin America last week and really enjoyed their service and amenities. Also since they're trying to be price competitive with the larger airlines the fare was cheap. Free Live TV was nice too.


Nov 8 2012 3:17AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4807 - Karma: -647
This thread makes me remember I met a flight attendant skiing on the mountain last year I should have hit him up and had a beer with him when I was home this summer. I was going to trade him Bruins/Celtics tickets for free flights.

For international the thing to do is do mad kayak searches to various European cities. And then see the original flights from the US (which isn't your intended destination but gets you across the pond) and do a search for that specific day/destination and you can sometimes pull something good for 3-400 bucks (and then do easy jet to get where you want to go.) That might be confusing but it can be the way to get something direct which doesn't stop in a different US city like Atlanta or something to get to Europe.
Nov 8 2012 3:24AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
How long is the pass good for?


I couldn't find any rules really. But it seems to be legit. I guess as long as you apply a voucher toward another flight you're golden if anything happens. If something happened I would just instantly buy another flight. IF I couldn't use it right away I would just fly somewhere for no reason.

"Also (for whatever reason) if there are booking errors, did wrong day or time, they usually won't change it."

Word that's what I wanted to know. I didn't want them to be like, we put the wrong dates in, you're fucked.

I'm scared to use some of the shitty airlines. Like the really cheap ones. My friends used to use skybus. It went out of business in the middle of a trip to some shows to the south. They ended up renting a big van and all driving back up north.

Good shit.


I'm really not TOO concerned with amenities. I mean if they have some cool shit, that's nice, but I'm only going to be on the plane for >6 hours at a time. If I save a bunch of money to not have the coolest plane, then fuck it.


I also miss being able to bring your own drinks on the plane. I mean you can from inside the airport, but you can't bring anything through security. Fuck the airport security these days. I used to bring a box of capri sun on every plane. If I can't enjoy my capri sun for anti cotton mouth, then they've won
Nov 8 2012 3:25AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
This might be too many steps to risk with the wanna get away flights.


Thinking of flying from Hartford to denver on nov 29th or 30th. Getting my friend from aspen to drive out for those 2 shows, give me a ride 3 and a half hours to their house in aspen. Rage the show there, get them to drive me back to the airport in denver on the 5th. Fly from denver>Salt lake city. Rage the show there. Get a ride back to the airport in SLC(shouldn't be that hard since it's close) then fly from Salt lake City>San Francisco. Rage 3 nights at the independent right in san fran.



One of the big flaws in my plan is that I then have to do that all in reverse.

Would probably be living in airports for a while on the way back. Maybe I'll try to find one way rates the whole way and then take a one way back from san fran to hartford.


Fuck, this could be awesome but this is getting complicated. This is why I like driving. I drive hear, I can sleep in my car if needed, I put gas in my car, I drive there. Just seems a lot less complex.


IDK what any of that means just had to put that down somewhere to help me ponder it

Nov 8 2012 3:53AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Fuck. Doesn't seem to take anything off to fly one way. I guess I'm going to be kicking it airports on the way home with 3 different flights.


I have a question


If I fy from SLC>San fran and take a flight that connects in denver. Can I jump off the plane in denver and fly home from there instead of waiting to fly fly back to SLC to fly back to denver to fly back to hartford?


Is there any kind of flight search where you can string together a bunch of one ways and save? Like Hartford>Denver>SLC>San Fran>Hartford?
Nov 8 2012 4:07AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Something I don't understand.


When you select a flight. There's a prices that come up on a round trip flight.


You have to select 2 flights though? And it's says $$$ for each.

If you have to pay each way, then the standard economy flight are 1000 bucks which can't be.


Am I missing something? Do you get charged both directions?
Nov 8 2012 4:29AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Figured it out. Wanna get away doesn't have round trip. Pretty shitty that it shows up in round trip. Doesn't make any sense. Like here's a round trip flight that goes one way.


I can do the whole thing for 494 in flights but if I get bumped off a flight I might be fucked. Luckily there is a full day for any day I have to fly. Works for me.


Thanks for the help. Think I'm finally good. Gonna prolly roll the dice, say YOLO and see what happens.
Nov 8 2012 4:48AM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
If you're flexible in your travel plans a bit, I found Allegiant to be extremely cheap for a flight I needed to Florida in late September. Did it for half the price of anything else I could find and the deal they had on a rental car when booking with the flight was also half of what anywhere else was quoting for the rental car for the same time period.

Sure it was no frills and they tried to upcharge everything, but all I wanted was cheap travel, I don't give a fuck about getting a "complimentary" can of Sprite or some stale peanuts and I really don't give a shit where I sit. They got me to my destination on time for half the price of anyone else. The ONLY negative was that their flights were more infrequent (twice per week for my destination) so I had to be a bit more flexible in choosing my travel dates.
Nov 8 2012 8:52AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Can't even figure out how to find a flight going east to west, and even trying ridiculous airports and places that aren't exactly where I'm going can't find anything that matches my request.


I think if I was flying from ny to fl it'd work but it doesn't seem to do much east coast to west coast.
Nov 13 2012 10:32AM
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Peach.
Posts: 3879 - Karma: 933
I'm flying to Haiti this summer and the group I'm going with has made one thing very clear.
If you want good prices you have to be flexible. If you show up in miami on a tuesday ready to catch your connection and fly out be prepared to sleep on the floor if the flight is overbooked. In the past this has happened and as a group they always end up making out big in vouchers from the airline.
Nov 13 2012 10:44AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Well I'm flying out the 5th but I don't really need to get there till the 6th. At that point wouldn't really care as long as they gave me enough to cover my hotel or I was able to cancel the first night with no fee.

At the same time I might fly out the 6th to shave the first nights hotel. If I do that I won't be able to not get there. Would probably go earlier just to give myself a buffer zone.

Nov 13 2012 11:14AM
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Peach.
Posts: 3879 - Karma: 933
Having a buffer zone is wayyyyy less stressful.
Nov 13 2012 11:21AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Yup. If I fly all the way out there and don't make all 3 shows, it becomes a lot less cost effective, I miss great shows, and I become sad.
Nov 13 2012 12:00PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51666 - Karma: 162,575
Running 18 tabs right now. My computer is starting to smoke.
Nov 13 2012 12:00PM
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