Trip planning uncertainties

Trip planning can be fun – but sometimes not. Especially when trying to work around room offers (or no offers), decent flight schedules and airfares, and miscellaneous obligations, it can become a royal pain. I'm afraid that's what we're going through now. Namely, tomorrow is the last day for me to use a $400 credit on Delta. In addition, I have a companion voucher for travel that needs to be completed before the end of June. That's all good. The bad is trying to figure out when to go, how long to stay, and how to work around Ms. Gecko's job. Sometimes we meet up in Vegas, which eliminates using companion tickets. It can get very confusing.

We're currently looking at using the companion fare around Memorial Day and my credit for our annual Halloween trip. Unfortunately, October room offers won't be known for months and airfares for acceptable flights are looking ugly. We're just glad we used Ms. Gecko's companion fare last month.

I think the moral of this story is to use credits and vouchers as soon as feasible. When at least two countdown times show up on my posts, you'll know we figured it out!

 

We have been watching airfare for our June trip for a couple months. It just won't drop. The last trip we paid more for airfare than ever on a Vegas route. It looks like SWA is holding steady now and not bouncing as it used to.

 

I'm just going to bite my tongue and let this pass.

 

What fun is that Joe? Come on, let it go!

 

When SWA changed their flight credit policy to user only, instead of anyone at all, that's impacted my planning substantially.
Getting used to it now, but it sure was much more convenient before the change.

 

I was just talking to my friend about how last trip we paid around $400 R/T plus 6 nights in a hotel each (with no comps). This trip the air alone is looking like it's going to surpass that total. Southwest prices are showing very little fluctuation. I'm wondering if everyone booking at the high starting prices knowing they can re-book a lower price is filling the cabins so southwest doesn't have to drop prices?

 

I know what you mean; the Vegas ticket I purchased last night was the highest I ever paid. Then again, it's for late October, which places it way outside the 3-4 months sweet spot for lower fares. (However, I can probably handle the total out-of-pocket expense of $32.64 after applying the credit! ) I don't think I've ever made travel plans this far in advance, but the credit's expiration is today; and not knowing one hundred percent if that means I can still use it today, I pulled the trigger. Besides, it's been sitting there an entire year!) This is also the first time I locked in air before reserving rooms, as it will probably be months before any October/November offers show up … I hope.

Meanwhile, something came up to scrap our end of May trip plans (right before buying tickets, thank goodness), so it's back to the drawing board. It's a sure bet the next trip will be completed before the end of June, however, as that's when the companion voucher expires.

 

I'm used to paying $250-$300 for a RT flight to Vegas. Paid $420 for my trip on SW coming up in mid-April. Usually check daily to see if prices have changed. They haven't in over a month.

 

April from Milwaukee to LAS: $227 pp, return $206 pp. Both are non-stops.

Oct from MKE to LAS: $206 pp. Return: also $206 pp. Again, both are non-stop.

 

Don't you just hate it when airfare goes down significantly right AFTER you bought? Actually, I'm not one to torture myself comparing prices afterwards unless I can get back the difference, and on Delta you can't. Ms. Gecko, on the other hand, being the masochist she is, checked current prices for the October flights we purchased last night. My flight has gone up $100, while hers has gone down by the same amount!

(It's a long story, but she'll first be flying to Ohio before joining me in Vegas, and then going onto Arkansas. It's not quite like comparing apples to apples, but would you believe that by adding Vegas into the mix, the "grand tour" is less expensive than booking the other trips individually? In other words, going to Vegas saves her company money! It's been that way for years.)

Earlier today, we reserved rooms for the first week in June, but haven't yet bought air – the reverse of our October trip - where we have air, but no rooms. A recent check reveals that June fares have gone up by $100 since this morning! To be sure, nothing about airline pricing should surprise us anymore, yet some of the ridiculousness is still hard to fathom. Are the price fixers on drugs or what? We'll keep checking; and if things go as they usually do, we'll nab a semi decent fare within the next week or so. What a joke!