How come flight tickets cost so much =/

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I really want to fly to Seattle during spring break to look at a college I got accepted to. The flight tickets are around 300-400 bucks round trip. My b-day is on wens. For the most part I get a bunch of money for my birthday and I am debating whether I should blow most of it on a plane ticket. I already know people I can stay with in Seattle. I’ve never flown so I am shocked by how much it costs. Would it be worth it to get tickets for spring break?</p>

<p>Oh and another question, do plane tickets get more expensive the longer you wait to buy them?</p>

2

<p>Much depends on the cities you fly from/to, as well as the timing of the flights. Spring break can result in higher prices in some markets. </p>

<p>As for when to buy, that also varies. I have had to book last-minute flights quite a few times in the past year, and sometimes I get great prices. Other times I end up using my free flights from reward programs in order to avoid the high prices I would have to pay. A couple weeks ago I got a great deal on a one-way ticket to Florida the day of my flight … but my return ticket was more, even though I could book a few days in advance, because it was during spring break.</p>

<p>Personally, I search the individual airline websites. I look for both one-way and round-trip ticket prices, and I look at the fare-finder charts (sometimes flying the day before saves a ton of money). Make sure to go far enough to find out the taxes & fees. Also take any baggage costs into consideration, if you will need to check a bag.</p>

3

<p>Well I’m flying from LA area to Seattle.
Does it matter what airport because I have a choice between LAX or Long Beach Airport.
I’ve looked at some websites, but for the most part the prices are the same.
Is one-way cheaper sometimes?</p>

4

<p>Check out Southwest from LAX to SEA. They don’t deal with any third party bookers like Expedia and Travelocity so you have to go to their own website, southwest.com.</p>

5

<p>1) try to travel either midweek to midweek or on weekends (Sat-Monday)</p>

<p>2) do not search for flights on the weekend (now); wait til Tuesday; flight searches usually yield higher prices when searched on the weekend</p>

<p>3) go on Kayak and register for a flight alert; they will email you when the price goes down/up etc…</p>

<p>4) if you are trying to fly within the next two weeks, you probably will have to pay up unless you are flexible with dates/times etc…</p>

<p>5) and yes, sometimes, one way on one airline and one way on another can be cheaper.</p>

6

<p>Thank you so much for your help.
my spring break is APR 5- 11, but I’d be ok with missing at most 2 days of school.
Any advice on when to book/ what dates I should get the flight?</p>

7

<p>Just checked Southwest LAX-SEATTLE…April 10th-12…miss Monday…$183 RT
You can play around with other dates…
sorry, not familiar with SW website; that was one way only…Return trip was $99</p>

<p>Also, try Delta…nonstop</p>

<p>also, Virgin America…nonstop</p>

<p>Both of above, $199 Rt from April 7th-8th…</p>

8

<p>Most weekdays that week you can get flights on Southwest for $99 each way + taxes, for a total of under $250. Check the college’s visit schedule and see when they give tours before booking.</p>

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<p>Well they are having a Open house for accepted students on the 11th.
Ok SouthWest seems the cheapest and most reasonable for me. So should I get the tickets during this next week?</p>

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<p>Try sidestep.com also. THey will give you an idea of where the good prices are and then you should go directly to the airline to book.<br>
Another option is bing.com’s flight search. They have a fare predictor telling whether you should buy or wait based on past history.</p>

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<p>also what does one stop mean?</p>

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<p>Yes, do it soon-like check the prices on Monday and Tuesday, since Southwest will raise the fares soon. Generally, when it gets within a month of the flight, the price goes up.</p>

<p>One-stop means that it is not a direct flight. They make a stop along the way at another airport to pick up more passengers. You might have to change planes, or the plane you are on may continue through after the stop.</p>

13

<p>wow I found one on Delta for 244 round trip including taxes and fees. Thats the cheapest so far.</p>

14

<p>April 11th is a Sunday…Accepted student day is on April 11th??</p>

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<p>Prices typically rise when the flight is less than a month away. You are inside that time frame, so I would not wait until Tuesday to book.</p>

<p>Once you are at SEA-TAC, there is a new light rail train that will connect you to downtown for a couple of dollars. See the schedule and plan your trip at: [Sound</a> Transit: Ride the Wave](<a href=“http://www.soundtransit.org/]Sound”>http://www.soundtransit.org/)</p>

<p>You should also check with the college to see what they recommend, and go to the Seattle forum on tripadvisor.com</p>

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<p>Departng 4/6, returning 4/12, there are non-stop flights available in the low $200s.</p>

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<p>rodney, that was the same question I was going to ask the student-is the accepted students Open House really on a Sunday?</p>

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<p>sofarway,
Check out [JetBlue</a> | Airline Tickets, Flights, and Airfare](<a href=“http://www.jetblue.com%5DJetBlue”>http://www.jetblue.com). Flying from Long Beach to Seattle non-stop, which is always better than wasting time making a stop. They are also offering relatively cheap fares and they are a great airline. Free individual TV screen at your seat, snacks on board, etc. :)</p>

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<p>yes it is on a Sunday
But idk if it includes a tour.
If not I also want to go on a week day to look around, but I needa check when the school’s spring break is.
I also know people that there and we are probably going to see the whole Seattle area in general.</p>

20

<p>Most airlines will charge you for a suitcase, up to $25 for one bag, whereas Southwest does not, so you’ll want to factor that charge in as well. I believe Delta charges $25 for one, so your $244 RT becomes $269, so not the cheapest by far.</p>