BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Getting to Bonaire: Flight shopping timing
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2006-2008: Archives - 2008-01-01 to 2008-02-29: Flight shopping timing
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise K (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1692) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:35 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I remember reading somewhere suggestions on the best days to shop for flight deals. For example look at prices on a certain day of the week at certain times. But I can't find the info now. Anybody have suggestions?

I know mid week flights may be better than Sat. to Sat. And I have set up alerts on various flights and various airlines. I pretty much have to go Sat. to Sat. this trip and I want to get the best deal I can, better than current pricing anyways. We don't go til end of June, but I don't want to wait too long and end up with nothing available.

Ideas?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (BonaireTalker - Post #91) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:57 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Two things I do.

On the AA website, you can go to Book Flights, Dates Flexible and have it search over an entire 30 day period for flights to/from a destination. It then shows you which dates offer which of several fares.
Not too many other airlines have this much flexibility.

But I generally use kayak.com, which searches practically all major airlines. You pick the dates for your flights, but then click My Dates Are Flexible and give it +/- 3 days around both dates. Thus it searches over a whole week.

Of course, with Bonaire as your destination, there's a limit on how useful this is since some airlines fly there only once or twice a week.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #60) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:27 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Denise,

I use sidestep.com. Searches all the major airlines, and discounters. I know it sounds anal, but I pretty much try to nail down my trips 9 months in advance, go in the low season, and book my fare as soon as the airlines publish them, usually 9 months in advance. Seems like they are the cheapest then.

Tom, thanks for the info on kayak! Had heard of them before. I will give them a shot on my next trip.

Good luck!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (BonaireTalker - Post #92) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmm, I took a look at sidestep and seems like they've merged with kayak.

http://www.sidestep.com/help/kayak-sidestep.html

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan - www.bonairecaribbean.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3041) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

try www.yapta.com

ask Carole about her success....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Schamp (BonaireTalker - Post #93) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:52 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Isn't yapta better after you've already bought your tickets?

I didn't gather that you could setup yapta to monitor all airlines to a certain destination over a 3 week period to report low fares.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tad Jones (BonaireTalker - Post #61) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 12:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Ann!!

Hadn't heard of them before. Tom, you're right. Kayak and sidestep have merged. I'm fairly flexible on any given date, months in the future. The way I approach a trip, anywhere, is this:

Find the cheapest flight, however many months in the future. Then, before you book it, check on the availability of wherever you want to stay. Chances are, if you've found the cheapest flight, rooms will be available, and usually less expensive.

Finally, we've all headed south several times, and have a good idea of what a good airfare would be. Don't hold out till the last minute, trying to save 50 to 100 bucks.



 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise K (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1693) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 12:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have 4 alerts set up on Yapta (4 sets of flights using various airlines)

Flexibility is not the case for me this time. I am booked for two weeks already - June 21 through July 5 :-) I did not have alot of flexibility due to work committments and when the place I am staying at is available.

I am using the various searches; Kayak, Cheaptickers, Orbitz, etc.

I just wondered if anybody knew the details of when low pricing is offered, not which flights, days, times are low pricing. I seem to remember somebody posting one time about searching first thing in the AM of a certain day of the week as available pricing then goes up later in the day and week. Some of the pricing right now for those dates is very high. I won't wait too long to book though :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Dobson / Den Laman unit F (BonaireTalker - Post #78) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 2:18 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My experience this year with AA was very interesting. About 9 months before my trip I found tickets at about $150 less than 2007 trip and bought, thinking I had made a good deal. A month later the tickets were down $50 and AA refunded the difference. 2 months later the tickets were down another $150 and this time AA would only cancel the old tickets ($100 charge) and give me a voucher for $50 for next years trip. Timing is not automatic and it pays to watch for special deals. Last year a ticket from JFK was almost $600 and this year the best deal for the trip was $350. Peter

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Knobler (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #103) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 5:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

For some reason, I have noticed that prices drop on Wednesdays. It is not always, but I was shopping for the Newark flight for months...it kept changing dramatically. On Monday's and Tuesdays it would be about $490. On Wednesdays for several weeks it dropped to $370. I waited til a wednesday and snatched it up.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue from NJ (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #707) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 9:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Scott - $370?? what month are you traveling? how I can't wait to my kids are older and I'm not wedded to the &*^(ing school calendar!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john mitchell (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Friday, January 18, 2008 - 11:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Let your kids skip school. A family trip is at least as important as 2 weeks of school.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Knobler (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #104) on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 9:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sue, I couldn't believe it either but we scooped up a few tickets on the direct flight from newark March 8-16 for $370 WITH taxes! I got them right after christmas. The price changed depending on the week so we just chose that week. It looks like it is up to $525 now, but it is a Saturday ;)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise K (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1694) on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 9:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you Scott.

Sue, the first year my son dove he was 12, the school allowed him to take the one week out of school, with work to do while gone and with requirement of a trip report/class presentation when he returned. As he got older the school would no longer allow it.


 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sue from NJ (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #708) on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

sorry - I am strict about my kids not missing school for vacation. Just my philosophy, so it's not a debatable point.

The younger one needs to be in class & the older one is now in HS, so missing is not an option. 2-3 years ago our wonderful school district changed the calendar in June for the upcoming year and since we were already ticketed for Bonaire, they missed 3 days of school. My daughter was penalized by a few teachers and fell behind in a class and we feel it cost her a letter grade in one subject that marking period.

For the 08/09 school year, they have completely butchered the calendar and taken out the full week mid-winter break, opting instead for a few 3-4 day weekends, so this may be our last year to Bonaire for a while, given the infrequent air service.

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration