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Post by itrainmonkeys on Apr 22, 2011 10:16:17 GMT -5
Hey guys,
I don't fly a lot but was thinking about flying down this year for Roo. Anyone have any recommendations/tricks/tips about getting the cheapest flights?
Is using some travel site like Travelocity or Orbitz worth it? Or can cheaper/better flights be found just at the airline's websites? Any things I should avoid/look for?
I'll be traveling out of New York (likely LaGuardia, maybe JFK but also looking elsewhere) to Nashville.
Remember the free checked bags at Southwest are the equivalent of 100$ on a round trip. I don't usually check bags but I am sure you will need to with camping supplies. Also if it is just you, feel free to crash at my place until Tuesday evening and I can run you to the airport, if that works out to saving you money.
I always try to book Southwest if I can. Getting that extra bag for free makes a big difference. I flew to coachella with southwest and being able to fly the cooler as my second bag made a huge difference. We flew United I believe to the Gorge and were really limited with what we could bring because I didnt want to have to pay the extra baggage fees. Luckily we had someone driving to haul most of our stuff.
Post by itrainmonkeys on Apr 22, 2011 11:19:11 GMT -5
Good points about the checked bags. That's another reason i'm leaning towards southwest. Thanks Jess, for the offer. I figured that I would just hang out at the airport til the flight but I still have time to work that out. I just really don't want to take an 8 a.m. flight on the Monday after Roo lol.
Definitely gotta pay attention to the baggage stuff. I plan on bringing a few clothes, camping tent, and just a few other essentials so it shouldn't be too bad.
FTR, Southwest's free checked bags can often times be cancelled out on price matches with other airlines. Not always, but definitely look around. As of late, it seems to be happening more often. I booked my flight through Frontier and upgraded my ticket to their Classic Fare, which allows for two checked bags, let me choose my seats both ways, yadda, yadda, yadda. The best part, though, was not having to deal with Southwest's terrible, but exceptionally affordable, arrival and departure times. I also got to fly into the city I wanted to fly into - Atlanta, which SW doesn't fly to as of yet. After it was all said and done, I paid $20 LESS on Frontier for the round trip and, overall, a much better value.
I've heard good things about Southwest from a few people too.
I've generally gotten pretty good deals through cheapoair.com. kayak.com compares a bunch of travel sites at once so you don't have to separately check out Expedia, then Priceline, Travelocity, etc.
If you look at Southwest - click the calendar for 'flexible plans' so you can see the prices for the month. The prices are high on Monday after Roo. Directly through SW from either LGA or newark - going and returning on Tuesday - $239-248. Downside looks like a lot of travel time/layovers.
Through priceline America and Delta are showing round trip from LGA to nashville non-stops for 232. But as mentioned you pay extra for a second checked bag.
If you look at Southwest - click the calendar for 'flexible plans' so you can see the prices for the month. The prices are high on Monday after Roo. Directly through SW from either LGA or newark - going and returning on Tuesday - $239-248. Downside looks like a lot of travel time/layovers.
Through priceline America and Delta are showing round trip from LGA to nashville non-stops for 232. But as mentioned you pay extra for a second checked bag.
Thanks for the tip. How much does a second checked bag usually cost? Anyone know a ballpark figure?
If you look at Southwest - click the calendar for 'flexible plans' so you can see the prices for the month. The prices are high on Monday after Roo. Directly through SW from either LGA or newark - going and returning on Tuesday - $239-248. Downside looks like a lot of travel time/layovers.
Through priceline America and Delta are showing round trip from LGA to nashville non-stops for 232. But as mentioned you pay extra for a second checked bag.
Thanks for the tip. How much does a second checked bag usually cost? Anyone know a ballpark figure?
usually $25 for the first bag $35 for everyone one after
If you look at Southwest - click the calendar for 'flexible plans' so you can see the prices for the month. The prices are high on Monday after Roo. Directly through SW from either LGA or newark - going and returning on Tuesday - $239-248. Downside looks like a lot of travel time/layovers.
Through priceline America and Delta are showing round trip from LGA to nashville non-stops for 232. But as mentioned you pay extra for a second checked bag.
Thanks for the tip. How much does a second checked bag usually cost? Anyone know a ballpark figure?
depending on the airline most are 25-50$ for any checked bag under 50 pounds.
I still fly Southwest, but it's definitely the Greyhound of the sky...
just felt that needed to be said.
you think? I prefer southwest to other airlines
I like some things about Southwest, but I really, really hate the lack of assigned seats. If you get on one of the later boarding groups, this can be such a pain.
Also, isn't there a weight limit on SW's free bags? A friend of mine was on a flight and had a baby car seat in one of his bags so that it went over the weight limit and they were going to charge him $60 for the bag, but they figured out a way to move some stuff from one bag to the other so that both bags ended up under the limit. Which is related to the other thing about SW. I think they tend to have really good customer service.
Whenever I fly I use priceline in order to compare the prices of all the different airlines, but make sure to book it through the actual airline's site. It's nearly always at least a bit cheaper.
I like some things about Southwest, but I really, really hate the lack of assigned seats. If you get on one of the later boarding groups, this can be such a pain.
Also, isn't there a weight limit on SW's free bags? A friend of mine was on a flight and had a baby car seat in one of his bags so that it went over the weight limit and they were going to charge him $60 for the bag, but they figured out a way to move some stuff from one bag to the other so that both bags ended up under the limit. Which is related to the other thing about SW. I think they tend to have really good customer service.
see I like the non assigned seating thing but Im also OCD when it comes to flying and usually land an early boarding group.
Every airline has a weight limit (usually $50) even if you are paying for the checked baggage it still had to be under 50-55 lbs or you get charged oversized baggae fees. I agree SW has awesome customer service though.
Ya the weight limit is 50lbs which can be difficult depending on what your planning on bringing. I can get my tent, sleeping bag, a tarp, and everything else I need in a check-on and large backpack to carry-on every year, but it is always a struggle.
We drag out the bathroom scale everytime we are flying and make sure both bags are balanced at 48ish lbs to allow for minor scale differences. Its much easier to move stuff around before you are checking in. If your a tad over and say Gosh I weighed it before I left to make sure.. they usually let it go.
Post by Hoodw!nked on Apr 22, 2011 14:37:35 GMT -5
Bing.com lets you know when is the best time to buy. and you can sign up for price alerts with Bing and Kayak. I always fly on Delta and usually get a better price directly through their website.
