Seeking lower airfare - September 2012

[Meredith1]

Hi -

I'm planning my Camino now for September (going from S.C.) and have gotten figures from various online agencies as well as a consolidator I've used many times in the past. The best quote so far is from the consolidator, and it's $1000. She's holding it for me and is continuing to search out a lower fare. How does this fare compare with others who are going in September?

Thanks.

 

[Pieces]

that one way or return ?

 

[Mysticl]

Is that return? I cannot speak from recent experience but I paid $1200 (return) Canadian from the west coast before all the additional fees were added in, several years ago. No idea if I got a good price then or not ... I was kinda locked in to the date and didn't have much time to shop around. Some folks have said on here that your best prices are usually about 6 weeks out from your departure date but I have no idea how accurate that is ... September is a ways off still but it's a crap shoot. That could be the best deal you see between now and then or you could be kicking yourself if you go for it now out of a need to nail it down. I guess it all depends on your own comfort level but I suspect there will be similar deals to be had at a later date even if you do decide to wait and see.

 

[markss]

There are many variables affecting airfares. Generally European travel originating in the US drops significantly in price after Labor Day. This is not reflected in early price quotes, as airlines start out selling tickets for autum travel at full summer prices. Once reaching about 4 to 6 weeks before the flight date they tend to start dropping rates, usually dramatically, to get their planes filled.

It's difficult to predict what will happen to airfares, however if I were traveling in September I'd take my chances that prices will drop as it gets closer to the travel date. Unless discovering a great deal somewhere, I wouldn't purchase a ticket for September travel until sometime in August at the earliest. $1,000 for a September roudtrip fare from the east coast of the US to Spain is expensive. To put it into perspective, last September I traveled from the West Coast to Spain ... roundtrip airfare was under $800.

 

[migolito]

I booked via Orbitz RT from Los Angeles to Madrid/Santiago to Los Angeles for about $950-. Sept 24. Orbitz will refund me the lower cost of a ticket they sell for the same trip if someone books for less.

 

[Mysticl]

I booked via Orbitz RT from Los Angeles to Madrid/Santiago to Los Angeles for about $950-. Sept 24. Orbitz will refund me the lower cost of a ticket they sell for the same trip if someone books for less.

Now THAT sounds like a plan ... I totally forgot about their guarantee.

 

[skilsaw]

I've had to stop over one night in London and that will quickly eat up anything you have saved in a low fare.

Not only that, I just wasn't interested in being a tourist in London for an afternoon. All I wanted to do was begin my pilgrimage.

 

[cinlamb]

Seems to be just what I have found. Coming the end of September from MI found a flight for $1009. There is a short layover in Philadelphia before flying to Madrid.

 

[markss]

On the surface it sounds like you can't go wrong booking with Orbitz. That is until you understand the stipulations for getting any kind of refund.

In order to get any partial fare refund, another person must have paid less, must have also booked through Orbitz, and here is the kicker --- must have the same itinerary. The same itinerary means all of the same dates of travel, all of the same flights, traveling through the same cities both on all outbound and return flights. That doesn't seem all that likely to happen. So while airfares may drop quite a bit, if your circumstances don't meet Orbitz's criterea, you won't get any refund at all.

 

[mauveglass]

I've been watching Kayak for Chicago-Mad-Chicago around the end of Aug...the best I've found is $1031 on Iberia, non-stop. Just checked for Sept 22, another possible date I may go, and AA is $965. I also forgot about Orbitz.

 

[migolito]

Actually, I just checked. I paid $922.40 total. That includes the "extra" flight from Santiago to Madrid. I just checked the same itinerary today and it's a couple of hundred dollars more. Might come down after summer.

 

[Meredith1]

Thanks, all. Yes, my quote is for a RT fare--I should have said that. I spoke with a travel agency late this afternoon (located near Boston) who said that fares are not likely to fall and that (as I've read elsewhere recently) the days of lower fares appearing after the first of September are gone. So I think I'm going to go ahead with what my consolidator has found, figuring that even if fares should drop between now and four months from now, it probably won't be by much.

 

[zzotte]

I purchase tickets for Oct from the west coast to Toulouse, France (multi city) and returning from Madrid total price 1280.00 usd. I never buy tickets from ticket resalers ( like orbits, kayak etc) I just use then to check for times, connections and airlines and then go to the specific airline to buy the tickets because if something goes wrong it's easier to deal with the airlines (personal experience)

Zo

 

[vagabondette]

Check Air Berlin. That's who I ended up going with. They're just starting international long-hauls so are having some good deals. My 1-way from NYC to Barcelona on 5 Sept was $400. My return from Berlin to NYC on 9 Jan was $350. You don't have to book RT right now or with the same airline. It's very possible to book two one-ways that are cheaper than a RT. I'd also check out American they've been having some great specials. I saw a last minute to Dublin from Boston for $450 RT a couple weeks ago.

 

[sapient5]

Booked a RT ticket for SFO-MAD-SFO on Priceline for $892. I discovered that its cheaper if you're departing on a Sunday. We do have 2 stop-overs on the way there, but if I figure 3 hrs extra traveling time is worth saving $400!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

SFO-MAD-SFO on Priceline for $892

That is an excellent airfare, but you have additional travel expenses, and time, to get to starting and finishing points. I have found that an outbound flight to my starting point, say Pamplona, and a return from Santiago de Compostela, is less expensive than going to Madrid, then taking local travel. Priceline is not useful for these open-jaw bookings. My experience is that you have to go directly to the airline website to book them. American, British Airways, and Iberia code-share, so they often have the best connections.

 

[miamijhp]

"Falcon is right
"That is an excellent airfare, but you have additional travel expenses, and time, to get to starting and finishing points. I have found that an outbound flight to my starting point, say Pamplona, and a return from Santiago de Compostela, is less expensive than going to Madrid, then taking local travel. Priceline is not useful for these open-jaw bookings. My experience is that you have to go directly to the airline website to book them. American, British Airways, and Iberia code-share, so they often have the best connections."

I booked MIAMI-LISBON and return SANTIAGO-MIAMI for 867.00 in American Airline. (You always buy your tickets -at list from USA- on a Tuesday after noon, 6-8 weeks before departure. it is cheaper). I will start from Porto but I want to visit Fatima before start el camino portugues