www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I've been waiting on a deal on airfare for my trip in October. Recently Continental dropped their prices through March and April (I don't remember the exact date when it starts going back up), but it is still over $100 more for a flight in October (however, it did go down $100 since a few weeks ago).

I was just wondering why the prices would be lower now, and in the near future when the weather is nice then it is in October when it will be raining most of the time.

I'm also wondering if the prices might go down closer to October, and if they just cannot forcast any specials this far in advance. Also, if I wait until about July or August to book a flight, I would probably be risking not geting on the flight I want.

Last question is... If I book through one of the travel services that guarantee a refund of the difference if I find the same flight in the future for less, would I still be able to get my air miles.

Sorry, I really don't travel enough to know all the secrets.

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I can't deny it, with that smile on her face. It's not the kill, it's the thrill of the chase!

OK...will try to help here. First, the green season in CR is also the high season for tourist travel to warmer climates. Thus, it is typically more expensive because there is more demand. With the economy and the CR crime escalation, tourism is down in CR and everywhere else...so you should still be able to find a decent deal. I would not cling too tightly to any sites promise of the lowest fare or any promise to compensate you for a lower fare at another airline or lower fare for your particular flight. I tried it once, they put me on hold and came back and said they couldn't find the fare I referrred to. In short; it is an advertising gimmick. What will get you a lower fare is frequent searches on several sites with somewhat flexible travel plans. Even minutes apart, fares will rise and fall. A low fare quote on one site or airline may also indicate a price war or coming lower fare on others. There are no hard and set rules. It is all a game they play trying to get as high a fare as possible and yet fill every seat possible at whatever price. If you wanna start a riot on a flight....have everyone hold up a card with their ticket price. In short...search early, search often and be flexible.

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My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming...." MAN....WHAT A RIDE!!!!"

There are few reasons fares are so much higher further out.

Like GM said, the green season may not be the peak season for traveling to CR but it is the peak season for traveling everywhere else in the northern hemisphere. The demands for equipment (jets) and jetfuel SYSTEMWIDE is much higher and that also puts upward pressure on the price of jetfuel which effect ALL flights. By October that demand may be back down but the predictability of operating costs, particularly fuel prices, that far out is still much more uncertain. Why would airlines, lock themselves into fares based on TODAY'S costs when the costs at the time you fly might be so much higher.

More importantly, futures airfares are so much higher for a far simpler and basic reason. Why discount fares way so far out in advance when you still have so much time to sell at least some of those seats at full fare (or at least without discounting it so heavily)? I'm absolutely certain you'll find as the time gets much closer to the actual date of the flight that the unsold seats will become available at some discount as well. How much of a discount will depend on the state of the market at THAT point in time. Usually the real discounting extends around 3 months out. There may be even more heavy discounting that takes place as you get even closer to the departure date if lots of seats remain unsold.

However, usually at some point really really close to departure, the fare shoots way back up. The reason for that is that, vacationers (who are the real bargain hunters and who have some choice over the exact dates they travel) usually book way in advance. Business travelers often don't know when they'll have to be taking a trip until very shortly before and are then willing (or forced) to pay whatever price the airlines ask. This is also the reason for the "Saturday night stay" restriction, since, unlike vacationers, business travellers usually want to get back to their families over the weekend. Standby fares and other last minute fares are the absolutely cheapest since at that point the airlines would rather get something for the seat then see it go empty and make nothing at all, however the availability of those seats are never guaranteed and thus don't usually work for most business travellers (or even most vacationers).
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As for those guaranteed fares, it all depends on what sort of agency or website you're talking about. If its some sort of consolidator, then you'd have to check with them whether the air miles are transferable. If its a booking site such as Travelocity or Expedia, you'll have to check the restrictions on both the specific ticket you're booking and for that website itself. Airfares come with all sorts of restrictions - refundability, minimum stay, maximum stay, Saturday night stay, change fees, blackout dates and POSSIBILY being not valid for miles credit, though I don't recall ever seeing that for any airline I've flown. Whatever rights and restrictions that apply from the airlines will extend to tickets you book through one of their agents like Orbitz, Expedia or Jose's Travel Agency down the street. Those price guarantee programs also come with MANY restrictions, though, again, I've never seen denial of miles credits as being one of them.

For example, reading the small print at Expedia:

1) You have to find the lower fare within 24 hours of booking your ticket.
2) You have to notify them within 24 hours of booking your ticket.
3) That lower fare has to be available at the time you notify them as determined by the CSR.
4) That lower fare has to be for the EXACT same itinerary - dates, times, stops, carrier and even class of service (naturally you can't use finding a lower coach fare as basis for claiming a refund on a 1st class ticket).
5) That lower fare has to be available to the general public ON-LINE, ie it can't be available as part of your corporate discount program, membership club, rewards program, use of special coupons, phone number you have to call, through a consolidator, etc.
6) The fare difference has to be more than $7.
7) IF all of that checks out they'll refund the difference to your credit card but if you booked an air/hotel package and want to get their $50 credit guarantee you'll still have to send in adequate documentation within 30 days even AFTER calling the customer service number and then they'll send you a COUPON good for another Expedia purchase that expires within 1 year if you don't use it.

As you can see, there is nothing in there about not getting air miles, but there is plenty else in there to slip you up and make it difficult for you to get back the difference.

Srilm,
Good post. IMO, trying to figure out a definitive / scientific equation for airline pricing is about as complex as trying to figure out what goes on in the mind of a chica! Buena Suerte !!!

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

Forget about the lengthy explanations above...it's because the airlines are douche bags....

They are running a business. People base their service on what they feel is market value.

Obviously, flying is something ALOT of people want to do, and obviously people are willing to pay what prices are right now and more; so the model works.

I mean when was the last time you walked into an auto shop and the mechanic goes " Well ya know, Im going to do your work for free today because you seem to like driving, so heck why not? I mean I only have a house and 3 K*ds to feed"

Please don't take my post as anything close to serious. Was simply playing on the common sentiment towards the airlines.

I fly on average 300K miles per year and have a pretty good grasp on how the airlines operate. While I absolutely hate everything having to do with airline travel, I have no real complaints towards the airlines and how they operate or structure their airfares.

One complaint I do have, however, is the attitude of most American and European flight attendants. They could at least smile as they tell you to sit the hell down and eat your damn peanuts.

Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are almost a pleasure to fly on solely due to the customer service...it really goes a long way.

Baby Huey wrote:


Huey, the only way to get a refund for the difference (after 24 hours has passed and without a change fee) from Continental that I know of is to book the flight on Orbitz.

However in addition to the fare going down, it is also necessary that another person purchase the reduced fare from Orbitz. If the fare class is the same and it's on your flight, you should automatically get a check for the difference sent to you from Orbitz.

You'll retain the same amount of "redeemable" miles you were originally eligible for. However, discount fares not purchased on continental.com only earn 50% of "elite" miles towards elite status. In addition you may not have other benefits such as Continental's low fare guarantee.

It's too bad you are in Houston. Non-continental hubs with competition from Spirit airlines are showing base fares as low as $204 on Continental right now (eg. Detroit, Chicago, DC).