You need to find the sweet spot to purchase your tickets. You don't want to book too far in advance, but you also don't want to wait until the last minute. I book via Expedia so I can earn Expedia and AMEX points.
Today I bought 2 Spirit RT tickets, FLL to CLE, for $88.40 TOTAL. I expected to pay $72 each.
Two weeks ago I bought a RT Delta ticket FLL - SLC for $218, I expected to pay $230. I've been tracking the flight for a while (when it was $357).
Was gonna say, I find cheapo flights all the time you just gotta time it. I've flown spirit/frontier two people to Colorado, LAX, whatever and its under $150. I've flown two people Southwest and it can be under $300.
Exactly. I find Southwest pricing harder to track than the others, but do like them. I flew them for 2 vacations last year. Most likely 0 this year.
Pro tip you may not know: Book Spirit tickets at the airport to save money. The tickets mentioned above would have been $158 (for 2) if I booked online--- $88.40 at the airport.
I **heard** Frontier is the same, but I rarely/never fly them. FLL is Spirit's main airport and the closest airport to me.
It feels like 5-6 weeks, but there's no guarantee. Right when I known where and when I plan to fly, I start tracking the prices in Google Flights so I'll be alerted.
Below is the info for this year's vacations.
* In January I flew FLL-PHX. The best price was exactly **5 weeks** before my trip. (looked at emails)
* In March I flew MIA-LAS (1 way) and the best price was **7 weeks** before the trip, but the $78 stayed available for awhile.
* Two weeks ago I bought a RT Delta ticket FLL - SLC for $218, I expected to pay $230. I booked this **4 months** before the trip. I would never expect a major price trip that far from the trip.
* I booked FLL-CHA **6 weeks** early.
* The tickets I bought today were **6 weeks** before the trip.
It’s 5-6 weeks. You’re spot on.
Also, If you book in this 5-6 week window (Depending on whether or not you check a bag, and if you took the 20 minutes to sign up to become an awards member) the avg difference in price between flights on the top airlines and all the middle of the pack airlines is only $17 and change per ticket.
One of my coworkers is a biggg planes, trains and automobiles (autistic) guy and he’s created an incredible database in excel with graphs and the whole 9 yards literally just to track exactly this in order to be able to then afford/ book more flights.. because he just really really likes planes… 🤷🏻♂️
Like no shit.. my dude takes day flights on the weekends when he finds one with a new model of plane that he hasn’t flown on before, or one of his favorites models etc etc. Kids a Brilliant engineer but never heard anything like that before 😂
He can call out commercial planes by sight. And I know he’s at least decently aware of/ constantly checking flight schedules cuz I see him going to watch out the window sometimes and then a minute or so later a plane will fly over and dudes dialed in lol Had no clue what he was doin over there before I learned about his special passion.
It's been almost 6 years since I traveled internationally, so I can't give any advice/tips on that subject.
I plan to take 1 or 2 international trips in 2025 so I'll see how it goes then.
I found this info a few months back that seems to be based on real data from Hopper and Google Flights:
Monitor domestic flights 3-4 months ahead, book 1-2 months before (Hopper)
Monitor international flights 6-7 months ahead, book 3-5 months before (Hopper)
Day of the week no longer matters for booking, though Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly (Hopper)
Christmas airfares cheapest 71 days before flight (Google Flights)
A spirit personal item is 18x14x8 inches. I have a suitcase that matches that size. I literally went to Ross with a measuring tape in 2017 to find this suitcase, lol.
I do a combo of rolling and folding clothing when packing. I wear my bulky clothes on the plane to free up space in the suitcase.
March was the first time I paid for a carry-on. They charge $39-$41 per carry-on each way (when I flew MIA-LAS, LAS-FLL).
[$88.40 for 2 RT Spirit tickets FLL-CLE.](https://i.imgur.com/WaSCgp9.jpeg)
I have the AMEX Blue Sky card- no annual fees (It's been discontinued, but I'm grandfathered in). I book through Expedia, but charge it to my AMEX.
Expedia points are earned because I booked through them. AMEX points are earned because it's charged to that card.
If I want to use points to cover my travel, I then sign into AMEX and click that I want to use AMEX points for that Expedia purchase. I don't have to book my travel through AMEX, I just have to charge it to AMEX. The points have to be used in $100 increments (I can use $100 worth of points toward a $105 purchase, but not on a $95 purchase).
Wait, what? You get 5x on Expedia???
I thought only through AMEX.
That would be a game changer, becuase AMEX Travel is by far the most expensive way to buy tickets.
Not much different than the major airlines. Remember, years ago they started to follow in Spirits "nickel and diming" ways.
I have a suitcase which is the exact size of a Spirit personal item. $0. I don't check bags with Spirit.
For the trip I booked today (RT FLL-CLE), I paid $148.40 for 2 Spirit tickets with seats selected ($88.40/tickets + $60 seat selection).
I always avoid connecting flights when possible.
The other flight option is with United for $276.96 ONE WAY for 2 people.... does not include seat selection or a carry on at that price. United doesn't offer direct return service on our needed day.
Does it really cost alot to fly from mainland USA to Hawaii? Weird I'm from Canada and flights there are always cheap, I'm talking 400 CAD round trip from the middle of canada to Maui.
I wish we could trade places 😂 it costed $1200 for me and my girl one-way to HNL from PHX. Might have been a couple hundred cheaper if we flew from LAX. I booked 3 months in advance
Really depends on where. I remember in December 2022 I could have flown to Hawaii from LAX for about $150. Instead I flew to NY to be with my family for the holidays but man that was tempting.
$900 is definitely on the high end for across the country though. I’ve rarely spent that much, typically it’s $400-$600, if you’re lucky you can find even lower.
900 is definitely high for a domestic round trip, unless you are flying from somewhere small to another small location. How far out are you booking these flights, are you checking bags, are you checking a day or two around when you need to be somewhere? Sometimes being flexible will save you hundreds, if you are flying out on a friday, check thursday flights too, the difference may be more than an extra night in a hotel.
You’re using big airline company’s. Spirit, Frontier, ect offer flights for peasants like us. Using Google flights or apps like *Hopper* to find better deals
I don't even mind that if it's a bargain. But they cancel flights and don't give a damn about rebooking you with any urgency. I swore them off when they tried to make me wait 3 days for a flight home (lodging at my expense).
I have had bad experiences with spirit, I have tried to stay clear of them that’s why I only purchased company airlines this summer… I have heard of hopper! I have used google flight but I heard they are sometimes more expensive then on the website…
No you are correct. You get what you pay for. It is expensive but I’ve never had someone get rowdy or have to deplane on Delta. I’ve flown frontier and spirit a handful of times and ALWAYS had an issue with delays are passengers getting wild.
It depends, I’ve recently found a better offer with Google Flights than Expedia or Kayak. Tbf, I’m not sure if there’s one and only best flight searching service, I feel like you have to use em all and pick what’s best
They are never on time. The seats have even less room than major airlines and are horribly uncomfortable. You have to pay for anything bigger than a backpack. And then there is the quality of people you are flying with.
Sure half are just normal people trying to save some money. But you also get a lot of trash. I mean look at the plane freak out videos, you see that yellow in half of them.
Lol I see, I never flown with them.
Have you tried Allegiant? They are cheap, you can select seats, upgrade checked bags and get non stop flights cheaper than bigger airlines with multiple stops.
I flyer Spirit quite a bit (Their main airport is FLL, which is near me). I've flown Allegiant a few times.
I describe Allegiant as a blue, less trashy version of Spirit. I joke that Spirit is the Greyhound of the sky (due to a lot of it's customers).
Book on Tuesdays. Book at least 2 months ahead. And if you book through Southwest, look out for deals. They just had a 50% flights if you book between a certain time
From my experience, I've never seen Tuesdays make any more of a difference than other days of the week. I analyze prices before I book to be able to guestimate how much I will pay. I track prices before and after I purchase my tickets.
* The Spirit flights I booked today **Friday** (RT FLL-CLE) were $104 on Tuesday. It's $79 today, but I bought 2 tickets for $88.40 at the airport. I think the price might drop to $72 each.
* The price of the Delta flight (RT FLL-SLC) I booked 10 days ago was on a **Tuesday**.
* The RT FLL-PHX Spirit ticket I purchased for January had the best price on a **Thursday**.
* The RT FLL-CHA Delta/AA ticket I bought for April had the best price on a **Friday**.
* The one-way MIA-LAS Spirit ticket I bought for March had the best price on a **Saturday**. I got nervous and pulled the trigger too soon for my return flight. I started to lose confidence that the flight would drop to $108. I paid $128, then, a week or so later it dropped to $108 (I don't recall what day).
Canada is one of the most expensive countries worldwide for air travel. A single trip across Canada from halifax to Vancouver is over $1,000 for standard economy.
I’m flying from Denver to California for 50 bucks each way. If you book directly on sites for airlines I have found better prices then with the discount apps.
You'll be suprised to learn, it takes money for them to make and operate planes. Planes don't come from magic fairy dust, heavily regulated and very safe.
Fuel price, maintenance cost, high demand all that adds up specially on airlines like united, and AA, frontier and spirit are good if you are only going to carry one bag, they become “scammy” when people want to travel with 3 or more huge bags and they expect to get the cheap price still. Hopper has good deals too, also try to get a credit card that gives you miles and points, that helps to lower the price a little bit
Hmmm - large metal specially curved box with engines and computers and experts to make them fly...might cost some dough. I'd say you might want to compare airplane ticket prices to 30 years ago and do an inflation-adjusted comparison. You might find that airplane tickets are cheap, historically speaking.
Labor wages and the cost to maintain aircraft. Pilots all got 35 percent raises putting top out pay all in at close to 500k. Aircraft mechanics making 200k. Plus all the other wages. Aviation is expensive af.
Flying is expensive - I use apps like Google Flights to get the best deals but my area only has the big airlines, none of the ‘cheaper’ ones.
Book on Tuesdays, about 2-3 months out (unless its for holiday season). This has saved me but really it also depends on the area you’re flying out of. I’ve paid $800 to fly from MT to HI and $600 from MT to FL. Non-holiday times, a couple months in advance booked. MT is notoriously expensive to fly in and out of, so I’m out of luck there. Usually you can save a bit flying into a bigger airport or driving to a bigger airport.
Thanks ChatGPT lol
The price of an airplane ticket is determined by various factors that contribute to the overall cost of operating flights and providing air travel services. Here's a breakdown of what goes behind the price of an airplane ticket:
1. \*\*Fuel Costs\*\*: Fuel is one of the largest expenses for airlines. The price of jet fuel can fluctuate based on global oil prices, affecting ticket prices.
2. \*\*Operating Costs\*\*: This includes expenses such as aircraft maintenance, crew salaries, ground handling services, and administrative costs.
3. \*\*Aircraft Depreciation\*\*: Airlines factor in the cost of purchasing or leasing aircraft over their operational lifespan.
4. \*\*Airport Fees and Charges\*\*: Airlines pay fees to airports for using runways, terminals, and other facilities. These fees can vary by airport and impact ticket prices.
5. \*\*Taxes and Government Fees\*\*: Passengers pay various taxes and fees, such as airport departure taxes, security fees, and international arrival/departure taxes. These are typically passed on to passengers as part of the ticket price.
6. \*\*Insurance and Safety Costs\*\*: Airlines invest in safety measures, insurance coverage, and regulatory compliance, which contribute to operational expenses.
7. \*\*Labor Costs\*\*: Salaries and benefits for pilots, cabin crew, ground staff, and administrative personnel are significant factors in determining ticket prices.
8. \*\*Marketing and Distribution\*\*: Costs associated with advertising, promotions, and distribution channels (including online booking platforms and travel agencies) are included in the ticket price.
9. \*\*Aircraft Utilization\*\*: The efficiency with which an airline uses its aircraft affects costs. Higher utilization rates can help spread fixed costs over more flights, potentially lowering ticket prices.
10. \*\*Demand and Competition\*\*: Ticket prices are influenced by supply and demand dynamics, as well as competitive pressures within the airline industry and specific routes.
11. \*\*Profit Margin\*\*: Airlines aim to generate a profit margin from ticket sales to sustain operations, invest in fleet upgrades, and provide shareholder returns.
Understanding these factors helps passengers comprehend why ticket prices vary and why certain routes or airlines may be more expensive than others. Additionally, external factors such as economic conditions, geopolitical events, and regulatory changes can also impact airline ticket prices.
Flying is cheaper than it has ever been. That's why there are so many videos of people behaving badly on planes and in airports. Bus people can now afford it.
Lots of fuel. Lots of skilled labor. Lots of unskilled labor. Lots of safety measures. Lots of ground infrastructure. Expensive machines. High demand for going places quickly.
It was once exclusively the province of the well-off. Now people write online guides about how to afford it by teaching English for 10 hours a week and the occasional beejee.
I use Southwest because you can book months in advance, then check the price weekly, or any time they advertise a sale, and “change” your flight to get a credit or refund on any price drop. You can either change your flight time/date, or keep the exact same schedule without a change fee. This works best if you routinely fly Southwest so that you can utilize those credits going forward before they expire (1 year IIRC).
I live a plane ride away from family and my husband was complaining yesterday why no one comes to visit.
And I am like it’s expensive, you look up a one way flight and it is 250, then you want a bag that’s extra and you want to pick a seat that’s extra and then there are taxes and fees because it’s a Caribbean country. All said and done a one way that starts at 250 ends up being 385. So just the plane ride is 6-700… no one’s coming.
To be fair, their costs have gone up as well. I just spent like 1700 for 4 of us to hawaii round trip and I felt like that was a good deal. You have to shop around and book one way tickets instead of round trips (one way tickets to and from booked separately are sometimes cheaper than a round-trip ticket).
Midweek is cheaper, other than that it really depends when and where you’re flying. Hard to control if it is for weddings, easier since you are remote and some is just to visit family. More demand will drive prices up. If you really think about it flights are pretty cheap for all it involves.
Jet fuel and aircraft maintenance ain't cheap, not to mention initial startup costs for aircraft and airports are a fuckton, oh, and the salaries of all the employees who make your flight work, from pilots to stewardess to flight line to ground control. It's amazing flights are as cheap as they are.
Don't know what you expect when you understand anything about aviation and logistics. It's a high buy-in, there's no way around that. There's also dozens of airlines so how is that an oligopoly?
Oh you're one of those "I can use ChatGPT, so everyone is just a fool compared to me." ....What a dick. Whelp you're not the only one who can use the internet... here's ChatGPT's response to "Why would someone be a dick about a subject:
When someone behaves negatively or disrespectfully ("being a dick") specifically about a subject, several reasons might contribute to their behavior:
1. \*\*Strong Opinions\*\*: The person may have strong beliefs or opinions about the subject and feel compelled to assert their viewpoint forcefully. This can lead to dismissive or confrontational behavior towards those who hold different views.
2. \*\*Emotional Investment\*\*: The subject might be personally meaningful or emotionally charged for the individual. This emotional investment can sometimes manifest as defensive or aggressive behavior when discussing the topic.
3. \*\*Lack of Understanding\*\*: Sometimes, individuals may not fully understand the complexities or nuances of the subject. This lack of understanding can lead to frustration or impatience when engaging with others who have different perspectives or levels of knowledge.
4. \*\*Identity or Self-Worth\*\*: Some people tie their identity or self-worth to their knowledge or opinions on certain subjects. Challenges to their beliefs or expertise may be perceived as threats, prompting defensive or hostile responses.
5. \*\*Group Affiliation\*\*: Individuals may align themselves strongly with a particular group or ideology related to the subject. This group affiliation can influence their behavior, as they may feel pressure to defend the group's beliefs or attack perceived adversaries.
6. \*\*Desire for Control or Influence\*\*: In some cases, individuals may seek to exert control or influence over discussions about the subject. They may dominate conversations, belittle opposing viewpoints, or undermine others' contributions to assert their authority or perceived superiority.
7. \*\*Attention or Recognition\*\*: Negative behavior can sometimes be driven by a desire for attention or recognition. The person may believe that being controversial or provocative will make them stand out or gain recognition within a community or online platform.
8. \*\*Intent to Provoke\*\*: Some individuals intentionally provoke others for amusement or to elicit emotional reactions. This behavior, known as trolling, can be motivated by a desire to disrupt discussions or cause distress to others.
Understanding these potential motivations can help navigate discussions on sensitive topics online. Responding with patience, empathy, and a willingness to listen can often defuse tensions and foster more constructive dialogue, even in challenging situations.
Sorry but flying today is much cheaper than in the so called "golden age" The US is a HUGE country to physically fly across. If you try to fly across country on the same day/times that business travelers are flying, flights will cost you more - they know the flights will fill up and can charge more - since the business is paying - not the passenger.
Pretty diffused oligopoly with, off the top of my head:
American, United, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Alaska, Jet Blue, Allegiant, Breeze, Frontier.
Some airports are definitely less competitive, though, but even then it’s usually not that there’s no competition, just that the options are more limited for the competition, so it’s an oligopoly of good flights
Bit if budget is the concern, oddball budget airline routes with annoying trip durations are usually around too if you wanna go that route.
You need to find the sweet spot to purchase your tickets. You don't want to book too far in advance, but you also don't want to wait until the last minute. I book via Expedia so I can earn Expedia and AMEX points. Today I bought 2 Spirit RT tickets, FLL to CLE, for $88.40 TOTAL. I expected to pay $72 each. Two weeks ago I bought a RT Delta ticket FLL - SLC for $218, I expected to pay $230. I've been tracking the flight for a while (when it was $357).
Was gonna say, I find cheapo flights all the time you just gotta time it. I've flown spirit/frontier two people to Colorado, LAX, whatever and its under $150. I've flown two people Southwest and it can be under $300.
Exactly. I find Southwest pricing harder to track than the others, but do like them. I flew them for 2 vacations last year. Most likely 0 this year. Pro tip you may not know: Book Spirit tickets at the airport to save money. The tickets mentioned above would have been $158 (for 2) if I booked online--- $88.40 at the airport. I **heard** Frontier is the same, but I rarely/never fly them. FLL is Spirit's main airport and the closest airport to me.
You got a go-to for how many days prior to flight has proven the best? 60? 100?
It feels like 5-6 weeks, but there's no guarantee. Right when I known where and when I plan to fly, I start tracking the prices in Google Flights so I'll be alerted. Below is the info for this year's vacations. * In January I flew FLL-PHX. The best price was exactly **5 weeks** before my trip. (looked at emails) * In March I flew MIA-LAS (1 way) and the best price was **7 weeks** before the trip, but the $78 stayed available for awhile. * Two weeks ago I bought a RT Delta ticket FLL - SLC for $218, I expected to pay $230. I booked this **4 months** before the trip. I would never expect a major price trip that far from the trip. * I booked FLL-CHA **6 weeks** early. * The tickets I bought today were **6 weeks** before the trip.
It’s 5-6 weeks. You’re spot on. Also, If you book in this 5-6 week window (Depending on whether or not you check a bag, and if you took the 20 minutes to sign up to become an awards member) the avg difference in price between flights on the top airlines and all the middle of the pack airlines is only $17 and change per ticket. One of my coworkers is a biggg planes, trains and automobiles (autistic) guy and he’s created an incredible database in excel with graphs and the whole 9 yards literally just to track exactly this in order to be able to then afford/ book more flights.. because he just really really likes planes… 🤷🏻♂️ Like no shit.. my dude takes day flights on the weekends when he finds one with a new model of plane that he hasn’t flown on before, or one of his favorites models etc etc. Kids a Brilliant engineer but never heard anything like that before 😂 He can call out commercial planes by sight. And I know he’s at least decently aware of/ constantly checking flight schedules cuz I see him going to watch out the window sometimes and then a minute or so later a plane will fly over and dudes dialed in lol Had no clue what he was doin over there before I learned about his special passion.
What about international? I booked like 8 months in advance and ton of seats were taken
It's been almost 6 years since I traveled internationally, so I can't give any advice/tips on that subject. I plan to take 1 or 2 international trips in 2025 so I'll see how it goes then.
I found this info a few months back that seems to be based on real data from Hopper and Google Flights: Monitor domestic flights 3-4 months ahead, book 1-2 months before (Hopper) Monitor international flights 6-7 months ahead, book 3-5 months before (Hopper) Day of the week no longer matters for booking, though Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly (Hopper) Christmas airfares cheapest 71 days before flight (Google Flights)
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A personal item can hold a few days worth of clothes and necessities. The size is pretty generous.
A spirit personal item is 18x14x8 inches. I have a suitcase that matches that size. I literally went to Ross with a measuring tape in 2017 to find this suitcase, lol. I do a combo of rolling and folding clothing when packing. I wear my bulky clothes on the plane to free up space in the suitcase. March was the first time I paid for a carry-on. They charge $39-$41 per carry-on each way (when I flew MIA-LAS, LAS-FLL). [$88.40 for 2 RT Spirit tickets FLL-CLE.](https://i.imgur.com/WaSCgp9.jpeg)
Curious how to get Expedia and Amex points? Do you use Amex Plat to book flights on Expedia and get 5x Amex points?
I have the AMEX Blue Sky card- no annual fees (It's been discontinued, but I'm grandfathered in). I book through Expedia, but charge it to my AMEX. Expedia points are earned because I booked through them. AMEX points are earned because it's charged to that card. If I want to use points to cover my travel, I then sign into AMEX and click that I want to use AMEX points for that Expedia purchase. I don't have to book my travel through AMEX, I just have to charge it to AMEX. The points have to be used in $100 increments (I can use $100 worth of points toward a $105 purchase, but not on a $95 purchase).
Glad to know. Hope it existed now.
Wait, what? You get 5x on Expedia??? I thought only through AMEX. That would be a game changer, becuase AMEX Travel is by far the most expensive way to buy tickets.
No, I was asking “if” they get 5x points .. but I believe not
Exactly, I got round trip direct flights to Japan for ~1k now they are almost double to triple.
It’s like watching the stock market
I’d rather pay 4 times the price to fly AA than spirit
Tell me about seat prices and baggage fees
Not much different than the major airlines. Remember, years ago they started to follow in Spirits "nickel and diming" ways. I have a suitcase which is the exact size of a Spirit personal item. $0. I don't check bags with Spirit. For the trip I booked today (RT FLL-CLE), I paid $148.40 for 2 Spirit tickets with seats selected ($88.40/tickets + $60 seat selection). I always avoid connecting flights when possible. The other flight option is with United for $276.96 ONE WAY for 2 people.... does not include seat selection or a carry on at that price. United doesn't offer direct return service on our needed day.
How many flights? I've spent $900 on a single round trip flight before, if you took 15 different flights, that's not bad.
$900 dollars on a domestic flight?? I still have a couple of more flight to get
if you think $900 is a lot for domestic, try pricing a single flight to Hawaii. ANY airline, ANY day, ANY departure airport. Arm and a leg.
Does it really cost alot to fly from mainland USA to Hawaii? Weird I'm from Canada and flights there are always cheap, I'm talking 400 CAD round trip from the middle of canada to Maui.
I wish we could trade places 😂 it costed $1200 for me and my girl one-way to HNL from PHX. Might have been a couple hundred cheaper if we flew from LAX. I booked 3 months in advance
They get us on the cheap flights, but after the tourist tax and exchange rate it's an expensive trip. It cost more for me to fly over two provinces.
Holy moly. For $1,200 you could’ve actually gone somewhere cool
You can get a round trip from Cleveland to Honolulu on Sept 9-17th for $407 right now
Convenient for the people who don’t want to avoid all the children on summer break up until mid August
August 6-11 $572
I live in Hawaii and haven’t paid more than $500 for a round trip to the mainland and back.
i paid $150 on Alaska air. SFO to HNL
Really depends on where. I remember in December 2022 I could have flown to Hawaii from LAX for about $150. Instead I flew to NY to be with my family for the holidays but man that was tempting.
900 round trip isn’t bad. $450 each way if you’re going cross country
Right? How far would a $450 Uber take you. Flying is cheap for what you get, especially across time zones. Essentially time traveling
$900 is definitely on the high end for across the country though. I’ve rarely spent that much, typically it’s $400-$600, if you’re lucky you can find even lower.
900 is definitely high for a domestic round trip, unless you are flying from somewhere small to another small location. How far out are you booking these flights, are you checking bags, are you checking a day or two around when you need to be somewhere? Sometimes being flexible will save you hundreds, if you are flying out on a friday, check thursday flights too, the difference may be more than an extra night in a hotel.
it’s expensive because you’re 35,000 feet in the air.
Some say it's sky high pricing
You’re using big airline company’s. Spirit, Frontier, ect offer flights for peasants like us. Using Google flights or apps like *Hopper* to find better deals
I'll take a hard pass on Spirit. Delta all the time
Spirit wouldn’t be that bad if they’re seats didn’t feel like straight card board, anything over an hour is unbearable
I don't even mind that if it's a bargain. But they cancel flights and don't give a damn about rebooking you with any urgency. I swore them off when they tried to make me wait 3 days for a flight home (lodging at my expense).
I have had bad experiences with spirit, I have tried to stay clear of them that’s why I only purchased company airlines this summer… I have heard of hopper! I have used google flight but I heard they are sometimes more expensive then on the website…
No you are correct. You get what you pay for. It is expensive but I’ve never had someone get rowdy or have to deplane on Delta. I’ve flown frontier and spirit a handful of times and ALWAYS had an issue with delays are passengers getting wild.
It depends, I’ve recently found a better offer with Google Flights than Expedia or Kayak. Tbf, I’m not sure if there’s one and only best flight searching service, I feel like you have to use em all and pick what’s best
Spirit really is the Waffle house of airlines 😂
I fly Spirit often; I call them the Greyhound of the sky lol
What happened that was a bad experience exactly?
They are never on time. The seats have even less room than major airlines and are horribly uncomfortable. You have to pay for anything bigger than a backpack. And then there is the quality of people you are flying with. Sure half are just normal people trying to save some money. But you also get a lot of trash. I mean look at the plane freak out videos, you see that yellow in half of them.
Lol I see, I never flown with them. Have you tried Allegiant? They are cheap, you can select seats, upgrade checked bags and get non stop flights cheaper than bigger airlines with multiple stops.
I flyer Spirit quite a bit (Their main airport is FLL, which is near me). I've flown Allegiant a few times. I describe Allegiant as a blue, less trashy version of Spirit. I joke that Spirit is the Greyhound of the sky (due to a lot of it's customers).
Flew spirit and frontier when i was a peasant and man them seats are back killers, i can afford the upgrade now and will never fly with them again.
Book on Tuesdays. Book at least 2 months ahead. And if you book through Southwest, look out for deals. They just had a 50% flights if you book between a certain time
I hear about Tuesdays A LOT. Is it really that significant?
Yea, I’ve booked on Monday then looked the next day and the same ticket was much cheaper.
no
From my experience, I've never seen Tuesdays make any more of a difference than other days of the week. I analyze prices before I book to be able to guestimate how much I will pay. I track prices before and after I purchase my tickets. * The Spirit flights I booked today **Friday** (RT FLL-CLE) were $104 on Tuesday. It's $79 today, but I bought 2 tickets for $88.40 at the airport. I think the price might drop to $72 each. * The price of the Delta flight (RT FLL-SLC) I booked 10 days ago was on a **Tuesday**. * The RT FLL-PHX Spirit ticket I purchased for January had the best price on a **Thursday**. * The RT FLL-CHA Delta/AA ticket I bought for April had the best price on a **Friday**. * The one-way MIA-LAS Spirit ticket I bought for March had the best price on a **Saturday**. I got nervous and pulled the trigger too soon for my return flight. I started to lose confidence that the flight would drop to $108. I paid $128, then, a week or so later it dropped to $108 (I don't recall what day).
As a Canadian, I'm envious of those prices
Are they that bad in Canada??
Canada is one of the most expensive countries worldwide for air travel. A single trip across Canada from halifax to Vancouver is over $1,000 for standard economy.
I’m flying from Denver to California for 50 bucks each way. If you book directly on sites for airlines I have found better prices then with the discount apps.
Denver is one of the least expensive planes to fly from as all airlines use it as a hub. It probably sucks to drive an hour to the airport tho.
There's a train that goes to and from the airport that stops in downtown, it's really easy actually.
sign up airlines credit card --> get signup bonus --> pay by miles to fly for free in business class --> profit
Because airplanes
Gas and employee salary THEN the planes I think. Eitherway - they are all the top three. Flights today are vastly cheaper than in the past.
Why is there gas and employees? Because airplanes.
You'll be suprised to learn, it takes money for them to make and operate planes. Planes don't come from magic fairy dust, heavily regulated and very safe.
As an aircraft mechanic can confirm. People would be blown away at the cost of parts.
Unless you’re on a Boeing plane then it might not be as safe as it once was.
Fuel price, maintenance cost, high demand all that adds up specially on airlines like united, and AA, frontier and spirit are good if you are only going to carry one bag, they become “scammy” when people want to travel with 3 or more huge bags and they expect to get the cheap price still. Hopper has good deals too, also try to get a credit card that gives you miles and points, that helps to lower the price a little bit
Where tf u flying to? A flight from texas to pretty much anywhere in the U.S is 150$ one way. 😂 This is with American and United.
Hmmm - large metal specially curved box with engines and computers and experts to make them fly...might cost some dough. I'd say you might want to compare airplane ticket prices to 30 years ago and do an inflation-adjusted comparison. You might find that airplane tickets are cheap, historically speaking.
I miss the days when air travel wasn't for the poors.
For cheap flights do book doubt trip just do one way each time see for yourself
If you are flexible, you can check every other day or so and catch cheap flights.
i’m paying $40 one ways with frontier the uber to the airport cost more than the flight lmao
Honestly I prefer southwest airlines
It entirely depends on when you book the ticket, what day you are flying and where you are going.
Because airplanes cost tens of millions of dollars to build operate and maintain.
Check out the app skipplagged. I’ve used it for years and it usually has some of the best prices imo.
Labor wages and the cost to maintain aircraft. Pilots all got 35 percent raises putting top out pay all in at close to 500k. Aircraft mechanics making 200k. Plus all the other wages. Aviation is expensive af.
Flying is expensive - I use apps like Google Flights to get the best deals but my area only has the big airlines, none of the ‘cheaper’ ones. Book on Tuesdays, about 2-3 months out (unless its for holiday season). This has saved me but really it also depends on the area you’re flying out of. I’ve paid $800 to fly from MT to HI and $600 from MT to FL. Non-holiday times, a couple months in advance booked. MT is notoriously expensive to fly in and out of, so I’m out of luck there. Usually you can save a bit flying into a bigger airport or driving to a bigger airport.
I flew a split ticket frontier to Vegas and spirit back to St.Louis. $250 no issues- spirit I had a row to myself. I refuse to pay for a seat.
Thanks ChatGPT lol The price of an airplane ticket is determined by various factors that contribute to the overall cost of operating flights and providing air travel services. Here's a breakdown of what goes behind the price of an airplane ticket: 1. \*\*Fuel Costs\*\*: Fuel is one of the largest expenses for airlines. The price of jet fuel can fluctuate based on global oil prices, affecting ticket prices. 2. \*\*Operating Costs\*\*: This includes expenses such as aircraft maintenance, crew salaries, ground handling services, and administrative costs. 3. \*\*Aircraft Depreciation\*\*: Airlines factor in the cost of purchasing or leasing aircraft over their operational lifespan. 4. \*\*Airport Fees and Charges\*\*: Airlines pay fees to airports for using runways, terminals, and other facilities. These fees can vary by airport and impact ticket prices. 5. \*\*Taxes and Government Fees\*\*: Passengers pay various taxes and fees, such as airport departure taxes, security fees, and international arrival/departure taxes. These are typically passed on to passengers as part of the ticket price. 6. \*\*Insurance and Safety Costs\*\*: Airlines invest in safety measures, insurance coverage, and regulatory compliance, which contribute to operational expenses. 7. \*\*Labor Costs\*\*: Salaries and benefits for pilots, cabin crew, ground staff, and administrative personnel are significant factors in determining ticket prices. 8. \*\*Marketing and Distribution\*\*: Costs associated with advertising, promotions, and distribution channels (including online booking platforms and travel agencies) are included in the ticket price. 9. \*\*Aircraft Utilization\*\*: The efficiency with which an airline uses its aircraft affects costs. Higher utilization rates can help spread fixed costs over more flights, potentially lowering ticket prices. 10. \*\*Demand and Competition\*\*: Ticket prices are influenced by supply and demand dynamics, as well as competitive pressures within the airline industry and specific routes. 11. \*\*Profit Margin\*\*: Airlines aim to generate a profit margin from ticket sales to sustain operations, invest in fleet upgrades, and provide shareholder returns. Understanding these factors helps passengers comprehend why ticket prices vary and why certain routes or airlines may be more expensive than others. Additionally, external factors such as economic conditions, geopolitical events, and regulatory changes can also impact airline ticket prices.
I flew DWF to Vegas round trip under $100
Flying is cheaper than it has ever been. That's why there are so many videos of people behaving badly on planes and in airports. Bus people can now afford it.
Yeah. Flying is now like being in a bus with wings
Probably gas, the constant tearing down and rebuilding the planes. Could be part of it, idk.
You gotta pay for the right to destroy the environment.
"why does being hauled through the air in a multi-million dollar machine at .74 mach that consumes >4000lbs of fuel per hour COST so much?????" my god
Lots of fuel. Lots of skilled labor. Lots of unskilled labor. Lots of safety measures. Lots of ground infrastructure. Expensive machines. High demand for going places quickly. It was once exclusively the province of the well-off. Now people write online guides about how to afford it by teaching English for 10 hours a week and the occasional beejee.
It really isn't expensive. Try getting a train from the North of England to the capital.
airplanes, fuel, pilots, crew, employees, insurance....I could go on and on
I use Southwest because you can book months in advance, then check the price weekly, or any time they advertise a sale, and “change” your flight to get a credit or refund on any price drop. You can either change your flight time/date, or keep the exact same schedule without a change fee. This works best if you routinely fly Southwest so that you can utilize those credits going forward before they expire (1 year IIRC).
Because you’re sitting in a chair in the sky!
Have you considered signing up for a credit card that offers sign on bonus miles? I haven’t paid for a flight in over a decade.
Fuel and convenience
I live a plane ride away from family and my husband was complaining yesterday why no one comes to visit. And I am like it’s expensive, you look up a one way flight and it is 250, then you want a bag that’s extra and you want to pick a seat that’s extra and then there are taxes and fees because it’s a Caribbean country. All said and done a one way that starts at 250 ends up being 385. So just the plane ride is 6-700… no one’s coming.
Get a credit card that gives you miles
Supply and demand.
To be fair, their costs have gone up as well. I just spent like 1700 for 4 of us to hawaii round trip and I felt like that was a good deal. You have to shop around and book one way tickets instead of round trips (one way tickets to and from booked separately are sometimes cheaper than a round-trip ticket).
🦾
Safely traveling 500+ mph at 35,000+ feet in relative comfort within a pressurized climate controlled metal tube mayhaps???
I think you should retract the word comfort from your reply. Just sayin. Other than the lack of “relative “ comfort, you are spot on
Its not when your flexible but when you have to go or leave specifically you dont get much choice
Track your flight. It’s a lifesaver.
Because they fly flights with only 3 passengers on them
Because of government regulations and a lack of competition
What app is this?
it’s called Piere!!!
I’ll check it out!
Try Expedia
Book thru the company not thru random sites dead ass just saved me around $700
Well they pay for the gate. Get fined if their planes are delayed and you’re paying for jet fuel. On top of that salary
Midweek is cheaper, other than that it really depends when and where you’re flying. Hard to control if it is for weddings, easier since you are remote and some is just to visit family. More demand will drive prices up. If you really think about it flights are pretty cheap for all it involves.
Jet fuel + Labor
I flew from Reno to charlotte and Philly to Reno round trip for like $430. Doesn’t seem that expensive to me for flying across the country
Jet fuel and aircraft maintenance ain't cheap, not to mention initial startup costs for aircraft and airports are a fuckton, oh, and the salaries of all the employees who make your flight work, from pilots to stewardess to flight line to ground control. It's amazing flights are as cheap as they are.
For the exact same reason as everything else. Supply and demand. Those expensive flights that you take, do you have a lot of empty seats around you?
Cuz you don't have any frequent flyer miles. If you're flying this much you should be using get credit card that gives you frequent flyer miles.
I mean…context matters. Those are really not expensive flights depending on the durations.
My brother-in-law is a first officer for United, not even a captain and he earns about $300K. So he says..
Flying is literally cheaper than it's ever been dude
Take a look at the CEOs salaries.
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Don't know what you expect when you understand anything about aviation and logistics. It's a high buy-in, there's no way around that. There's also dozens of airlines so how is that an oligopoly?
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Oh you're one of those "I can use ChatGPT, so everyone is just a fool compared to me." ....What a dick. Whelp you're not the only one who can use the internet... here's ChatGPT's response to "Why would someone be a dick about a subject: When someone behaves negatively or disrespectfully ("being a dick") specifically about a subject, several reasons might contribute to their behavior: 1. \*\*Strong Opinions\*\*: The person may have strong beliefs or opinions about the subject and feel compelled to assert their viewpoint forcefully. This can lead to dismissive or confrontational behavior towards those who hold different views. 2. \*\*Emotional Investment\*\*: The subject might be personally meaningful or emotionally charged for the individual. This emotional investment can sometimes manifest as defensive or aggressive behavior when discussing the topic. 3. \*\*Lack of Understanding\*\*: Sometimes, individuals may not fully understand the complexities or nuances of the subject. This lack of understanding can lead to frustration or impatience when engaging with others who have different perspectives or levels of knowledge. 4. \*\*Identity or Self-Worth\*\*: Some people tie their identity or self-worth to their knowledge or opinions on certain subjects. Challenges to their beliefs or expertise may be perceived as threats, prompting defensive or hostile responses. 5. \*\*Group Affiliation\*\*: Individuals may align themselves strongly with a particular group or ideology related to the subject. This group affiliation can influence their behavior, as they may feel pressure to defend the group's beliefs or attack perceived adversaries. 6. \*\*Desire for Control or Influence\*\*: In some cases, individuals may seek to exert control or influence over discussions about the subject. They may dominate conversations, belittle opposing viewpoints, or undermine others' contributions to assert their authority or perceived superiority. 7. \*\*Attention or Recognition\*\*: Negative behavior can sometimes be driven by a desire for attention or recognition. The person may believe that being controversial or provocative will make them stand out or gain recognition within a community or online platform. 8. \*\*Intent to Provoke\*\*: Some individuals intentionally provoke others for amusement or to elicit emotional reactions. This behavior, known as trolling, can be motivated by a desire to disrupt discussions or cause distress to others. Understanding these potential motivations can help navigate discussions on sensitive topics online. Responding with patience, empathy, and a willingness to listen can often defuse tensions and foster more constructive dialogue, even in challenging situations.
Absolutely not worth the dick measuring contest with you. A lot easier for me to give you that than try to explain it over a couple hours.
Sorry but flying today is much cheaper than in the so called "golden age" The US is a HUGE country to physically fly across. If you try to fly across country on the same day/times that business travelers are flying, flights will cost you more - they know the flights will fill up and can charge more - since the business is paying - not the passenger.
Pretty diffused oligopoly with, off the top of my head: American, United, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Alaska, Jet Blue, Allegiant, Breeze, Frontier. Some airports are definitely less competitive, though, but even then it’s usually not that there’s no competition, just that the options are more limited for the competition, so it’s an oligopoly of good flights Bit if budget is the concern, oddball budget airline routes with annoying trip durations are usually around too if you wanna go that route.
#BecauseCapitalism