firstlake

We have a cruise to South America booked for Jan 2008. I was shocked at the price of airfare-- $1322 per person is the best I can find.
Any suggestions--should I hold out for a better price?
Thanks

AAFrequentFlyer

Don't know what you mean by "hold out"?

Are you trying to scare the airline(s)? Either give me a better fare or I'm not going?

S.America airfares are expensive to begin with. Less competition than US-Europe/Asia routes. Then when you realize that January is the middle of the summer season there......

You didn't say where you flying from nor where to, but ~$1000 R/T is the average fare between US/SA, but if you need specific dates and specific routes then your fare may be the best you can get.

Wait couple of more months but there is no guarantee that you will find a better fare.

hills27

From where to where?

freeman0819

Hi firstlake, you might want to check with the cruise company to see if they can book your flights for you. Most cruise lines have contracts with certain airlines to be able to book a complete travel package for the passengers, or depending where you are flying from, their might be a cruise sponsored charter flight.

You might also try booking a flight through a consolidator or wholesaler, who might have contracts with various airlines that might be lower than the current published fares in the market.

If that doesn't work for you, maybe check fares for dates a day or two before and after the cruise. There might be lower fares on "non-cruise arrival/departure" dates. That might mean you would have to overnight before or after your cruise, but that could save you a lot of money (and ensure you don't miss your cruise/flights due to any unforeseen delays!) I would imagine that all of the cruise passengers are trying to get in to the same airport on the departure day to make the boat, so this is why most of the cheaper fares are gone??

What about alternate airports in your area, like if you live in WI, maybe driving to Chicago?

Good luck!

hills27

Also, are you departing and returning to different ports? That could be part of the problem.

Let us know where you are flying from and where you are flying to. We might be able to come up with some cheaper alternatives.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I think you get a better sense of this if you look at a globe rather than a flat map, but, depending on where you are in the U.S., South America is just a long way away, often farther away than Europe, especially what in airline terminology is called "deep South America": Chile, Argentina, southern Brazil. That's another part of what makes airfares so high.

firstlake

Thanks fo all the info and suggestions, we are trying to fly out of Mcallen Texas thru Houston or Dallas to BA and back from Santiago.I am sure as you suggested this is part of the reason for the high cost.

hills27

There are a couple of things contributing to your high fare. First, it's high season for Argentina and Chile. Second, it's a long haul flight. Third, you are returning from a different city. And finally, you are connecting out of a small airport. In addition, if you are going in early January, then the flights are also full of Latinos flying back and forth to visit family.

Freeman has great advice. As an alternative, have you tried Lan? They are a partner of American and an excellent airline with a great safety record.