Wow - doing some pricing and things are really expensive! Can anyone tell me which airline can give me the best deal on the following itin:

<b>DEPART</b>
7/26 Leaving Nebraska. Can use the following airports: EAR, GRI, LNK, OMA. Can leave at a later date, but not earlier. Arrival aiport can be ROC or BUF. The preferred airports are the EAR/GRI and ROC, but they seem really expensive.

<b>RETURN</b>
8/9 can leave earlier but not later. Can return using either BUF or ROC, but must return to the same originating airport to get her car.

The traveler mid 20's, and can handle a somewhat grueling itin if necessary. The best I've come up with so far is $455 rt, and she really can't afford that. (And I'm not asking why she waited until so late to start looking...)

HELP!

Cyn

Anything under $400 will be good for this itinerary, so I think you have to be realistic. It's expensive to fly from one secondary airport to another. Had you been traveling to a major airport from Nebraska, I would expect the fare to be $350 of less.

However, this ticket is going to be particularly expensive because it's being booked less than 2 weeks out. I don't think you'd do any better by booking two separate tickets (JFK to Rochester or Buffalo on Jet Blue). IN fact, you'd probably do a lot worse.

If the traveler can't afford $450, then I don't think she's going to be traveling by air.

FYI: If she has any miles, this is the ideal time to use them.

I definitely agree - small airport to small airport on short notice w/ specific dates usually = really high fares. In fact, $455 almost seems like a bargain for your friend's itinerary.

I'd like to buy a Porsche - but if I only have $6000 it ain't going to happen. Same for this routing - just because she wants it doesn't make it doable.

Yes, I know it is <b>so</b> late – unfortunately, that’s the way it is - sometimes the young just don’t think ahead!

At any rate, thanks for the thoughts – I did think about trying a couple of one-way options too, but so far I can’t seem to come up with anything. She’s now thinking of going the Priceline route – anyone have any experience with that? She claims that they will get you to your destination on the day of departure, but I can’t see that spelled out on the website. All I see is that she is guaranteed to leave between 6:00am and 10:00pm; arrival not mentioned.

Again, any thoughts on the best airline for this routing will still be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!

Cyn

Oh - and no, no miles available - I looked at that too - Delta wanted 40000 miles - yikes!

Only by spreading the search to airports >200 miles away from ROC or BUF could I get the price below $450, and that was by going to Cleveland, which is a pretty long drive from upstate NY.

This is a case where limited competition, plus the late date, leaves one with few options. $476 (all in, including taxes) is the lowest I could find using ITA, IMO the "gold standard" for airfare searches.

This is also a case where the urban myth of Southwest Airlines having the lowest fares is proved hogwash. Southwest is $120 more for this route than United, the lowest cost alternative.

Sorry and good luck to the traveler.

Thank you Gardyloo - I really appreciate your trying. You are so generous with your time!

I guess she is going to try Priceline - I'll report back here how she makes out.

Cyn

As it turns out, even Priceline is too expensive for her, so I won't be able to give any feedback on that process.

Thanks again for your kind assistance!

Cyn

I guess she could drive or take a train or bus.

We have like the most expensive airport in the world here in Rochester...

Sorry.

The lowest fares out of Nebraska will be here in Omaha, but given the upstate New York factor and the closeness to the departure, you won't get any lower than the $450.

I really appreciate the input. She has decided not to come out - beyond her means.

Thanks again!

Cyn