redhead68

I've booked accommodations for my parents, myself and daughter for Malaga, Spain in April. This trip is a gift for my father's 70th birthday from his 4 kids. I'm trying to find inexpensive flights with no more than 2 stops and I have found US Airways to be the least expensive, about $700 each. The next higher price is with Delta for over $900. I'm having a hard enough time with affording the $700 for my daugher and I, and I really don't think I can make the trip if I have to pay $1800 just for airfare for us and then my share of my parents airfare.

My travel agent says that I shouldn't book with US Airways because of the bankruptcy/union situation. I don't know what all the details are, but he's saying that I would be taking a chance of losing my money by booking with them and I should just pay the extra for Delta.

I thought I might wait for the fares to, possibly, come down a bit, but I'm afraid that they'll go up or just won't be avalable.

Can anyone give me any advice/guidance? I'm starting to obsess over this!!

redhead68

Well, I think I found some answers down further in this forum. Maybe. I noticed someone mentioned waiting until 90 days before the trip to book it. Is there somewhere a person can find the trends for special airfares?

I'm sure you can tell I'm not an experienced traveler! :\

Cassandra

You may not be experienced, but all of us trying to get to Europe next summer are kind of up against it with airlines, esp. those on financial ropes.

If you can purchase trip insurance, that's cool, but the insurance companies are refusing to cover tickets on USAir and United. Otherwise, if you pay with a credit card, that MIGHT cover you IF you book within 60 (90?) days (ask!), but I guarantee you that seats and cheap fares will be gone that close to the trip -- unless you're very lucky or people are vary wary of US Air at that point.

I'm thinking that perhaps you should think seriously about a gift of a trip on this side of the Atlantic (maybe the Caribbean?) on an airline you can afford, and/or wait until Feb. to see what's happening but assume Malaga will most likely not happen (then if it does, you'll have a pleasant surprise). I would think that by then we'll know what's going to happen to USAir's routes.

It's dicey, no less so for those who've traveled a lot.

redhead68

Yeah, we'd considered sending the parents to Puerto Rico. My dad spent a good deal of his childhood there. I did do some checking into it, but I came across a deal for a vacation rental that I couldn't pass up, in Spain. I thought I could handle the fares being a bit higher, since the accommodations were so inexpensive. Of course I was basing this on the fact that the fares for Jan-March were less than $500. I didn't expect that they would be almost twice as much!

I guess I'll be waiting.

gail

USAirways is running some incredible sales right now - but many of us are afraid to book important trips on this airline for far into the future because of their uncertain status. Delta is in better shape, but perhaps not for long.

I am one who in the past, having booked accomodations, am always in a hurry to book air. However, now the airline industry is in such transition, that it MIGHT be better to wait - but there is no guarantee they won't go even higher. It is really an educated guessing game. Good luck.