Looking to get away with my family Christmas week. Would like to use hotel points (we have them all!), but I think I am a little late in looking and all hotels are Cancun and Caribbean are booked. The JW Marriott is avaiable. Will Cancun be back to "normal" by this time?
When should I book airfare? I've been searching and haven't found anything less than $900. OUCH!! Am I taking my chances if I book the hotel and wait on the airfare?
Will prices go down? Thanks.

I was in a similar situation. I ended up booking a round trip (non-stop) flight to Cozumel and decided to stay in Playa Del Carmen (a 30 min. ferry ride from Coz). From NYC I couldn't even find any non-stops to Cancun. The flight to Cozumel is $500.

My gut feeling is the prices will not go down much. In the past flights to Cancun on holidays run i hugh and Christmas week I think is the worst.

you can't lose with the JW Marriott. I don't know what I'd do with that airfare, though, but MFNYC is probably right. I'd at least book the hotel for now, if it's cancelable.

We would usually fly direct from Newark to Cancun. There are no flights available. Will they add more flights?

My gut feeling is that they will add more flights, but probably at a similar high price.

A few years back I priced flights to Cancun during Washington Birthday week and they were all $700+, so $900 Christmas week doesn't surprise me. There are some flight around $700 with 1 stop, but they take much longer.

I would keep checking flights until about June and if you catch a deal grab it.

At least you're saving on the hotel. Those also are quite pricey for that week.

If flights are sold out early on, will airlines typically add another flight?
Also, if an airline's website says the flight is booked, is that definetly the case? Is it possible that if you call the airline directly there may be seats available?

You have nothing to loose by calling. ALso check airline consolidator websites. The buy tickets in bulk at a discoutn and resell them. I actually checked some consolidators and didn't see any direct NYC-CUN flights for 12/23-30 (that's when I'm going). More flights will probably open, but they probably will be similarly priced to what you've seen.

I also debated about whether or not to hold out becasue of the prices and lack of non-stop flights, but the Cozumel was such a good deal, and works out conveniently to my accommodation (a condo in PDC), that I grabbed it.

If I were you, I'd make the calls, and even ask them if more flights will open up in the next few months. I bet they will.

some consolidator sites i found are; foraticket.com, air.onetravel.com, travelix.com, flyaow.com.

try airtreks.com also cheap tickets. I would try all the sites. Good luck