still watching airfares SEA-MIA
 

American has a fare at $308 all inclusive. Nice flight times, connect through Dallas. Should we grab it for January 06 travel, or still wait for better?

I don't know if it will realistically go much lower for a cross-country ticket. If your travel dates are firm and that's indeed the all-in cost, GRAB IT.

Thanks, that's sort of what I'm thinking. I've put it on hold with AA while I check with the people I am booking it for.

We fly this route a couple times a year and usually get it for $180 to $220 - through Ft. Lauderdale. Miami seems to run $50 or so higher for some reason.

You've got a lot of time between now and your travel date. I would sign up with the fare watcher programs on Travelocity, Orbitz, etc., then watch and wait for awhile.

Yes, the general consensus I am getting is while they COULD do better, they might not have their choice of schedules or amount of stops, that sort of thing. They have very specific dates and times they need to fly, that is why it is a little more important to get something they can live with. And Fort Lauderdale, so far, has been consistently higher since I started watching months ago.

I have to say that I just flew that route on AA in Feb and AA was horrible! I have never had worse service on a flight!! And they don't give you pillows or movies on board anymore.

You might want to check Alaska's site, they fly direct. Not sure how much cheaper it would be but you are guaranteed better service and food!

Aren't there any nonstop flights Miami to Seattle?

Alaska is consistently higher nearly everywhere if flying out of Seattle. I've become a little disenchanted with them as well over the last few years. And their flight is a redeye out to Miami, even though a nonstop. I don't think they give you a movie on any of their flights, and pillows are a thing of the past on all airlines now, I believe. It's a tough call ... I love getting feedback on this site though! Thanks.

Nonstops start in the low 400's to Miami. They really don't want to pay that much.

Alaska flies nonstop; their prices for January are around $420 RT. (AA codeshares the same plane but charges over $600 for the same flight.)

Hard to say how much if any things will come down, but it's so far out that I'd take the chance and wait. Sign up for the farewatcher services as mentioned. I'd especially sign up for Alaska's email alerts as they sometimes have sales that aren't picked up by the big services like Expedia et al. I would certainly go for a nonstop rather than fool around at DFW in the middle of the winter.

Gardyloo, I hear what you are saying, but I still can't shake the fact that waiting may give them a poor choice of dates and times and they are VERY specific about what they need. These are people that rarely travel and it's a huge deal to them. Flexibility isn't an option, really, and it may be worth locking something in that works well for them. In that situation, I thought the fare sounded pretty good. Waiting can pay off, and I've done it myself, but you have to be on top of these things and they aren't. (Sounds like I'm talking myself into it, doesn't it? :) And doesn't anyone believe the gas price situation is going to affect travel very soon??

<Nonstops start in the low 400's to Miami. They really don't want to pay that much.>

Oh, sorry. I would happily give a hundred bucks rather than have to layover & change plane on a cross country flight. To each his/her own.

Me too Suze! But there isn't enough ink on this page to go into the story of how we finally convinced these friends to travel with us after YEARS of dragging their heels and how intense the whole planning process has been! :) I myself am encouraging them to book airfare when they find a deal they are comfortable with, because frankly, I'm kinda tired of looking for them. And then when I do find deals, they take DAYS to think it over and of course the deals are long gone. We paid over $400 for our flights (but are connecting from a smaller city to Seatac) and got exactly what we wanted, nonstops to Miami. But they want the best PRICE. And even today, I went on to Travelocity and Orbitz, some of those, looked at sale fares to Miami for other dates, and when you start to punch through the various screens, you always end up that those fares are long gone. Expedia (or is it Travelocity) is always showing the sales, then you click through and there are never any seats.

Then book the AA tickets, and move on to some other planning aspect. Careful shopping for hotels, cars, other travel categories can turn $100 in airfare savings/losses into chump change.

That is really my preference, but since it's their money, I feel I need the final okay from them. (They want me to book it with their CC info). So far, a phone call and an email have gone unanswered and it could even be that by the time they get back to me, the fare could be gone. (And here we'd go again ...!) Thanks!! I very much appreciate all the great advice.

Well then Chips, you have my sympathy.

Without understanding the dynamics that must be behind this friendship, I sure wouldn't want to play unpaid travel agent for reluctant and inexperienced travelers!

Thanks suze. Actually, I've been helping friends plan trips for YEARS, I really enjoy it and until now, have never had any grief. These friends, who I've known for 30 years, always want to travel with us (we travel up to 6 or 7 times some years, all for pleasure)and we did do a trip together a few years ago but it was a cruise handled by a travel agent. This is also a cruise, but we are doing air on our own (we are using Alaska $50 companion fare, other couples are using miles, etc. - there are about 8 couples). They are great people, just out of their element, and I'm about to hand them over to the TA who will charge them $25 pp to issue the same ticket I could point them to and even book for them. But when you are playing with someone else's money, you need to be careful, and thus my dilemma! Thanks for your input.

I totally understand about people wanting the lowest price...I'm one who will also pay more for a non stop.

W/r/t Alaska they do still provide blankets and pillows. And on cross country flights you can get a digiplayer which has movies and tv shows on it.

So the story ends - booked the fare for my friend after she told me she called AAA who told her that a $40 pp surcharge is expected next week - after the three in a row we've recently had, that was enough for her, I guess. And AAA also told her to stay away from the northern states for connections and that she SHOULD be fine going through DFW - let's hope so anyways ... don't anybody tell me any horror stories now :) Thanks for everyone's great advice! Glad that's over with!