2016 FLIGHTS

Prices are looking scary for next Feb. Were usually booked by now out of NY, Or Hartford for between 4-600 dollars. This year it's well over 700.00 for a decent flight. Anyone have ideas why?

This year, six months out, our flights were more than double for late June compared to last November. We were also booking 3 from London and we chickened out and bought early. Lately, I've see rates drop a month or two out just as the usually have in the past. Personally I think that they have cut flights enough to increase rates some and I am not convinced they have any incentive to pass lower fuel rates on to us. Good Luck doing better than we did this time!

We are also booking flights for 2016 and the RT Cape Air flights are $530pp SJU to EIS/VG. That seems very high.

If using cape air the commuter books are the way to go. 10 one way trips for $1800 so a round trip is $360
they are good for a year from the time you purchase. you can book and purchase the book when you check in at cape air at SJU .We have nothing but good things to say about cape air....love those little planes and the entire experience. sadly our pilot called in sick on our last flight last week from EIS to SJU and we had to take a seaborne flight....so ordinary <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

All the airlines are seeing record yields. They are running profit margins in the 15% range which starts to make them look like a real business. The full effects of lower fuel have not hit all airlines. Delta as a example has a management gambling problem and can't stop buying fuel hedges. As a result they are hedged for much of their fuel in 2015 and 2016 at 100 a barrel.
Cape Air is a great product but like most of the smaller airlines they are having trouble finding pilots. This is leading to a reduction in feeder flights and is only expected to get worse. Call ahead and confirm your flights.
G

Two weeks ago we saw one-way flights to Beef Island in December for $304/each, so we hopped on it. I checked yesterday, and the identical flights were $50/each less. That is a steal!

Haven't bought the return tickets because we haven't decided how long we're going to stay. It's a bit of a risk, but we're trusting we'll find something when the time comes.

The deals are still out there, but, as others have said, the airlines are a lot smarter about their pricing

The airlines have gotten a lot smarter about their pricing and also about their booking. Where flights with empty seats was common years ago, out of the several flights I've taken in say the last 3-4 years, I'd say maybe 10-20% have had any empty seats at all, and even on those, there were very few empty seats.

This is all just based on anecdotal experience, but it seems that they have really figured out how to manage their inventory while maximizing the dollars per butt-in-seat. In the end, I think it means more predictable fares and that the gap between the lowest paying passenger on the plane and the highest paying passenger is smaller. My guess is, it also means that, while you may sometimes find the best fares 60-90 days before the flight, on balance, I would prefer to buy as early as possible and not take the risk of the flight filling early. That's just the way I'm looking at it lately.

Well... they cancelled all their flights! So if you want to call it smarter...

I haven't paid close to $400 in a while. We're usually $500-600 to get to San Juan.

Hah! Yeah, fair point. TomAto. Tomahto.

Living in a PC world and when in Rome, as they say... Just call me glass is all the way full guy (half air, half water)! Life is all just a matter of perspective after all, isn't it? Am I nauseating anyone yet? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/noevil.gif" alt="" />

Are you saying Cape Air cancelled all their flights? If so for what time frame?

That's going to be really bad news if true. I see 100 dollar one way ferry tickets by next winter if that has happened.
G

I just looked at December, and Cape Air appears to have about 7 flights/day available, each way SJU-EIS. Obviously they adjust seasonally; to do otherwise would be foolish. Maybe the poster is referring to AE.

No, I think ANDYPIT was using exaggeration in saying that "the airlines", in the collective sense, and talking more about the major US carriers, "cancelled all their flights" and that is why they are flying with more full planes these days than was the case several years ago.