BajaNomad

air fare prices, how to get a better rate and fly somewhere

joerover - 6-10-2018 at 01:52 PM

If you are flying south, the Tijuana airport is usually cheaper than San Diego air port, or LAX.

I once flew Interjet to Lima Peru for $121, and $121 to get back to Tj. They are asking about $248 or $314 to book the same flight today. Most likely no sale until September.

Volaris might take you from Tj to Oaxaca for $50, or Guatemala for $100, sometimes, other times they want 2 or 3 times that much.

How do people sniff out cheap flights?

JZ - 6-10-2018 at 01:58 PM

You can set price alerts on kayak. If the price changes they will email you.

I've flown out to TJ many times, and the bridge is a godsend. No more riding around in a creepy @ss van to get to the head of the line.

Have seen ppl post that Volaris tends to have specials on Tuesdays, but not sure if true.


[Edited on 6-10-2018 by JZ]

TMW - 6-10-2018 at 02:16 PM

The last time I flew anywhere was in 2009. I hate airports and I hate to fly. I have a friend who has flown to Loreto from LA and I'd drive down to meet him.

JZ - 6-10-2018 at 03:55 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
The last time I flew anywhere was in 2009. I hate airports and I hate to fly. I have a friend who has flown to Loreto from LA and I'd drive down to meet him.


Led international marketing for a tech company for 5 years. Love being on a plane and going to see someplace new. Anything under 10-11 hrs is a walk in the park.



[Edited on 6-11-2018 by JZ]

BajaBlanca - 6-10-2018 at 06:49 PM

Be it a bus, train, car or plane, I sleep the entire way. I have missed bus stops because I was snoozing!

My sister belongs to a site called Scott's Cheap Flights and she says the deals are phenomenal. She pays a fee to get the best deals but she says that even if you don't pay, he sends great deals.

SunDevil - 6-11-2018 at 08:06 PM

Here is an article on the best travel apps of 2018.

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictures-story/491-best-travel-...

Southwest goes everywhere I want to go and I just buy when flights become available. You can re-book for no charge if fares go down.

Alm - 6-12-2018 at 11:52 AM

Flight search engines come and go.
Kayak is "usually" good.
Occasionally Seatguru is good.

Also, all airlines sell directly, it never hurts to check "your" airline. From TIJ or LAX to some point in Mexico there won't be too many of them on a chosen route. Airline's price is often the same as on search sites, sometimes lower, and there can be flights that don't show on a search site but are available on airline's page. You need to do your leg work.

Most airlines and search sites (if not all) also have mobile app versions, but it's more comfortable to search on 23" screen of desktop, and you can still get an email alert either at home or on mobile. When and if deal comes up, it's there for several hours or a couple of days. Flights farther than 30 days in advance are already priced reasonably. Closer to departure day it could go up and down, though more often up.

With domestic Mx flights watch out for extra charges on carry-on and checked luggage, you might be unpleasantly surprised.

[Edited on 6-12-2018 by Alm]

JZ - 6-12-2018 at 02:08 PM

Sign up for TravelZoo alerts. About 2 weeks ago they sent an alert that Cathay Pacific had a deal from LAX to Hong Kong for $348 round-trip.

Cathay is a top Asian airline.

Bob and Susan - 6-12-2018 at 04:04 PM

the only sure way to get a low fare

app.jpg - 70kB

Alm - 6-12-2018 at 05:57 PM

The issue of finding cheap flights should be taken in context of what, where and how urgent.

Not many people would suddenly fly to China only because it's cheap. There are often deals on flights and hotels in London UK in winter, you don't want to be "there and then" unless you have to.

There is only one flight from LAX to LTO, deals are nonexistent, you either pay regular price around $300 one way or double and triple on peak days and months.

There are no flights from SAN to LTO or LAP, except for weird connection through Mexico DF.

From TIJ to the mainland there is more choice. Kayak still works with glitches in this direction, though it's getting better. Still makes sense checking directly with airlines, there are not too many.

[Edited on 6-13-2018 by Alm]