OT: Flight questions

[Lemon Drop]

lazydays wrote:
Ok, I'm cool with coach. Saving $500 each allows for a lot of fun in Kauai. I am curious how you found tickets for $600 Lemon. I think the first rule of posting vacation information on line is not to publish specific dates so I'll just say the second half of march.

Actually, after my grandmother being broken into during her brothers funeral I think maybe I should consider a house sitter while I am gone. I wonder how one goes about finding one. I'll have to think on that.

I just went directly to Alaska's reservation site and looked at March, using the "low fares" calendar. If your dates are a little bit flexible, you can save a lot by flying on certain days of the week.
As for first class, I guess there is nothing happening there that I think is worth it, but your wife may have different ideas about that.
You'll earn a lot of frequent flier miles for this trip, maybe enough to get upgrades to first class on a future trip - so you could splurge on that next anniversary!
Where are you staying in Kauai? Personally I love Hanalei, one of the most romantic places ever. Be sure to visit Tunnels beach on the north shore, which is off the beaten track a bit but probably the most beautiful beach I've ever been on.

[davester]

I agree with what most others above say. First class is an utter waste of money for such a short flight (unless you have money to burn), and that money could buy you many more hours of extra fun and luxury if applied to the vacation itself rather than sitting in a wider seat. $1100/$1600 is crazy money for a flight to Hawaii...you could go to much more exotic destinations than Hawaii (Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, etc) for less than that. There are always tons of flight deals and combo deals to Hawaii. Check out Travelzoo's top20deals page or check Pleasant Hawaiian holidays.

[Maddog]

There are also some options on flying non-stop out of Portland. For some reason, you can sometimes get a great deal by driving and flying from another airport. Also, have you looked at Allegiant air. They do non-stop to Oahu, but cheap.

[Kludgy Thingy]

Alaska Air offers Low Price Guarantee too. Purchase an Alaska Airlines flight and if you find the same flight and itinerary for less on alaskaair.com any time before your departure you can use their automated process to claim a Guaranteed Airfare credit.

We were able to claim credit last month for our flight to Kauai next February that we had booked in May.

Congrats on your 20th anniversary.

[lazydays]

Kludgy that is exactly what I needed to know. I will find that one the website.

Lemon, we normally stay at the SeaLodge which is inside the princeville complex. I like it there. It's a little run down looking but every unit faces the ocean. It fits me well. In this situation I want to treat my wife to something special though so we are going to try the Pali Ke Kua which has more square footage and looks more updated based on the online pictures. It is supposed to have a foot path to hidden beach which is great for snorkeling so that should be fun also.

[lazydays]

What I'm seeing with the flights is that they are classifying the entire airplane as being Full Flex and charging an arm and a leg. I think it's just too early to book the flight. So I gambled and booked the condo for the dates I wanted and will be checking the airfare frequently to see what happens. Thanks for all the advice in this thread.

[Lemon Drop]

lazydays wrote:
What I'm seeing with the flights is that they are classifying the entire airplane as being Full Flex and charging an arm and a leg. I think it's just too early to book the flight. So I gambled and booked the condo for the dates I wanted and will be checking the airfare frequently to see what happens. Thanks for all the advice in this thread.

I think you should call Alaska and ask for the best deal on your desired dates. I see plenty of low cost tickets in late March on their website.
The place you're staying looks really great!! We'll expect a report back when you return...your Mrs. will certainly appreciate this trip.