7 replies to this topic

[georoc01]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25263245

[scubafanatic]

....yeah, I fear this is just a prelude to major ugliness unfolding in the travel industry.....I'm reading some very serious reports / dire predictions and am fearful of how things will ultimately shake out...one ominous fact is the realization that the airlines purchase fuel via long-term contracts, and have been somewhat shielded from fuel prices thus far, so the price hikes/route cancellations to date don't even begin to really reflect the effect of fuel prices on fares......these effects will filter into prices in the coming months and could well have a catastrophic effect on prices/travel. I'm already lowering my sights with respect to my dive plans for 2009....I'm looking at trips fairly close to home, so that when airfares drastically increase, I can still absorb the prices, however painfully.

Karl

[WreckWench]

Experts say that 76cents of every dollar in the travel industry are direct fuel costs.

[georoc01]

....yeah, I fear this is just a prelude to major ugliness unfolding in the travel industry.....I'm reading some very serious reports / dire predictions and am fearful of how things will ultimately shake out...one ominous fact is the realization that the airlines purchase fuel via long-term contracts, and have been somewhat shielded from fuel prices thus far, so the price hikes/route cancellations to date don't even begin to really reflect the effect of fuel prices on fares......these effects will filter into prices in the coming months and could well have a catastrophic effect on prices/travel. I'm already lowering my sights with respect to my dive plans for 2009....I'm looking at trips fairly close to home, so that when airfares drastically increase, I can still absorb the prices, however painfully.

Karl

I think its a double whammy, the higher costs for fewer flights which makes the travel less convenient. I know for me looking at the Curacao trip vs my LDS trip to Cozumel at the same time. Curacao flight costs twice a much for a 15 hour flight vs 3 hours to Cozy. Makes booking the former a real challenge.

Or do you hop to Florida and take a boat, which has still stayed relatively cheap so far.

[WreckWench]

I think its a double whammy, the higher costs for fewer flights which makes the travel less convenient. I know for me looking at the Curacao trip vs my LDS trip to Cozumel at the same time. Curacao flight costs twice a much for a 15 hour flight vs 3 hours to Cozy. Makes booking the former a real challenge.

Or do you hop to Florida and take a boat, which has still stayed relatively cheap so far.

Yep...its going to be ugly for all the foreseeable future. Right after announcing our Single's Week in Curacao AA cut its flights in half to the island.

I hope you can still make it with us.... -ww

[scubafanatic]

...well, I've only recently given any serious thought to my 2009 dive trip plans, but, to keep it real on pricing, my very preliminary 'plans' are spending a week on JULIET in 05/09 diving Puerto Rico (actually the Mona island area)......and then some combination of Flower Gardens trips and/or Dry Tortugas on SPREE......the FG trips are road trips for me, so no airfare worries there...and the other destinations are nearby Texas so as to reduce my exposure to outrageous airfares. I can't even imagine what airfare will be running in future to the far-flung corners of the world......spending $ 5,000 + on airfare to the Red Sea or Wakatobi or whatever AIN'T happening for me !

[finGrabber]

I think the airlines will start doing sale fares again. But, the capacity cut will make those fares higher than we are used to for the past few years.

So, shopping will be even more important and useful!

[H20 Bug]

American Airlines just announced a "Caribbean and Mexico Sale". You have to book by July 31st and travel dates are Sept 2nd to Dec 10th. For me from SFO the fares look reasonable. Of course some of the routing is not the best, but we can't have everything

Bug

I think the airlines will start doing sale fares again. But, the capacity cut will make those fares higher than we are used to for the past few years.

So, shopping will be even more important and useful!