Using Priceline for flight tickets?

[Slifer]

Anyone have any experience booking flight tickets through priceline?
I'm gonna be flying from Calgary to Kuala Lumpur from mid March to the end of March and the ticket prices are at the $1700+ range.
Looking for a cheaper alternative.

[Sky_High]

China Eastern $1394 incl tax.
https://www.google.ca/flights/?hl=en...o+Kuala+Lumpur

Be flexible with your dates, and you will be able to score cheaper tickets.
Doesn't matter which source you're looking at....it's all going to be around the same since
they fetch the same data off airline's websites.

But given you want to leave 'mid March'.....good luck with that period of time being highschool's Spring Break + Easter holiday.

Booking less than 2 months away + high season + long haul = $$$$$$

[Slifer]

Yeah, the problem is that I don't have flexible dates due to work implications.
Do you think the price would go down at the last minute?

[inv4zn]

Prices usually go up at the last minute.

[bcrdukes]

Since you have very tight constraints with little to no flexiblity, DO NOT use Price Line to bid for your air fare. I say this because once you place a bid and it is accepted, the air fare rules and Price Line's airfare rules are even more strict.

Whereas if you were to book through the airline, there is some flexibility, such as a cheap(er) cancellation fee or if you need to rebook a flight, the fees are cheaper. If you were to do this with Price Line, you'd likely be out your entire air fare and get hosed while you're at it.

[Slifer]

^I thought I'm able to choose the dates to fly in and out on Priceline except the time, correct?

[bcrdukes]

^
I believe so.

Keep checking as often as you can (re: daily and maybe 3 or 4 times a day at different hours.) Airfares fluctuate often and airlines tend to oversell with the expectation customers will cancel. Be patient and your efforts may be rewarded.

[Slifer]

So, is it true that the price will most likely go up if I wait till its closer to the departure date?

[Sky_High]

What's your exact date you wish/must travel on?

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by Slifer

So, is it true that the price will most likely go up if I wait till its closer to the departure date?

In my years of experience of travelling for business, yes.

[Slifer]

13th March - 28th March or 27th if its significantly cheaper
Thanks guys

[bcrdukes]

Try playing with variables on this website:

Matrix - ITA Software

[Sky_High]

You can still book those dates for < $1400 if you go with China Southern and don't mind an overnight stay at Guangzhou before flying out the next morning.

[Slifer]

^Whats the website for that?

[Sky_High]

Bookings - China Southern Airlines Co.,Ltd.csair.com

Departure: Wed 2013-03-13 12:30 Vancouver Airport To Thu 2013-03-14 17:20 Baiyun Airport Non-stop CZ330
Departure: Fri 2013-03-15 08:25 Baiyun Airport To Fri 2013-03-15 12:25 Kuala Lumpur International Airport CZ349

Economy class round-trip fare
¥ 6510

Adultx1 Fare ¥ 6510
Airport Tax 180
Fuel Surcharge 1600
Other fees and taxes 541
Total: ¥ 8831

A quick google search tells me ¥ 8831 = $1,407 CAD.
If you're not comfortable doing it.....I would contact your local travel agency.
They should be able to get you the same price if not better.

[Slifer]

^Is there any particular travel agency you recommend?
Is flight centre any good?

[Sky_High]

You're going to KUL....so I assume you're (somewhat) Asian?
Just walk into any of the chinese ones and ask for a qoute. Compare 2-3 stores
and see if any of them are trying to rip you off. Shouldn't be a huge difference.

Some might ding u an addition 2-5% for using credit cards. (While the website won't)

Never tried the Flight Centre before....and I'm not really sure if they are that good for air fares only to Asia. Other members on RS might have a better experience.


You really going to have to ask yourself if the $300-400 difference is worth the long layover though. You arrive Guangzhou appx. 5:20pm in the afternoon, and don't fly out until next morning at 8:25am. If you're transiting in some cities like Hong Kong, etc...then you would have no problem entertaining yourself for 15 hours.

Guangzhou....you can take the airport shuttle bus to the city for less than CAD $3.
Guangzhou Airport Shuttle Bus: Timetable, Fare, Route
I have taken these a few times before....and they are fairy clean and reliable.
Problem is, unlike Japan's "Airport Limousine" buses....they don't exactly departure on time on..on the dot. They tend to wait till they can fill up as many seats as possible. So if you aim for the first departure bus at 5:30am from the city -> airport, it might still be kind of tight.

But even an one way taxi ride from the city to airport should still be less than $100 bucks RMB / $15 CAD. I just don't know the city well enough to know/recommend if there's a night scene to keep you entertained through the midnight hours....

Once you add in the bus / (maybe hotel?) / (maybe China VISA?) / taxi money.....how much are you really saving?

[Sky_High]

So...I was googleing up what kind of lounges there are at Gaungzhou you can use overnight (instead of leaving the airport and go to the city)

- Plaza Premium has apparently been refurbished half a year ago (Paid lounge, most higherr credit card / Amex will give you free entry)

But I came across this post / good news:
Baiyun Airport Lounge Access - Guangzhou Forum - TripAdvisor

Hi there, I hope you haven't left yet!! I'm about to do the same journey with my 5 year old. My travel agent has given me these Application for Stay Permit forms and has told me I can obtain a stay permit on arrival at the airport in Guangzhou. She has also told me that because we are all having an 8 hour wait in Guangzhou that China Southern give us, for free, a hotel to stay in during the transit. Did you book through a travel agent - just ask them and if not, try calling China Southern direct to get confirmation from them. The Application for Stay Permit is not a transit visa, we don't need one but we do need this Stay Permit (which is free). Apparently once we have this, they arrange the hotel but I have to ask more questions about this as this seems a bit vague to me. Good luck with it all - if I find out more, I'll write again but please do write and tell me how it all went! We don't go until December so I've got plenty of time to cancel ... !! Best of luck! LJ

Sounds like you're going to have lots of questions to ask your travel agency (or call into Vancouver's China Southern office) tomorrow Good luck!

[Slifer]

Problem is I'm flying out of Calgary not Vancouver. China Southern doesn't fly out of Calgary but thanks anyways.
Found one for $1600 at cheapoair.ca but apparently, they have horrible reviews so I'm even gonna bother flying with them.
Looks like I'm gonna be out $1700+ afterall

[Hehe]

^

Do you know anyone who flies a lot and collect miles? It might be better just ask them a favor to "gift" you a trip.

I fly frequently for business and I have given, in many occasions, last minute award ticket to F&F on my miles to save them a few bucks. The beauty of award travels? It doesn't matter where you are flying out to what destination, as long as they are in particular region, they all cost the same miles. (Well, unless you need to do a lot of layover, which adds a lot of taxes)

So, it doesn't matter whether you are flying out of YYC, YVR, YYZ to KUL/PEK/NRT... they all cost the same. And for frequent flyers, the 65k miles needed for free NA<->Asia is like nothing.

[Sky_High]

^

Problem is OP is leaving in less than 2 months. Might be hard to award tickets so last minute, especially with OneWorld's carriers.

[Hehe]

Award seats shouldn't be too bad two month out considering March isn't any peak season. I just did a quick check with UA, and it's wide-open if you don't mind doing some long layover at either NRT/BKK.

[Sky_High]

Ahh. Been a while since I flew UA, but it's a nightmare with OW/AM's redemption.

Mid to late March is where all the highschool's are out for spring break + possibility merge with the Easter weekend together.

Maybe you should help OP out and redeem some of your points

[Hehe]

For 1700? sure... heck... $1500 and you got a deal!

j/k. I'd love to cash on my miles (currently sitting on almost 300k)... but it's against the policy to barter the miles.

[Slifer]

^You've got PM!