Cheap airline fares

[Flora Reeves-Comeau]

Does anyone know the price to fly one way from Puerta Plata to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Last year we flew with Air Transat and their return price was $225.00 U.S. each. Canada 3000 was $400.00 U.S. each. Their maximum stay with both airlines is 14 days and we stayed 28 days last year and are looking to do the same this year. Any suggestinons would be helpful as we had to go stand by and my husband didn't get home until two days later. Thanks

 

[Sue]

I've often stayed 21 days, flying with Air Transat, and air fare was $549. Cdn round trip not including taxes. Are you dealing directly with the airline or are you going through a trvel agent? I think you will have more luck with a travel agent. Good luck. PS - I've never heard of 14 day max.

 

[A. Nony Mouse]

If your Air Transat flight is booked through a Canadian Tour Operator, the returm will be in 7 or 14 days even if it is air only. For a fee of $50 you can get it extended in the DR for up to 2 wks more. Return airfare from Canadian cities will vary from $C 250 to over $C 500 plus takes. The price will depend on which Tour Operator it is purchased from, seasonal demand, and how last minute you book. Prices start dropping 2 weeks before departure if there is a surplus.

If you stay more than 4 weeks, you will have to standby at the airport and buy a one way ticket. I paid US$ 225 for one of those in July. Years ago there was a thriving market in return tickets which you could purchase from people who knew they would stay more than 2 or 4 weeks. This has been stopped, because the charter airlines now compare the name on the ticket with the name on the travel documents more closely.

Air Transat does not book seats directly. Suggest that you get a good travel agent to shop around for you, then compare.

 

[Roy Shields]

The problem as I see it is that airtransit or the other two or three charters companies don't start their flights from western canada until late november or early december. If you know of any charters before then I would sure like to hear about them. Many thanks in advance. Regards, Roy royshields@hotmail.com

 

[Flora Reeves-Comeau]

Thanks for the info. I would like to know if it would be possible for you to suggest a good travel agent. I have checked with a few and the best I can do is $701.00 from Halifax for two weeks departing Februay 5/2000. The price I received for four weeks was $1101.00 wihich is far too much. We have a three year old and she is the same price.

Last year we went Feb 6/99 to March 6th/99. We paid $575.00 each taxes included for a two week ticket, which was the maximum stay. To fly home we bought a return ticket for $225.00 U.S. each. I was also under the impression we could pay $50.00 to $100.00 to extend our ticket but was advised in the D.R. that there was no such thing. Would it be possible to give me a little more info on this. Di d you do this in the last few years or just recently.

Thanking you,

 

[A. Nony Mouse]

The standby seat that I bought was in late July, 1999 POP to Montreal. Today I picked up a 14 day return flight on Sept 4th through a travel agent who secured it from Tours Mont Royal. I doubt that Halifax has flights to the DR until high season (X-mas to Easter), same as for me. I am in Ottawa, but will have to leave from Montreal, a two hour drive.

 

[jerry]

This might sound stupid, but I live outside Buffalo and I found it was cheaper to buy 2 sets of round trip tickets. one set between buffalo and miami and then from miami to santo domingo. I have checked and it is cheaper for me to fly out of Toronto if I can stay the 7 day minimum. Maybe a trip to toronto and then down might work out better. sounds wierd but the exact same flights from Buffalo to miami and then to SD and the difference was more then $200 difference, if i had 2 different sets of ticket and not straight through. This was June when I last looked.

 

[A. Nony Mouse]

Much of our US tourist trade is from US cities close to the Canadian border, like Buffalo. Their travel agent has made an arrangement with a Canadian Tour operator for charter flights and wholesale resort prices.

Air fares are based on different criteria, all designed to maximize revenue for the airline. This is especially true since deregulation. If you select a routing that is highly competetive instead of one dominated by one carrier, you will often find a much lower price.

 

[Garry]

Hi Flora! when are you going down this year? we are planning to go for 2 weeks this time around. Say hi to Tom for us. Bye the way, I think Tom enjoyed those 2 extra days!!! Hahaha. We have some good pictures of last year. I was going to scan them this week. Can i send to the email address you have on the board?

 

[Flora Reeves-Comeau]

Hi Garry & Deb

It's great to hear from you. We are going on February 5/2000 to March 4/2000, hopefully.. Hope to see you there. Yes you can send me the pictures at my e-mail address. This time Tom gets no time by himself, ha ha, it will be my turn.

 

[Garry & Deb]

It was nice to hear from you guys last night. Just a thought, have you tried charters/airlines out of Boston? Canada has usually had the best charter rates to DR, but since the cost of extended stay is so expensive, perhaps a better deal can be had from there????