Travellers - Booking Accom And Flights

[ChargedVT]

Those of you like myself that are traveling far to see these shows, are you already in the process of finding flights and accommodation?
If a show is 10-11 months away surely there needn't be a huge rush to make sure everything is finalised immediately? Cheers!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Best time to purchase flights is normally about 50 or so days out. Even if you don't want to wait that long, booking at 11 months will surely get you a higher rate.

 

[youarenotimmune]

I'll be traveling from the east coast all the way to LA, but I'm not going to book my flight yet. Probably a couple of months before the show, which would be around the end of March.

 

[Galeongirl]

Best advice I can give ya, keep an eye on the prices. Right now they are probably higher as the tour tickets are about to go on sale. Hotels often take advantage on this.. then after a while the novelty and demand decrease and the prices will go down again to normal levels.. then a couple months before the show it'll increase again until they go ridiculous.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

hotel and plane ticket prices aren't spiking over a couple of U2 concerts, unless it's in a smaller market. so maybe a small bump in, say, Phoenix, but it's certainly not having any effect on New York, LA, Chicago.

airfare will stay pretty steady, and more expensive than they should be, for any date that's months out. they will start to decrease as we get closer, bottoming out on average about 2-3 months prior to the date of flight, before slowly spiking up again. if for whatever reason the flights aren't selling you will usually see a sharp drop in cost for "last second" bookers.

hotels are fairly similar, with a little less fluctuation up and down.

things that will have an affect on the normal ups and downs of ticket and/or hotel prices...
--spike in oil prices
--large conventions the same week of travel
--college graduation weekends (think May)

generally your major hubs (where airlines are based, not necessarily dependent on city size) will see cheaper airfare... so it's sometimes cheaper to buy two transfer through one of these hubs (say, atlanta or minneapolis), especially when coming from a smaller region as opposed to another large hub.

cheaper to fly on "off" days. example... if your show is friday night, cheaper to fly thursday than to fly in friday morning. if show is Saturday, cheaper to fly in saturday morning than friday evening, etc. etc.

best site to track flights is Kayak. you can set up price alerts every time there's a major change in your route's prices.

 

[Martinski]

I just have a 3 hour train ride from Gothenburg to Stockholm and then i will stay in my neighbours flat that i can borrow, saves me alot of money doing that. Hotels in Stockholm is very expensive. The first show is on a wednesday as well, so i will travel there on tuesday. Probably will have to take that whole week off from work. Even more so if more shows are added.

 

[ChargedVT]

Flights from Australia to London return can be up to $3000 depending on the airline, so yeah I will definitely keep an eye on specials! Same with motel rooms. Cheers for the input Just didn't want to stress at this early point.

 

[Boglin]

We used to tour for other bands, a lot. Which meant trying to find ways to save on travel. FWIW, if you have the means/desire/ability, and depending on your location, one of the best tricks we used was this:
Wait until Southwest Visa doubled its bonus points for credit card signup - they should be running a promotion again sometime soon. This equalled 50,000 southwest points. You have to monitor a deal site like slickdeals who will alert you to the sale. When this occurred, we would both open a credit card to a total of 100,000 points. This is equivalent to 4 free cross-country round trip tickets or even more same-side-for-the-country tickets. When all was said and done, we would then close the accounts. There is a yearly fee though, but it is less than the cost of a single, short flight.
It's not a solution for everyone obviously, but it has always worked well for us.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

travel hacking rules

 

[ntalwar]

We used to tour for other bands, a lot. Which meant trying to find ways to save on travel. FWIW, if you have the means/desire/ability, and depending on your location, one of the best tricks we used was this:
Wait until Southwest Visa doubled its bonus points for credit card signup - they should be running a promotion again sometime soon. This equalled 50,000 southwest points. You have to monitor a deal site like slickdeals who will alert you to the sale. When this occurred, we would both open a credit card to a total of 100,000 points. This is equivalent to 4 free cross-country round trip tickets or even more same-side-for-the-country tickets. When all was said and done, we would then close the accounts. There is a yearly fee though, but it is less than the cost of a single, short flight.
It's not a solution for everyone obviously, but it has always worked well for us.

AA, United, US Airways also offer those promotions and there are a few websites devoted to maximizing FF miles (thepointsguy.com, millionmilesecrets.com, flyertalk forum). Southwest has a good benefit of a companion pass after a certain number of points.

The annual fee is often waived the first year. There is a minimum spend requirements for the first three months, but there are well documented ways around that such as buying visa gift cards and then money orders.

 

[Boglin]

AA, United, US Airways also offer those promotions and there are a few websites devoted to maximizing FF miles (thepointsguy.com, millionmilesecrets.com, flyertalk forum). Southwest has a good benefit of a companion pass after a certain number of points.

The annual fee is often waived the first year. There is a minimum spend requirements for the first three months, but there are well documented ways around that such as buying visa gift cards and then money orders.

Yes, this is all great advice! The best plan is to pick the airline/card that either hubs at your nearest airport or that has direct flights to your destination, if you are not in a major airport market. We did try United once to get a free cross-country trip, and while it worked easily, the flights were much more limited, as they only opened seats on selected flights for miles redemption. We like SW because points can be used on any available flight.

 

[Pop Artist]

Check the events calendar of your city of choice to make sure there are no other big doings during that time. For example I believe people have said that the Montreal Grand Prix is at the same time as the shows there. In that case I would definitely book backup accomodations now you can live with that are cancellable (probably a good idea for any N. American date anyway because Bono), that way you can adjust things later. Your method of getting there is not so urgently booked, unless you are using frequent flyer miles - in which case you should probably book now.

I am using frequent flyer miles myself for Vancouver and booked that yesterday. I also booked my hotel already because I already knew of one - that is probably the closest one to the venue to boot - that doesn't hike rates and that is cheap, clean, and cancellable with no deposit.

 

[ntalwar]

Yes, this is all great advice! The best plan is to pick the airline/card that either hubs at your nearest airport or that has direct flights to your destination, if you are not in a major airport market. We did try United once to get a free cross-country trip, and while it worked easily, the flights were much more limited, as they only opened seats on selected flights for miles redemption. We like SW because points can be used on any available flight.

Yeah, SW scales their awards up and down based on the fare (going to FL on them next week for only 9K points RT). Chase has two great cards - Ink Plus and Sapphire Preferred with bonus points that can be transferred to SW, United, and a few more. I think Chase Ink Plus still has the 70K bonus for in-branch applications.

 

[nbelcik]

I am using frequent flyer miles myself for Vancouver and booked that yesterday. I also booked my hotel already because I already knew of one - that is probably the closest one to the venue to boot - that doesn't hike rates and that is cheap, clean, and cancellable with no deposit.

And which hotel would that be?



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[Pop Artist]

And which hotel would that be?



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Mentioned this under the Vancouver show topic but YWCA Hotel - YWCA Hotel - Vancouver’s Best Choice for Comfort and Affordability Not luxury but very well maintained, very reasonable! Excellent TripAdvisor reviews too. Stayed there for 360 (BC Place is literally across the street) and was quite satisfied.

 

[domo-kun]

Flights from Australia to London return can be up to $3000 depending on the airline, so yeah I will definitely keep an eye on specials! Same with motel rooms. Cheers for the input Just didn't want to stress at this early point.

I know your pain. All I can say is that I agree with some of the other people who posted here, NEVER be too hasty with purchasing tickets.
Last year I had 3 Months to prepare for a trip from Holland to New Zealand (which is basically as insane of a flight as London-Australia)

Got a return ticket from Amsterdam to Auckland for just 950 Euro's. Dirt cheap tickets, just by having a lot of patience and scan for bargains.

Not sure about hotels, I usually do the same.

 

[nbelcik]

Mentioned this under the Vancouver show topic but YWCA Hotel - YWCA Hotel - Vancouver’s Best Choice for Comfort and Affordability Not luxury but very well maintained, very reasonable! Excellent TripAdvisor reviews too. Stayed there for 360 (BC Place is literally across the street) and was quite satisfied.

Thank you! I'm planning on going to night 1 with my dad (and night 2 if we get tickets on Monday) and we're trying to plan out the trip. Now I just gotta check Amtrak for train tickets.


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[Pop Artist]

Thank you! I'm planning on going to night 1 with my dad (and night 2 if we get tickets on Monday) and we're trying to plan out the trip. Now I just gotta check Amtrak for train tickets.


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You're welcome! I am hitting Portland before Vancouver and the train from Portland to Vancouver is the one thing I still need to book, but it's also renewal time for my passport so I have to wait until I get my new one before I can book it since they require the passport number up front.

 

[nbelcik]

You're welcome! I am hitting Portland before Vancouver and the train from Portland to Vancouver is the one thing I still need to book, but it's also renewal time for my passport so I have to wait until I get my new one before I can book it since they require the passport number up front.

How long does it take to get a passport? I've never had one before but now I definitely need to get one...


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[Pop Artist]

Allow a couple of months - I would definitely get the process going by the end of January, just to be safe. If you are a little strapped for cash, you could also get a passport card that is just good for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda (no air travel). But it's good to have the full passport, you need it for any international flights.

 

[JDon169]

Get your Hotel Rooms now as they usually go up in price as they fill up. and Most can be cancelled if you find a better deal.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Speculation: wait till after the holidays to see airfare prices drop in reaction to a prolonged period of low oil prices.

 

[ChargedVT]

Get your Hotel Rooms now as they usually go up in price as they fill up. and Most can be cancelled if you find a better deal.

Is that aimed at those going to US dates or Euro dates?

 

[konakitty]

I already purchased my plane tickets. I'm a big miles and points person. I live in the middle of nowhere with an airport with one airline with insane airfare to boot. Vancouver was the only place I could get too with a price I could live with, free. I do have to fly home from Seattle so, I'll probably greyhound it like I did for the 360 tour. I did like the dates for Phoenix better and I could've drove to SJ. I seem to like seeing U2 in Canada. I booked a room with hotel points, but I'm liking the location of the YWCA better. So, may change it. I can cancel the one I have. I think like with any trip you have to book what you are comfortable spending.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Speculation: wait till after the holidays to see airfare prices drop in reaction to a prolonged period of low oil prices.

Ding ding ding... We have a winner

 

[digitize]

There's no reason to not book hotels super early. Hotel reservations are almost always refundable. If the price goes down, cancel and re-book.


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[Outsider]

Love this thread! Planning to book my trek from the west coast to Germany around April. I've had great luck finding a cheap deal from California to Europe for fall travel when booking in the spring. If I'm not mistaken I think the Berlin Marathon is scheduled the same weekend as the U2 shows so I agree with everyone that says to take care of accommodations before the flight.


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[westendgirl]

I booked my hotel for the Montreal shows before the pre-sale. The rate has already gone up $50 per night. If you're using frequent flier miles, recommend booking those tickets as early as possible


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[pepokiss]

KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once

That's all I have to say

 

[Savi424]

I am so excited to see this thread that combines my two passions, U2 and travel! I fly over 100K miles a year and take advantage of credit card points and bonuses for airlines and hotels. I also use shopping portals and dining programs to gain tons of miles. I second ntalwar's recommendation of flytalk, thepointsguy.com, and millionmilesecrets.com. So far for this tour I have booked cancelable reservations at 5 cities I know I will be going to, even though I only managed concert tickets to 2 of them so far. For flights I will wait a bit longer only because I still have to find people to go with me. I have friends who will go to one city for a couple shows, but they can't do as many as I want to. If I was using frequent flyer miles for flights I would book them as soon as possible, especially if you are flying overseas. When researching fares for purchasing flights I always start at Google flights, it is a great tool.