Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget

jaymevc89 · June 2012

Thanks everyone, for the advice.

m tulli · June 2012

I'm not sure what you looking at for an answer. You either come up with the money, can't afford it and don't go, drive, or get a credit card with air miles and start using that in hopes to earn a ticket before the wedding. There's no magic way to afford the ticket. Have you checked out travel sites to see if there are any airlines that have a cheaper ticket?

If you end up coming to the conclusion that you can not afford to go, I would just tell your friend sooner than later.

As far as telling her she can't afford the wedding. I wouldn't say anything. She will either find the money or come to the conclusion herself. There are ways to have a non court house wedding without spending a ton of money.

Kewii · June 2012

I would keep an eye on ticket prices.

From my experience, ticket prices usually are lowest 2-3 months from the travel day. Until then, I would keep an eye on budget airline deals and other sales. I would also sign up for price notices with something like Kayak.

You lose nothing by keeping an eye on it.

OliveOilsMom · June 2012

Don't say anything to her about the cost of the wedding. That is none of your business. If she wants to spend her money on a wedding, she can. Besides, she may be getting help from the parents, you have no idea.

As for the plane ticket. Did you try Southwest airlines? They are not on travelocity or expedia. They only do their own ticketing. I would be upfront with the bride. Tell her while you would love to be there for her, unless ticket prices drop, you will not be able to afford the airfare.

Did you look into driving? Figure out the mileage and how many days it would take to get there and back? That could be a cheaper way to go and you'd see a lot of the country!

pearlaqua · June 2012

Not sure where in Michigan the wedding will be but if you are looking to fly into a small airport, that can be pricey. You can try flying into Detroit or fly into Chicago and drive. I do the cross-crountry flights and $500 is high from SEA to the Midwest. Set a budget and a deadline for yourself. You're not going to get below $200 but you might get close.

jaymevc89 · June 2012

Actually, she has been pretty upfront with me about how the finances are going and she will be going even further into credit card debt in order to afford all this. So, I do have a pretty good idea about who is paying for what.

I tried southwest, and it won't let me look up tickets that far in advance. I'm assuming that since it is so close to christmas, that's why it's expensive.

I looked into mileage, and it would take me over 24 hours one way. My school quarter ends very close to her wedding and I don't feel that driving would be realistic. It's over 2,200 miles and would cost upwards of $370, if gas prices stayed the same. Plus, I would end up spending the same amount of money since I would have to take additional time off work.

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_expensive-plane-tickets-and-a-moh-on-a-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:48af4964-c908-47e1-ba22-a147e7b327e1Post:0ba5b889-b5b5-4283-b857-06802d3c21df">Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Don't say anything to her about the cost of the wedding. That is none of your business. If she wants to spend her money on a wedding, she can. Besides, she may be getting help from the parents, you have no idea. As for the plane ticket. Did you try Southwest airlines? They are not on travelocity or expedia. They only do their own ticketing. I would be upfront with the bride. Tell her while you would love to be there for her, unless ticket prices drop, you will not be able to afford the airfare. Did you look into driving? Figure out the mileage and how many days it would take to get there and back? That could be a cheaper way to go and you'd see a lot of the country!
Posted by OliveOilsMom[/QUOTE]

jaymevc89 · June 2012

I guess I was just wondering if there was a way to handle this situation that I hadn't thought of. I've looked at every airline imaginable and they're all right around the $450-500 mark :/
I realize there are cheaper ways other than a court house wedding, I've offered her various suggestions on ways to save money.

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_expensive-plane-tickets-and-a-moh-on-a-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:48af4964-c908-47e1-ba22-a147e7b327e1Post:1c0057dd-5b11-4fdf-a33c-984f1310829b">Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not sure what you looking at for an answer. You either come up with the money, can't afford it and don't go, drive, or get a credit card with air miles and start using that in hopes to earn a ticket before the wedding. There's no magic way to afford the ticket. Have you checked out travel sites to see if there are any airlines that have a cheaper ticket? If you end up coming to the conclusion that you can not afford to go, I would just tell your friend sooner than later. As far as telling her she can't afford the wedding. I wouldn't say anything. She will either find the money or come to the conclusion herself. There are ways to have a non court house wedding without spending a ton of money.
Posted by m tulli[/QUOTE]

jaymevc89 · June 2012

I only looked at ticket prices from major cities.. Do you think flying into a small airport could actually be cheaper? I know when I go to Cali to visit family, I always fly into Burbank because it is cheaper than LAX.

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_expensive-plane-tickets-and-a-moh-on-a-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:48af4964-c908-47e1-ba22-a147e7b327e1Post:7c59ef4c-ea54-49b6-b69b-4cbadb8a366d">Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Not sure where in Michigan the wedding will be but if you are looking to fly into a small airport, that can be pricey. You can try flying into Detroit or fly into Chicago and drive. I do the cross-crountry flights and $500 is high from SEA to the Midwest. Set a budget and a deadline for yourself. You're not going to get below $200 but you might get close.
Posted by pearlaqua[/QUOTE]

pearlaqua · June 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_expensive-plane-tickets-and-a-moh-on-a-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:48af4964-c908-47e1-ba22-a147e7b327e1Post:7cb0d28c-6b7d-4320-bbc0-81102d3d9610">Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>Actually, she has been pretty upfront with me about how the finances are going and she will be going even further into credit card debt in order to afford all this. So, I do have a pretty good idea about who is paying for what.</strong> I tried southwest, and it won't let me look up tickets that far in advance. I'm assuming that since it is so close to christmas, that's why it's expensive. I looked into mileage, and it would take me over 24 hours one way. My school quarter ends very close to her wedding and I don't feel that driving would be realistic. It's over 2,200 miles and would cost upwards of $370, if gas prices stayed the same. Plus, I would end up spending the same amount of money since I would have to take additional time off work. In Response to Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget :
Posted by jaymevc89[/QUOTE]

Even if she were sharing the receipts and showing you the intimate details of her wedding, it doesn't matter. They are choosing a certain event in a far away place. I don't know, but it sounds like you want to feel justified in being annoyed that the wedding might be out of reach for you.

Beyond air fare, there are hotels and other incidentals that make traveling for weddings expensive and that stinks (I've been there, I get it) but short of playing mom with your friend and telling her how to spend money (even money she doesn't have) is not your business.

You original question was "How do I handle this plane ticket issue?"

You handle it by saving. No magic formula.

Cookies Mom · June 2012

Sign up for alerts from Southwest and keep watching. I see round trip flights from Seattle to Detroit for $301. Still pricey but better that $500! And they run specials often. Good Luck!

jaymevc89 · June 2012

I actually just checked expedia and travelocity and saw that flights are down to $301. Last time I checked, they were upwards of $450. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to pull the money together around the time a special goes on.

Thanks!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_expensive-plane-tickets-and-a-moh-on-a-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:48af4964-c908-47e1-ba22-a147e7b327e1Post:35924f13-d3f4-4269-a053-b4728f079b7c">Re: Expensive plane tickets and a MOH on a budget</a>:
[QUOTE]Sign up for alerts from Southwest and keep watching. I see round trip flights from Seattle to Detroit for $301. Still pricey but better that $500! And they run specials often. Good Luck!
Posted by Cookies Mom[/QUOTE]

SomethingBeautiful08 · June 2012

I'm originally from Oregon and now live near Detroit and I make that flight about twice a year. Around Christmas $500 is pretty normal, but I'm sure if you watch close enough you will be able to find deals. Also around Christmas you should be careful with the weather, as Detroit will often have snow and so will the common connection points (i.e Chicago). I've had good luck trying to connect in Southern states with less weather problems.

Ulitmately only you can know if you can afford the trip or not, since you also need to factor in hotel, meals... any additional entertainment, etc. Likewise, only that couple can know if they can afford the wedding or not and it isn't really your place to tell them what they should or should not do. I think you can encourage your friend to make wise financial choices and if she comes to you for advice, give it. Beyond that I think you'd be oversteping your bounds.

LDubHawksFan · June 2012

You need to figure out if you can afford it sooner than later. Weddings are expensive, but you can't tell her how to spend hers (or charge it). Flights around Xmas are really expensive. I fly every year, and it's typically closer to $500 from CA to IA....that said, sign up for price alerts on Kayak and other sites. Look into Jet Blue too. Are you planning on bringing your FI? Driving would be the more economical choice then. If not, they you are just looking at one flight. I'm going to a wedding alone this year due to $ & time off for him.

Ultimately it's a tough choice, but you should be upfront with her on if you think you will have to back out.

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