Cheap flights to warm places around Christmas?

[Platinum Pete]

My wife-to-be is a teacher so our "get some sun during a long dark winter" vacation schedule is limited to December 25th - January 3rd. Flights to anywhere warm enough to swim are absurdly expensive, like the recession ain't happening. We can find cheap spots to sleep all over, but paying $700 plus each for a flight is lame. I know we are dumb for not booking sooner. I've checked around Hawaii, baja and pacific Mexico, Central America, etc. to no avail. Am I missing something?

Where can we fly to for $500 or less? We can depart Seattle or Portland, leaving anytime after mid-afternoon on December 25th and coming back anytime before evening on the 3rd of January. We need to be around on X-mas morning, but don't care if we're flying during New Years eve or day as long as we get a bunch of beach/pool days.

Suggestions?

[BFD]

we were in the same boat limited to Alaska Airlines. All I could come up with is flying to Sacramento and borrowing my friends camper to tour CA. I would say San Diego may be your best option. Should add Florida as another possible.

[Platinum Pete]

we were in the same boat limited to Alaska Airlines. All I could come up with is flying to Sacramento and borrowing my friends camper to tour CA. I would say San Diego may be your best option.

San Diego is not that warm during Christmas - sweater weather and cold ocean. Maybe we could drive to the Sea of Cortez from there? How is San Felipe? We don't need Cancun - just cheap tacos, warm weather, sun, and a place to swim.

[jmitchell17]

Check our Virgin America. They have some insane deals going on right now, I know they just opened up a route to Fort Lauderdale that they have been advertising heavily to get some interest. Great airline too, comfortable seats, individual screens, the works. If you are looking to go international, not the way to go, but they fly out of Seattle.

[BFD]

That's why I added Florida.

[Platinum Pete]

Check our Virgin America. They have some insane deals going on right now, I know they just opened up a route to Fort Lauderdale that they have been advertising heavily to get some interest. Great airline too, comfortable seats, individual screens, the works. If you are looking to go international, not the way to go, but they fly out of Seattle.

Good thinking, but no dice. I checked Virgin, Frontier, AirTran and Jet Blue - these guys don't usually show up in the major online travel agency searches and have limited codeshare with other airlines so sometimes they have deals and availability - but not in this case.

[BSS]

I've seen some pretty killer vacation packages on Expedia lately. It's been a few years (maybe three), but the last one I bought from them was r/t airfare for two from Las Vegas to Honolulu, five nights in a pretty nice place on Kalakaua and a rental car for under $1200 with taxes and all those BS peripheral fees included. We went two weeks before Christmas.

[BSS]

Also you can get KILLER prices on cruises from vacationstogo.com if you can get to LA or San Diego on the cheap first. We got a 7 day Mexico (standard lame mexican stops) cruise on Princess with a balcony last year for right around $500/per. This was over Christmas week, maybe 22-29 or something like that. Plus they have teacher, firefighter, etc discounts which can really save you quite a bit more if you're eligible.

Sign up for the Southwest visa and you'll get a free r/t almost instantly. ??
I'm not big on credit cards (plus that one has an annual fee,) but it's an idea.

[guest]

That's why I added Florida.

Unless you're planning on going to Miami it won't be warm enough to swim. If you're willing to don wetsuits, you could fly into Tampa and drive north to Homosassa Springs and swim with manatees. They're in the springs that time of year, which are 72° year round.

[underover]

San Diego is not that warm during Christmas - sweater weather and cold ocean. Maybe we could drive to the Sea of Cortez from there? How is San Felipe? We don't need Cancun - just cheap tacos, warm weather, sun, and a place to swim.

I spent a Christmas on the Sea of Cortez, a little south of San Felipe - Bahia de Los Angeles. While a scenic trip, it was chilly, and those scary north winds start to blow in the afternoon and all night. I never swam, though I tried. Tacos were cheap, however. Fishing was off (on) the hook.

[XXX-er]

The crazy old french man I was working with went from northern canada to mexico by greyhound greyhound ...only 209$ from here to sandiego

[skiATL]

Leaving early on Christmas morning will really lower prices I think. I would try and see if you can leave earlier.

Last year, my family found tickets from atlanta to st thomas in the USVI for less than $300. It required a lay over in Philadelphia and we had to leave atlanta at 6 am. We got these tickets about 2 weeks before the flight. Being in the PNW will prob make things more expensive, but I think if you wait it out and look around everyday, youll find something worth doing.

[TitanneeNC]

My wife-to-be is a teacher so our "get some sun during a long dark winter" vacation schedule is limited to December 25th - January 3rd. Flights to anywhere warm enough to swim are absurdly expensive, like the recession ain't happening. We can find cheap spots to sleep all over, but paying $700 plus each for a flight is lame. I know we are dumb for not booking sooner. I've checked around Hawaii, baja and pacific Mexico, Central America, etc. to no avail. Am I missing something?

Where can we fly to for $500 or less? We can depart Seattle or Portland, leaving anytime after mid-afternoon on December 25th and coming back anytime before evening on the 3rd of January. We need to be around on X-mas morning, but don't care if we're flying during New Years eve or day as long as we get a bunch of beach/pool days.

Suggestions?

Be Flexible, wait til last minute. Deals are out there, Especially Meh e co and further south.

[45hill]

$304 PDX to San Diego. Rent a car and head to San Felipe in Baja. Mellow little town with cold beer, tons of shrimp, fireworks, tequilla, and warm water.



We rented this 5 bedroom house for a $1000 a week.



There are way cheaper places and even campgrounds on the beach. San Felipe is about a five hour drive from SD.

[Shredhead]

At this point your probably better off just waiting until the last minute and picking something up a couple of days before departure.

[JayPowHound]

Isn't the best part of being a teacher that you get to SKI during school vacations???


For Shame...

[Platinum Pete]

Isn't the best part of being a teacher that you get to SKI during school vacations???


For Shame...

She's not a skier. On her vacation time (crowded ski area time) I'm happy to catch up on vitamin D and thaw out. I get my time for ski trips without her.