Best time to book/Barcelo Maya

gillybrit · 02-06-2008

Hoping to make a trip to the Riviera Maya in June. There will be five of us - myself, my husband, my Mom and our 2 kids (14 and 9). Leaning towards Barcelo Maya Tropical/Colonial. First - is that a good pick?
Second, can we wait to book and try to grab a last minute special type thing... Getting decent rates on Exedia, BookIt etc, but with horrible connecting flights. Booking through Liberty travel the whole trip is about $1000 more but gets us direct flights - a huge plus with the 2 kids. We are considering either the 2nd or 3rd week in June and can fly out of Philadelphia or Newark. I realize that the last minute option means we may have to be flexible, so any advice on other resorts to consider would be great.
The main reason that we are trying to hold off on booking something is so that we can get a better handle on our budget - my husband is self employed and his business is slow right now. We're assuming it will pick up in the spring, but don't want to book anything until that actually happens...

Thanks!

GreatLakes · 02-06-2008

**Shammy** · 02-06-2008

FYI...Liberty Travel tends to use a tour operator that charges more for hotels than many others. I would check with another agent who might offer the same trip using a tour operator other than the one Liberty uses. Very easy for an agent to price shop it around and NOT have you stuck with horrible connections, or any connections at all. No agent wants to see their client on a less than satisfactory flight.

Last minute specials using non stop from Newark are going to be very hard to come by since USA 3000 pulled out of that airport for all but high season. All you have is Continental, and waiting to book could mean a huge increase in air rather than a decrease since it's the only non stop option out of Newark. Air for April is up to $900/pp+!

Philly has non stop US Air and USA 3000, but again, since airfares fluctuate all the time, you really just have to find a price you're comfortable with and grab it because you may never see it again.

With several tour operators, the travel insurance they provide will offer you price protection - if the cost of the trip goes down, you're entitled to an adjustment or a refund if you've already paid in full. Not something you're gonna get with Expedia or Bookit!

Phil in Ottawa · 02-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatLakes

I'd love to give gillybrit a tour of the Barceló. Just book me a flight and I'm there. So when do we leave?

But seriously, your choice of the Barceló is a good one.

Good advice about the Unofficial Barceló website. Tons of great info and loads of pictures. By the way, you can check out my photos at the link below if you are interested.

Hope you are able to work out the bookings and the flights and that you have a wonderful vacation

JWK · 02-07-2008

And I highly recommend Shammy as your travel agent. She's an expert in this area and won't steer you wrong.

PlayaScout · 02-07-2008

Well, I'm in the process of putting a trip together, and I've been watching flight prices for 2 months now -- and they've been going up and up and up (due to cost of oil, etc.). I really regret waiting, and wish I had bought the tickets months ago. I doubt that prices will go down much between now and your trip, so keep that in mind.

I've been using Yapta.com to track the ticket prices. Also expedia & orbitz (haven't heard of bookit.com, where/how did you hear about them? are they reliable??).

osumom · 02-11-2008

Shammy's a travel agent. Why not have her give you prices too while you're checking your options? You'll want to check availability with Apple Vacations and Funjet and a travel agent can do that like Shammy.

theterms · 02-12-2008

Hi Gillybrit!
I too am pricing a trip to Barcelo Colonial/Tropical for July. I found the best price yesterday out of Philadelphia - through US Air Vacations. The flight alone, throught US Air was $248 pp ++, non-stop. Flight times were good also.
Newark is my home airport, but I am willing to fly out of Philly or LGA or JFK if I have to, as long as the savings is worth it.
I'm going to shop this price around with some travel agents and see how it compares.

whatsnext · 02-20-2008

I've found the best airfare from the Phila/NJ area is on US Air from PHL. As low as $248/person (before taxes, etc.) Actual price is about $350/person. Do a search on the airline's website. Check the "Low Fare Finder" box to find the best deals around your travel dates.

theterms · 02-20-2008

Those are the best prices I've found so far. I did the lowest price search and that's been the best. Thnks!

02-06-2008	#1 (permalink)
gillybrit sandflea Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 8	Best time to book/Barcelo Maya Hoping to make a trip to the Riviera Maya in June. There will be five of us - myself, my husband, my Mom and our 2 kids (14 and 9). Leaning towards Barcelo Maya Tropical/Colonial. First - is that a good pick? Second, can we wait to book and try to grab a last minute special type thing... Getting decent rates on Exedia, BookIt etc, but with horrible connecting flights. Booking through Liberty travel the whole trip is about $1000 more but gets us direct flights - a huge plus with the 2 kids. We are considering either the 2nd or 3rd week in June and can fly out of Philadelphia or Newark. I realize that the last minute option means we may have to be flexible, so any advice on other resorts to consider would be great. The main reason that we are trying to hold off on booking something is so that we can get a better handle on our budget - my husband is self employed and his business is slow right now. We're assuming it will pick up in the spring, but don't want to book anything until that actually happens... Thanks!

02-06-2008	#2 (permalink)
GreatLakes añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hockeytown, USA Posts: 1,505	UNOFFICIAL BARCELO MAYA \| Your unofficial guide to Beach \| Caribe \| Tropical \| Colonial \| Palace Check the U-barcelo site. Phil will give you a tour.

02-06-2008	#3 (permalink)
Shammy Travel Insurance Tester Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 10,515	FYI...Liberty Travel tends to use a tour operator that charges more for hotels than many others. I would check with another agent who might offer the same trip using a tour operator other than the one Liberty uses. Very easy for an agent to price shop it around and NOT have you stuck with horrible connections, or any connections at all. No agent wants to see their client on a less than satisfactory flight. Last minute specials using non stop from Newark are going to be very hard to come by since USA 3000 pulled out of that airport for all but high season. All you have is Continental, and waiting to book could mean a huge increase in air rather than a decrease since it's the only non stop option out of Newark. Air for April is up to $900/pp+! Philly has non stop US Air and USA 3000, but again, since airfares fluctuate all the time, you really just have to find a price you're comfortable with and grab it because you may never see it again. With several tour operators, the travel insurance they provide will offer you price protection - if the cost of the trip goes down, you're entitled to an adjustment or a refund if you've already paid in full. Not something you're gonna get with Expedia or Bookit!

02-07-2008	#5 (permalink)
JWK way into it Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 133	And I highly recommend Shammy as your travel agent. She's an expert in this area and won't steer you wrong.

02-07-2008	#6 (permalink)
PlayaScout sandflea Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1	Well, I'm in the process of putting a trip together, and I've been watching flight prices for 2 months now -- and they've been going up and up and up (due to cost of oil, etc.). I really regret waiting, and wish I had bought the tickets months ago. I doubt that prices will go down much between now and your trip, so keep that in mind. I've been using Yapta.com to track the ticket prices. Also expedia & orbitz (haven't heard of bookit.com, where/how did you hear about them? are they reliable??).

02-11-2008	#7 (permalink)
osumom into ruins Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 67	Shammy's a travel agent. Why not have her give you prices too while you're checking your options? You'll want to check availability with Apple Vacations and Funjet and a travel agent can do that like Shammy.

02-12-2008	#8 (permalink)
theterms way into it Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Jersey, Baby Posts: 100	Hi Gillybrit! I too am pricing a trip to Barcelo Colonial/Tropical for July. I found the best price yesterday out of Philadelphia - through US Air Vacations. The flight alone, throught US Air was $248 pp ++, non-stop. Flight times were good also. Newark is my home airport, but I am willing to fly out of Philly or LGA or JFK if I have to, as long as the savings is worth it. I'm going to shop this price around with some travel agents and see how it compares.

02-20-2008	#9 (permalink)
whatsnext lost on fifth Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Philly Area Posts: 12	I've found the best airfare from the Phila/NJ area is on US Air from PHL. As low as $248/person (before taxes, etc.) Actual price is about $350/person. Do a search on the airline's website. Check the "Low Fare Finder" box to find the best deals around your travel dates.

02-20-2008	#10 (permalink)
theterms way into it Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Jersey, Baby Posts: 100	Those are the best prices I've found so far. I did the lowest price search and that's been the best. Thnks!

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