September/October 2013 check in

[Kristin5]

I'm not expecting much tbh, but it's still fun to say I'm going first class

Just know that mere plebs, like me, will be jealous!

 

[Andona]

Alicia - Can you please update my dates in the first post? I'm tentatively looking at the 15th Sep - 12 Oct. Target destinations: DLR, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Durango, Orlando (Universal and WDW).

Thanks!

PIO, I'll be reading your TR with interest. Love, Love Love the southwest! but we haven/t managed to get to Mesa Verde or Durango yet.

Are you going to do the San Juan Skyway Scenic Drive? It's on my bucket list...

Andona

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Yay, just booked my final flight. LAX to MCO with Virgin America.

I was about to book Main Cabin (economy) when I noticed Main Cabin Select (premium economy) wasn't too much more expensive ($150 p/p extra). Once you factor in the extra cost of luggage, meals, drinks and entertainment that you need to pay with main cabin (but not main cabin select) I figured that the difference was actually only about $80 p/p more for better seats and priority boarding and check-in. That and the fact that we can order as many drinks, food and movies without having to feel guilty about our spending.

I was really excited when I ran this option past DH and he said "Just book it".

Anyway, thought I'd mention this in case anyone is looking for a more reasonably priced premium economy option.

 

[alicia1506]

Alicia - Can you please update my dates in the first post? I'm tentatively looking at the 15th Sep - 12 Oct. Target destinations: DLR, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Durango, Orlando (Universal and WDW).

Thanks!

We're going October 15-20. BWV Grand Villa. Super excited. DD3 first trip. Cant wait. Planning has started.

doneskies

 

[alicia1506]

Yay, just booked my final flight. LAX to MCO with Virgin America.

I was about to book Main Cabin (economy) when I noticed Main Cabin Select (premium economy) wasn't too much more expensive ($150 p/p). Once you factor in the extra cost of luggage, meals, drinks and entertainment that you need to pay with main cabin (but not main cabin select) I figured that the difference was actually only about $80 p/p more for better seats and priority boarding and check-in. That and the fact that we can order as many drinks, food and movies without having to feel guilty about our spending.

I was really excited when I ran this option past DH and he said "Just book it".

Anyway, thought I'd mention this in case anyone is looking for a more reasonably priced premium economy option.

i was looking at virgin america for our mco - lax flights. if the main cabin select is being sold for only this $ much more, i say you got a bargain when you factor luggage fees and priority boarding etc. sounds awesome. putting a note in my diary now to research it later

 

[5ofus]

Yay, just booked my final flight. LAX to MCO with Virgin America.

I was about to book Main Cabin (economy) when I noticed Main Cabin Select (premium economy) wasn't too much more expensive ($150 p/p). Once you factor in the extra cost of luggage, meals, drinks and entertainment that you need to pay with main cabin (but not main cabin select) I figured that the difference was actually only about $80 p/p more for better seats and priority boarding and check-in. That and the fact that we can order as many drinks, food and movies without having to feel guilty about our spending.

I was really excited when I ran this option past DH and he said "Just book it".

Anyway, thought I'd mention this in case anyone is looking for a more reasonably priced premium economy option.

Sounds like you got yourself a bit of a deal there - well done

I am starting to freak out about how quickly this year is going tough. September will be here before I know it!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I was looking at virgin america for our mco - lax flights. if the main cabin select is being sold for only this $ much more, i say you got a bargain when you factor luggage fees and priority boarding etc. sounds awesome. putting a note in my diary now to research it later

I'm really pleased. For a 5 hour flight, it seems a pretty good deal to me.

Just thought I'd better mention though, incase my post wasn't entirely clear, the seats weren't $150. They were $150 MORE than main cabin and cost about $329 each. I just realised that the wording of my post may have been a bit confusing. I hope I didn't get anyone too excited. :-/

Edited to say: I just went back into my booking to check something and I noticed that the price for Main Cabin Select has already increased on the day I'm flying to about $680 p/p. Basically there are 12 seats on the plane and as soon as someone books the first seats (in our case 3 of them), it seems the price skyrockets. Thought I'd just mention this incase anyone is interested. In the case of Virgin America, it seems it pays to book early.

 

[5ofus]

Urgh, latest dilemma...will they let the boys on the hotel shuttle without carseats? I'm usually going-ho about carseats - all my boys were rear facing until well after they were required to - its something that is important to me. BUT the hotel we are staying at is less than 1km from the airport - courtyard lax. I actually would really like to walk, but I don't think that is an option...is it? The idea of carting two boosters and a carseat through three airports for a five minute shuttle seems rather ridiculous to me!

 

[battymum]

Is that the only time you will need them?

Bur yeah, I would definitely not bother with the older two. Are you taking a stroller?
if you are really concerned about the little one, maybe one parent can walk with him in the stroller, while the other takes the luggage and the other two in the shuttle.

 

[5ofus]

Is that the only time you will need them?

Bur yeah, I would definitely not bother with the older two. Are you taking a stroller?
if you are really concerned about the little one, maybe one parent can walk with him in the stroller, while the other takes the luggage and the other two in the shuttle.

That's what I'm thinking Battymum...I really think we will all be fine in the shuttle for such a short trip (wouldn't dare post that elsewhere on the DIS!). I've emailled the hotel so I'll see what they say.

 

[Jade+3]

We have taken the shuttle from LAX to Alamo with the kids at various ages without car seats. DD has been 35 months, 4 and 6, DS1 19 months, 3 and 5 and DS2 9 months and 2 1/2.

I am paranoid about car seats. But having taken 3 on one of our trips, I would never ever do that again.

 

[5ofus]

We have taken the shuttle from LAX to Alamo with the kids at various ages without car seats. DD has been 35 months, 4 and 6, DS1 19 months, 3 and 5 and DS2 9 months and 2 1/2.

I am paranoid about car seats. But having taken 3 on one of our trips, I would never ever do that again.

Thanks again Jade! I don't know what I would do without you planning this trip. You are a wealth of information for somebody travelling with three small kids.

 

[Jade+3]

Thanks again Jade! I don't know what I would do without you planning this trip. You are a wealth of information for somebody travelling with three small kids.

Hehe, I am glad to see that there are others as silly as us (just kidding).

Mine will be 8, 7 and 4. It will be the 4th time for the two eldest kids. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Our first bottle and nappy free trip since 2004.

 

[5ofus]

Hehe, I am glad to see that there are others as silly as us (just kidding).

Mine will be 8, 7 and 4. It will be the 4th time for the two eldest kids. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Our first bottle and nappy free trip since 2004.

On our 'big trip' in 2015 ours will be 4,6 and 8. With the 4 and 6 year olds closer to 5 and 7. That's going to be a lot easier!

This trip was a bit impromptu - if you can call booking a year out impromptu! A close friend is getting married in Vegas. I didn't want to miss it and won't leave the boys for longer than a night yet, so the trip was on! On the crazy side, we took the two oldest to Tokyo Disneyland when they were 16 months and 3. If we didnt have the boys in the order they were born in, this WOULD NOT have happened! DS3 is a runner and DS2 has an attitude - which hadnt developed at 16 months. A 3 year old DS1 and 16 month old DS2 made it a lot easier than it sounds.

 

[Minniemum]

Alicia - Can you please update my dates in the first post? I'm tentatively looking at the 15th Sep - 12 Oct. Target destinations: DLR, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Durango, Orlando (Universal and WDW).

Thanks!

Oooooh a road trip! Looking forward to reading all about your plans.

I'm really pleased. For a 5 hour flight, it seems a pretty good deal to me.

Just thought I'd better mention though, incase my post wasn't entirely clear, the seats weren't $150. They were $150 MORE than main cabin and cost about $329 each. I just realised that the wording of my post may have been a bit confusing. I hope I didn't get anyone too excited. :-/

Edited to say: I just went back into my booking to check something and I noticed that the price for Main Cabin Select has already increased on the day I'm flying to about $680 p/p. Basically there are 12 seats on the plane and as soon as someone books the first seats (in our case 3 of them), it seems the price skyrockets. Thought I'd just mention this incase anyone is interested. In the case of Virgin America, it seems it pays to book early.

It still sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[australiankaren]

Yay, just booked my final flight. LAX to MCO with Virgin America.

I was about to book Main Cabin (economy) when I noticed Main Cabin Select (premium economy) wasn't too much more expensive ($150 p/p extra). Once you factor in the extra cost of luggage, meals, drinks and entertainment that you need to pay with main cabin (but not main cabin select) I figured that the difference was actually only about $80 p/p more for better seats and priority boarding and check-in. That and the fact that we can order as many drinks, food and movies without having to feel guilty about our spending.

I was really excited when I ran this option past DH and he said "Just book it".

Anyway, thought I'd mention this in case anyone is looking for a more reasonably priced premium economy option.

We also are tossing up between virgin america main cabin select @ $329 pp/one way or delta first class $500 pp/one way....the difference is the extra bags @ $25 per bag on VAmer..you are allowed one bag then $25 after that..we take 2 each....so thats $100 extra in bag fees....so thats around $710 pp Virgin or $1000 pp delta....and the fact that delta have non-stop red eyes...leaving at 11.30pm from lax rather than losing a whole day with virgin Lax dep 8 am ..may tip the scale in delta's favor this time...also getting around 8000 delta miles doesn't hurt either ...but things change so nothing is set in concrete till it is

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We also are tossing up between virgin america main cabin select @ $329 pp/one way or delta first class $500 pp/one way....the difference is the extra bags @ $25 per bag on VAmer..you are allowed one bag then $25 after that..we take 2 each....so thats $100 extra in bag fees....so thats around $710 pp Virgin or $1000 pp delta....and the fact that delta have non-stop red eyes...leaving at 11.30pm from lax rather than losing a whole day with virgin Lax dep 8 am ..may tip the scale in delta's favor this time...also getting around 8000 delta miles doesn't hurt either ...but things change so nothing is set in concrete till it is

Tough choice, but I can see why in your case you'd be tending towards Delta. $500 for first class sounds like a really good deal.

We will only have one bag each going to Orlando, but will probably buy one extra suitcase in Orlando to bring home our shopping.

I think we will definitely need the overnight in LAX to recover from the Air NZ flight. There's no way any of my family (particularly my 5 year old) could cope with an overnight from Auckland, followed by an overnight from LA, followed by a day trying to keep busy while we wait for check-in for our hotel. None of us sleep well on planes, so it would mean about 48hrs without proper sleep. It would set us up poorly for the rest of our holiday. So I think the overnight in LA is an unfortunate necessity for my family.

I'm a bit gutted I'm flying back to LAX on AA. The price was cheap, and the time of the flight was good (Virgin's return times just didn't work for us), but AA looks like such a dull airline with pretty much no perks whatsoever. A means to an ends and that's it. On the plus side, I will be able to use that 5 hours with nothing better to do, to write heaps of my TR.

 

[australiankaren]

Tough choice, but I can see why in your case you'd be tending towards Delta. $500 for first class sounds like a really good deal.

We will only have one bag each going to Orlando, but will probably buy one extra suitcase in Orlando to bring home our shopping.

I think we will definitely need the overnight in LAX to recover from the Air NZ flight. There's no way any of my family (particularly my 5 year old) could cope with an overnight from Auckland, followed by an overnight from LA, followed by a day trying to keep busy while we wait for check-in for our hotel. None of us sleep well on planes, so it would mean about 48hrs without proper sleep. It would set us up poorly for the rest of our holiday. So I think the overnight in LA is an unfortunate necessity for my family.

I'm a bit gutted I'm flying back to LAX on AA. The price was cheap, and the time of the flight was good (Virgin's return times just didn't work for us), but AA looks like such a dull airline with pretty much no perks whatsoever. A means to an ends and that's it. On the plus side, I will be able to use that 5 hours with nothing better to do, to write heaps of my TR.

dont forget you can get gogo internet for the flight....and good move breaking up the trip, nothing worse than dragging an unhappy/ exhausted family thru the airport...

 

[WanderlustNZ]

dont forget you can get gogo internet for the flight....and good move breaking up the trip, nothing worse than dragging an unhappy/ exhausted family thru the airport...

I noticed that most domestic US airlines have internet. Will be a first for me to able to send an email from the air.

 

[Royal Consort]

I noticed that most domestic US airlines have internet. Will be a first for me to able to send an email from the air.

I've been sending airmail for yeeeaars